The Orville season 3 spotlight: The future of Seth MacFarlane’s Ed

If you were waiting for The Orville season 3 to come on the air, you probably know you’re not alone at this point. Unfortunately, we have a really long way to go. The earliest we are going to see some of these characters back is early next year, but conceivably, it could be even longer than that.

So, while we endure this terrible wait, why not spotlight some of the characters and what we would like to see from them moving forward? Given that Seth MacFarlane is the metaphorical straw that stirs the drink, it does make sense to focus first and foremost on none other than Ed Mercer. He is one of the main people in charge of running the Orville, and he certainly has been on quite a journey over the past couple of seasons. We have seen his romance with Kelly play out, we have seen them take on threats in between the Krill and the Kaylon, and there’s probably so much more still to come for him.

In charting what Ed’s season 3 journey could be, obviously you have to start by focusing on the relationship with Kelly. While The Orville does focus here and there on larger action sequences, this is really a story about the characters and their relationships. Our interpretation of the season 2 finale is that there is a universe in which Ed and Kelly can get together and be happy once again, but we don’t think it necessarily has to be an immediate priority. These two are on a journey and we think both of them have to be totally cool with themselves before they’re okay having a real, functional relationship again. We don’t think they’re quite there just yet, but season 3 feels like a perfect time to get closer. This could be a real journey of self-discovery for the both of them as they start to realize some of what matters to them in life and, even further, how each other could fit into where they are right now.

Of course, we know that Ed seems to be interested in being back with Kelly and he’s made that very clear, but maybe he takes a step in a different direction at first in season 3. Sometimes, distance makes the heart grow fonder. Having a more consistent love interest for Ed that is not Kelly (and also, presumably, not a Krill imposter) could, in turn, lead to the two of them eventually getting together, counterintuitive as that might seem. It may just cause more feelings to be present.

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Beyond Kelly, we would like to see more of the friendship with Gordon and Ed continue forward and just witness some fun, heartfelt interactions between the two. While Ed is obviously a leader and could continue to be such, we do want to see those personal relationships interspersed throughout. A part of what makes him a good leader is that people do care about him — mostly because he cares about them. They want to listen to him. They trust him. All of those components are ingredients in what we like to call the perfect leadership cocktail.

As for life beyond the Orville itself, it would be nice to get a greater sense of some of the people who Ed cared about before getting on board in the first place. Really, the more opportunities you have to expand the universe of each character, the better off this show will invariably be. You want a little more jeopardy when they are in danger because you know that they have so much to potentially lose. We know that Seth MacFarlane can easily play comedy, so while it may be tempting to just keep placing him in silly situations, we want to see him really show off some dramatic chops. Having him worry that someone he cares about, someone from outside the ship, is in danger could be an effective way to do that.

Ultimately, the good news is entering The Orville season 3 is that there’s really not that much about Ed that the producers need to change. Instead, it’s more about fine-tuning the guy who we have in trying to understand more of his various ins and out. Of course, he can go toe-to-toe with all sorts of various adversaries throughout the Universe. But, both this character and the show tend to revole around so much more than that.

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Then check out our take on premiere date possibilities now over at the link here.

What do you want to see for Ed moving forward into The Orville season 3? Share right now in the comments, and stay tuned for some more updates. (Photo: Fox.)