Seth MacFarlane's homage to classic science fiction TV, The Orville, made a connection with fans who fell in love with its cozy blend of character development and space exploration. Practically all of the characters have been the in spotlight for at least an episode. That let them have time to develop who they are and how they feel.
But it was surprisingly early in Season 2 that the crew of the USS Orville shared that warm spotlight with the ship's security officer Lt. Alara Kitan. In Season 2, Episode 3, "Home," Lt. Kitan was forced to face the fact that her super-strength was fading due to her constant exposure to gravity. When she returned to her home planet to try and recharge, the crew and the audience said goodbye to the well-liked Xelayan.
Who Was The Orville's Security Officer Alara Kitan?
Lt. Alara Kitan was the Xelayan security chief aboard the USS Orville. Despite her pixie-cute stature and space-elf details, Alara's Xelayan genetics made her species stronger than most aligned with the Planetary Union. Estranged from her family, Alara thrived in her Union career and felt at home on the ship. She received a Sapphire Star commendation for bravery from Captain Ed Mercer after undertaking a potentially career-ruining rescue of the captain and Commander Kelly Grayson.
Gradually, Lt. Kitan began to realize her super-strength was fading the longer she was away from Xelaya -- a side effect of becoming used to human gravity. The breaking point was literal for Alara: an arm-wrestling match with the Kaylon robot Isaac resulted in an accidentally broken arm. It was quickly understood that the most straightforward solution was for the Xelayan officer to convalesce at home.
While her friends aboard the Orville worked to find a compromise that would allow Alara to regain her strength away from her home territory, her parents and sibling found themselves in the midst of a hostage situation. A poignant resolution helped forge a newfound respect between Alara and her family, who had previously disregarded her interests and strengths in favor of their own biases. Alara thus decided to remain on Xelaya, though an alternate timeline version of her would make a cameo in the Season 2 finale "The Road Not Taken." She was replaced by Talia Keyali, played by Jessica Szohr.
Why Did Halston Sage Leave The Orville?
Halston Sage's departure from The Orville was a shock to a young fandom that had fallen in love with her character. There had been rumors of Sage's departure even before the season began airing, started by savvy fans noting an uptick of other projects on the actor's plate. Though FOX made no statement after her sudden departure, Sage said at a 2019 Television Critics Association panel (via Screen Rant) that "It was what was best for the show at the time."
Halston was a main cast member on Fox's crime drama Prodigal Son from 2019-2021 and 2019's Dark Phoenix gave her a chance to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, making a cameo as as the mutant Dazzler in a future film. While Sage's departure from The Orville was a loss for fans, her departure appears to have been amicable, as she returned to the series for a second time in the Season 3 finale "Future Unknown" in 2022. It's unknown if the series will return for Season 4.
The Orville, starring Seth MacFarlane, Penny Johnson Jerald, Adrianne Palicki, Scott Grimes and Mark Jackson, is currently streaming on Hulu.