Howdy everyone, welcome back to another Orville episode recap. This episode has some callbacks to season one and season two. So if you want some refreshers, watch episode one season one, and episode eleven season two. Once you’ve done that come back to this one.
Our episode begins with Gordon throwing a party in his quarters. He’s playing the guitar and serenading his guests. After the mini concert he does some socializing, when he runs into ensign Burke she's looking at Gordon's cell phone he found in episode eleven season two. He explains how it belonged to a woman named Laura whom he fell in love with through simulations in the holodeck. Later LaMarr is showing Ed and Kelly the device they obtained in season one episode one and he's managed to make objects, even the ship time travel. You can see where this is going. Ed decides that it's far too dangerous, and if it falls in the hands of the Kaylon or Krill it could be catastrophic. After talking with Admiral Perry about their discovery he orders The Orville to take the device to a maximum security research station.
(Lt. LaMarr and Talla enjoy a song sung by Gordon.)
The Orville is being escorted by a fleet of ships and Admiral Ozawa when they arrive at the station. As they get there they see the station has been destroyed. Suddenly Kaylon ships appear and demand the surrender of the device. The Kaylon attack the fleet and things get bad quickly. Ed orders Gordon to go to the device and destroy it so the Kaylon won’t be able to use it. As Gordon gears up to destroy the device, the Orville is hit by the Kaylon causing the device to activate. The Orville manages to escape but with no sign of Gordon anywhere. Suddenly Bortus tells the captain that they have received a message from Gordon, however, the message is dated 400 years old. Apparently the device sent Gordon back through time to earth and he’s trapped there. A bit later they find out that Gordon died on earth at the age of 96, on top of that he broke the temporal law which states no one sent back in time is to interact with anything or anyone from that period as it could create a paradox or worse. The crew decides to go back in time to save Gordon, when they arrive, however, they discover that they didn’t quite go back far enough and Gordon has been trapped on 21st-century earth for 10 years. To make matters worse the time jump depleted the ship's dysonium which acts kind of like fuel for the ship. The good news is there is dysonium on earth, so they split up into two teams. Kelly and Ed go to bring Gordon back and Issac and Ensign Burke go to get the dysonium.
(Ed and Kelly set off to find Gordon, while Ensign Burke and Issac look for the Dysonium)
We finally see Gordon working as a private charter pilot when Ed and Kelly arrive. He’s happy to see them however he’s hesitant when they ask him to come back with him. He takes them to his home where he has married Laura, the woman from the cell phone he found in season 2, not only that they have a son and another child on the way. Gordon is happy where he is and he refuses to return to the Orville.
(Gordon takes Ed and Kelly back to his home.)
Meanwhile, Ensign Burke and Issac are on the search for dysonium. Issac has been trying to make amends with Burke for a while now with no luck. As they are walking they find a good place to get the dysonium but it’s too far to walk to so they go to a biker bar. Burke starts talking to a few bikers and bets them that if Issac can beat the biggest guy in the bar to an arm wrestling match they get their bikes. Now mind you Issac has a human hologram disguise on and he looks as straight edge as it gets, so the bikers think they have this in the can. The match begins and after making it not look so obvious Issac wins and the two are on their way.
(Issac and Burke meet a couple of bikers and prepare to con them out of their bikes.)
Back on the Orville Lt. LaMarr is working on the ship repairs when Talla comes to check how things are going. As he’s working he tells her that he’s tweaked a muscle in his back. Using her strength Talla gives him the best massage of his life. Then the two start to kiss, breaking the tension that’s been building up between these two for a few episodes now. We cut to Gordon’s house again and he’s explaining to Ed and Kelly that he isn’t leaving. He’s happy in this time with his family. Ed and Kelly explain that his being there puts the entire future at risk. Gordon doesn’t seem to care as he stands by his decision not to leave. Back with Issac and Ensign Burke, they arrive at the location of the dysonium however it’s under a house. Thankfully that house is for sale and the realtor has just arrived to give them a tour. Posing as newlyweds they ask to see the basement, they then tell the realtor that they need some alone time to think about it, a front so that they can start drilling. While they are waiting for the drill to reach the dysonium Issac tells Burke that he never said thank you for saving his life. As he tries to give his gratitude Burke tells him that she only saved him because it was her job. She still very much hates Issac and explains that her friend that she lost in the Kaylon war was not just a friend but that she loved her and she never got to ask if she felt the same way. The two finish up drilling retrieve the dysonium and leave, telling the realtor that they just broke up.
(Burke and Issac drill for the dysonium)
Back at Gordon’s house, he’s watching a TV show with his family that looks like an Odd Couple-type show starring Johnny Knoxville and Jack McBrayer (I’d watch that). Ed and Kelly return to the house this time with Talla ready to take Gordon by force if they have to. Gordon, not willing to give up his family, pulls a blaster on them threatening to stun them. Suddenly they get a call from Issac informing them that they have the dysonium. Ed tells Gordon that they will bring him home and they will just go back to when he first arrived in this time before he met Laura and get him home. Gordon pleads with them not to do this but Ed and the others aren’t listening anymore.
(Gordon threatens Ed, Kelly, and Talla after refusing to leave his family.)
They arrive back on the ship and jump back 10 years earlier, a month after Gordon had arrived. They retrieve their friend who is very happy to be back on the Orville. No happy ending yet however, the time travel device was completely damaged in their last time jump and they are trapped in this current time. Lt. LaMarr comes up with a plan, explaining that if they shut down the quantum field that protects the ship from traveling into the future when they go to warp they will be able to use the warp, and time outside of the ship will pass. So essentially they are 400 years in the past, so if they travel 200 light years away and then 200 back with the quantum field off 400 years will have passed.
(The Orville travels through time and space)
They begin the jump and just as Lt. LaMarr predicted it works! They arrive back in their timeline. Later Ed and Kelly are explaining what happened with Gordon. Gordon is in disbelief but he’s thankful that Ed saved him. The three enjoy a drink together for the first time in a long time and the episode ends.