What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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T10 WHATS UP! December 30, 2018 - January 5, 2019 "Once again, Seth has struck a powerful chord with view- ers," Thorn said in an official release. "He has delivered a se- ries full of optimism, drama and his trademark humor. We want to thank him and the rest of the talented cast, as well as the producers and crew, for an incredible first season. We can't wait to see where the Or- ville travels in the second." Mercer and his crew are in for an exciting sophomore sea- son as they encounter new aliens and face off with their old adversaries, the Krill. They'll make first contact with a brand new civilization, an ex- citing prospect for a crew of space explorers. Fans of the show may also recognize a fa- miliar planet from season 1 as the U.S.S. Orville revisits Moclus. On a personal level, Mercer's relationship with ex-wife Kelly Grayson (Adrianne Palicki, "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.") takes a turn this season. They broke up when Mercer found out she'd had an affair with an alien, and he was surprised to discover she had been assigned as his first offi- cer aboard the Orville at the beginning of season 1. What he doesn't know is that Grayson lobbied his superiors to give him the command. The crew also includes Scott Grimes ("ER") as Mercer's best friend, Lt. Gordon Malloy, the ship's helmsman, who's known for his juvenile pranks. Penny Johnson Jerald ("The Larry Sanders Show") stars as the ship's chief medical officer, Dr. Claire Finn. Lt.-Cmdr. Bortus (Peter Macon, "Supernatural") serves as the ship's second of- ficer. Hailing from Moclus, he and his mate, Klyden (Chad Coleman, "The Walking Dead"), welcomed a baby last season. The Orville's young chief of security, Lt. Alara Ki- tan (Halston Sage, "How to Rock"), comes from a high- gravity planet, and as a result has super-human strength. Lt.- Cmdr. John LaMarr (J. Lee, "Family Guy") was promoted from navigator to chief engi- neer last season. The crew's science and engineering offi- cer, Isaac (Mark Jackson, "Pep- permint," 2013), is a member of a non-biological race from Kaylon-1 who's using his post to study human behavior. Jessica Szohr ("Gossip Girl") joins the regular cast as new crew member Talla in season 2, though details about her char- acter have been kept under wraps. It's been reported that Szohr's fellow "Gossip Girl" alum Leighton Meester and up- and-coming actor Chris John- son ("47 Meters Down," 2017) have snagged roles this season, but little information has been released about their appearanc- es as of press time. Season 1 boasted a roster of high-profile guest stars that in- cluded Charlize Theron ("Monster," 2003), Rob Lowe ("Parks and Recreation"), Jef- frey Tambor ("Transparent"), Holland Taylor ("The Prac- tice") and Liam Neeson ("Schindler's List," 1993), so viewers may want to keep their eyes peeled for notable guest stars in season 2. With any luck, "The Orville" will continue to defy the critics in season 2 and prove it's more than a collection of sci-fi cli- ches. Despite naysayers, the first season earned a number of accolades and won a Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Television Series, a surprise win against such popular se- ries as "Doctor Who," "The X- Files" and "Colony." "The Or- ville" was even immortalized in this season's Halloween epi- sode of "The Simpsons." While many sci-fi shows of- fer viewers a dreary look at the future, MacFarlane's series takes a more lighthearted, op- timistic approach. Find out what the universe has in store for Mercer and his colleagues when "The Orville" returns Sunday, Dec. 30, on Fox. Seth MacFarlane in a scene from "The Orville" continued from page T2 A new kind of sci-fi: Fox's 'The Orville' mixes comedy, drama and more TV FEATURE