Dr. Claire Finn emerged as a more fully-formed character in the recent episode on The Orville. “Into the Fold” offered her role as Mom to Marcus and Ty a chance to step into the light. Penny Johnson Jerald portrays Dr. Finn, and this episode showed us all her versatility. In this first season of The Orville, each episode has focused on a different member of the crew, and this was Dr. Finn’s turn.
Penny Johnson Jerald has a great sense of comedic timing, which we enjoy when she’s occupied with trying to keep her two unruly kids in line. She also fields Isaac’s robot logic with just the right combination of sarcasm and incredulity. The four are off for a fabulous vacation on a play planet, and Isaac takes the place of the scheduled pilot. He’s not complimentary about Marcus and Ty. He takes verbal jabs at their bad behavior and their intelligence; which Mom Finn easily deflects. She’s got the awareness and “Mom-dar” which only comes from parenting.
Unfortunately, their space shuttle falls into a fold in the universe, and it is damaged as it passes through the space anomaly. The shuttle must land quickly, and Dr. Finn has Isaac scan planets for an atmosphere they can breathe. They head for it, but in the last moments before they crash land, and the shuttle splits in two. Mom Finn is in the rear section, and Isaac and the kids are in the front section. They crash miles apart from each other. As Mom Finn is captured by one of the planet’s resident aliens, the boys are left in Isaac’s care. Isaac, the artificial being, continues his plans to examine human relationships as the trio attempts to explore the planet and find Mom Finn.
Of course, The Orville purposefully enters the fold to try to find the missing space shuttle. The episode is filled with its share of plot line drama as Mom Finn seeks to escape her alien captor. Isaac and the boys have their share of drama too, as they seek to find Mom Finn. The Orville crew takes on plenty of comic relief. But Dr. Finn is the one character in the episode which we can respond to as true. She has aspects of all mothers who work and raise children at the same time. Isaac learns that she chose to become a mother without a partner, and we come to understand her gritty nature, to the point dialogue, and take-charge actions. She is a highly intelligent, well-educated career woman who chose to enrich her life with a family. She also takes complete responsibility for the children she loves and their raising. She proves to be an intrepid human being. She can shoot a weapon, fight an alien, manage a dilemma with the aplomb of Han Solo, and still hug her kids with lots of love.
Penny Johnson Jerald deserves applause for her completely believable portrayal of Dr. Finn. Jerald has fine acting skills. Her interpretation of Dr. Finn is full of life; nicely rounded out. We like her because we believe she is real. It’s not always been so for some of The Orville’s other crew members. Sometimes, their humorous interactions fall a bit flat. But Jerald’s Dr. Finn gets life in outer space just right, and we’re looking forward to seeing more of her.
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