‘The Orville: New Horizons’ Recap – ‘Shadow Realms’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 302 of ‘The Orville: New Horizons’. To revisit the season three premiere, click here.
​
One would think that in this age of science and information, that questions revolving around mythical beings and legends, would be put to bed. For science should be able to solve those mysteries, allowing for us to move onto the next great one… but alas, that is simply not the case. For we still ponder upon the possibility that ghosts exist, and we still give license to notions of the werewolf and the vampire. For that matter, some would debate that religion and the vast belief in an all-powerful Deity would also qualify as mankind hanging onto a mythical mystery that has yet to be proven to be real in the slightest, and well… that really does beg quite the important question.
​
In that… why, in this age of information and science, do we still hold to old beliefs and legends? And well, there is no easy answer to that particular question. Because people will offer a bevy of different reasons as to why they believe in a certain myth or legend or why they hold faith in something greater so strongly in their heart. Which means that perhaps… in order to understand why we hold to such concepts, we need to do something more than merely prove or disprove a legend. Perhaps a different kind of understanding is needed, to have proper context as to why someone latches onto a particular concept, and it just so happens, that a different approach to understanding, was central to the plot of this week’s episode of The Orville.

For ‘Shadow Realms’ is a story that afforded quite the opportunity to the crew of the Orville. In that, thanks to Admiral Christie, the Krill were ready to open up unexplored space to the Planetary Union and since the Orville was transporting the admiral to those final negotiations, they would get first crack at sights unseen. But before the ship set out into unknown regions of the void, they received quite the warning from the Krill. In that, if they traveled too close to a particularly unique expanse, they would likely suffer through an astral hellscape. For Krill legend/religion cited that part of space to be nothing more than a place where demons roamed and would possess those who violated its borders. A warning that left Ed curious as to what motivated such a belief since there was no concrete evidence to back up that kind of story, and well, the crew quickly came to discover why the Krill held to this notion.

---

Because within the expanse was a grand abandoned ship, one that harbored an incredible danger. For within its hull was a spore, one that was able to transmit a horrific DNA altering virus that transformed the admiral into a terrifying, spider-like creature that was able to transform others into its kind quickly. Which put the crew at incredible risk, and had it not been for the good doctor and her incredible mind and ability to see the simple things in the body, the crew might have been overrun by the final product of this alteration. But she was able to save the day and well, the aftermath of this nightmare gave the crew some fascinating perspective. In that, myths and legends are often grounded in something quite real to the believer and in this instance, a DNA altering virus, one that utterly transformed a person could be seen as a possession of sorts, and good reason to teach others of an unholy danger.
​
But what matters more here, is that the story tasks us… to think more like this crew and really dive deeper into the ‘why’ people believe in a particular myth or legend. So that we understand where they are coming from and what drives that belief. Because to do so, makes a person feel validated and understood, something that is sorely lacking in our society right now. But such a move would also allow for us, to figure out a better way to educate others when it comes to beliefs that are dangerous and concerning, and perhaps come to a point where those troublesome legends can be excised from the mind so those swimming within them, can find value in new things. And at the very least, it would provide all of us with new perspective on the world and the human condition and there’s never anything wrong with that. 

In the end however, this was another brilliant episode from a genuinely brilliant show. For it really dug into a concept we don’t think about or talk about all that often and clearly, we should, since context at any level is for kings and provides perspective and knowledge. But this episode also shines, because it still found a way to make such matters emotionally palatable to the audience through Doctor Finn and Admiral Christie’s past and… it also did something that the Star Trek universe tends to fail at. In that, it blended horror and science fiction together beautifully, by making use of organic moments to create the scares and well, in the end… all this episode does, is leave us eagerly awaiting more new missions with this intrepid crew. So, we can see what other fascinating concepts revolving around the human condition Captain Ed Mercer and his stellar shipmates will explore, as they continue to venture into new horizons amongst the stars. Until next time.

---

Powered by JustWatch