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

And so we come to the end...for now, at least. The future is uncertain.

 

So it appears that the finale will deal wth an alternate timeline, where Kelly turned Ed down for a second date as we saw in last night's episode, and so they never get married. Presumably, Kelly went on to become captain instead of Ed. We know that Kelly put in a good word with the Admiralty to help Ed get command of the Orville in part because she felt guilty for cheating on him. So it would make sense that if Kelly and Ed never marry, that Ed maybe stayed as a lowly unremarkable captain and never got the chance to command the Orville. Should be a very interesting finale if I am right.

 

Actually, Ed seemed to have been pretty well thought of by his superiors prior to the split - his erratic behavior started afterward. So he may be captain of the Orville while Kelly is commanding elsewhere. Or not. We'll have to see.

It'll be interesting if it turns out that they've shot alternate versions of some key scenes through the second year and they weave them into the narrative next week - the way in which the series is produced, with the whole thing apparently being written before the cameras roll, makes that a possibility.

We may get a bit of an "It's A Wonderful Life" riff.*

*Dave Bischoff (nd god knows how many others probably) used to call the TNG episode "Tapestry" by the name "It's A Wonderful Knife."

 

Yeah, Ed was supposedly on track to be a very well-respected officer and Captain until Kelly's infidelity sent him into something of a downward spiral.

 

I wonder if the ship/crew will be protected by the changes in the timeline because of issac’s device and they’re going to have to find a way to fix the timeline.

The description just says “The crew will have to contend with the fallout” doesn’t really say one way or another.

 

That “Get me Union Central” bit was originally with Ed, correct?

The most obvious and direct way to “learn” that the timeline has changed is if the mind wipe didn't work at all and Kelly remembers her trip to the future, as opposed to a harrowing subconscious feeling that made her do a reality check and turn down the second date. In that case, she would remember enough to tell the Kaylon situation is getting completely out of hand and needs to do a correction, and she wouldn't even need to tell anybody else, other than communicate that to her younger self.

(We could have two separate timelines that are looping into one another, which is somewhat more realistic than “changing” the past, but it's probably not easy to pull an interesting story out of that.)

 

Ugh, I hope this isn't the last Orville episode we get. I don't like time travel stories very much.

 

One theory I've heard. "Ed was a rising start before the divorce (first episode). So it's possible he got a better command (heavy cruiser), Isaac is still posted to the Orville and never met Finn and the boys, (she was on the Orville at the request of Ed and was with him on his different command), Isaac didn't turn on the Kaylon, and the Union gets destroyed."

 

Finn wasn't on board under Ed's request, but she came aboard because she heard he was a new captain and wanted to be with him. Gordon was on Orville at Ed's insistence.

 

I'll bet that for some technobabble reason Isaac remembers the first timeline.

 

They all might, due to proximity to the gadget that caused it.

 

TNG Tapestry (possibly the title)
With the altered timeline Ed didn't get the kick in the pants to get serious about his career because he thought he'd be single and young forever.
In this episode , Ed will be the waiter in the bar.

But then he'll show some flash of brilliance (save the ship)and Kelly, the captain will realize that he used to be in Starfleet, ( or whatever )so he'll get a field promotion to second in command.

 

You mean this time around young Kelly doesn't like the results of her not having a relationship with Ed so when they (whoever is in command this time) send her back her subconscious feeling gets her to say yes to the second date putting the timeline back on track?

 

Yes. I actually do think a version of that is might still happen, if I'm reading the trailer and the title correctly.

It was more a philosophical question of whether the timeline changes when she does that, or are those two separate timelines that exists at the same time. And in the latter case, it feels as if interference from Kelly from the other timeline was already felt in the way she spoke to Ed about accepting his second invitation in 9 in the morning, perhaps with a subconscious anxiety about Kaylon victory* somewhere in it.

But that case is unlikely, because they'd probably go for entertaining over over-complicated exploration of timeline mechanics, unless it's merely suggestive and opens fascinating plotline avenues.

* Or witnessing the death of Ed, and the whole Orville, or something.

 

Remember what Kelly said that she almost didn’t give him a second date because he called her too fast. But she gave him a pass because their date was fun.

So in the unchanged timeline she woke up with good vibes to Ed, influencing her decision. In the changed timeline she woke up dazed and confused from the memory wipe and that difference pushed the decision the other way.

 

So like in "Yesterday's Enterprise" when Picard turns around and Worf is gone and Yay is back, will we find Alara back for a cameo?

 

As if Avengers Endgame alone wouldn't have me on Edge... the possibilities of what happens as a result of past Kellys different decision...
Fingers crossed it's a good week and not the last we get to see of the Orville.

 

Or the opposite. Ed didn't have a relationship to occupy his time (early), then didn't go on a downward spiral after it ended (later). He might have made Admiral.

 

The "Get me Union Central" clip is from "Sanctuary," when the Moclan ship starts sending down shuttles. I'm guessing it doesn't have anything to do with the episode and Fox is just playing fast and loose with where they grab clips from for the teasers.

 

I blame my brain fart, because what followed from that scene was hair-rising.