The Orville

"Old Wounds"

"Command Performance"

The Orville is a comedy science fiction TV series that premiered on FOX in 2017. Created by Seth MacFarlane as an homage to Star Trek, the series follows a crew of space explorers aboard their ship The Orville. Her captain, Ed Mercer (played by MacFarlane), keeps collectible miniatures of Kermit the Frog on his desk in several episodes. The prop become such a mainstay on the series, that it was on display in an exhibit for the show at San Diego Comic-Con 2019.

Muppet Mentions

• In the pilot episode, "Old Wounds," a plastic Kermit figure adorns Captain Mercer's desk in scenes at the beginning when Mercer greets his ex-wife and at the end when he invites her to stay on the ship.

• In the second episode "Command Performance," the Kermit figurine is replaced by a plush doll and serves as a minor plot point throughout the episode.

• The first scene brings attention to Kermit through dialogue between the captain and Lt. Commander Bortus:

Lieutenant Commander Bortus: "What is... that?"

Captain Ed Mercer: "That is, uh, Kermit the Frog."

Lieutenant Commander Bortus: "I do not recognize the species."

Captain Ed Mercer: "It's an amphibious lifeform from Earth."

Lieutenant Commander Bortus: "Is it someone you know?"

Captain Ed Mercer: "No, no. He's just a leader I admire. Always keeps his cool in a crisis, inspires greatness in his people, he's... so, what can I do for ya?"

• Later, when Mercer and his first officer Commander Kelly Grayson are held in a recreation of their old apartment on Earth, their captors have also recreated the Kermit plush. Mercer picks the doll up and notes that it's the same one he took with him on The Orville after moving out of the apartment.

• When chief security officer Lt. Alara Kitan takes command of the ship, she uses Mercer's office to receive orders from her superior. Kermit gets a close-up before Kitan's violent response to her instructions, resulting in the destruction of the desk (Kermit is left unharmed).

• The Kermit plush is seen on Mercer's desk again multiple times throughout the series.

• In the eleventh episode "New Dimensions," as the crew is planning to create a stable quantum bubble inside a shuttle in order preserve three dimensions while traveling through two-dimensional space, they have the following conversation:

Doctor Claire Finn: "So, the outside would be squashed, but the inside wouldn't."

Captain Ed Mercer: "More space inside than out; like Doctor Who's phone booth!"

Commander Kelly Grayson: "Or Oscar the Grouch's can!"

Lieutenant John LaMarr: "Or Snoopy's dog house, yeah!"

Doctor Claire Finn: "The miracles of quantum physics!"

• The Kermit plush is briefly talked about again in the second season episode "Home":

Lieutenant Tharl: "Hey, what is that?"

Captain Ed Mercer: "Uh, Kermit the Frog."

Lieutenant Tharl: "Sick!"

Connections

• F. Murray Abraham played the Planetary Union Central Chairman in "Sanctuary"
• Jason Alexander played bartender Olix in "Ja'loja" and recurring appearances
• Bruce Broughton wrote the main title music and scored "Old Wounds"
• Ted Danson played Admiral Perry in "All the World is Birthday Cake" and recurring appearances
• John Debney scored seven episodes in the first season
• Victor Garber played Admiral Halsey in "Old Wounds" and recurring appearances
• Norm Macdonald voiced the recurring character of Lt. Yaphit
• Seth MacFarlane created the show, plays Captain Ed Mercer, wrote and directed episodes
• Liam Neeson played Dorahl in "If the Stars Should Appear"
• Rena Owen played Haveena in "About a Girl" and "Sanctuary"
• Robert Picardo played Lt. Alara Kitan's father Ildis Kitan in "Firestorm" and "Home"
• Jeffrey Tambor played a holographic decoy of Ben Mercer in "Command Performance"
• Charlize Theron played Pria Lavesque in "Pria"
• Brian Thompson played Drogen in "Into the Fold"
• Patrick Warburton played Lt. Tharl in "Home" and "Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes"