History Recap / TheOrvilleS2E3Home

* AmbiguousDisorder: Alara's father makes reference to her possibly having some kind of developmental/intellectual disability, referencing that she would have accomodations to assist her is she chooses to finish her degree. While we never see any indication of her having difficulty, he may have been talking about Xelayan standards, as they collectively look down on those who choose to join the military.

** Tharl has a tube which connects his nose to his stomach, in an UpToEleven version of the ''Star Trek'' franchise's (or at least the TNG-era shows') unusual fondness for creating aliens whose noses connect to their chins -- one of these being Fallit Kot, the BigBad of the aforementioned "Melora".

* RealityEnsues:
** Like Earth's astronauts in space, extended exposure to Earth-normal gravity has caused Alara's body to acclimate to the reduced gravity through reduced bone density and muscle mass. She has to return to Xelayah before the changes are irreversible.
** After Ildis is forced to stick his hand in boiling liquid, for the remainder of the episode, he has horrific, and clearly painful, 2nd degree burns.
** Having just lost a valuable teammate, the crew of the ''Orville'' is understandably finding her replacement a bit difficult to adjust to, as evidenced by their clear discomfort at him eating lunch on the bridge.

* ShoutOut: The vaccine that Ildis and Cambis debate is called the Melloran vaccine, which is possibly a shout-out to Melora, the {{Lightworlder}} from the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS02E06Melora of the same name]], who like Alara had to choose between a career in Starfleet and her home.

* CastingGag: Creator/RobertPicardo and John Billingsley [[Series/StarTrekVoyager both]] [[Series/StarTrekEnterprise played]] doctors in ''Star Trek''.

* MixAndMatchCritters: The Xelayan creature Alara's sister shows her, the eevek, looks like a cross between a horse and a parrot.

* BittersweetEnding: Alara has gotten her strength back, but chooses to stay with her family on Xelayah.

* CastingGag: Robert Picardo and John Billingsley [[Series/StarTrekVoyager both]] [[Series/StarTrekEnterprise played]] doctors in ''Star Trek''.

!!Tropes:
* BigEater: Tharl, the replacement as head of security, comes from a species that has two esophagi, and as such they can "just pound it."

* {{Fingore}}: The entire hand, in this case, courtesy of a pot of boiling sauce.

* MeaningfulEcho: Early in the episode, Alara tells her father how she wished that just once, he had told her "You can do it", even if he didn't believe it. Near the end, when he's unsure about his ability to go rescue Ed, she tells him "You can do it, Dad. You can do this."

* MoodWhiplash: The episode looks like it's going to be a fairly low-key family drama, right up until Cambis pulls out a pistol and pleasantly suggests Ildis sticks his hand into some boiling sauce.

---> '''Ildis:''' I don't know you!....I never even ''tried'' to know you....I'm so sorry that you got me for a father.

* ShoutOut: The vaccine that Ildis and Cambis debate is called the Melloran vaccine, which is possibly a shout-out to Melora, the LightWorlder from the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode of the same name, who like Alara had to choose between a career in Starfleet and her home.

* TerseTalker: Tharl, Alara's replacement while she's gone. He doesn't say much, and what he does say comes off completely flippant of everyone and everything around him.

* ShoutOut: The vaccine that Ildis and Cambis debate is called the Melloran vaccine, which is possibly a shout-out to Melora, the HeavyWorlder from the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode of the same name, who faced a handicap similar to Alara's.

* KickTheDog: Cambis forces Ildis to scald his hand in boiling sauce just to torment him.

* CoolBigSis: Of Alara's whole family, her sister is the only one who's interested in, and supportive of, Alara's work. She also offers to accompany Alara when the latter wants to investigate a suspicious situation. On the other hand, it's implied that she’s proud of her sister for having overcome being "less evolved." A back-handed compliment for sure.

* TheUnfavorite: Alara's parents are clearly proud of her brilliant older sister, while they challenge all of Alara's choices and insult her intelligence.