The Orville Season 3 – Everything Fans Need to Know

Hulu has pushed back the launch of The Orville Season 3 from March to June, but the streaming platform has revealed the first few minutes of video from the next season as a consolation gesture for fans who will have to wait much longer for the show’s revival.

Despite the negative criticism faced by the show throughout the first season, it quickly became a fan favorite- how could it not with the perfect balance of tragedy and comedy.

The USS Orville focuses on Seth MacFarlane’s new sitcom, ‘The Orville,’ which chronicles the spacecraft gang as they travel around the galaxy studying worlds and cultures.

The crux of the futuristic story is the team of the Orville, which includes a split pair, Captain Ed Mercer and Commander Kelly Grayson. The show’s plot is fueled by the crew’s interactions with individuals from diverse civilizations. The program first aired in 2017, and is returning with a third season: here’s all you need to know.

The Orville Season 3 Sneak Peek

The Orville Season 3 Sneak Peek
The Orville Season 3 Sneak Peek

Before all else, let’s talk about The Orville season 3 opening footage. Upon Delay, creater and star Seth MacFarlane tweeted the following.

“To all ‘The Orville’ fans: Thanks for being so patient with us as we’ve navigated the production challenges resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“As occasionally happens, our show has been repositioned amidst the ever-changing television schedule landscape, which means that the wait will be just a bit longer, and we’re now preparing for a June 2nd launch on Hulu.

We’ve always promised you a television experience that will make it worth the wait, and we’re not wavering on that. We understand the frustration you’re feeling over more delays, so we want to give you a little taste of what’s to come. Here’s a sneak peek at the first few minutes of our season opener, and our new main title!”

If you have not yet watched the sneak peek, do it here.

The Orville season 3 Plot

In the season 2 finale of “The Orville,” the crew tries to recover the old chronology by erasing Kelly’s memories. After the Kaylon has seized more than half of the galaxy, along with the demolished Earth, the crew of the Orville is striving to regain control and order.

When the crew discovers that the only way to restore the earlier reality is to undo Kelly’s memory wipe, they obtain a vital protein.

They save Orville from the Mariana Trench and ship Claire back in time to wipe Kelly’s memories. Claire has finally accomplished her aim of restoring the timeline to its previous condition.

Goodman had a few comments about The Orville season 3.

“Are there going to be repercussions for what Isaac did? We didn’t do any repercussions in season two, so that is a question for season three,” he said.

We are still going to be doing standalone episodes. However, now we have shown that we can do a deeper dive in the Union, into the aliens, into our characters. So, we will continue that build.

“But again, it is really important for us for the show to stick to the format… You don’t want anybody confused who has never seen the show before. That is always a goal for us. We don’t want to alienate any new audience member,” he added.

That’s not all. Quite evidently, viewers had a few doubts at the end of season 2.

Addressing those, he said, “There is stuff in the first couple of [episodes of season three] that explain some things, answering questions people may have had at the beginning of season two.”

“All the things we’ve set up in the previous seasons, without naming them – the big and small stories we’ve gone back to more than once – will be obvious to any fans of the show,” Goodman says.

“We’re expanding the characters and storylines, building on everything we’ve done before.”

He also discussed the importance of playing turning up the tragedy when necessary.

“The show can’t just be fun space action,” said Goodman. “Commenting on current society and social mores—we almost consider that our responsibility. The reason people watch is the characters. Those emotional stories really drive the show.”

The Orville Season 3 Release Date

The Orville Season 3 Release Date
The Orville Season 3 Release Date

Contrary to the information available most other places, the first episode of The Orville Season 3 will be out on the 2nd of June, 2022. It will be titled “Electric Sheep”. The season will consist of 11 episodes, fewer than the previous two seasons, but on average each episode will run 12 to 15 minutes longer.

The Orville Season 3 Cast

The Orville Season 3 Cast
The Orville Season 3 Cast

The Orville Season 2 saw the loss of Lieutenant Alara Kitan, and that left us broken-hearted. Goodman says that they would love to have her back.

He added: “I don’t think she is coming back as a regular. But, we love that character… so if there is an opportunity to bring her back story-wise, I think she would be open to it and we would love to have her back.”

Besides that, here’s the confirmed cast list of The Orville Season 3.

Main

  • Seth MacFarlane as Capt. Ed Mercer
  • Adrianne Palicki as Cmdr. Kelly Grayson
  • Penny Johnson Jerald as Dr. Claire Finn
  • Scott Grimes as Lt. Gordon Malloy
  • Peter Macon as Lt. Cmdr. Bortus
  • Jessica Szohr as Lt. Talla Keyali
  • J Lee as Lt. Cmdr. John LaMarr
  • Mark Jackson as Isaac
  • Anne Winters as Charly Burke

Recurring

  • Chad Coleman as Klyden
  • Norm Macdonald as Lt. Yaphit (voice acting)

The Orville Production Information

The Orville Production Information
The Orville Production Information

The Orville season 3 holds directors Seth MacFarlane and Jon Cassar. Shooting began in October 2019, but was delayed due to COVID-19 in March 2020. Roughly half of the season had already been finished.

Production restarted in December 2020, but was halted again in January 2021 due to a COVID rise. Filming commenced in early February 2021 and concluded in August. Prior to his death in September 2021, Norm Macdonald performed vocal work as Lt. Yaphit, making it one of his last performances.

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