The Orville Season 3's New Horizons Name Is Even Deeper Than You Realize
Warning: SPOILERS for The Orville season 3, episode 2, «Shadow Realms.»
The Orville season 3, episode 2, «Shadow Realms,» justifies the show's rebranding as The Orville: New Horizons, but in a deeper way than it first appears. Created by Family Guy's Seth MacFarlane, the sci-fi comedy-drama has recently returned after three years off-air, moving from Fox to Hulu. It's an affectionate tribute to Star Trek, which has become popular for merging the space exploration and adventure of the franchise with the strong character and comedy work associated with McFarlane.
In recent episodes, there has been a pronounced shift away from comedy into more science-fiction-orientated storytelling. After season 3, episode 1, «Electric Sheep,» put a dark twist on an old Star Trek storyline, episode 2 takes things further. The «Shadow Realms» of the episode's title refer to a region of space that is uncharted by the Planetary Union. After Captain Ed Mercer (Seth MacFarlane) and his crew negotiate travel through diplomatic talks with the Krill, the Orville becomes the first ship to explore these new horizons.
Related: What To Expect From The Orville Season 3
The new opportunities presented by the treaty with the Krill are overtly what The Orville: New Horizons rebrand is referring to. However, «Shadow Realms» emphasizes some less obvious new horizons explored by creator Seth MacFarlane and his writing team. After tackling intolerance and suicide in the previous episode, the show doubles down on shifting away from the more comedic plots of previous seasons, exploring the new horizon of more dramatic sci-fi. The Orville's resident writers Brannon Braga and Andre Bormanis pen a tense action thriller, appropriately directed by 24's Jon Cassar
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