With a third season ofThe Orvilleset to premiere on June 26, 2025, on Hulu, fans are excited to once again embark on Seth MacFarlane’s love letter toStar Trek The Next Generation.It’s ironic considering how far from the tone ofTNGthe current officialStar Trekshows are, includingPicard, the direct continuation of theTNGbrand. In many ways,The Orvilleis deliveringwhat manyTrekfans actually want– a return to the 1990s eraStar Trek, complete with a signature corniness, a kind of ‘scout’s honor’ quality, with a tendency to get unexpectedly absurd.
MacFarlane’s brilliant use of comedy allows theStar Trekformula to go further down hilarious rabbit holes. Yet, for the most part, the show seems to bear its comedic colors less and less, essentially becoming more or less a greatStar Trekknock-off as opposed to a parody.
MacFarlane’s love ofTNGis no secret with the multiple out-of-nowhere cameos of the Enterprise-D gang inFamily Guy. The undeniably talented show creator is known for wearing his fan colors shamelessly on his sleeve, which has no doubt helped to elevate and inform his entertainment career.The Orville, unlike any show in history, treads a line between parody and homage that is so thin, it may have actually been completely broken at this point, but you don’t hear anyone complaining about it. While the show is not as outrightridiculous as something likeSpace Balls,it was still marketed and sold as aStar Trekparody.
Comedy, however, unlike other genres, has a tendency to evolve much faster and serves as a reflection of modern sensibilities. In contemporary fandom culture, where fan films and other questionably legal intellectual property theft happens on an hourly basis thanks to the internet, perhapsThe Orvillerepresents a new kind of sneaky I.P. theft which is simply using comedy to disguise its true intent.Star Trekin many ways does own a kind of monopoly on the general concept of a space fairing future, whereby anyone who attempts to develop a similar concept is immediately compared. MacFarlane’s show has created a kind of loophole to avoid this trapping by not shying away from the fact that it is a blatant parody, yet once the gimmick was established, it wasn’t going to stop the show from taking on a dramatic life of its own to the point where manyStar Trekfans want the show included in the same universe.
Let’s take a look at what we can expect from theupcoming season ofThe Orville, and how it may continue to evolve toward being just an awesome science fiction show versus aStar Trekparody.
Star Trek at Its Best
While the particular 1990s vision of Gene Roddenberry’sStar Trekseries isn’t really in fashion at the moment,The Orvilleperhaps fills a void forTrekfans who might seek a return to form. With the second season of the show reaching further into its mythology, expanding the scope of its characters, and deliveringStar Treklike drama, it is very likely the third season will continue down this path of fewer laughs and more sincerity. At it’s core, it is a science fiction drama, possibly quite aware of the fact that it’s really more on point for manyTrekfans, and taking advantage of Paramount’s arguable missteps with the officialStar Trekproperties.
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While season three may go even more bleak, it is unlikely the show will take itself too seriously to the point of losing comedy all together, especially withSeth MacFarlanetaking over most of the directing duties for season three. Lacking levity has been a problem forStar Trek Discovery,whereas you’re unlikely to go more than a few minutes onThe Orvillewithout a laugh, though these bouts of genuine drama seemed to increase in length as season two progressed.
Orville’s Future Unknown
Previous episodes have been called out for featuring a number of veteranStar Trekactors, with Jonathan Frakes even directing an episode. This is likely why season two started to feel so much like genuineStar Trek. Word is that season three will only have two directors, Seth MacFarlane and Jon Cassar. An article fromTVlinesuggested the greenlight of aTedprequel series could signal season three as the last ofThe Orvillewhich has some fans concerned. Scott Grimes is also set to appear in the newTedseries, meaning if there is to be a season 4 ofOrville, contract negotiations have yet to begin.
Related:What to Expect from The Orville: Dark Horizons Season 3
With Hulu set as the premiering platform for the new season, its future is unknown, but with upcoming episodes getting longer (45 minutes+) it isn’t impossible to imagine Netflix or another streaming service vying forOrvilleseason 4 or even a feature film. Considering MacFarlane’s passion for the series as well as an incredibly loyal fan base, it may very well happen.
