Earth was the third planet in the Solar system and capital of the Planetary Union. It was home to the space flight-capable species known as humans.
Modern humans divided Earth's history into two periods: Old Earth, the time before humans invented the means to travel faster than the speed of light, and Modern Earth. Such travel was made possible with the discovery of Dysonium deposits in Earth's mantle in the early 22nd century.[1]
Old Earth[]
Even Earth is a little fuzzy on some of its own history.— Commander Kelly Grayson[2]
The planet of the 21st century and earlier was frequently referred to as "Old Earth"[n 1] and "ancient history,"[3] an age remembered as a "dark time" in human history.[4]
According to Captain Ed Mercer, by 2015, Earth stood at the brink of a major climate disaster that humanity actively attempted to ignore. Of this climactic period, First Officer Kelly Grayson commented, "It's a miracle the human race survived."[5]
Humans of Old Earth oscillated between "periods of enlightenment and tyranny,"[6] and the Kaylon said of Earth's past:
Billions have been killed as a consequence of war, slavery, genocide, and persecution. Greed, individualism, and competition have been the governing principles of [Human] society.[6]
Knowledge of Old Earth by contemporary humans is uneven due to the passage of time. For example, Kelly knew the capital of the former United States of America had been Washington, D.C., but Helmsman Gordon Malloy did not.[n 2]
Modern Earth[]
By the early 24th century, Earth became a unified planet with a single representative government in the Planetary Union.[7] Membership in the Union ended humanity's cycle of tyranny and propelled them toward a more civilized society.[8]
Earth was the host world of the Union and held the Union Dockyard, a large docking station for spacecraft, in orbit between the Moon.
Cityscapes were a melange of modern buildings with sleek curves and classical architecture of Old Earth. New York City boasted a city-wide monorail and commuter pods allow for quick, easy transportation.[9] Apartments were common leaseholds in cities.[10]
Besides New York, several other former nations or states continued to exist as regions in the 25th century: Japan,[11] Saint Lucia,[12] New Jersey[5] and Maryland.[12] However, these places were no longer politically independent entities as they had been in Old Earth.[13]
The sizes of cities of modern Earth were relatively unchanged after 400 years. Baltimore, Maryland's size was still 210 square kilometers[12] and New York City continued to be approximately 790 square kilometers.[14]
Doctor Claire Finn described modern Baltimore as always having something "to see and do: music, art, live performances."[12] The city had one of the best symphonies in North America.[12]
Helmsman Gordon Malloy told Laura Huggins that not many women in modern New Jersey attempted music careers while working in retail.[5]
New York[]
Several locations of New York are identified:
- Albany - A large city that Doctor Sherman stated still existed in the 25th century.
- New York City
- Saratoga Springs - An Old Earth city and home to Laura Huggins and her friends.
- In 2015, "some people" in Laura's town decided to bury a time capsule and Laura included her cell phone.
Battle of Earth[]
The Kaylon attacked Earth and its moon in February 2421 in an attempt to destroy the Union and wipe out all biological life. A temporary alliance of the Union and Krill successfully fended them off.
Alternate timeline[]
The Kaylon destroy all life and leave Earth a fallow husk in an alternate timeline.
In the original timeline where the Orville was destroyed by a dark matter storm, Pria Lavesque said New York City and Paris still existed in the 29th century.[15]
In an alternate timeline where Kelly Grayson did not date and eventually marry Ed Mercer, Earth was scoured in the Battle of Earth and all biological life extinguished by the Kaylon in early 2421. Doctor Claire Finn noted that the Kaylon even killed off the Earth's fish.[16]
Trivia[]
- Animals still in existence in the 25th century include dolphins.[12]
- Captain Griffith said of Old Earth, "In the old days, when you had a problem with a new car, you took it back to the dealership."[17]
Appearances[]
- Episode 1x01: Old Wounds
- Episode 1x02: Command Performance (simulation)
- Episode 1x03: About a Girl (simulation)
- Episode 1x04: If the Stars Should Appear (mentioned only)
- Episode 1x05: Pria (mentioned only)
- Episode 1x06: Krill (mentioned only)
- Episode 1x07: Majority Rule (mentioned only)
- Episode 1x08: Into the Fold (mentioned only)
- Episode 1x11: New Dimensions (mentioned only)
- Episode 1x12: Mad Idolatry (mentioned only)
- Episode 1.5x03: The Word of Avis, Pt. 1 (flashback)
- Episode 2x04: Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes (mentioned only)
- Episode 2x06: A Happy Refrain (mentioned only)
- Episode 2x11: Lasting Impressions (mentioned only)
- Episode 2x12: Sanctuary
- Episode 2x13: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
- Episode 2x14: The Road Not Taken
- Digressions, Pt. 1
Notes[]
- ↑ Claire Finn: "My God, it looks remarkably a lot like Old Earth." Episode 1x07: Majority Rule Ed Mercer: "Old Earth. Yeah, like 400 years ago." Episode 2x04: Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes
- ↑ It is possible that this can be explained due to the latter's well-documented ignorance of Earth's history. Episode 1x03: About a Girl
References[]
- ↑ Episode 2x06: Twice in a Lifetime
- ↑ Episode 1x04: If the Stars Should Appear
- ↑ Kelly Grayson. Episode 2x08: Identity, Pt. 1
- ↑ Episode 1x07: Majority Rule
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Episode 2x11: Lasting Impressions
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Kaylon Primary. Episode 2x08: Identity, Pt. 1
- ↑ Earth is part of the Planetary Union in this time in Episode 1.5x01: New Beginnings, Pt. 1.
- ↑ According to Ed Mercer, membership in the Union ended the "oscillation between enlightenment and tyranny." Quote by Kaylon Primary. Episode 2x08: Identity, Pt. 1
- ↑ Episode 1x01: Old Wounds
- ↑ Episode 1x02: Command Performance
- ↑ Episode 1x06: Krill
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 Episode 2x06: A Happy Refrain
- ↑ Note that First Officer Kelly Grayson speaks of the United States and Washington, D.C. in the past tense. Episode 1x03: About a Girl
- ↑ Episode 1x04: If the Stars Should Appear
- ↑ Episode 1x05: Pria
- ↑ Episode 2x14: The Road Not Taken
- ↑ Digressions, Pt. 1