'The Orville' Recap: 'Into the Fold'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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The true draw of science fiction shows and stories that feature humanity traveling through the stars, is the wonder of what awaits mankind in the vastness of space. The beautiful cultures, the stunning sights, and the incredible discoveries that await an intrepid crew all captivate our imaginations in ways we never knew were possible. Of course, there are dangers that await in space as well, but that usually serves as nothing more than a simple plot twist/conflict for our crew to overcome so it becomes in some ways an afterthought when all is said and done.
 
But let’s be honest, space is a dangerous place. It’s a void really, one filled with untold phenomena that we on Earth have barely begun to understand and truly, the best science fiction stories out there are the ones that embrace that danger, not only to remind us that space travel isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but also to challenge the characters of our favorite stories in ways they never knew possible and well, that’s precisely where The Orville went this week. Because ‘Into the Fold’ brought forth a story filled to the brim with tough moments and harrowing danger.
 
Yet of course, as this show is wont to do, it delivered all of that in unique and powerful fashion. Because rather than just put a pair of crewmen into a tough situation on an unexplored world, which would have been compelling in its own right, this episode upped the ante by putting an entire family in harm’s way since Doctor Finn was joined by her two sons on this particular journey and goodness, did they face some incredible danger. There was something truly stunning and stomach churning about seeing the shuttle snap in half and helplessly watch a mother be separated from her sons, and also see everyone deal with the starving, ill and bloodthirsty inhabitants of this world shortly after the crash.  

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But what truly made this episode so magical, is that as always, this series found a way to add incredible depth and meaning to the situation because this was in essence a story about family, and what it means to all of us. For Doctor Finn it truly meant everything and I love the fact that Finn stopped at nothing to reunite with her boys in order to keep them safe, and when I say stop at nothing, I darn well mean it since she went all out in order to escape her captor to get back to her family, going so far as to kill the man in order to remove the any possibility of this strange man harming her children. 
 
Plus, there was some serious beauty to be found in the fact that her relatively unruly boys gained a newfound appreciation for their mother and everything that she does for them as well, all thanks to the situation at hand. That made their reunion all the more touching and their rescue all the more powerful because in essence, this family received a powerful second chance to mend their issues, allowing for them to finally be closer, something that the trip was supposed to do in the first place and while it was a harrowing episode through and through, I love the fact that this fit right in with the hopeful nature of this saga thanks to that uplifting ending.
 
Thankfully though, this story wasn’t just focused on nail biting moments. The trademark comedy we’ve come to enjoy from this series was on full display thanks to Isaac, since seeing him serve as an unexpected babysitter was downright hilarious and his finest moment of the night was how he handled the whole matter with the game. Either way, it was wonderful to see the series deliver a more intimate affair storytelling wise. There was no social commentary to be found in this tale, no grand and powerful adventure. Just a fine reminder that family is the greatest gift we receive when we come into this world, and it is also the greatest gift we can give to anyone when we choose to make them a part of our own. Until next time.   

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