A Happy Refrain was written and directed by Seth MacFarlane who later said he wanted to tell "a classic Hollywood love story that ended with Singing in the Rain."[1] Music was composed by Andrew Cottee.
Almost immediately upon airing, the episode was embraced by fans as one of the most stirring and beloved of the show. It currently holds a rating of 8.4 on IMDB, one of the best of The Orville until that point,[2] and was watched live by 3.105 million American households.[3]
Reviewing a draft of her paper on nanosynthesis in Xelayantissue regeneration in her office, Doctor Claire Finn requests Isaac to review it for technical errors. Second OfficerBortus enters with a request of his own: stimulate hair follicles on his face so he can grow a mustache. After Claire quickly treats Bortus, Isaac scans the paper and corrects "numerous errors." Before he leaves, he notices Claire has styled her hair.
Act 2[]
The USS Orville is en route to hear the Planetary Union Symphony perform. Bortus takes his post on the Bridge and the crew is stunned by his new mustache, which they learn was HelmsmanGordon Malloy's idea. Claire enters and invites everyone to attend her son Ty's piano recital that evening.
Night arrives and Ty performs splendidly. At the reception, Claire chats with Isaac, who is also Ty's piano instructor. "You should be very proud of him," he says. Later, Claire visits First OfficerKelly Grayson for romance advice over chardonnay. She admits she has developed feelings for the Kaylon and Kelly tells her to pursue him but warns: "Just make sure you don't get hurt."
Claire finds Isaac working in the Science Lab and asks him out to the symphony on Friday. He accepts, finding the date an opportunity to study biological lifeforms in a new way.
Isaac asks Malloy and Chief EngineerJohn LaMarr for dating advice and they recommend wearing "snazzy" clothes. As soon as Isaac leaves, the two rush to the Bridge to tell CaptainEd Mercer. The bridge crew gossips and speculate whether romance will be possible.
Isaac rings Claire in her quarters that Friday night and they leave for the concert.
Act 3[]
The Union Symphony performs a stirring arrangement of the song "Singing in the Rain." After Claire and Isaac share a meal in the Environmental Simulator. Isaac programmed the simulation to mirror Claire's favorite restaurant in Baltimore, Maryland. He reveals that he reviewed every file about Claire before their date, and she finds him lacking spontaneity. After a stilted conversation, she retires for the night.
Act 4[]
The next day, the bridge crew grills Isaac for details about his date. He reports that Claire found him "not spontaneous enough" and they suggest doing something thoughtful yet surprising for her. Grayson grills Claire for her account, and the doctor confesses that they did not connect emotionally during their date.
Isaac brings a chocolate cake to Claire in her quarters at 3:14 a.m.; his idea of thoughtful and spontaneous. She is shocked and breaks up with him. Isaac finds Malloy, LaMarr, and EnsignTurco bowling in the simulator for help and LaMarr gets an idea.
Isaac sends an anonymous message to Claire directing her to the Simulator. It is the simulation of her favorite restaurant, only this time Isaac has programmed himself to look - and feel - Human.
Act 5[]
Isaac tells Claire that LaMarr suggested Ihe create a simulation that would allow them to kiss. In addition, he deleted all data about her background. She is charmed and the two quickly bond over dinner. She runs a program of her own quarters and the two sleep together.
Meeting with Grayson and Chief of SecurityTalla Keyali, Claire beams: "A machine who knows nothing of love, only logic, figured out a way to say I'm trying. Let me try." Isaac however wants to end the relationship because he collected enough data for his analysis. LaMarr suggests that Isaac makes himself unappealing so that she will want to end things.
Isaac speaks misogynistically to Claire to irritate her. She learns that he wants to conclude the relationship. Heartbroken and angry, she agrees.
Act 6[]
The senior staff is upset with Isaac's actions and chide him. Meanwhile, Claire finds recourse in a drink at a simulated bar where LieutenantYaphit pesters her. When Isaac comes for Ty's piano lesson, Claire informs him that she found a new instructor and, further, she has no interest in talking to him outside of work.
Later on the Bridge, Isaac makes a calculation error while analyzing the orbital velocity of the Septar binary system. "I've never seen him make a mistake before," Gordon says. "At least, not that kind."
Isaac scans himself using the ship's computer and learns that his sub-routines have adjusted to Claire's presence that now interferes with his programming when she is gone. Ed chuckles, realizing the artificial lifeform has fallen in love. Isaac wants to repair his relationship and Ed recommends he apologize creatively.
Act 7[]
The Orville sets a course for Outpost 30. Bortus has shaven his mustache off. Claire arrives thanks to another anonymous message summoning her.
Isaac announces he sent the message. He starts playing an original recording of "Singing in the Rain" and initiates a program to rain on the bridge. He asks Claire to try a relationship with him again. "My internal programs will function more efficiently if you do," he admits. "You're saying you're better with me than without me?" she asks. "Affirmative, Doctor."
She runs to his arms and they kiss. They exit the bridge for the Environmental Simulator and Isaac transforms into a Human along the way.
Several years later, MacFarlane shared the writing staff's original "cork board" outline of the episode:
COLD OPEN: Sick Bay - Claire calls Isaac. - Bortus visits Claire - tells her Gordon said he'd look good w/ a mustache - she runs a follicle stimulator over him - "you should have it in a bit."
Bortus leaves - Isaac enters - ■■■■■■ she wants help with w/ a nanotech paper she's writing - he notices her haircut - comments - he finds this [unknown]. - He leaves she smiles.
ACT ONE: Bridge - Business as usual ■■■■ Orville en route to deliver vaccines to a colony. - Bortus enters w/ his mustache - crew reacts etc.
Claire enters ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ to deliver vaccine update. ■■■■■■■■■■■■ - reminds everyone Ty's piano recital is tonight. Bortus "Is it mandatory?" Isaac's done a great job teaching him.
Mess Hall - Ty performing recital - Isaac commenting on errors as he does - Claire shushing him - Recital ends - Isaac congratulates Ty, Claire sits down for a drink, invites Isaac to join her. - They talk, then realize the place has emptied out. Claire reluctantly exits.
Kelly's Office - Claire enters - wants to confide in her - gets wine bottle from synthesizer - "I think I may<ref group="n">Note that the word 'may' was added later.</ref> have feelings for Isaac" Kelly is stunned at first, but talks it out with Claire. Ultimately supportive. No real reason not to try it.
Isaac's Lab - Claire enters, + tentatively asks if he'd like to go on a date. Isaac is confused. Claire has to carefully explain that she has feelings for him. Once it's broken down and laid out, he says OK.
ACT TWO: Engineering - John, Gordon + Sec. Chief working - Isaac enters, wants to ask about dating - Gordon starts to answer, but Isaac cuts him off - He wants to hear from John. John gives him advice - dress snazzy, etc. Yaphit?
Bridge - Bridge crew ■■■■■■■ talking about Isaac + Claire - gossiping - Isaac enters - subject quickly changed Isaac ■■■■ asks if he can leave early. Ed + Kelly say yes.
Claire's quarters - Getting ready - door chime sounds - Isaac is there in a shirt + pants, holding flowers. There to pick her up.
Shuttle Bay - Isaac and Claire go to see the Union Symphony in the ■■■■■■■ bay [unknown]<ref group="n">An illegible footnote was added here.</ref> - most of the crew is there - other crew members stare at Isaac in his clothes
Restaurant - Isaac + Claire are seated ([unknown]) - He has recreated a favorite restaurant of hers - [unknown] but he's already downloaded her files - he knows everything, he's [unknown] the fun of spontaneity - she asks about <u>him</u> - first time we hear about this - Claire "What are your thoughts about me/us?" Overall, they're trying to do it right.
Extra Claire misses rain
Claire's quarters - Isaac ■■■ sees her home - she enters her quarters - fade out on her [unknown]
Isaac's Lab - He goes back to work, ■ then stops to look at his reflection lipstick on his face.
ACT THREE: Bridge - Isaac arrives for duty - crew delicately wants to know how it went - Isaac gives cold answers
Sick Bay - Sec. Chief there for an exam - (physical) Kelly shows up - Claire [unknown] her [unknown]/concerns about all this - she [unknown] whether this can work
Claire's quarters - Middle of the night - Claire wakes up - Isaac is at the foot of the bed - "I am being spontaneous" - Kids come in - "Why is Isaac here?" Claire sends them back to bed [unknown]
Mess Hall - John Gordon + Sec. Officer + Bortus having lunch. Isaac approaches wanting help. They all weigh in, but no one really has the answer [unknown] Someone says something that gives John an idea...
■■■ Sickbay -■■ Claire gets message to meet Isaac in the simulator at 8.
Restaurant - (simulator) Claire enters - Isaac at table. He invites her over, then simulation coats him in human form.
ACT FOUR: Simulator - He deleted the files from his memory - So now he does need to "get to know her" dissolve to later - date is magical - Claire leans in + kisses him
Simulator - Simulation of Claire's quarters - they sleep ■■■■together
Kelly's Office - Claire downloads details to Kelly + Sec. Officer - It was amazing - I'm in love
Engineering - Isaac goes to John - "I am finished with the program" John realizes ■■■■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■■■■ Isaac is asking him how to break up - John tells <u>his</u> method - be a jerk and get her to break up with <u>you</u> - make yourself unappealing
Claire's quarters - She enters + Isaac is on the couch - he's put on underwear messy [unknown] remains etc. he's going out of his way to be a jerk. She closes it + kicks him out. He tells her he has completed the program + he is done [unknown] she's [unknown] hurt - leaves him. ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
ACT FIVE: Bridge - ■■■■■■■■■■■ Crew has heard about breakup - Isaac enters, [unknown] ■■■■■ cold to him - they don't like the way he's treated Claire.
Simulator - Claire in simulated restaurant where she ■■■ dined w/ Isaac - alone, after [unknown] "Hey." It's Yaphit, in human form. Claire not in the mood.
Claire's quarters - Isaac shows up■■ for Ty's piano lesson - ■■■ kids are there - Claire tells him he's not welcome. Sends him away.
Bridge - Business as usual. We see Isaac make a small mistake and correct himself. [unknown]
Isaac's Lab - He's standing there alone, ■■■ Ed enters - Isaac is performing a self-diagnostic [unknown] - his algorithms are used to Claire. He misses her in his unique way. He needs to execute one more part of relationships: he needs to win her back.
Bridge - Business as usual. Claire enters - ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ Received a call to come to the Bridge. No one knows where call came from. Isaac stands up and tells Claire he has re-written the [unknown]. Then [unknown] environmental controls. It rains on the Bridge Claire embraces him.
To visualize the character of Isaac, a presumably emotionless and unwaveringly rational being, in a romance, MacFarlane turned to Henry Higgins from My Fair Lady. "What's the version of emotion from someone who can't feel?" he asked.
The best example of that I can think of is Alan J. Lerner's solution to Pygmalion when he was writing the lyrics to My Fair Lady. That song "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" is the solution to a love song that's not a love song.
Henry Higgins was not an emotional character; not in that way.... He was very cold and unfeeling, and it made no sense for this guy to sing a love song, so what [Lerner] latched onto was he had grown used to her presence.I took a little bit of that and applied it to Isaac to determine what it is about him that would fit with his machine mentality but would still acknowledge [Claire's] absence from his life.<ref name=":6">"Mindscape 58 | Seth MacFarlane on Using Science Fiction to Explore Humanity". Sean Carroll. Aug. 5, 2019.</ref>
MacFarlane finished the script by December 2017. "Mark, Mark, I've got a script for you!" MacFarlane excitedly told actor Mark Jackson (Isaac) at his Christmas party that month. "You're going to love it. We're going to meet Human Isaac."<ref>Trekyards. Mark Jackson Isaac Orville Interview (Issac/Identity PT 1+2) (2019). YouTube. March 9, 2019.</ref>
Jackson and Penny Johnson Jerald (Claire) initially thought that they would be naked during their sex scene because the production crew told them that they would film with a closed set (typical of scenes involving nudity). Jerald and especially Jackson worked out regularly in preparation, but were disappointed to discover they were filmed only from the neck up. "I worked out for nothing!" Jackson quipped. Once filming concluded, the two went out for donuts.<ref name=":5">Sun - Main Stage | NYCC 2019 | SYFY WIRE<span class="">. SyFy Wire. Oct. 6, 2019.</span></ref>
<nowiki> </nowiki>Jerald later spoke about her kissing and sex scenes with Isaac:
It was so wonderful to rehearse [the scenes] because I find Mark, my friend, absolutely adorable, and I'm thinking, 'I've got to find him more than adorable, I have to make him hot.<nowiki/>' ... I know what Mark looks like and you guys know what Isaac looks like. Truly, every day that I saw Mark, I had to look at a part of him to see what was hot about Mark. Mark happens to have - in real life - ruby lips, so I focused on those lips; it was like having grapefruit juice in the morning and that worked for me.<ref name=":5">Sun - Main Stage | NYCC 2019 | SYFY WIRE<span class="">. SyFy Wire. Oct. 6, 2019.</span></ref>
The Orville Season 2 - Deleted Scene from “A Happy Refrain” -SDCC2019
A humorous golf game between John, Gordon, Isaac, Bortus and Klyden in the Environmental Simulator was cut before the episode aired. Editor and associate producer Tom Costantino later recalled, "It killed me to leave that scene out."[4]
When this scene occurred in the episode is an open question, as it is not found in the "cork board" outline.[5] Bortus appears without a mustache, suggesting the scene was intended to open the episode.
Reception[]
Viewership[]
A Happy Refrain quickly became one of the most beloved chapters of the season, holding a rating of 8.4 on IMDB, tied with If the Stars Should Appear and Majority Rule for the third-highest until that point (although later episodes such as Identity, Pt. 2 would smash this record).[2] Ratings for A Happy Refrain were strong. Roughly 3.105 million American households watched the episode live, of which 0.68 million were ages 18-49, the third best performance of the season until that point.[3]
Critical response[]
Critics responded more mildly to A Happy Refrain than general audiences, giving the episode mixed, but overall positive, reviews. Nick Wanserski of AV Club enjoyed it and found the writing "clever enough" to sustain a budding romance with an android "bereft of sentimentality."[6] On the other hand, Ryan Britt of Den of Geek thought that A Happy Refrain was "a great episode" only for fans of Claire and Isaac.[7] Jammer of Jammer's Reviews gave the episode 2.5 stars, but respected MacFarlane "for having the guts" to write a romance, science-fiction story.[8]
Trivia[]
MGM Jubilee Overture
The Planetary Union Symphony performed the beginning of "MGM Jubilee Overture," technically not "Singing in the Rain" as most fans believe.
If one pauses to read Claire's paper on Xelayan tissue regeneration, it is in fact a copy of the page "Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine" posted on the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering's website,[9] which even retained website instructions like "Click here to read more."
Minor spelling errors were added for Isaac to correct.
The song playing the bowling alley is "Centerfold" by J. Geils Band.
Ty performs "Etudes in E Major Op. 10: III. 'Tristesse'" by Frédéric Chopin.
Kai Wener (Ty) is actually a talented child pianist and performed the song himself on camera.[10]
When director Jon Cassar reviewed the script in preparation for filming, he worried about how to film Ty playing piano. "Everyone was blown away," he recalled, when they watched Wener effortlessly perform the piece.[11]
Most fans believe that the Planetary Union Symphony performs "Singing in the Rain," but this is only partially correct. The true song is called "MGM Jubilee Overture."
Later, Isaac plays an original recording of "Singing in the Rain" sung by Gene Kelly.
The conductor of the symphony is Mark Graham, head of music preparation for the show.
The Orville Season 2 Gag Reel
A composite video with outtakes from this, and other, Season 2 episodes.
Outtakes and bloopers from this episode were compiled by the show's editors for the Season 2 wrap party and were published by the Planetary Union Network.[12]
Many of the flowers in Claire's bouquet are stargazer lillies.
Claire says that she is from Baltimore, Maryland. Penny Johnson Jerald, who plays Claire, is from Baltimore.
In the final script, Palovis and Unk are supposed to attend Ty's music recital.[13] It is unclear if they are in the audience on screen.
The follicle stimulator used on Bortus' lips to grow a mustache is described in the final script simply as "a small device."[13] The stimulator was actually first seen in the first season on Claire's desk in About a Girl without comment.
Jackson and Penny Johnson Jerald (Claire) initially thought that they would be naked during their sex scene because the production crew told them that they would film with a closed set (typical of scenes involving nudity). Jerald and especially Jackson worked out regularly in preparation, but were disappointed to discover they were filmed only from the neck up. "I worked out for nothing!" Jackson quipped.[14]
Once filming concluded, the two went out for donuts.[14]
John tells Gordon that the helm control of the Orville is not a Porsche.
A Happy Refrain has been compared to the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode In Theory, which explores a relationship between the android Data and his crewmate Jenna D'Sora.
Claire states her feelings for Isaac have been "brewing since the shuttle crash," referring to the events of Into the Fold.
When LieutenantDann learns Isaac has a date, he says, "Sweet emotion," likely a reference to "Sweet Emotion" by the band Aerosmith.
The reference book The Guide to The Orville does not address this episode. However, it states that the previous episode ended by November 29, 2420,[16] and the next episode will end on January 14, 2421,[17] so A Happy Refrain takes place sometime in the middle.
The episode begins after 1600 hours.
The following week,
On a Thursday, Klyden finds pieces of Bortus' dinner in his mustache.
On Friday, the Union Symphony arrives and performs, and Claire and Isaac go on their first date.
On Saturday, Claire and Isaac recount their date to their crewmates.
On Sunday,
3:14 a.m., Isaac wakes Claire up with a cake.
8:00 p.m., Claire and Isaac go on a second date.
The symphony's conductor tells the audience that it is the summer. Whether or not this was a continuity mistake is subject to debate:
If the timing was not a mistake, this would require the episode to take place in the summer of 2421 and would mean an entire year elapsed between Home(which takes place in September 2420) and A Happy Refrain. Such a large time skip is exceedingly unlikely:
The show's main story arc has never jumped like this.
At the extraordinary rate that Topa develops, he would be significantly larger and more mature.
All episodes after A Happy Refrain would have to take place in June, July and August because Kelly in The Road Not Taken explicitly states that Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrowtook place three months after the Battle of Earth but before September 2421. This means not only did the show gloss over eight months in two episodes, but then compressed seven episodes into three months. That would be exceedingly unlikely - Blood of Patriots alone covers 30 days, 11 hours, and 30 minutes.
Deflectors, the episode after A Happy Refrain, is implied to take place just six months after June 2420.[n 1]
A counterargument that this date is accurate is that a late date resolves several unexplained timeline incongruities that appear later in Season 2:
A much later timing would resolve timeline indiscrepencies in Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow where Ed and Kelly give unexpected anniversary dates (see discussion under Timeline#Notes).
A simpler explanation is that the conductor is from Earth's Southern Hemisphere, in which the seasons are reversed from the Northern Hemisphere and summer begins in December. Alternatively, he could be from a colony planet with a different calendar and seasonal cycle from Earth.
Episode titles[]
Title
Language
Translation
Chantons sous l'Orville
French
"let us sing under the Orville"
Ein fröhlicher Refrain
German
"a happy refrain"
Lények az esőben
Hungarian
"creatures in the rain"
Gli algoritmi dell'amore
Italian
"the algorithms of love"
恋は雨にのせて (Koi wa ame ni nosete)
Japanese
"love is on the rain"
Весёленький припев
Russian
"jolly chorus"
Una alegre canción
Spanish
"a happy song"
Мелодія щастя
Ukranian
"melody of happiness"
Mistakes[]
Kelly tells Claire that she does not drink on the job, but she drinks Xelayan blossom whiskey with Ed in Primal Urges.
John's surname on his bowling shirt is spelled Lamarr instead of LaMarr.
The claim that the conductor of the Union Symphony erred in telling the audience that it is the summer is likely an error in itself, as the symphony could be from billions of places other than the northern hemisphere of Earth.
Cast[]
Promotional still from the episode.
Names and titles are as they appear in the credits unless otherwise noted.
