The Orville season 2, episode 11 recap: Lasting Impressions

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THE ORVILLE: L-R: Penny Johnson Jerald, Peter Macon and Chad L. Coleman in the ÒLasting ImpressionsÓ episode of THE ORVILLE airing Thursday, March 21 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2018 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Kevin Estrada/FOX

In the midst of an action packed second season, The Orville takes it easy this week with a heartfelt episode where Gordon tries to find love in all the wrong places.

This episode of The Orville opens with the main crew gathered around a conference table full of random objects. Everything was pulled out of a 2015 time capsule which the Orville is in charge of transporting to a museum.

Included are some cigarettes (the smell of which Bortus finds intriguing), a New York Yankees hat and an iPhone that Dr. Sherman, the person who brought them the time capsule, can’t figure out how to open. John offers to use his engineering team to see if they can figure out how to get it working.

In the engineering bay, John and Gordon manage to get power to the phone and open it. They scroll through the text messages and come across a video message from the previous owner.

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The phone was owned by Laura (guest star Leighton Meester). She gives whoever finds the phone permission to go through her texts, photos, emails, etc. since, well, she’s “long dead” at this point. Gordon seems to be immediately taken by her beauty and humor. (It’s pretty easy to see where this episode is headed.)

After being brought the phone, Dr. Sherman says they should be able to learn a lot about the people of that time from the phone.

Dr. Sherman is called away from the room, leaving Gordon with the phone. Since no one is around, Gordon sneaks off with the phone to keep going through its contents.

Elsewhere, Bortus tells Klyden about cigarettes. Bortus synthesizes one in their synthesizer. Klyden smells it and immediately eats it. Bortus, after making two more, explains that they’re supposed to light them and inhale the smoke.

They both smoke one and love it. Bortus then asks the synthesizer for 500 more.

Gordon takes the iPhone to one of the Orville simulator rooms and uploads the contents of the phone. He asks the simulator to make a simulation based on an extrapolation of the information in the phone. After the system is done, Gordon enters the simulation.

He finds himself at a casual house party (keeping in mind that Gordon didn’t think to change out of his Orville uniform). He strolls around the house and comes across Laura. He says hi and she thinks he must be a friend of a friend. Gordon immediately plays along and introduces himself.

Laura briefly teases him about what he’s wearing. Gordon says he lost a bet and is wearing pajamas. Laura then offers to get him a beer.

Gordon compliments her house. Laura says she just got the place and offers to give him a tour. As they walk, Laura tells Gordon that she’s a salesperson at Macy’s, but her real passion is music. Gordon flirts with her a bit and she asks him to come to a small gig she has playing at a bar. He agrees to go.

Later, Gordon tells John about how vivid the simulation was. The simulation gave him a new appreciation for the lives of the people who lived centuries before them.

A little worried about how into this Gordon is, John cautions Gordon and says that he should make sure to keep his sanity in check. Laura has been dead for centuries and isn’t real. Gordon says he knows.

Meanwhile, Kelly is called to the bridge by Talla. Kelly gets there to find Bortus smoking. Both Talla and Kelly seem repulsed by the smell.

Kelly gives Bortus permission to leave his post early. After he’s gone, Kelly tells Talla that she and Ed will talk with Bortus.

Gordon, now out of his uniform and dressed casually, goes to the simulator and resumes the simulation. He steps into a bar where Laura is on stage playing guitar and singing beautifully. She seems happy to see Gordon.

After she finishes, they talk over drinks. He compliments her and says that, if the right person hears her, she could be a huge success.

She laughs it off saying that she just thinks it’d be nice to be remembered for something. There’s nothing sadder than the fact that most people in the whirlwind up forgotten.

The conversation transitions to her past relationships. She mentions her ex-boyfriend, Greg, who she had broken things off with because sometimes she felt like he couldn’t be an adult. This, despite a long list of things that she really liked about him.

After they talk a bit more, Laura gives Gordon her number and invites him to a game night the next night with her friends. She tells him to bring some of his friends along, too.

She also asks for his number which, of course, he can’t give her. He makes up an excuse, saying that he left his phone at home, but he’ll get in touch with her from his phone when he gets back to it.

Back in his room, Gordon asks his synthesizer to make him an iPhone like Laura’s. He then texts Laura from “his” number. She responds that she can’t wait to see him tomorrow.

Ed, Kelly, Talla, and John talk in Ed’s office about the details of getting the capsule to the museum. Gordon comes in and invites them all to Laura’s game night. This forces him to explain to Ed, Kelly, and Talla what he’s been doing in the simulator.

They all agree to go, but once he leaves the room they all seem concerned with his obsession with this program.

Kelly then takes Ed to talk to Bortus. When they get to Bortus’ quarters, they find him and Klyden chain smoking. They decide to take them both to the sick bay.

Claire says they’re extremely susceptible to nicotine addiction and, if they keep smoking at the rate they are, their addition will get so bad that they won’t be able to go 10 seconds without needing a cigarette.

Since it’s been so long since anyone has actually smoked, Claire will have to create an injection to help them from scratch. She offers to let Topa stay with her and her sons in the meantime.

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