Is The Orville getting another season? Continue reading to find out more about The Orville Season 4.
As the third season’s 10-episode story arc comes to an end, many viewers are unsure if the show will be renewed or canceled in the future. On Rotten Tomatoes, the third season has an approval rating of 100%, with an average rating of 8.20/10 based on five reviews. Similar to the prior two seasons, which have also received great critical and audience response. This might lead to renewal as the viewers also know that the season did end on a potential plotline that can be explored further if the viewer’s demands are noticed.
Hence, it wouldn’t be surprising given how major streaming platforms have lately renewed a lot of their shows due to popular demand and are expanding their catalog of original movies and shows. If you’re wondering the same, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled a quick summary of everything you need to know about the current status of the series.
Here’s all we know about The Orville Season 4.
Is The Orville renewed for Season 4?
The series premiered its final episode of the critically acclaimed third season on August 4, 2022. The episode is simply titled “Future Unknown.” Many viewers have been completely invested and binge-watched the series every week as new episodes have been released on Thursdays since its release. So, naturally, the first question that prompts the minds of the viewers is whether there will be another season since many major streaming platforms are trying to expand the series as a franchise. Moreover, many series are created with fresh themes for the digital streaming platform, with two or more seasons already approved by the network, and The Orville falls into those categories that deserve to be expanded further and explored for more seasons.
The Orville could air Season 4 in the future as Seth MacFarlane, the show’s creator, and Hulu have not yet considered the fourth season because they want to wait until all of Season 3’s episodes have aired before making a decision. Even MacFarlane and showrunners like Jon Cassar are unsure if Hulu plans to continue the series for a fourth season. Future seasons of the show are still “an open conversation,” according to Hulu execs on the other side of the studio desk. David A. Goodman, the show’s executive producer, said the plot of Season 3 was designed to allow for a possible renewal.
Moreover, in a group interview on May 27, 2022, interviewer Anthony Pascale asked if the show had been canceled, to which director Jon Cassar answered “definitely not”, and executive producer David A. Goodman said, “The show is absolutely not canceled. Absolutely not. That is definitive.”
It is realistic for viewers to anticipate whether or not this series will continue, given the increased demand from consumers who have enjoyed the content offered across genres by numerous recently formed streaming platforms with affordable subscription options. For the time being, The Orville Season 4 cannot make any announcement because the future of the series is neither here nor there. On the bright side, the fans are expecting that maybe the positive reviews from the large audience will be enough to guarantee a fourth season for people who want to see how the sequels turn out to be. Therefore, until the network verifies this information, fans should refrain from setting high expectations this early on.
The Orville Season 4 Potential Release Date and Time Slot
Because the network has not formally verified the series, the prospective premiere date has yet to be acknowledged. But if we have to predict the potential release date of The Orville Season 4, it might happen sometime around mid to late 2023, just like the last three seasons, which ranged from June to December. Moreover, a statement about the show’s future or officially approving The Orville Season 4 is still pending from Hulu as of August 4, 2022.
If we take the prior seasons into consideration with a bit of speculation, then the upcoming season of The Orville will have the same premiere time as other shows on the streaming service Hulu, and Disney Plus, as both services typically drop new releases at 12 a.m. (Pacific Time). In order to receive updates on when The Orville Season 4 premieres on Hulu, interested viewers can also enable notifications on the respective social media platforms of the shows.
The Orville Season 4 Expected Plot
There is no word on what the plot of The Orville Season 4 will entail, but several key plotlines have indicated possible scenarios and directions in which the series may go if renewed. Many viewers expect that the plot is expected to pick up from the finale episode of season three, “The Orville: New Horizons.”
The official synopsis of Season 3 Episode 10, “Future Unknown,” states, “A celebration is underway aboard the ship on the season three finale of The Orville: New Horizons.” The episode is directed by Seth MacFarlane and written by Seth MacFarlane.
In the episode, the viewers got to see that, The Orville is sent to check in on scientists on Sargas 4 after Bortus and Klyden renew their vows. However, when they arrive, they are shocked to receive a message from Lysella asking them to grant her sanctuary. Meanwhile, the reunion of Bortus and Klyden has prompted Isaac to propose to Clare to reaffirm his commitment to her.
Clare finally decides to accept, and the group starts making wedding preparations. Kelly makes an effort to assist Lysella in adjusting to life in the Union, but after seeing the scientific advancements and interspecies interactions, Lysella expresses regret about leaving her civilization behind and requests to go back.
However, before Lysella can leave, Kelly and Talla find out that she is trying to smuggle out a com scanner that contains information on cutting-edge technology in order to alter her reality. However, Kelly demonstrates to her a simulation of a world that the Union sought to aid in a comparable manner only to see it collapse into ruin within a short period of time, prompting the Union to forbid tampering with a planet’s natural evolution.
As a result, Lysella chooses to remain. With Kelly serving as the maid of honor and Bortus serving as the best man, the crew and the Kaylon fleet assemble for the wedding ceremony. Gordon delivers a moving speech and then sings as Orville departs for the reception when Alara returns.
The Orville Season 4 is expected to continue the story in terms of characters and plotlines for another season starting from this precise moment of the finale episode to pick up any potential loopholes and cliffhangers. All of the previous episodes have set the tone for the season, which will develop and expand in ways that will entice viewers to watch the show. On the other hand, the next season may change its course and take a completely different direction. It will be interesting to see how they deal with this added pressure and introduce something new to the series for a satisfactory conclusion.
The Orville Season 4 Episodes
Although the precise number of episodes for The Orville Season 4 has yet to be released, If the series is renewed, we may expect at least 10 – 14 episodes, each running approximately 60 to 86 minutes if we consider Season 3. The number of episodes may vary, ultimately depending on the plot that the show intends to convey to the audience.
Meanwhile, we suggest fans patiently wait and binge-watch Season 3, which recently aired, in order to update their recollection of certain significant plotlines. Furthermore, the viewers know that as many series strive to maintain a consistent episode count throughout the season to follow a similar pattern. We recommend that fans wait patiently for any such updates because more information will be revealed once the announcement is officially made.
The Orville Season 4: Which cast members are expected to return?
There has been no official news about any new cast members being added to the series. For the time being, it is likely that several of the main cast members from season three will reprise their roles if the show is renewed. The main cast members are listed below:
- Seth MacFarlane as Captain Ed Mercer
- Adrianne Palicki as Commander Kelly Grayson
- Penny Johnson Jerald as Dr. Claire Finn
- Scott Grimes as Lieutenant Gordon Malloy
- Peter Macon as Lieutenant Commander Bortus
- Jessica Szohr as Lieutenant/Lieutenant Commander Talla Keyali
- J Lee as Lieutenant Commander John LaMarr
- Mark Jackson as Isaac
- Anne Winters as Ensign Charly Burke
We’d like to point out that as of August 4, 2022, the network has yet to make any additional casting announcements. The Orville Season 4 may introduce some new cast members as well as the withdrawal of some existing characters too. As a result, we’ll have to wait for any further information, which will be given if the series is formally confirmed, to return to screens for the next part.
Is there any teaser released for The Orville Season 4?
No, as mentioned above, as of August 4, 2022, there has been no confirmation of the show’s renewal. As a result, there isn’t a teaser or trailer available for fans to view and guess at probable key plotlines for the series’ next chapter. In the meantime, watch the official trailer for The Orville Season 3 below, which was released with the tagline stating, “Our return is imminent.”
Where to stream The Orville?
All three seasons of The Orville are also available to stream exclusively on Hulu and Disney Plus, based on the viewer’s location. Moreover, the viewers can also watch all the prior seasons by renting or purchasing on Amazon Instant Video or Vudu, allowing viewers to watch new episodes based on location and membership plans, which they select based on their preferences.
The Orville Official Synopsis
The synopsis of the series states, “The Orville is set on the titular spacecraft: USS Orville (ECV-197), a mid-level exploratory vessel in the Planetary Union, a 25th-century interstellar alliance of Earth and many other planets. The show consists of adventures encountered by the ship’s crew, usually involving planet exploration and visits to various parts of the galaxy.”
Catch up on the previous seasons while you wait for more The Orville Season 4 updates.