Fans of "The Orville" are in for many surprises with the show's return. The upcoming second season, which will premiere on Sunday, Dec. 30, at 8:00 p.m. EST, will look and feel different, especially with one major cast change.
Star Adrianne Palicki (Commander Kelly Grayson) told TV Guide that "The Orville" season 2 will be "bigger and more intense." Each of the 14 episodes for this installment will feel like mini-movies regarding storylines and quality.
But one other thing that will be different this season is the addition of former "Gossip Girl" star Jessica Szohr. Once her character, a Xelayan named Talla Keyali, comes aboard the USS Orville, another character will leave.
Fellow Xelayan Alara, played by Halston Stage, will not be present for the entire second season of the series. "The Orville" executive producer David A. Goodman confirmed that the cast change is an essential part of the storyline, which he described as an intriguing transition.
"The Orville" season 2 will also undergo some tonal changes, creator and lead star Seth McFarlane (Captain Ed Mercer) told Us Weekly. If the first season was more comedic, then the second season will be a bit dramatic. This does not mean, however, that the show will abandon its comedy roots. Only, the storylines and what the characters will go through will reflect realistic, relatable human interactions even if the series is set in space.
Meanwhile, the action and the sci-fi aspect of the show will also be bigger this year. McFarlane makes no secret that he based "The Orville" on his love for the "Star Trek" franchise. McFarlane may not have been able to put the show together if not for the "Star Trek" veteran writers, producers and directors he hired to join the production such as David A. Goodman, Brannon Braga, Andre Bormanis, Jonathan Frakes, Robert Duncan, and Marvin Rush.
"The Orville" season 2 will feature familiar faces from the "Star Trek" franchise as well. The show managed to make way for guest spots for Robert Picardo, Tim Russ, Marina Sirtis, and John Billingsley, who were part of "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
But the new season will also have some stellar big-named stars just like last season with Charlize Theron, Rob Lowe, and Liam Neeson. Expected to be in a few episodes of "The Orville" season 2 are "The Good Place" star Ted Danson, "24" actor Carlos Bernard and "Homeland" actor F. Murray Abraham.
"The Orville" season 2 returns on FOX on Sunday, Dec. 30. But the show will settle in a Thursday schedule by the first week of January.
