The Orville season 2 episode 9 preview: The Kaylon invasion

Next week, The Orville season 2 episode 9 will bring you “Identity, Part 2,” and also, as Kelly describes it, the 25th hour for Earth. Time is ticking away — slowly, methodically, and dangerously. A new threat is approaching, and it is one that was right in front of our faces this whole time.

This is the brilliance of Seth MacFarlane and the writing team. From the very onset, it made sense for Isaac’s Kaylon race to be power-hungry betrayers of societies hell-bent on using research to preserve their own self-interest. Think about the common trope of robot-takeovers, think about how they often begin, and think about the fact that we never really knew that much about Isaac’s backstory. Someone had to create the Kaylon, and the end result of said creation was chaos.

Did you miss our video review of tonight’s episode? – If so, check it out below as we continue to hold out hope that there is something more here beyond what it seems. If you dig it, be sure to subscribe to CarterMatt on YouTube for some more information … and also remember to check out our official The Orville playlist!

As we now move forward to part 2 of this story, the conspiratorial part of our brain still refuses to accept that “Isaac” is really Isaac at all. It still remains hard to fathom that this is the Kaylon we’ve come to know and love. Did something change when he was re-activated and is it possible for the Kaylon to simply swap out consciousness or eye color? Something feels terribly amiss and as we note in our aforementioned video, Ty was the one who seemed to detect this aboard the ship. Kids are experts at being able to note behavioral changes that humans often ignore. They aren’t burdened with thinking of responsibilities and can focus on what lies directly in front of them.

On the surface, part 2 seems like a no-holds-barred mission by the Kaylon to reutilize Earth for its own purposes, using a hijacked Orville ship as a way to further do their bidding. This is one of the low points of Ed and Kelly’s careers, no doubt — there is no clear sign of hope on the horizon, and they do not have the weaponry or the athleticism to defeat the army standing right before them. They’ll have to find a curveball, whatever that curveball may be. Could it be an emotional outcry, one that the Kaylon don’t know how to handle? That is one scenario. Another is finding a way to get through to Isaac — if Isaac is still in there — and showing him that this is not his way in the world. Remind him of his romance with Dr. Finn and his fun hijinks with the crew of the ship. Humanity will prevail! Well, we at least like to think so since otherwise, it’s hard to imagine that there will be a season 3…

Read our reveal of tonight’s episode

Check it out now over here! Meanwhile, share your thoughts and theories on part 2 below, including how you think the crew of The Orville will get themselves out of this incredible mess. (Photo: Fox.)