Season 3 of the much-beloved Orville series is ready to touch down on Hulu come June 2nd, and fans can’t wait to watch. The show is notable for emulating Star Trek: The Next Generation’s look and feel, while throwing in creator Seth MacFarlane’s signature brand of Family Guy-style comedy.
As such, the first two seasons of the show were loaded with just as many laughs as there were action scenes. Some of the most hilarious quotes have gone down in Orville history as the best of the bunch, and season 3 will probably add handsomely to that side-splittingly funny resume.
Seeing The Orville For The First Time
“You Paint Some Flames On The Side, Maybe Like A Rainbow Unicorn, You Got Something.”
Lt. Gordon Malloy might be the best pilot in the galaxy, but he has the maturity level of a 14-year-old. Proof can be seen when he first lays his eyes on the Orville, much to the delight of Captain Ed Mercer. He might be one of the most intelligent crew members on the Orville, but he hasn’t grown very much as a man.
This quote from Malloy sums it all up – a guy who likes to wreck beautiful marvels of engineering with low-brow art. Then again, it’s part of what makes his character so hilarious and enjoyable.
The Prospect of Isaac Dating Alara
“I Am Fascinated By The Interpersonal Behavior Of Biological Organisms. I Would Be Happy To Attempt Sexual Relations With You, Lieutenant.”
Isaac is the ultimate fish out of water – an artificial intelligence on two legs that cannot quite understand the behavior of organic life forms. His presence on the Orville was designed to try and gather information about these life forms, supposedly for the purpose of inter-species exchange.
Part of that pursuit involved Isaac throwing himself into one embarrassing blunder after another, as evidenced by this quote directed towards Alara. To Isaac, it was completely logical and acceptable, but to Alara, it must have been one of the cringiest experiences of her life.
Facing Their Greatest Fears
“Scared To Death Of Surgery. I Had A Skin Tag Removed Once. Total Panic Attack.”
The episode “Firestorm” put the Orville crew in a situation where they were forced to face their most terrifying fears (and each member had a different phobia). Some were far more insidious and frightening than others, while some were just downright embarrassing.
Malloy’s was particularly relatable, as he opened up about his particular phobia surrounding surgery. Apparently, the simple act of having a tiny little skin tag removed was enough to throw him into a panic attack. However, it has led fans to wonder why the process wasn’t refined over the course of hundreds of years of technological advancements in medicine.
Trouble With Pickles
“Alara, You Want To Open This Jar Of Pickles For Me?”
Ed Mercer had a recurring gag on The Orville, where he would need some extra help to assist him in getting out whenever he was stuck. Alara’s race is one of the strongest in The Orville, gifted with superhuman strength as a result of the high-gravity planet she was born on. As such, she was able to kick down solid steel doors with little more than a punch.
Therefore, Mercer would ask the question as a signal to Alara to get on the job. In reality, opening a jar of actual pickles would be a breeze for Alara, but it was more fun to watch her punch holes through walls without breaking a sweat.
Missing The Point
[Kelly Grayson] “This Is Going To Sound Like I’m Talking Out My Ass.” / [Isaac] “Then Please Try To Enunciate.”
Isaac’s inability to understand human slang was bound to be the butt of a few jokes (much as his counterpart Commander Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation). During a conversation with Kelly, she made a casual quip about sounding like she’d be talking out of her own ass, which prompted this response from Isaac.
Once more, it seemed perfectly logical for Isaac to ask such a question in the first place. It’s hard to say if he ever develops the ability to distinguish between slang and normal speak, but the upcoming third season of The Orville will hopefully shine some more light on his growth as a life form.
Urinating In The Wind
“What If It’s Like A… Windy Day?”
Bortus seemed happy to invite his surrogate Orville family to join him during a Moclan ritual. Apparently, Moclan culture dictates that once per year, each member of their race participates in the “Ja’loja,” the so-called “great release.”
With family and friends in tow, the Moclan must urinate as a symbol of cleansing the spirit, and the beginning of a new year. Malloy, insightful as ever, asked this particular question, showing exactly where his head was at when he first learned of the ritual.
Mercer’s Dating Advice
“A Woman Can’t Really Love A Man Unless He’s Part Dope. Be A Little Stupid Every Day, And Really Stupid Once In A While, But… Just Don’t Be Perfect.”
Mercer didn’t have a ton of luck with women. However, he did have some sage dating advice that was probably true, at least to some degree. Quotes like this demonstrate why Mercer is the best character on The Orville, given his everyman status.
In his mind, Mercer believed that every guy needed to have just the right amount of stupidity in him, just to show that he was vulnerable in some way. It also might have had something to do with charming the ladies, as long as the stupidity didn’t become too overbearing.
Gordon’s Realization
“We Are, Without A Doubt, The Weirdest Ship In The Fleet.”
Gordon Malloy wasn’t lying when he dropped this quote, which pretty much summed up the Orville as a ship and a crew. With a hilariously diverse assortment of goofball heroes, their adventures were bound to be just as exciting as they were silly. It’s one of the reasons why fans are torn between whether The Orville is a great parody, or an excellent sci-fi series (or both).
Malloy, of course, was one of the weirdest of the bunch, with a mind that conjured up some of the most puzzling thoughts of the bunch. He fit right in among the ship’s quirky and imperfect cast of underdogs hoping to make a name for themselves in the Union.
Lamenting Isaac’s Love Life
“You Know, There’s Something Seriously Wrong With All Of Us When The Most Stable Relationship On The Orville Is Isaac’s.”
When Isaac decided to pursue a romantic relationship with Dr. Claire Finn, everyone thought that it was doomed to failure. After all, she was human and he was an artificial intelligence inside a technological body.
Yet, somehow the two managed to make it work to some degree, thanks in large part to how good Isaac was with Finn’s children. This quote was indicative of how the Orville crew felt, especially given that their own relationships were prone to flying off the rails with little more than a sneeze.
