Have we seen the last of [spoiler] on The Orville: New Horizons

This post contains spoilers from “A Tale of Two Topas,” the latest episode of The Orville: New Horizons.

The Orville: New Horizons delivered an emotional episode with “A Tale of Two Topas” on Thursday. Written by series creator, Seth MacFarlane, the episode saw the return of Topa (this time played by Imani Pullum), the child of Bortus and Klyden (Chad Coleman), who also returned.

There has always been a lot of strain in Bortus and Klyden’s marriage, especially when Topa was born a female, and Klyden insisted she be transformed to a male as Moclans were all male. The decision ended up being a battle that went to Moclan court, and Klyden got his way, but in “A Tale of Two Topas,” Topa discovered she was born a girl. Klyden’s fury at the discovery places him at odds with Bortus (Peter Macon), once again, especially when Topa wants to return to her original gender. Klyden says that if Bortus allows this, he will leave.

The Orville: New Horizons never made Klyden out to be a warm-hearted character.

Klyden’s fury knows no bounds during this episode, and no one can reason with him. He even tries to take on Isaac right before the android performs the procedure on Topa. As strong as a Moclan is, they’re no match for an AI, and Isaac easily brings him to his knees. Klyden storms out in a rage, and though Topa is happy to be a girl, it comes with a painful consequence for her as she hears something a child should never hear. After packing to leave, Klyden tells her he wishes she’d never been born.

As Topa starts to wilt, Bortus tells her she is perfect. Klyden, presumably, leaves the ship, but have we truly seen the last of him? He’s never been a favorite character, but the loss is painful for both Bortus and Topa.

A check of Chad Coleman’s IMDB page doesn’t show him in any additional episodes of The Orville while Peter Macon is listed through the end of season three. So it seems that Coleman may be done with the series, at least this season. But should The Orville be renewed, there’s always a chance he could return for season four. As great of an actor as Coleman is, though, he deserves better than Klyden, a character who was never likeable from the start. This episode should serve as Klyden’s swan wong so that Bortus can move on and find a mate he can truly love, someone who will love Topa for who she is.