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The Worst Episodes of The Orville

Every episode of The Orville ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of The Orville!

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Follow the crew of the not-so-functional exploratory ship in the Earth's interstellar fleet, 400 years in the future.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    The Orville Season 2 Episode 2 - Primal Urges
    6.6/10(4403 votes)

    S2:E2

    Ed and the crew race to save a small group of survivors on a planet about to be destroyed by its sun. Meanwhile, Bortus and Klyden start marriage counseling when Bortus' obsession with the ship's simulation room gets out of hand.

    Director:Kevin Hooks
    Writer:Wellesley Wild

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  2. The Orville Season 2 Episode 1 - Ja'loja
    7.2/10(4189 votes)

    S2:E1

    As The Orville heads towards Moclus for Bortus' special once-a-year ceremony, Ed discovers Kelly has moved on and has started dating. Meanwhile, Gordon asks for John's help in getting game, and Claire turns to Isaac for parenting advice.

    Director:Seth MacFarlane
    Writer:Seth MacFarlane

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  3. The Orville Season 3 Episode 2 - Shadow Realms
    7.2/10(3479 votes)

    S3:E2

    The Orville explores a mysterious region of space.

    Director:Jon Cassar
    Writers:André Bormanis, Brannon Braga

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  4. The Orville Season 1 Episode 8 - Into the Fold
    7.3/10(3996 votes)

    S1:E8

    Ed and the crew set out to save Dr. Finn, her two sons and Isaac after their shuttle gets thrown into uncharted space and they crash-land on a moon that is light years from the Orville.

    Director:Brannon Braga
    Writers:André Bormanis, Brannon Braga

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  5. The Orville Season 2 Episode 5 - All the World is Birthday Cake
    7.3/10(3704 votes)

    S2:E5

    The Orville makes First Contact and a new crew member joins the ship.

    Director:Robert Duncan McNeill
    Writer:Seth MacFarlane

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  6. The Orville Season 1 Episode 1 - Old Wounds
    7.4/10(6040 votes)

    S1:E1

    It's 2417, and the Planetary Union promotes Ed Mercer to Captain of the exploratory vessel The U.S.S. Orville. Ed's enthusiasm for his new position is dampened when his ex-wife, Kelly Grayson, is assigned to be his First Officer. While on their first routine mission, the Orville crew is ambushed by the Krill, a vicious alien race, who are bent on stealing a device that can cause time to accelerate.

    Director:Jon Favreau
    Writer:Seth MacFarlane

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  7. The Orville Season 3 Episode 1 - Electric Sheep
    7.4/10(4209 votes)

    S3:E1

    The Orville crew deals with the interpersonal aftermath of the battle against the Kaylon.

    Director:Jon Cassar
    Writer:Seth MacFarlane

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  8. The Orville Season 1 Episode 2 - Command Performance
    7.6/10(5236 votes)

    S1:E2

    When Ed and Kelly are tricked by a hologram of a ship in distress and find themselves prisoners in a replica of their former home, Alara must step up in her first command of the Orville and attempt a heroic rescue. Meanwhile, Bortus and Klyden receive some happy, yet unexpected news.

    Director:Robert Duncan McNeill
    Writer:Seth MacFarlane

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  9. The Orville Season 1 Episode 3 - About a Girl
    7.6/10(5659 votes)

    S1:E3

    The Orville crew is divided between cultures when Bortus and Klyden debate if their newly born offspring should receive a controversial surgery.

    Director:Brannon Braga
    Writer:Seth MacFarlane

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  10. The Orville Season 2 Episode 7 - Deflectors
    7.6/10(3564 votes)

    S2:E7

    One of Bortus's old lovers is assigned to help upgrade the ships defences and makes a surprising admission to Talla.

    Director:Seth MacFarlane
    Writer:David A. Goodman

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  11. The Orville Season 1 Episode 5 - Pria
    7.8/10(4731 votes)

    S1:E5

    After the crew saves a stranded ship and its attractive captain, Ed becomes smitten with the Orville’s new guest, while Kelly suspects all is not what it seems. Meanwhile, Gordon attempts to teach Isaac the art of pulling off a practical joke.

    Director:Jonathan Frakes
    Writer:Seth MacFarlane

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  12. The Orville Season 1 Episode 9 - Cupid's Dagger
    7.8/10(4021 votes)

    S1:E9

    The Orville is called to mediate a peace treaty between two warring cultures, but tensions run even higher between Ed and Kelly when a familiar face boards the ship. Meanwhile Yaphit declares his love for Dr. Finn with surprising results.

    Director:Jamie Babbit
    Writer:Liz Heldens

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  13. The Orville Season 2 Episode 10 - Blood of Patriots
    7.8/10(3141 votes)

    S2:E10

    Ed must initiate peace talks with the Krill.

    Director:Rebecca Rodriguez
    Writer:Seth MacFarlane

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  14. The Orville Season 3 Episode 3 - Mortality Paradox
    7.8/10(3441 votes)

    S3:E3

    The Orville crew discovers signs of a modern civilization on a planet known to be uninhabited.

    Director:Jon Cassar
    Writer:Cherry Chevapravatdumrong

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  15. The Orville Season 1 Episode 6 - Krill
    7.9/10(4490 votes)

    S1:E6

    After the Orville crew defeats a Krill attack on a brand-new colony, the Union sends Ed and Gordon on a dangerous undercover mission to infiltrate a Krill ship and obtain a copy of the Krill bible, the "Anhkana," to better understand the enemy.

    Director:Jon Cassar
    Writer:David A. Goodman

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  16. The Orville Season 1 Episode 11 - New Dimensions
    7.9/10(3394 votes)

    S1:E11

    Kelly discovers that Lt. John Lamarr is smarter than he lets on. So, she pushes Ed to consider him for a key leadership position on the ship after The Orville gets damaged by a mysterious spatial anomaly causing harrowing effects to all things living.

    Director:Kelly Cronin
    Writer:Seth MacFarlane

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  17. The Orville Season 1 Episode 10 - Firestorm
    8.0/10(3816 votes)

    S1:E10

    When a fire breaks out on The Orville and a crew member dies, Alara begins to question if she is fit for her job, just as unusual and terrifying things start happening on the ship.

    Director:Brannon Braga
    Writer:Cherry Chevapravatdumrong

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  18. The Orville Season 3 Episode 5 - A Tale of Two Topas
    8.0/10(5175 votes)

    S3:E5

    Tensions between Kelly and the Moclans result when she helps Topa prepare for the Union Point entrance exam.

    Director:Seth MacFarlane
    Writer:Seth MacFarlane

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  19. The Orville Season 2 Episode 3 - Home
    8.1/10(4337 votes)

    S2:E3

    Ed, Gordon and Alara visit Alara's home planet of Xelayah.

    Director:Jon Cassar
    Writer:Cherry Chevapravatdumrong

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  20. The Orville Season 2 Episode 6 - A Happy Refrain
    8.1/10(4431 votes)

    S2:E6

    The Orville crew is surprised when Claire's personal life takes an unexpected turn, and Gordon makes an unusual grooming suggestion to Bortus.

    Director:Seth MacFarlane
    Writer:Seth MacFarlane

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  21. The Orville Season 3 Episode 8 - Midnight Blue
    8.1/10(3530 votes)

    S3:E8

    The crew visit Haveena's sanctuary world and embark on a journey that may leave the Union more vulnerable.

    Director:Jon Cassar
    Writers:André Bormanis, Brannon Braga

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  22. The Orville Season 3 Episode 10 - Future Unknown
    8.1/10(2963 votes)

    S3:E10

    A celebration is underway aboard the ship.

    Director:Seth MacFarlane
    Writer:Seth MacFarlane

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  23. The Orville Season 1 Episode 4 - If the Stars Should Appear
    8.2/10(5214 votes)

    S1:E4

    Ed and the Orville crew encounter a massive vessel adrift in space, which is in danger of colliding with a star. While some of the crew set out to help the ship's inhabitants, Bortus, Gordon, and John stay behind and fend off a Krill attack on another Union ship

    Director:James L. Conway
    Writer:Seth MacFarlane

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  24. The Orville Season 1 Episode 7 - Majority Rule
    8.2/10(5149 votes)

    S1:E7

    When two Union anthropologists go missing on a planet similar to 21st century Earth, Ed sends a team led by Kelly to find them, but the mission quickly goes awry when they realize the society’s government is completely based on a public voting system to determine punishment.

    Director:Tucker Gates
    Writer:Seth MacFarlane

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  25. The Orville Season 2 Episode 4 - Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes
    8.2/10(4043 votes)

    S2:E4

    Ed finds himself behind enemy lines when he crash-lands on a mysterious planet. Meanwhile, Kelly questions why Gordon wants to take the Command Test.

    Director:Robert Duncan McNeill
    Writers:André Bormanis, Brannon Braga

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Primal Urges" is the worst rated episode of "The Orville". It scored 6.6/10 based on 4403 votes. Directed by Kevin Hooks and written by Wellesley Wild, it aired on 1/3/2019. This episode scored 0.6 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Ja'loja".