Warning! The following contains spoilers for The Orville: New Horizons episode “Future Unknown.” Read at your own risk!
The Orville: New Horizons had the opportunity to do something different when it moved to Hulu, and it’s fair to say Seth MacFarlane and crew fully embraced that in Season 3. Anyone with a Hulu subscription who caught this season witnessed some of the best episodes the series aired to date, as well as a serviceable season finale that had some awesome surprises. It’s all very exciting, though I won’t lie – the finale episode left me worried about Season 4.
The Season 3 finale of The Orville wasn’t quite as eventful as the penultimate episode that majorly shook up the universe, but there were some other big moments and surprises that happened. Let’s break it all down below, including why the tone of the episode really has me wondering about the future.
Isaac And Claire Got Married
After witnessing Bortus and Klyden’s bonding ceremony to rekindle their relationship, Isaac decided it was only logical to propose to Claire. Claire felt weird about accepting at first, but after some conversations with friends and her two sons, she accepted Isaac’s offer. They married on the ship and were even joined by Kaylon Primary and just about the entirety of the Kaylon empire. It was a sweet ceremony and brought me joy as a fan.
Alara Made An Unexpected Appearance
The Orville: New Horizons had a surprise for fans in the Season 3 finale, as an unexpected guest at the wedding surprised the crew. Alara, played by actress Halston Sage, made her return for the first time this season to attend Claire’s wedding. It was nice to see Sage return for the ceremony, especially after she was written off in Season 2 (possibly because Prodigal Son was picked up by Fox). It was great to see her back in the fold and chatting with the other characters, if only for a short while.
The Whole Episode Felt Like Classic Orville In The Best Way
I’ll be the first to say that I appreciated that The Orville: New Horizons was the furthest step away from Season 1 and that Season 3 delivered consistently serious storytelling most of the way through (Scott Grimes noted serious storytelling was a necessity). With that said, the season finale was strangely reminiscent of Season 1 and brought the comedy in spades as Claire and Isaac prepared for the big day. Bortus’ tenure as Isaac’s best man had several noteworthy moments, as did Isaac’s attempt to try and date more women before marriage by propositioning Kelly in a rather forward way. I love when The Orville is serious, but the season finale certainly reminded me the show can also be just as good when it’s wholesome and funny.
The Season Finale Felt Like A Series Finale
The only troubling thing about The Orville: New Horizons’ Season 3 finale is how much it felt like a series finale. Season 4 is not guaranteed, which might be why the episode was titled “Future Unknown.” Its renewal is reportedly still up in the air over at Hulu, with cast members telling CinemaBlend it’ll depend on viewership and buzz on social media. It’s also possible that how well the series does on Disney+ when it launches will also factor in, and director Jon Cassar said it can only help. Still, seeing such a happy ending with a surprise cameo made it feel real that The Orville won’t return, which is certainly disappointing.
Conversely, The Orville: New Horizons took an opportunity to create a finale in case it didn’t return, and a fine one at that. Should the show return for Season 4, the events of the penultimate episode will likely serve as fodder to set up where Captain Ed Mercer and the crew head next. Speaking of which, Ed and Gordon are still alive, which some speculated wouldn’t be the case after Seth MacFarlane and Scott Grimes signed on for that Ted adaptation. Overall, I’d say the story is still in great shape for Season 4, should a renewal happen.
The Orville: New Horizons fans will need to wait and see if Hulu renews the series for Season 4. In the meantime, they can keep an eye out for the Disney+ launch, which will go down on Wednesday, August 10th.
