The Orville, the sci-fi comedy-drama created by and starring Seth MacFarlane, you might be wondering what is going on with the fourth season of the show. After all, it has been more than two years since the third season wrapped up on Hulu, and there has been little news about the future of the series. Well, don’t worry, we have gathered all the information we could find about The Orville season 4, and we are here to share it with you in this article. Buckle up, because it might be a bumpy ride.
What is the Ending of The Orville?
The Orville is a show that follows the adventures of the USS Orville, a mid-level exploratory spaceship in the 25th century. The crew is composed of a mix of humans and aliens, who have to deal with various challenges and conflicts in their missions across the galaxy. The show is a homage to classic sci-fi shows like Star Trek, but with a twist of humor and satire.
The third season of The Orville ended with a cliffhanger that left fans in suspense. In the finale, titled “The Lasting Impression”, the crew of the Orville discovered a mysterious planet that seemed to be frozen in time, with a civilization that resembled Earth in the 1940s. The crew decided to investigate the planet, but soon realized that they were not alone. A hostile alien race, called the Kaylon, had also found the planet and were planning to destroy it. The Orville had to face off against the Kaylon fleet, while also trying to save the innocent inhabitants of the planet.
The episode ended with a shocking twist: Captain Ed Mercer (Seth MacFarlane) was shot by one of the Kaylon robots, and his fate was left unknown. The rest of the crew managed to escape from the planet, but they were still surrounded by enemy ships. The screen faded to black, and a message appeared: “To be continued…”
Is The Orville Season 4 Cancelled?
The short answer is: no. The Orville season 4 has not been officially cancelled by Hulu, the streaming service that picked up the show after it was dropped by Fox after two seasons. However, that does not mean that everything is going smoothly for the production of the fourth season.
According to reports, The Orville season 4 has been facing several delays and setbacks due to various reasons, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, budget issues, creative differences, and scheduling conflicts. Some sources have claimed that Seth MacFarlane is unhappy with Hulu’s interference and demands, and that he is considering leaving the show or moving it to another platform. Others have suggested that Hulu is not satisfied with the ratings and reviews of the third season, and that they are reluctant to renew the show for another season.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation or denial from either Hulu or MacFarlane about these rumors. However, some cast members have expressed their optimism and hope for the future of the show on social media. For example, Jessica Szohr, who plays Lt. Talla Keyali on the show, posted a photo of herself in her costume on Instagram in June 2023, with the caption: “Back at it… #theorville #season4”. Adrianne Palicki, who plays Cmdr. Kelly Grayson on the show, also tweeted in July 2023: “Happy 4th of July! Can’t wait to see you all again on #theorville #season4”.
Is The Orville coming back in 2023?
The honest answer is: we don’t know. There has been no official announcement or confirmation from Hulu or MacFarlane about when The Orville season 4 will premiere or how many episodes it will have. However, based on some clues and speculations, we can make some educated guesses.
First of all, we know that The Orville season 3 took about two years to complete, from filming to release. The third season started filming in October 2019 and finished in March 2021. It was then released on Hulu in September 2021. If we assume that The Orville season 4 follows a similar timeline, we can estimate that it might start filming in late 2021 or early 2022 and finish in mid-2023. It might then be released on Hulu in late 2023 or early 2024.
Secondly, we know that The Orville season 3 had 11 episodes, which was less than the previous seasons that had 12 and 14 episodes respectively. This was due to budget cuts and creative decisions by Hulu and MacFarlane. It is possible that The Orville season 4 will have a similar or even smaller number of episodes than season 3, depending on the availability of resources and time.
Will there be The Orville Season 4?
The hopeful answer is: yes. Despite the lack of official news and the rumors of cancellation, we believe that there is still a chance for The Orville season 4 to happen. The show has a loyal fan base that has been supporting and campaigning for the show’s renewal and continuation. The show also has a talented cast and crew that have expressed their love and enthusiasm for the show and their characters. The show also has a lot of potential and possibilities for future stories and adventures, especially after the cliffhanger ending of season 3.
Therefore, we think that The Orville season 4 is not a lost cause, but rather a matter of time and patience. We hope that Hulu and MacFarlane will soon reach an agreement and announce the official renewal and release date of the fourth season. We also hope that the fans will continue to show their support and appreciation for the show and its creators. We are confident that The Orville will return to our screens sooner or later, and that it will be worth the wait.
The Orville Season 4 Release Date: Speculation!
Since there is no official release date for The Orville Season 4, we can only speculate based on the available information and previous patterns. The first season of The Orville premiered on Fox in September 2017, and consisted of 12 episodes. The second season followed in December 2018, and had 14 episodes. The third season moved to Hulu in March 2020, and had 11 episodes.
Based on this, we can assume that the fourth season will have a similar number of episodes, somewhere between 11 and 14. We can also assume that the production time for each episode will be longer than usual, due to the pandemic-related restrictions and safety measures. MacFarlane has said that each episode of The Orville is like a mini-movie, with elaborate sets, costumes, makeup, visual effects, and music. This means that they require a lot of time and resources to make.
If we take into account that they are still working on the second episode as of June 2023, we can estimate that they will need at least another year to finish the rest of the season. This means that the earliest possible release date for The Orville Season 4 would be sometime in mid-2024. However, this is just a rough guess, and it could change depending on how fast or slow the production goes. We will have to wait for an official announcement from Hulu or MacFarlane to know for sure.
The Orville Season 4 Trailer: Is there a teaser?
Unfortunately, there is no trailer or teaser for The Orville Season 4 yet. This is not surprising, considering that they are still filming the season and have not finished editing or post-production. Usually, trailers are released a few months before the premiere date, to generate hype and interest among the fans and potential viewers. Since we don’t know when The Orville Season 4 will premiere, we don’t know when we will see a trailer either.
However, we can hope that Hulu or MacFarlane will release some sneak peeks or behind-the-scenes footage in the meantime, to keep us updated and excited about the show. Maybe they will reveal some new cast members or guest stars, or some plot details or spoilers. Maybe they will show us some of the new alien races or planets that they will encounter in the fourth season. Maybe they will tease us with some hints about how Ed and Kelly will escape from their predicament. Anything would be better than nothing at this point.
Similar Shows Like The Orville
If you are looking for some similar shows like The Orville to watch while you wait for the fourth season, you have plenty of options. Here are some of them:
- Star Trek: The original inspiration for The Orville, Star Trek is a classic sci-fi franchise that has spawned multiple series and movies over the decades. You can watch any of them on Paramount+, but we recommend Star Trek: The Next Generation for its similar tone and themes to The Orville.
- Galaxy Quest: A hilarious parody of Star Trek and other sci-fi shows, Galaxy Quest follows a group of actors who played a space crew on a TV show, who are mistaken for the real thing by a race of aliens who need their help. You can watch it on Amazon Prime Video.
- Futurama: Another sci-fi comedy created by MacFarlane’s friend and collaborator Matt Groening, Futurama follows the adventures of a pizza delivery boy who is frozen and wakes up in the 31st century, where he joins a crew of misfits on a spaceship. You can watch it on Hulu.
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: Based on the novel by Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a witty and absurd sci-fi comedy that follows the journey of a hapless human who escapes Earth before it is destroyed by an alien race, and travels across the galaxy with his alien friend and a guidebook. You can watch it on HBO Max.
- Rick and Morty: A dark and twisted sci-fi comedy that follows the exploits of a mad scientist and his grandson, who travel across dimensions and realities, causing chaos and mayhem along the way. You can watch it on Hulu or Adult Swim.
