The Orville, Gene Roddenberry’s “illegitimate child”: Tribute to Star Trek franchise in season three

The Orville has always been inspired by Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek, and season 3 will feature a face-to-face tribute to Star Trek: Original Series.

The Orville was created by Seth MacFarlane, the “father” of Family Guy and an avid Star Trek fan.

The SF comedy series follows the story of Ed Mercer (MacFarlane) and his crew aboard the USS Orville as he explores space in the 25th century. Adrianne Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes, Peter Macon, Jessica Szohr, J Lee, Mark Jackson and Anne Winters are also part of the cast, along with MacFarlane.

While seasons 1 and 2 of The Orville have aired on Fox, the series is now moving to Hulu for the third and final season, which will premiere on June 2. Although production was renewed in 2019, the wait for season 3, also known as New Horizons, has been unusually long, as production has been postponed twice due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition to the turbulent war with the Kaylon hybrid breed, season 3 is suspected of paying homage to its source of inspiration. According to what we know so far, the third episode could be a nostalgic foray into the world of the Star Trek Original Series, acting as a tribute to the franchise.

The Orville pays homage to Star Trek: Original Series

As the series progressed from season 1 to season 2, its tone changed. Season 1 was not well received by critics, but when season 2 took a more serious approach, closer to Roddenberry’s style, The Orville managed to find a niche audience among Trek fans. So The Orville: New Horizons should please both Star Trek and The Orville fans.

MacFarlane’s love for the Star Trek franchise is well known. The creator has made numerous references to Star Trek even in Family Guy.

Unfortunately, this will be the last season of the series, so if you’re a fan, you’d better enjoy it as much as you can.