That was nice overall. There isn't much I disliked about the episode - which is great after three episodes with notable flaws in execution. On the other hand, there wasn't really much truly gripping about the episode either.
The supposed "A plot" of the show - the anomaly/gateway into the two-dimensional universe - was pretty boring. It basically existed for one reason and one reason alone however, which was to provide some actual character development into LeMarr. Up until this point he just seemed to be Malloy's sidekick, except in Majority Rule, where he was an idiot. Here it is established that this was all an act, and he's actually very intelligent. More importantly, despite his own lack of confidence in his leadership skills, he actually has "the right stuff."
The "B plot" was once again revolving around Mercer/Grayson - and similar to the A plot, the focus was on lack of confidence - in this case Mercer doubting himself when he finds out Grayson put in a good word for him. I like that the crew of the Orville isn't so sure of itself, but given Kitan has also had two episodes centering around her command insecurities, I really hope the writers stop going back to the well here.
In the end, I think my feelings on this episode hinge on how much The Orville makes sure to not press the "reset button" at the end of each episode. This could mark the transition into a new season, with a more confident crew more assured in their roles, and something like a character arc starting for LaMarr. On the other hand, if the conclusion of this episode has no consequences on the next episode, it will be very disappointing.
I am concerned already that the trailer for next week showed LaMarr back on the bridge in his old seat. Maybe they produced these episodes out of order, and we won't have this issue going forward.
