‘The Orville’ Recap: ‘The Road Not Taken’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

Okay, I know I’m not the only one, who has been running the ending of last week’s episode of The Orville through their minds over and over again. Because Kelly’s rejection of Ed in that tale, could not have been some one-off moment, it had to have major implications for the season two finale. Would it or could it create a separate timeline? One free from current canon as one fellow fan suggested to me via a comment on Facebook, or would this decision have major implications on the timeline and alter the course of future history as we know it? Well, thankfully, last night’s episode of the show, wasted no time in answering our burning questions and addressing all of those possibilities, in the most devastating of fashion, of course.
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Because ‘The Road Not Taken’ quickly revealed to us that Kelly’s decision did not create some offshoot timeline, instead her choice to push Ed aside changed everything in the current one and definitely not for the better. For by not marrying Ed, and not going through their respective ups and downs, Kelly never recommended Ed for the Orville’s chair, and since that never happened, Doctor Finn never came aboard the ship, and her boys didn’t attach themselves to Isaac, which means, the Kaylon gambit to bring down Earth’s defenses was a rousing success and they began their purge of biological life in the galaxy. Earth, Moclus, and countless other worlds were destroyed by these beings and the crew of the Orville was scattered to the wind all over the galaxy, and knowing what should have actually happened, prompted Kelly to finally try and set things right.

Which means she worked overtime to re-assemble a crew that had never worked together before, in order to pull off one hell of a bold plan to set the timeline straight. Which meant, she needed to get her hands on an important chemical compound, and the Aronov Device data in order to send Dr. Finn back in time to ensure that the memory wipe took hold a second time around and well, this push led to some devastating visuals and heartbreaking moments. Because we were forced to say hello and goodbye to Lt. Alara Kitan once again since the Kaylon brought down her resistance cell in brutal fashion after a visit from the crew, and we were witness to the utter devastation these monsters inflicted upon Planet Earth, and we also came to learn that Topa and Klyden died on Moclus, and all of this simply added a sense of urgency for the crew to complete their mission and despite a few bumps in the road, and the destruction of the Orville, they actually managed to pull this bold gambit off, and change history for the better.

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If anything, this is how you execute a season finale, because this sucker had it all. Harrowing moments, incredible action and adventure, and I was definitely on the edge of my seat several times, and there were quality performances present from every single actor on the show since they were able to play fascinating, alternate versions of themselves. But what I also loved about this episode; was the incredible fan service it sent our way. I mean come on, Halston Sage returning as Alara? Yes, a thousand times yes. But the fan moment that stood out to me the most, was the homage that this finale paid to one of my all-time favorite Next Generation episodes, ‘Yesterday’s Enterprise’, and much like the aforementioned TNG episode, this story was able to roll around in the mud for a little bit and give our characters something challenging to chew upon without changing the course of what this series stands for.
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Yet, what would The Orville be without some kind of uplifting or inspiring message, and that was present here too. Because in essence, Kelly’s decision spoke volumes to the fact that we should always look upon the past with objective and/or appreciative eyes. Because while things don’t always go as planned for us, everything happens for its own respective reasons, and the decisions we make and the paths we walk, take us down fascinating roads that teach us plenty and trying to ‘correct’ some of the harsher lessons we learn, by avoiding future conflicts or heartbreak or strife, can cause more harm than good, and I really do love the fact that the series found a way to express that kind of message in the midst of a nightmare story and really, when all is said and done, this episode outright took my breath away.

Because I don’t think any of us were prepared for something so bleak and so powerful, and while I think deep down we knew it would end happy, there were moments there that we were lost in the quagmire with the crew, thanks to one quality script from David Goodman and some fine direction from Gary Lake. But, while this episode is one to be celebrated, fans of this show and the intrepid crew of the U.S.S. Orville now face undiscovered country in the days ahead. Because as of press time, there is no season three waiting in the wings for this show and well, I really do hope that changes quickly. Because in a creative landscape where edgy and dark rules all things science fiction, this series really is a beacon of hope, for it shows us the wonder and value of working together to solve our problems, and it’s never afraid to be bold and show us a better way when it comes to some of the issues plaguing our society. It’s a television series that quite frankly, an angry and messy world needs right now, and I really do hope Fox gives this magnificent adventure another year. Because if this is what The Orville can accomplish in its sophomore season, imagine what year three could bring to the table and like the rest of you, I’ll be watching and waiting for the good news, so I can come back here with all of you and geek out about one of the finest science fiction shows to ever hit the airwaves. Until next time. 

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