[CaptainCrunch]

Amazing episode leading to next weeks season and probably series finale.

Spoiler!

I'll compare this series to the best of Trek, but in the last 2 seasons, The Orville has changed and evolved. From a bit of a parody of Star Trek that relied on snappy humor and a firmly in tongue in cheek shot at television sciencfiction. Its become a serious sience fiction series with intriguing storylines, excellent characters and a no fear approach to ethical and moral issues.

And if this is the end of the Orville, they upped the game in the last season from the writing to the effects to the ongoing storyline.

This episode was a sad swan song for a tremendously flawed character. Charlie Burke was young, angry, and had a hardened view of life. At times it made her unlikeable or unsympathetic, however the one thing that you can say about her is she always ended up on the right side of the equation. Right up to her sacrifice and her sad final words.

It had to happen eventually that a key crew member died. It was the one emotional barrier that Ed hadn't gone, and in this it really riffed on the Wrath of Khan, and Kirks desire to constantly cheat death until he couldn't. In this in a great performance by Seth, you just felt the sense of helplessness and loss.

The battle scene was terrific and full of tension, you did feel like the Union could lose everything and even after the battle that there was always a chance that the Union could be facing three enemies. Instead in Charlies death we received a bit of hope.

Isaac's speech at the funeral was terrific, especially when he talked about her love for pancakes and then admitting he didn't know her but observed her character where maybe others didn't.

Everyone from the script writers, to the actors to the people doing the special effects have done A+ work this year, and we all can hope that there's a fourth season. But if there isn't what a way to go out.

I don't know if we're going to see a resolution to the rapidly shifting war next week or if we get a cliff hanger ending.

What a great show.