Ed Mercer

Living… in the 2025 in space where all he sees is darkness. The view from his spaceship USS Orville is so empty. There are terrors lurking all around in the shadows.

Profession… Captain of the Orville, a mid-level exploratory ship with a crew that is made up of humans and aliens. Mercer was originally on track for a bigger job, but he was forced to take a demotion after showing up to work hung over too many times. And as he shows up to work the first day, he finds out that his ex-wife Commander Kelly Grayson is assigned as his first officer. Apparently, the staff profile compatibility program indicated his skill sets complement hers. But Mercer hasn’t been able to get over the fact that she cheated on him with a blue alien.

Interests... drinking bourbon and beer. Sometimes as early as 9 am.

Relationship Status… divorced. Mercer is still struggling with the failure of his marriage. He used to love Kelly, who checked so many boxes for what he was looking for: she is smart, funny, and cool. But they drifted apart, as he lost perspective on their relationship and spent too much time focused on his career. And she dealt with that by banging “Papa Smurf” in their bed. But with the passing of time, Mercer is putting the past behind him and is thankful for Kelly’s infidelity. He thinks he’s better off now without her.

Challenge… his thoughts. As he admits to a bartender, he works so much as a way to avoid dealing with his personal life. As he explains, the worst days are when “you can't stay busy. No Krill confrontations. No spatial anomalies. Just nothing going on. And all your thoughts just march inward.”

Personality… snarky, brainy, and courageous. Despite his own personal challenges, Mercer looks out for his crew. He is a natural leader, and he wants to be there for everyone. Interestingly, one of his role models is Kermit from The Muppets because he always keeps his cool in a crisis and inspires greatness in his friends. Mercer tries his best to do that too.