Inside, the Chog use the ship's Food Synthesizer to synthesize a "mud"-like food. Ed and Gordon try to snoop around the ship while the Chog eat, but Thoz warns them it has always been forbidden to venture into other parts of the Burton. Everyone exits to an evening of food, song, and dance around a campfire.
First OfficerKelly Grayson enjoys a late-night drink alone in the Mess Hall of the USS Orvillewhen she is approached by the schoolteacher Cassius. Kelly blurts out that she wants to put her personal life on hold because she recently broke up with their captain, Ed; then the two watch the stars together.
At night, the Chog sleep while Ed and Gordon abscond to the Burton... only to find two guards in front of the entrance. The two enter from the other side of the ship through a breach in its hull, and venture into Engineering. The ship's reactor powers only the Food Synthesizer and the cannon. Gordon discovers the cannon's targeting system was set to 'automatic,' shooting anything within 1,000 meters of the encampment, and the two realize the cannon was meant to protect the Chogs from debris in space.
Meanwhile, Isaac finishes his study of the magnetar a few hours early thanks to a simultaneous upgrade to the scanner array. Kelly, as acting captain, sets a course for Outpost 23. Once the Orville leaves the magnetar's field of interference, they receive word from Outpost 23 that Ed and Gordon never arrived. Kelly orders they retrace their shuttle's path exactly.
On the Bridge of the Burton, Ed recovers a message on the captain's panel from EnsignHodges who recorded that the Burton won its battle against the Tzel, but it was a Pyrrhic victory and the Burton crash-landed on this planet. The crash leaked matter from the quantum reactor into the world's biosphere, killing off most plant and animal life. Surviving Chogs offered the crew help, not knowing that it was the Burton killing them. The twenty Burton crew members left decided to protect the Chog species by repairing the reactor and feeding power to the Food Synthesizer and cannon.
Ed and Gordon realize that if the Burton's cannon fires upon the Orville, a countershot would destroy everything and everyone within a one-kilometer radius. Ed says, "I'm going to set my Comscanner to send out a regular message to the Orville to raise their Deflector Screens and hold their fire." Suddenly, Thoz and a party of Chogs arrive. The Chogs are outraged they entered the forbidden place, seizing and beating them with spears and rocks.
The Orville flies through space following a distress signal from the Burton's old buoy. Kelly reasons that Ed and Gordon must have followed the distress call.
Daytime on the planet and the Chogs have tied Ed and Gordon up and hold them at spearpoint. Ed admits he was not able to send the comscanner message. Ed attempts to explain how the Burton ruined their planet, but Thoz does not understand. Instead, he takes the Humans to an elder Chog from the time when the Burton arrived.
In space, the debris field blocks the Orville's scans, but the Orville does pick up an ion trail possibly left by Ed and Gordon, which leads to the planet's surface.
Rop is a 107-year-old Chog who was a child when the Burton arrived but remembers people like Ed and Gordon from that time. Suddenly, the Burton's cannon fires at the Orville. Ed pleads with Rop to trust him, and tell Thoz to return their comscanners so Ed can send a message to the Orville.
Second OfficerBortus has targeted the Burton's cannon and Kelly orders him to return fire. Ed's voice interrupts: "Kelly, it's Ed! Whatever you do, don't fire!"
Two days later, the USS Ulyssesjoins the Orville in orbit over the planet's surface. Ed and Kelly chat in the Mess Hall, mentioning that the Ulysses' captain wants Ed to introduce her to Chogs. The Planetary Union will transplant them to another planet until their home world is terraformed. Ed feels convicted by Hodges' selfless, and apologizes to Kelly for being "a dick." Ed asks if there is anything to new to tell him and Kelly looks away.
"Nothing that can't wait."
Production[]
Dark Horse Comics announced New Beginnings, Pt. 2 in a press release on March 7, 2019.[2]
Reception[]
Critics and fans warmly welcomed New Beginnings, Pt. 2 as the exciting conclusion to The Orville's first episode in comic-book form. Talking Pulp praised the artwork, the "simple" yet engrossing story, and rated it 7 out of 10.[3]Beyond the Panel rated the issue 8 out of 10 and surmised,
Who would have ever thought we would be able to experience The Orville in comic form? This was a book worth investing time in when it captured everything you love about the series in a couple of issues. It was the same kind of missions, new kind of troubles, creative solutions, and at the end of the day still carrying the same endearing tone. Overall, it makes you really wish that new season was here already.[4]
When the Chogs capture Ed and Gordon and bind them, two Chogs in the background can be seen holding a PM-44 in its holster, clearly befuddled by the advanced technology.
When Ed asks if anything new happened while he was gone and Kelly decides not to tell him about her budding relationship with Cassius, Cassius can be spied sitting directly behind Ed at another table.
While looking for Ed and Gordon, Isaac refers to "the distress signal Lt. Kitan received." However, Alara had said she did not receive any distress call.
