Gently Falling Rain

Season	Episode
3	4

Air date

June 23, 2022

Production Order

Previous episode	Next episode
Mortality Paradox	A Tale of Two Topas

Gently Falling Rain is the fourth episode of the third season of The Orville. Korin, the leader of the Krill, invites the Planetary Union to his world to sign a treaty. Unfortunately for the Union, not everyone on planet Krill wants a treaty with the Union.

The title is a direct translation of the name Anaya in Krillain. In Krill society, sunlight is detested being a symbol of "torture and death," while darkness and soft rainfall are praised.

Gently Falling Rain was written by André Bormanis and Brannon Braga. Music was composed by Joel McNeely. While Jon Cassar is credited as director, he directed only a few of the scenes due to the flu. Showrunner Seth MacFarlane took over for Cassar for those scenes.^[1]

As of August 20, 2022, the episode holds a 8.3 rating on IMDb, tied with Midnight Blue for the fourth best of the season overall.^[2]

Plot[]

Act 1[]

In a city square on the planet Krill, Teleya gives a charismatic and divisive election speech as candidate for supreme chancellor. She condemns the current administration's plans for a peace treaty with the Planetary Union, warning it would "imperil" the Krill. The audience cheers and chants her name.

Act 2[]

Faraway in New York City, Earth, a Krill delegation and Union leaders watch a stirring live performance of "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow" from the musical Annie. Afterwards, the delegates enjoy dinner and conversation together. The topic turns to a potential treaty. The Union representatives and the Supreme Chancellor Korin are amenable to a treaty (though High Priest Pakor and Ambassador K.T.Z. criticize it, and Korin rebukes them). Korin states that he is confident he will win re-election on Krill, then invites the Union to visit his planet.

In the Environmental Simulator, Ed Mercer, Kelly Grayson, Bortus, Talla Keyali, Gordon Malloy, and Charly Burke go on a pub crawl through history, splitting drinks in a 19th century-themed saloon. Isaac enters, dressed in cowboy hat and fake mustache. Suddenly, Ed and Kelly are summoned to a call with Admiral Halsey. Halsey orders the USS Orville to transport a delegation to Krill and reveals Ed and Kelly will get to be part of that delegation.

A shuttle arrives with President Alcuzan, Senator Speria Balask, and Halsey. After informal introductions, Halsey takes Ed to the Briefing Room to show him video of a vitriolic speech by Teleya. Halsey states that after Ed released Teleya, she joined a small but radical group of populists who seek to control the government and reignite the old Krill-Planetary Union conflict. In his quarters, Kelly finds Ed watching video of Korin unsuccessfully denouncing a crowd of Krill populists. They watch Korin announce he is withholding aid to Uvok for not supporting him, then gassing the crowd. Ed reveals that the video is actually fake, created by Teleya's supporters as "influence operations" to manipulate public opinion and undermine Korin's campaign.

Act 3[]

Three Krill battlecruisers accompany the Orville to Krill. Alcuzan, Speria, Halsey, Ed, and Charly take a shuttle to the planet's surface. After a tense ride, the delegation enters the chancellor's office. Korin promises a celebration after his election victory. They marvel at the city lights from the balcony, such as the Grand Marketplace, where merchants gather. An assistant interrupts with an update on the election, Teleya has won the seven more districts and Korin's lead is tenuous. The news reports that the Katal District and the Garathon have supported Teleya, assuring Teleya's victory. Korin is shocked. He orders the Circle of Clerics not to ratify the election. Just then, soldiers enter with orders from Teleya to capture Korin and the others.

In space, a Krill ship locks onto the Orville with a tractor beam. Acting captain Grayson orders Second Officer Bortus to fire on the tractor beam emitters and Chief Engineering Officer John LaMarr to enact Directive 21. Gordon pilots the Orville through Krill fire until John reports he is ready. Kelly orders they jump to quantum.

Back on Krill, Teleya presents Korin as a prisoner to her supporters. Korin mutters something in Krillain to her before she executes him with a ceremonial knife. She vows that "justice" will next be brought to the leaders of the Union. Meanwhile, the Union delegation sits in a prison until two soldiers take Ed.

Act 4[]

The soldiers bring Ed to Teleya, sitting behind a desk in what had been Korin's office. She thanks him for releasing her from captivity two years ago; Ed responds that he had let her go to bring the Union and the Krill together. She taunts him for his naiveté. She says that the Krill have developed strong weapons to withstand the Kaylon, so an alliance with the Union is unnecessary, then reveals that she killed Korin. Ed is horrified, prompting Teleya to add that Ed and the others are to be executed the next day. Two soldiers lead Ed away, but unexpectedly dress him in a black cowl.

The Orville, now safely far away from Krill, receives a message from Teleya. She tells Kelly that the Union delegation will be charged with conspiracy, then uses Kelly's former marriage with Ed to mock her as emotionally needy and weak. Kelly consults with Admiral Perry, who orders a military rescue and directs contingents of Union ships to accompany the Orville back to Krill.

The soldiers lead Ed through the city streets. A local food vendor notices the trio and pesters them to sample a rib of meat. Suddenly, a group of Krill jump out and kill the soldiers. The men take Ed into a complex. An elderly caretaker opens a door to a sealed room, where inside a half-human, half-Krill girl plays with a toy. The caretaker and another man explain that the girl is Ed's daughter, the secret child of Ed's relationship with Teleya in 2420. The girl has no knowledge of her father and finds Ed to "look funny." The girl shows him how to play her toy. The caretaker asks if Ed feels shame, and he says 'no.' The man says that their group represents Krill moderates who believe an alliance with the Union is still possible. They ask Ed to confront Teleya and persuade her to soften her stance. They say that Teleya had planned for the two soldier to sneak Ed back to the Orville. "Evidently," the caretaker concludes. "She still cares about you." Ed says goodbye to his daughter and leaves.

Admiral Ozawa leads a Union contingent into Krill territory at maximum speed.

Ed enters Teleya's office. She admits she does not wish to kill him, but Ed responds that he has met Anaya. He pushes Teleya to accept that humans and Krill can co-exist, much like Anaya is both human and Krill. When Teleya emotionally rejects him, Ed shouts, "Well, what did you have her for?"

Teleya takes Ed to a criminal facility. She shows the wardens punish a man and woman for aborting a fetus by showing them a simulation of their potential child. The simulated child confronts them for 'sending her away,' leaving the mother in tears.

Act 5[]

Teleya presents the Union prisoners before a roaring crowd who demands their blood. Teleya unsheathes her knife and decries them as "enemies of Avis."

The Union fleet drops out of quantum in front of Krill, and the Orville broadcasts a warning to release the captives. Teleya whispers an order to an assistant to launch the planetary defense system, then stabs President Alcuzan. Two Krill soldiers appears from behind the stage and lob flash grenades. The Krill are especially susceptible to bright light and are left stunned. The two Krill soldiers guide the prisoners into a vehicle and they begin their escape. The two Krill soldiers are actually John and Doctor Claire Finn, disguised as part of Directive 21. In space, the Union fleet begins a vicious battle against the Krill. On the planet, John and Charly fly their vehicle back to the shuttle then fly the shuttle back to the Orville. Once safely inside, the surviving Union fleet promptly withdraws.

Ed and Kelly stand on a balcony at Planetary Union Central when Halsey enters. He says that Alcuzan will recover and that the Union has one card left to play to bring the Krill back; revealing Anaya's existence could force Teleya's hand. Ed demurs, saying Teleya might just as well disappear Anaya to protect the regime. Halsey leaves, and Kelly looks at Ed. She says she believed Ed would make a good father, and she was sad they never got that far. Ed agrees, then confesses he misses his daughter even though he only met her once. He resolves that the Union and Krill need peace for Anaya's sake. Kelly invites Ed to breakfast. The leave, arm around each other's waist.

Meanwhile, back on Krill, Teleya quietly watches a video feed of her daughter playing.

Production[]

Gently Falling Rain unified three radically different storytelling goals between the scriptwriters, André Bormanis and Brannon Braga, its director, Jon Cassar, and the showrunner Seth MacFarlane. Bormanis wanted the script to pose the question, 'How do you really know who to trust?' Cassar wanted to explore the changed relationship of Teleya and Ed Mercer against the backdrop of an unfamiliar planet. MacFarlane wanted to focus on the theme of co-existence with people with extreme political views.^[3]

Minor parts of Gently Falling Rain were probably filmed well in advance of shooting. While filming Electric Sheep in the first week of November 2019, the crew gathered material for Shadow Realms, Mortality Paradox, and possibly this episode.^[4]

Cassar contracted the flu and missed a week of filming, so MacFarlane took over directing scenes like "the Krill car chase scenes."^[1]

Filming concluded sometime before March 13, 2020, although probably well before.^[5]

Post-production[]

Post-production of Gently Falling Rain was considered complete by July 22, 2020,^[6] although a week later, editor and associate producer Tom Costantino said that parts remained unfinished.^[7]

Trivia[]

Gently Falling Rain is dedicated to the memory of Lisa Banes, who played Speria Balask.
During the flight to Krill's surface, President Alcuzan says, "Night falls fast. Today is in the past." That is a quote from Edna St. Vincent Millay.
This episode runs approximately 66 minutes including all credits, but not commercials. This places it on par with "Shadow Realms" as being approximately the second longest episode of the season, as well as the series overall.
In "Inside The Orville: Gently Falling Rain," a bonus feature available on Hulu, writer André Bormanis stated that a big theme of the episode was "How do you really know who to trust?" Anne Winters expressed that she did not feel that her character, Charly Burke, regretted going with the away team to Krill at all. Seth MacFarlane found the dynamic between Ed and Teleya interesting for exploring the question of if you can co-exist and find goodness in people who are radically off the deep-end in their political and social views.
In the opening of the episode, Talla Keyali is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
Mercer, after years of pretending to enjoy alien delicacies to avoid offending anyone (Dorahl food in "If the Stars Should Appear" and oppsada in "Mad Idolatry"; "Always a crapshoot," he remarks in this episode), finally finds one that is actually pleasing to the human palate in Kahspid cider.

Timeline[]

The episode takes place in the year 2422.
- Given that the previous episode, Mortality Paradox, probably takes place in June or July 2422, this episode probably takes place around July or August.
- A treaty was supposed to be signed on Krill one week after Korin's visit to Earth. That means that no more than seven days pass between Korin's visit and his election defeat.
Ed mentions humanity fought a series of Water Wars which took place sometime between the 21st and 24th century.
High Priest Pakor says that Krill society has been stable for "tens of thousands of years."
Ed released Teleya back to the Krill in October 2420. Admiral Halsey says that she emerged as a political leader of an extremist group "several months later."
- Halsey also says that her group did not gain traction until Korin's administration began to consider a treaty with the Union. As established in Blood of Patriots, the idea of a treaty was first circulated in March 2421.
Two hours pass between Kelly conferring with Admiral Perry and the arrival of the Union fleet.
While Mercer is being escorted through the market by the Krill soldiers, as they descend the initial staircase a fruit stand can be seen which contains dragonfruit, which is a real fruit and not an alien fruit.