All aboard the USS Orville! Sci-fi fans, you're in for a treat. The intergalactic series The Orville is coming back for Season 3 on Hulu on June 2, 2022. Under the name The Orville: New Horizons, the show takes inspiration from Star Trek and Next Generation. Taking place in the 25th century, The Orville is about a mid-level exploratory spacecraft named the USS Orville.
Throughout the series, The Orville and its crew members go on various planet explorations. Just like any other sci-fi series, their crew doesn't just consist of human beings, but aliens as well. In addition to dealing with the dangers of outer space, the Orville crew must also overcome their personal and professional issues within the ship - just another day at the office, really. Some may view this as a parody of sci-fi classics but others have commented that the series is a fun homage to the greats.
Season 1 of The Orville premiered on September 10, 2017, followed by Season 2 on December 30, 2018. Both seasons were initially released on Fox. After four long years, The Orville is ready to up the ante with Season 3 and bring the lovable Orville crew back to the screen. As of now, there are no plans announced for Season 4.
It's been years since the last season ended. So before you get started on The Orville: New Horizons, check out this cast and character guide for a quick refresher.
Seth MacFarlane as Captain Ed Mercer
Seth MacFarlane plays Captain Ed Mercer, the commanding officer of the USS Orville. Previously an up-and-coming officer, Mercer is on the fast path to having his ship by 40. However, things take an uncanny turn when he finds his ex-wife, Kelly Grayson, in bed with an alien. Since then, Mercer hasn't been quite himself at work, with his constant hangovers and poor performance. But despite his shortcomings, Mercer is still entrusted with The Orville, a mid-level exploratory ship.
Mercer is not your average captain. Sure, he has his bad habits and personal foils. But Mercer has heart and puts duty, morality, and, more importantly, his team above anything else. He doesn't have a specific set of skills that make him a specialist. Instead, his personality combines all the things he's learned from his fellow members: Kelly's leadership, Bortus' heart, Malloy's humor, and LaMarr's intelligence. These traits make Captain Mercer a likable, inspirational captain respected (and sometimes teased) by his crew. MacFarlane, who is also the show's creator, is most famous for his work on the television series Family Guy and American Dad!, as well as movies like Ted and A Million Ways to Die in the West.
Adrianne Palicki as Commander Kelly Grayson
Adrianne Palicki plays Commander Kelly Grayson, the first officer of the Orville and also Mercer's ex-wife. It's easy to hate Grayson at first, considering she cheats on Mercer with an alien and thus causes him to go on a year-long personal crisis. But as the show progresses, Grayson attempts to make amends, unbeknownst to Mercer. Grayson is why Captain Mercer can become commander of The Orville, and she personally appeals to their senior officers and asks to give him a chance.
Grayson may have caused great turmoil in her marriage, but one must remember that she still cares for Mercer deeply. It's revealed that she cheated because of Mercer's long absence at home (and weird alien pheromones), although no excuse should ever justify the act of cheating. Despite their differences, Grayson remains professional and is willing to become a team player. For all her screw-ups, Grayson is one of the most brilliant people on board and does whatever it takes to find a solution.
Palicki is best known for her role as Barbara "Bobbi" Morse/Mockingbird in the superhero drama series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Her previous roles also include playing Tyra Collette in Friday Night Lights.
Penny Johnson Jerald as Doctor Claire Finn
Penny Johnson Jerald plays Doctor Claire Finn, the brilliant Chief Medical Officer of the USS Orville. Finn has a killer wit and a clever sense of humor despite her steel mentality. Her medical specializations include DNA engineering, molecular surgery, and psychiatry, which pretty much explains her unquestionable expertise. While Finn has all the capabilities required to tackle heavy cruisers, she chooses the mid-level Orville instead. Finn explains that she prefers working somewhere where she could be more hands-on and be able to provide more assistance (however, Mercer misinterprets this, believing that Finn doesn't have confidence in him).
Finn's strength comes from being the single mother of two boys - it's not easy being in charge of the medical area while raising children on a dangerous intergalactic ship. Her intelligence and perseverance are remarkable, but her impulsiveness sometimes gets the best of her. For example, while she is a caring mother, she doesn't necessarily have the best parenting techniques. And let's not get started on that one time she decides to date Isaac out of the blue. Nevertheless, Finn is a headstrong woman who stands her ground on her principles and beliefs despite her blunders.
Johnson previously trained in the prestigious Juilliard School with fellow classmates Lorraine Toussaint and Megan Gallagher. Her previous roles include Kasidy Yates in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Captain Victoria "Iron" Gates in Castle, and Sherry Palmer in 24.
Scott Grimes as Lieutenant Gordon Malloy
Scott Grimes plays Lieutenant Gordon Malloy, USS Orville's helmsman and Mercer's best friend. It's hard to believe that this prankster of a man is recognized as the fleet's best helmsman, let alone a Lieutenant. Not to mention that he was previously demoted to desk duty due to an unfortunate incident - impressing a girl with a risky shuttle docking maneuver, which of course, backfired and ultimately caused damages to the vessel and loss of cargo. But all that aside, Mercer is still insistent on giving Lieutenant Malloy the assignment of steering the ship, despite his boss's concerns.
With his jokester personality, Malloy is known for his history of immature pranks, which includes making Isaac look like a Mr. Potato Head. Of course, like his attempt to impress a girl, his pranks typically backfire, with Malloy getting the brunt of his antics (remember that one time Isaac stole the lieutenant's left leg while he was sleeping?). Despite his childish jokes and dry humor, Malloy is not just an expert pilot (having saved the ship from inevitable doom several times) but also a reliable friend and a heroic addition to the team.
Apart from The Orville, Grimes is best known for appearing in the cult classic The Night They Saved Christmas and has starred in notable TV shows like ER as Dr. Archie Morris and Band of Brothers as Technical Sergeant Donald Malarkey.
Peter Macon as Lieutenant Commander Bortus
Peter Macon plays Lieutenant Commander Bortus, the competent Second Officer on the USS Orville. Bortus is originally from Moclus, a male-dominated planet specializing in weapon manufacturing. As the ship's Lieutenant Commander, he is basically third in charge of the vessel. But this doesn't stop the lieutenant commander from being the butt of jokes, mainly because he has no clue about human habits and has particular behaviors himself. For example, he literally eats anything, from a napkin to a ball of wasabi.
Still, his efforts to assimilate with the USS Orville crew and Union society are heartwarming. His fascinating Moclan origins and his curiosity keep him an interesting character. He may come off as emotionless, but he has a huge heart and will do anything to save his crew and family. What's even more touching is his emotional growth during the first two seasons, making him a character to look forward to in Season 3.
Macon has nearly 30 years of experience performing at Twin Cities theaters and once starred in Othello. The actor has also played in shows like Shameless, Law & Order, and SEAL Team.
Halston Sage as Lieutenant Alara Kitan
Halston Sage plays Lieutenant Alara Kitan, the Chief of Security for USS Orville. Despite her young age, Kitan is a force to be reckoned with. Originating from the high-gravity planet of Xelaya, Kitan ends up having superhuman strength on Earth gravity - giving her the ability to knock down walls or reshape blocks of titanium with her bare hands. Unfortunately, Kitan only remains part of the main cast until the third episode of Season 2. Her character resigns from her post to go back to her home planet after discovering she's losing her super-strength due to being away too long from her home planet's gravitational force.
Although her time on the ship is brief, Kitan has become a memorable character for beloved fans of the show. It's easy to pinpoint her as the underdog because of her age. But her abilities and determination eventually shine through. She's a capable officer who's conquered her fears despite coming from a traumatic childhood. Let's not forget her witty humor and fun personality. Despite her exit from the show, Kitan's departure was left quite open-ended so there's a chance that we might get to see her in at least a guest appearance in Season 3.
Halston Sage is known for starring as Grace on the Nickelodeon television series How to Rock and Lacey in the coming-of-age movie Paper Towns, the film adaptation of John Green's critically acclaimed novel.
J. Lee as Lieutenant John LaMarr
J. Lee plays Lieutenant John LaMarr, the smooth-talking Chief Navigator of USS Orville, who ends up becoming Chief Engineer later on in Season 1. LaMarr has a close friendship with Malloy, considering they share a similar sense of humor. But unlike Malloy, LaMarr secretly has a high level of intelligence and is slightly more mature with his responsibilities.
Despite being incredibly smart, LaMarr initially downplays his intelligence to fit in with his peers. Instead of chasing after grand ambitions, he would settle for modest assignments that don't require him to put out much of his potential. Ultimately, it is Grayson who encourages him to push himself and go for the position of Chief Engineer. Lee has previously worked with MacFarlane, having starred as a voice actor in shows like American Dad!, Family Guy, and Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy.
Mark Jackson as Isaac
Mark Jackson plays Isaac, the Science and Engineering Officer of USS Orville, and a member of the artificial Kaylon-1 race, which views biological lifeforms (e.g., humans) as inferior. Isaac also serves as the ambassador of the Kaylon on the ship, part of an attempt to establish relationships between the two powers. During his time on The Orville, Isaac studies human behavior, learning things like relationships, slang, sarcasm, and other aspects.
He may be a non-biological being, in which he prioritizes rationale more than feelings, but surprisingly, Isaac can show a more humane side, especially when Kaylon decides to go on a rampage and attacks his crewmates. Sure, it was disappointing when Isaac played a part in Kaylon's genocidal efforts, but in the end, he chose to side with the Union and go so far as to save Ty, Dr. Finn's youngest son. Jackson primarily worked in theater before starring in The Orville, working in the Royal National Theatre's productions of War Horse and One Man, Two Guvnors.
Norm Macdonald as Yaphit
The late Norm Macdonald plays Yaphit, a gelatinous, green blob-like creature who’s just generally fun to be around. He becomes a running joke as he tries to win Claire's affections throughout Season 1 by bringing her flowers and playing the guitar. Unfortunately, Claire doesn’t share the same sentiment. Still, his playful personality makes him incredibly likable.
Macdonald is famous for his stint at Saturday Night Live and played roles in well-known movies like Billy Maddison and The People Vs. Larry Flint. He’s also done voice acting for Family Guy and Mike Tyson Mysteries. It's currently unknown whether Yaphit will be featured in Season 3 but if you're planning on rewatching the previous seasons, he's definitely one of the most enjoyable characters in them.
Jessica Szohr as Lieutenant Talla Keyali
Jessica Szohr plays Lieutenant Talla Keyali, the newest addition to USS Orville and the new Chief of Security, replacing Kitan after she departs from the team. Also from Xelayan, she has the same super-strength abilities possessed by Kitan. Unlike Kitan, Keyali has a bolder personality and doesn’t mind jumping first into any situation that requires her to fight.
Szohr is most notable for her role as Vanessa Abrams on the teen drama series Gossip Girl. Her other notable credits include My Wife and Kids, Joan of Arcadia, and CSI: Miami.
Anne Winters as Charly Burke
Anne Winters plays Ensign Charly Burke, the new navigator of USS Orville and a new character that will appear in Season 3. While not much is revealed about Burke at the moment, we do know that she is a human female who has the ability to visualize multiple dimensions at an impressive speed with sharp accuracy.
Winters is most notable for her work in Netflix's hit teen drama 13 Reasons Why. She's also acted alongside comedians Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish in Universal Pictures' Night School.
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