Digressions, Pt. 2

## Chronological Order

***Digressions, Pt. 2*** is the second part of a two-part episode known as ***Digressions***. Still in an alternate timeline, Kelly Grayson races against time to prevent a looming Kaylon attack and the Planetary Union's defeat at the Battle of Earth.

The episode was written by executive producer David A. Goodman, inked by David Cabeza, and colored by Michael Atiyeh. Lettering was done by Richard Starkings and Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt.

Chronologically, *Digressions* takes place between the episodes *Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow* and *The Road Not Taken*, which take place at the close of Season 2. The episode is the sixth issue of Season 2.5. Goodman found this story to be especially difficult to write. "[It was] a real exercise," he later said. "Trying to figure out a way to connect the episodes and fill in the blanks."

*Digressions, Pt. 2* was published on June 2, 2021. It was later released in the book The Orville Season 2.5: Digressions.

## Summary

The issue opens to First Officer Kelly Grayson warning Admiral Tom Halsey that the USS Orville is flying into a trap, which she knows because she traveled to the future. She explains that seven years prior, the quantum accelerator had transported her to the future, where she learned of upcoming Kaylon threat. Halsey is shocked Kelly knows of the highly secret device but does not believe her.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Gordon Malloy meets with his old friend Ed Mercer, who has become commanding officer of the Epsilon Eridani Station. Ed explains that he took the position on the station after losing out on a promotion. He then hires Gordon as his station Chief of Staff.

The Orville, under command of Captain Griffith, travels to Kaylon 1. First Officer Steve Newton says that Isaac is still deactivated. Chief Security Officer Talla Keyali receives a security-encoded message for herself and Chief Engineering Officer John LaMarr from Kelly. Kelly tells them secrets about themselves to establish credibility, then warns the two about Isaac and the Kaylon's plans.

Talla and John report Kelly's message to Griffith, but Griffith is skeptical and reports the incident to Captain Al Mosley (Kelly's superior officer). Mosley is furious and warns the Planetary Union will punish her, Kelly resigns in response. In her quarters, Kelly tells her husband Cassius that she will travel space to try to gather the people from the Orville in the original timeline, and Cassius vows to travel with her. The two meet with Doctor Claire Finn first, who is easily convinced by demonstrating Kelly lacks beta-secretase.

A few days later and the Kaylon have commandeered the Orville and taken the officers to the Shuttle Bay, where Steve and Griffith plot to send a warning message to Planetary Union Central. John tells Second Officer Bortus and the rest of the senior staff that he set an electromagnetic pulse "booby trap" to disable the Kaylon. Griffith decides they will re-take the ship once close to Earth.

Kelly, Cassius, Claire and her sons disembark the Orville at Outpost 73 and load a Scavenger ship with supplies. Suddenly, the Kaylon attack the base, killing Cassius. Though devastated, Kelly steers the ship off the planet and away from the Spheres.

At the Epsilon Eridani Station, the Union crew struggle to survive against a powerful Kaylon onslaught. Gordon reports the main reactor is about to explode. Fortunately, station personnel have evacuated, so Ed and Gordon flee.

In the Solar system, the Union wages a brutal fight against the Kaylon armada in the Battle of Earth. The Orville is already heavily damaged and plummeting towards Earth, and only Bortus survives as acting captain. Evidently, the recapture of the ship was successful but at tremendous loss of life. Bortus tells his mate Klyden that it is his duty to stay aboard the ship as it crashes while Klyden and their son escape to Moclus.

In an escape pod, John and Talla witness the end of the battle as massive Spheres begin laying waste to the planet's surface. Talla interrupts John, who can only watch the destruction in horror, to tell him they need to find Kelly.

Back at the station, Ed and Gordon dodge Kaylon to escape in a shuttle. As they zip through space with a quantum drive, the two realize their Food Synthesizer was broken in the fight.

At the bottom of the sea, Bortus has managed to survive inside the Orville. He gathers the dead in the Shuttle Bay, then releases the Bay's force field to hold an improvised burial at sea.

John and Talla rendezvous with the scavenger ship, evading four Kaylon spheres in the process. As leader, Kelly decides they will fly towards the Calivon system "to figure out a plan."

## Production

The idea for *Digressions* came during production of Season 2.5. On April 28, 2020, executive producer David A. Goodman publicly announced that he had run an idea past his editor at Dark Horse Comics for a new project after Season 2.5 that would hopefully include artist David Cabeza.

## Trivia

* Because the crew of the USS Orville retake the ship from the Kaylon and send a warning message to the Planetary Union in almost identical circumstances as what happened in Identity, Pt. 2, the only difference was the involvement of the Krill - not whether or not Isaac falls in love with Claire Finn.
	+ Therefore, Kelly Grayson should have focused on persuading the Krill to join the Battle of Earth. Isaac's involvement seems to have changed little.
* This issue finally reveals the name of Barrett, a recurring character who appeared in *Heroes, Pt. 1* as first officer of the USS *Wilson* and in *Digressions, Pt. 1* as captain of the USS *Watson*.
* Captain Al Mosley is the first character on *The Orville* to say the expletive 'fuck' when he angrily demands to know what Kelly Grayson was doing.
* When Gordon and Ed are in the Epsilon Science Station, an officer tells warns that Kaylon troops have entered the station, then Ed tells Gordon, "Come on, let's go." The scene is taken from *Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back*, where Han Solo and Leia have a parallel moment in a command center against imperial troops.

### Timeline

* Ed Mercer becomes commander of the Epsilon Eridani Station sometime between September 2420 and January 2421.
* This issue picks up where *Digressions, Pt. 1* left off at the end of January 2421.
* Between January and February 2421:
	+ Gordon Malloy becomes Chief of Staff of the Epsilon Eridani Station.
	+ Kelly Grayson resigns her commission. Cassius leaves the USS *Jefferson* to join her.
	+ Kelly and Cassius recruit Doctor Claire Finn and her sons.
	+ The Kaylon commandeer the USS *Orville* and lead an attack armada to Earth.
* "A few days" after Claire joins Kelly and Cassius:
	+ The Jefferson arrives at Outpost 73.
	+ The senior staff of the Orville plot to recapture the ship when the armada nears Earth.
* Probably at the end of February 2421, the Kaylon attack Outpost 73.
	+ Cassius dies.
	+ Kelly, Claire, and Ty and Marcus Finn flee in a Scavenger ship.
* Around the same time, the Kaylon attack and destroy the Epsilon Eridani Station.
	+ Ed and Gordon flee in a shuttle.
* The Kaylon win the Battle of Earth.
	+ The Orville crashes into the ocean, manned only by acting captain Bortus.
		- Klyden and Topa evacuate to Moclus.
		- Talla Keyali and John LaMarr evacuate to Kelly's scavenger ship.
* "A few days later," after the Orville has crashed, Bortus holds a burial at sea.

### References

* Captain Al Mosley keeps on his desk copies of the books *Live and Let Die* by Ian Fleming and *Homicide* by David Simon.
* Ed Mercer mentions that he lost a bid to command the USS *Sagan* to an officer named Cheva.
	+ The Sagan is probably a reference to astronomer and science communicator Carl Sagan.
	+ Cheva refers to writer and co-executive producer Cherry Chevapravatdumrong.
* Kelly Grayson says that in the main timeline, Talla Keyali would tell her about the time she broke her captain's nose and John LaMarr would tell her about how he was nearly executed "for humping a statue on Sargus IV." Talla mentions that she broke her captain's nose to save them from the Janisi in *All the World is Birthday Cake*. John was nearly administered Social Correction by the Sarguns in *Majority Rule*.
* The USS *Jefferson* is named after the United States president Thomas Jefferson. A portrait of Jefferson hangs in Captain Al Mosley's office.

## Mistakes

* In this episode, only a few days pass between the Battle of Earth and Kelly's crew just about to find Ed and Gordon. However, *The Road Not Taken* is clear that Kelly and her crew do not find Ed and Gordon until eight-to-nine months after the battle.
* Kelly says that John was "nearly executed" for humping a statue of Mella Giffendon (referring to the events in the episode *Majority Rule*). However, John was only to be socially corrected through a dramatic neurological procedure, his life was never in danger. This mistake is repeated in *Deflectors*.

## Cast

### Main cast

* Ed Mercer
* Kelly Grayson
* Bortus
* John LaMarr
* Talla Keyali
* Claire Finn
* Gordon Malloy
* Isaac

### Recurring cast

* Griffith
* Marcus Finn
* Ty Finn
* Cassius
* Steve Newton
* Admiral Tom Halsey
* Al Mosley
* Klyden

## References

1. ↑ David A. Goodman, Executive Producer and Writer. Quantum Drive. May 10, 2022.
2. ↑ The Orville #2: Digressions (Part 2 of 2). Dark Horse Comics. Last accessed March 21, 2021.
3. ↑ Mainframe Comic Con | Sunday | Part 2. Chuck Load of Comics. April 26, 2020.
4. ↑ David A. Goodman, Executive Producer and Writer. Quantum Drive. May 10, 2022.