THE ORVILLE S2, E14: "THE ROAD NOT TAKEN"

[KennyB]

I?m still troubled over why Young Kelly, returned from 7 years in the future, with full knowledge of Isaac being a mole and a recent, devastating attack by the Kaylons, did nothing to warn Union Command about it. Surely they have the tech to determine her truthfulness and not dismiss her claims as delusions.

So the galaxy fell because she didn't bother reporting this intel. That's not a little oops that can be overlooked (by us the viewers).

It's make believe.........

 

[YellowSubmarine]

We don't know if young Kelly knew he was a mole. All she learned was that the Kaylon attacked, and Isaac turned against his own people. She could draw different conclusions from that, as she didn't know when Isaac turned. Perhaps she concluded that telling Union officials about Isaac, she would be undermining someone who would be their asset otherwise.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Once again, Orville somehow manages to squeeze a two-hour movie into less than an hour. Man, a lot happened here, and everyone had something to do, even Isaac's head and alternate Alara (and, yeah, Kelly was looking good). In a way, it's a shame that the final episode of the season, and maybe the series, took place in an alternate Star Wars-ish reality, but on the other hand, if it is the end, that final scene makes for some nice closure. Maybe there would be some subtle differences in the restored timeline, but I'd rather just assume that everything went back to the perfection that we know-- and if they do get renewed, I hope they just move on and leave it alone.

But as an alternate timeline-- Orville's version of "Yesterday's Enterprise"-- there were many intriguing elements. Of all the characters, it seems only John, Alara, Bortus, and Isaac served on the Orville-- which, in this version, the Kaylons successfully used to attack Earth. Ed and Kelly and the rest just went about their average careers, not really failing, but not really standing out. And the Orville ended up at the bottom of the Mariana Trench (on a dead world, without even fish in the oceans). And yet somehow events conspired, with the catalyst of Kelly's brief glimpse of a better future, to bring them all together to set right what once went wrong.

And it's fitting that everything-- literally the fate of the galaxy-- hinged on Ed and Kelly's love for each other. The original comedic premise of the series seemed to be that of a second-rate captain stuck with his ex-wife as his first officer. But upon reflection that premise was really that Ed and Kelly are meant to be together in some capacity, in any timeline or universe, and that they bring harmony to the world. A nice message to end on, if this is indeed the end.

I'm kind of convinced the reason our whole real world of today is such a mess is because I never had the guts to ask Sara Dolezal out back in high school. If I did we would probably have flying cars and free health care right now!

It's all because Charlotte moved back to San Antonio. I told her. I told her!

 

[Qonundrum]

SPOILERS FOLLOW

How did Ed know the buttons to open the locked door on the Orville as he later says he never captained it? Ed also picked his bridge crew, Kelly aside, so how come they are (a) so easily found, and (b) not dead?

From space, Earth is a sulken gray lump with no atmosphere. Once we see the shuttle go down to get to the Orville there's a beautiful clear day with some clouds and atmosphere and crisp blue water. Oops.

Do they eat Quantum Crisps cereal? Quantum drive is one thing but technobabble for the Kaylon started to get silly, and I'm hoping John was making up all the names for his peers' reference. But at least the humans have managed to learn about Kaylon technology so quickly despite limited exposure, combined with the last time they were seen when they said they had no chance to understand anything so they'd have to go to Kaylon One to get him "revived".

Ditto for Quantum Pringles. When one Kaylon head pops, they can't stop. I tuned in a little late, missing the pre-credits bit, so when I saw their heads lifting off their bodies my jaw dropped and I had to stifle a laugh. Catching up the next day I saw the pre-credits bit and it wasn't as jarring.

Their kill rate, typical for science fiction, is excellent as long as it's not a main character that's clearly injured and having more difficulty moving in the snow. At least Gordon got zinged.

Big kudos for:
a. Isaac - for both off-screen explanation being key (her obviously did more in the real timeline to wipe them out completely since that's implied) AND his limited dialogue later, which is wonderfully timed and effectively chilling. And he still has those baby blue eyes.
b. Black hole time dilation - the shuttle must be capable of infraluminal speed (it has a quantum drive) - that was a jaw-dropper bit. Even if one Kaylon ship was scanning the area hour what would have been an hour or so (I'd have to time the ship in question then do calculations...) And yet none of them took a guess to fly in an counter the gravitational forces by keeping their drive running
c. We get a more well-rounded and robust explanation for why the Kaylon need people to keep around and interrogate (it's effective and makes up for what didn't quite work in "Identity")
d. no fish, the Kaylon were thorough - very chilling moment
e. tons of in-jokes to other shows and even a not-quite-subtle jabs at DSC and the 2009-2016 Trek movie era. And I wonder if there's an in-joke made Alara, or channeling, during one piece of dialogue.
f. The handling of the alternate Orville blowing up at the last moment.
g. Kelly's Freudian slip, time for me to update my personal ad.
h. the extensive CGI, it's all beautifully done!
i. To a point, some technobabble for Kaylon (think mesh network, MAC addresses, etc, given shiny new names). Mesh networks aren't often used but this show definitely uses and is mindful of real science far more often...

An episode with a couple good surprises ultimately fell flat because it felt too by-the-numbers and loaded with plot conveniences. Had this been a multi-part epic, or a two-parter without that stupid cell phone episode, there'd be more time to breathe. Forgetting the reset button involving their quest succeeding, which is a good thing since they easily could have left the ending at one point that would instantly conclude "series finale". But having said all that:

8/10, for all it has to do it still takes the time to amaze at the most unexpected moments and I hadn't lost interest. But I'd still rather watch "Timeless" from Star Trek Voyager.

 

[Qonundrum]

It's make believe.........

But it's good make believe.

 

[DarKush]

I thought the finale wasn't as good as the "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow". The production values were very good and I liked how the Kaylon have become the big bad. It was a good use of them and nice how they went back to "Identity" and showed how Mercer not being captain had disastrous consequences for the galaxy.

That being said, I felt that some things were too convenient for them. I get they only had an hour but it felt rushed. I also wished we had seen some more personality changes or drastically, tragic, different outcomes for some of the characters (outside of the big TNG-VOY-esque moment toward the end). For the most part everyone, while a big more ragged, looked healthy, even Bortus, and I would've liked to have seen more dirt, grime, and despair.

Going into it, I was thinking they were just going to show Kelly as captain of the Orville in an altered future, so it was neat to see what they did do, with Kelly bringing the Orville crew back together, or together for the first time.

 

[Trekker4747]

I also wished we had seen some more personality changes or drastically, tragic, different outcomes for some of the characters (outside of the big TNG-VOY-esque moment toward the end). For the most part everyone, while a big more ragged, looked healthy, even Bortus, and I would've liked to have seen more dirt, grime, and despair.

Things had only been sideways for a few months, hardly enough time for everyone to have complete personality changes.

 

[DarKush]

Things had only been sideways for a few months, hardly enough time for everyone to have complete personality changes.

Good point. I got confused by that when Bortus said it had only been nine months, because I was thinking that the divergent timeline would start with Kelly's decision to not take the second date and it was hard for me to shake that. But good point. I still wish they had played around with the idea a little more than they did.

On a side note, I don't like how LaMarr, Talla, and others just escaped from the Orville. Makes no sense that the Kaylon wouldn't have slaughtered them all once they reached Earth. I wish that had been better explained.

 

[Laurora]

When John LaMarr accessed Isaac's brain within the terminated Krayon, it was explained that the Krayons are linked by a shared network and that's how John retrieved the time travel information. Doesn't that mean Isaac is still connected? This would mean the Krayons already have the Time Travel device, they have been monitoring and tracking Orville through Isaac's brain the whole time, making (Isaac) an unwitting spy for the Krayons in the original timeline.. Shouldn't Isaac be taken apart for further study? Am I the only one who saw this or am I misunderstanding the events? I never liked Captain Mercer wanted to keep the traitor on the crew. It probably caused the death of 1000's.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Another thing about the black hole thing. If they indeed did have the technology to be able to survive the gravitational shears in a black hole, seven miles of water pressure should have been no problem.

About Isaac, you could argue it's a Teal'c situation.

 

[Trekker4747]

Good point. I got confused by that when Bortus said it had only been nine months, because I was thinking that the divergent timeline would start with Kelly's decision to not take the second date and it was hard for me to shake that. But good point. I still wish they had played around with the idea a little more than they did.

Well, the divergent timeline did begin with Kelly's decision not to go to a second date with Ed, but that decision just didn't have any meaningful impact on galactic events until the point that the Kaylons attacked.

Kelly never went on a second date with Ed.
Ed and Kelly never got married.
Kelly never cheated on Ed, and felt guilty about it afterwards.
Kelly never used her "pull" with Union Brass to get Ed his own ship.
Ed never was given the Orville.
Dr. Finn never felt her services were needed on the Orville to help out a new commanding officer.
Dr. Finn never went on the shuttle trip with Isaac piloting.
Isaac never got the connection/relationship with Finn and her children.
Isaac then never betrayed the other Kaylon in order to save Finn and her children.
The Orville crew, and by extension the rest of the Union, never had an advantage to win the Battle at Earth with the Kaylon.
The Kaylon take the galaxy.
Nine-months later this episode happens as Kelly begins to realize her decision culminated to this different future and she worked to put together her plan and gather the crew she met in the future.

Another thing about the black hole thing. If they indeed did have the technology to be able to survive the gravitational shears in a black hole, seven miles of water pressure should have been no problem.

That's kind of the big thing I have, that if the technology of the ship is enough for it to survive inside a black hole and not be spaghettified into ribbons of energy by gravitational forces then I'd think being at the bottom of the ocean would be a walk in the park.

 

[Photoman15]

Well, the divergent timeline did begin with Kelly's decision not to go to a second date with Ed, but that decision just didn't have any meaningful impact on galactic events until the point that the Kaylons attacked.

Kelly never went on a second date with Ed.
Ed and Kelly never got married.
Kelly never cheated on Ed, and felt guilty about it afterwards.
Kelly never used her "pull" with Union Brass to get Ed his own ship.
Ed never was given the Orville.
Dr. Finn never felt her services were needed on the Orville to help out a new commanding officer.
Dr. Finn never went on the shuttle trip with Isaac piloting.
Isaac never got the connection/relationship with Finn and her children.
Isaac then never betrayed the other Kaylon in order to save Finn and her children.
The Orville crew, and by extension the rest of the Union, never had an advantage to win the Battle at Earth with the Kaylon.
The Kaylon take the galaxy.
Nine-months later this episode happens as Kelly begins to realize her decision culminated to this different future and she worked to put together her plan and gather the crew she met in the future.



That's kind of the big thing I have, that if the technology of the ship is enough for it to survive inside a black hole and not be spaghettified into ribbons of energy by gravitational forces then I'd think being at the bottom of the ocean would be a walk in the park.

Adding:
Ed never had any type of relationship with the Krill that had them come in and help defeat the Kaylons.

 

[Finn]

Is it me, or did Kelly's freighter kind of resemble one of the Earth starships from Stargate?

Actually, I thought the interior of that freighter had the vibe of these ships we saw being run by the Humans of the Pegasus Galaxy on Atlantis...

 

[ISS-Magnum]

dead world, without even fish in the oceans

no fish

Nothing Left of Earth Excepting Orville.

 

[The Wormhole]

So, I had a thought. Why is John the engineer in the alternate timeline? In the regular one, the only reason he became an engineer was because Kelly noticed his high IQ when putting a reprimand in his file for his role in Gordon's prank of tricking Bortus into eating a piece of Yaphit. But in the alternate timeline, Gordon didn't serve on the Orville, meaning he wouldn't have come up with the prank, so John wouldn't have done anything to get written up over, not that it matters because Kelly wasn't there to write him up anyway.

 

[Mudd]

John was a brilliant guy hiding his talent. It's not unlikely that if Kelly hadn't read his files another supervisor would have.

 

[Trekker4747]

Yeah, I had that thought to and just figured that he'd gotten "outed" in some other fashion on Kelly just brought out of him when she but her little group together, knowing him to be brilliant.

 

[Jayson1]

Well with some of these things you just got to go with alternate universe logic where even if something is very different all your main characters are almost always fated to still be in each others lives due to the point of seeing altered version of your regulars is kind of the big selling point of these stories.

Jason

 

[Samurai8472]

I've been slowly getting into "The Orville". So far its part "Stargate SG-1" and part "Star Trek"

The last two episodes felt more like an episode of SG-1 since they dealt alot of alternate universes and one episode carrying into the other. Early Star Trek tended to be more episodic.

 

[Mr Awe]

The thing I find funny with the whole Black Hole sequence was - IF the Kaylons are so smart, they should have been able to deduce what the Freighter was doing; and/or send a ship or probe in to try the same thing and see if the Freighter is there that way...but they didn't (so our heroes could escape of course ).

Yep, I wondered about that as well. Because it was such an easy thing to do, it's an obvious place to hide. I also suspect that the time dilation effect they calculate was way off given that they were inside the event horizon. I think several hours passed in the show but it should've been much, much longer. Ala Interstellar.