With the long-awaited arrival of its third season, The Orville has wasted no time teasing a possible romance between Dr. Claire Finn (Penny Johnson Jerald) and Isaac (Mark Jackson), but this may be bad news for the show. As The Orville's season 3, subtitled "New Horizons," progresses, it's looking more likely that Claire and Isaac will reunite. The two began dating in season 2 after Dr. Finn expressed feelings for Isaac, a Kaylon who had been stationed with their ship. Not long after, Isaac ended things and rejoined the Kaylon.

Last season, the Kaylons declared war on the Union and Earth. The Orville season 2 revealed that the Kaylon had placed Isaac with the ship to see if biological life was worth preserving. They determined that it was not. After being ordered to execute Ty (Kai Wener), Dr. Finn's son, Isaac helped the Union beat the Kaylon. In the aftermath of the war, Dr. Finn informed Isaac that she would one day forgive him.

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With the newest season, Seth MacFarlane's The Orville has hinted at a potential rekindling of the romance between Dr. Finn and Isaac, but they are better off as friends. Both of them were seeing each other for the wrong reasons. Isaac treated their relationship as a chance to learn more about biological lifeforms. Though he does seem to care about Dr. Finn, even telling her he misses her at the end of The Orville, season 3, episode 2, "Shadow Realms," he saw their relationship as an experiment. Isaac has often viewed many of his interactions with biological lifeforms as a chance to study their behavior, but viewing their relationship that way is a mistake. Isaac is not alone in making mistakes, however, as Dr. Finn also wanted to change Isaac.

Claire and Isaac in the Mess Hall in The Orville

It is often that The Orville pays homage to Star Trek tropes. With Isaac, the show focuses on artificial life and the experience of human emotions. While he probably does have feelings in his own way, he has either developed from studying biological life forms for so long or they were always there. Still, it doesn't mean he feels them the exact way Dr. Finn expects him to, which often hurts her. Even before Isaac and Dr. Finn began dating, Isaac tried to make it clear to Dr. Finn that he doesn't have feelings the same way she does. To make their relationship work, Isaac constantly changed himself to make Dr. Finn happy, even once using the Holodeck to create a flesh and blood body for her.

Unfortunately, The Orville season 3's story seems no different for Isaac and Dr. Finn. In The Orville, season 3, episode 2, "Shadow Realms," Isaac meets Vice Admiral Christie (James Read), a.k.a. Paul. The two discuss their relationship with Dr. Finn and Paul looks for advice to woo his ex-wife. Isaac begins reciting a laundry list of her likes, and though it's nice he remembers, it makes their relationship feel again like something he studied, rather than something he experienced.

While Dr. Finn and Isaac do seem to care about one another, they have spent their entire romantic relationship trying to change or study each other. Their relationship is not a healthy one and it would be better for the series to spend time exploring their friendship. The Orville season 3 will continue to build on the relationship between Dr. Finn and Isaac, but as the show moves further into its season, The Orville will hopefully give Dr. Finn and Isaac time to grow and come back together as friends.

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The Orville releases new episodes every Thursday on Hulu.