The Orville: New Horizons is at the top of its game in “Gently Falling Rain”

The latest episode of The Orville: New Horizons is here and whoa is it a big one. From the perpetual darkness of the Krill homeworld and its magnificent neon cities to one of the most epic space battles in recent memory, there is a whole lot to unpack in “Gently Falling Rain.” Let’s get right into it.

As always, SPOILERS for this week’s episode of The Orville: New Horizons lie beyond this point.

The Orville: New Horizons Episode 4 review

Hulu’s science fiction hit The Orville: New Horizons has been constantly one-upping itself this season, and “Gently Falling Rain” continues that trend by delivering one of the best episodes of science fiction television we’ve gotten yet this summer. If I’m being totally honest, it might be one of the best episodes of science fiction television in recent memory, period.

The premise of “Gently Falling Rain” is a juicy one. The Union is about to sign a peace treaty with the warlike Krill, but it hinges on the re-election of the Krill’s current Supreme Chancellor. Despite the Chancellor’s insistence that his position in office is unassailable, a populist movement has gained significant momentum on the Krill homeworld, led by none other than Teleya (Michaela McManus), a Krill warrior who Captain Mercer (Seth MacFarlane) spared the life of in season 1. So despite the rising tension on the planet Krill, the Supreme Chancellor invites a delegation from the Union out to sign the treaty in their capital city on the eve of the election. The U.S.S. Orville is chosen to be their escort. What could go wrong?

As it turns out, everything. After arriving at the Krill capital, Teleya ekes out a victory that quickly turns into a bloody coup. She kills the previous Supreme Chancellor, takes the Union delegation captive, and basically kicks off an interstellar war with the Union. It is a giant mess.

Yet while it feels like things are constantly going from bad to worse here, the actual production is incredible. I do not say that lightly. The Krill capital is stunning. The planet is locked in a perpetual cycle of darkness due to its thick cloud cover, which means that the city is constantly lit by a variety of striking neon lights, filled with people and speeding vehicles and luminescent high rises. I could rave for paragraphs about how great the effects look on this show, from the Krill capital to the prosthetics used to bring the different alien races to life to the space battle that transpires near the end of the episode between the Union and Krill armadas. Calling The Orville: New Horizons one of the most visually beautiful shows on television right now feels like an understatement.

“Gently Falling Rain” punches you straight in the feels

But good visuals alone do not a great episode of television make. The writing in “Gently Falling Rain” is also some of the best in The Orville’s history. Despite this episode being loaded with relevant political commentary, it never feels remotely forced. The stories and situations all make total sense for this universe. Yet this episode of The Orville also made me laugh more than any other one this season, especially during the crew’s introductory “pub crawl through time” in the simulator. Between the exceptional writing, special effects, and performances, I literally lost track of the amount of times I gasped in awe.

“Gently Falling Rain” also gets major points for how seamlessly it tied things back around to last season by featuring Teleya. Like last week’s episode with the Church of Kelly, this callback made it feel like the adventures of the Orville in previous seasons had actual consequences. Had Ed not released Teleya, it’s possible that the conflict of this episode would have gone very differently.

But The Orville: New Horizons doesn’t punish viewers who don’t remember or haven’t seen the previous episodes. “Gently Falling Rain” gave us just the right amount of information to remind us of the crucial bits at the right moments. In our age of infinitely connected spinoffs and cinematic universes, The Orville’s ability to stay light on its feet, narratively speaking, is refreshing.

The big reveal of the episode is that Ed and Teleya had a daughter together during their fling back in season 1. To prevent trouble with her xenophobic voter base, Teleya has kept the child hidden. Her name, Anaya, means “Gently Falling Rain,” thus the episode title. The scene where Captain Mercer meets her is beautiful. MacFarlane, Palicki, and the rest of the cast really get to flex their acting muscles here.

Ultimately, surviving the political tinderbox comes down to personal choices. Despite the fact that revealing Anaya to the Krill public would undermine Teleya’s rule, Mercer decides not to do it. The decision stems partially from him caring about his child and not wanting to make her into a political spectacle, but there’s another undercurrent: the idea that “there will always be another Teleya” to stoke the hatred and fear of the masses.

In the end, Ed and the delegation escape with the help of Lieutenant Lamar (J. Lee) and Doctor Finn (Penny Johnson Jerald) while the armadas duke it out in orbit. It’s a breathtaking sequence, and was unpredictable right down to the last. It also changed the status quo in the universe in a major way, as now the Union, Krill, and Kaylon stand on the brink of a three-way war.

The Orville: Bullet Point Horizons

• This episode opens with a dedication to Lisa Banes, who passed away in 2021. Banes played Speria Balask, the Xelayan member of the Union delegation.
• Teleya’s opening monologue was just so good. I can’t not shout it out again.
• The use of a multi-alien production of Annie in the beginning was a fascinating way to illustrate the differences between the Union and the Krill, from the Krill’s love of capitalism to the fact that the sun is a symbol of suffering for them because it never touches their planet.
• Speaking of Annie, can we just talk about how incredible that foreshadowing was for the eventual reveal about Ed and Teleya’s daughter? Like Annie, she’s basically an orphan, being raised by neither of her parents so that she can be kept secret to avoid a political scandal.
• There were tons of references and nods to current events. The Krill use fake propaganda videos in their elections, created by “influence operations.” Commander Grayson (Adrianne Palicki) tells Mercer that “you never want to underestimate a populist movement,” and let’s not forget the Krill’s horrible way of psychologically punishing parents who terminate pregnancies. This episode is loaded with commentary, which for my money is a hallmark of a lot of great science fiction.
• Despite being one of the tensest episodes of New Horizons yet, I laughed a ton. It feels like The Orville really hit its stride here, delivering comedy, drama, and action in just the right amounts.
• The pub crawl simulator was great fun, letting us see the crew in an 1800s saloon. The brief scene of the robotic Kaylon crew member Isaac coming in with a cowboy hat and moustache glued to his featureless face was hilarious.
• Mercer’s dialogue with Teleya about Ozymandias was amazing. No wonder it featured in the trailer.
• A shoutout needs to be given to the music in this episode as well. It felt like a cinema-quality science fiction score, equal parts wondrous, sweeping, and campy. A perfect match for this show.

Verdict

The Orville: New Horizons is at the top of its game in “Gently Falling Rain.” I can’t think of a single other show that could pull off a weighty dialogue about the hubris of the ancient king Ozymandias and a joke about a robot wearing a mustache and cowboy hat in the same episode. It’s as close to a flawless episode as the show has had in its entire run, from the acting to the incredible effects to the sharp writing. No matter where The Orville goes from here, “Gently Falling Rain” is sure to stand as one of the show’s crowning achievements.

Episode Grade: A+

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