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The Orville - Season 2
- Thread starter Alkali Ike
- Start date
This most recent episode ("Happy Refrain") where Isaac and Dr. Finn begin dating is clearly a rework of the TNG episode "In Theory" where Data dates another crew member.
They both share the plot point of each of the women initiating the relationship, hoping for romance, but instead finding their prospects using the experience purely as an intellectual exercise, although both Data and Isaac devote a significant amount of programming resources to the project. Both relationships end in failure, with the one difference being that in the Orville version, Isaac is made to understand that his behavior has hurt Dr. Finn, emotionally, which causes him to make amends with her and revive their dating rekationship.
The subplot consists of:
1) The Orville crew studies a binary star system
2) Bortus grows a mustache
Overall, I was thoroughly bored with this episode. I felt the main plot had a huge potential but was wasted on the banality (and predictibility) of its execution.
I had hopes for the conclusion, when Isaac apologizes to Dr. Finn and makes an effort to bring spontaneity and imagination to their relationship, but the ending was so cheesy I felt embarassed for the show. Isaac makes it rain on the bridge of the Orville, drenching everyone, while the song, "Singin' in the Rain" plays over the ship's speakers. Just, wow.
The two subplots are devoid of any interesting quality, whatsoever. The binary star system they're studying is nothing more than a pretty background visible in the main viewer and it adds literally nothing of value to the episode.
A few minutes of screen time are devoted to Bortus as he decides to grow a mustache. Most of his crew mates think it looks silly but are too polite to tell him. Bortus believes his mustache makes him look sophisticated but he eventually shaves it off only because his husband constantly nagged him about it. Seriously? This is the best subplot your writers could come up with?
Actually, this isn't a rhetorical question. It occurs to me that Seth McFarlane is intentionally including large amounts of ordinary, mundane activities and dialogue into his scripts, for the apparent purpose of making the show seem more realistic to the common individual. He is trying to achieve a ceetain amount of verisimilitude.
This presents an obvious problem. By incorporating the banal details of daily life into a show that is supposed to be a space adventure fantasy, tbe result is inevitable -- dull, boring, banality.
I very much enjoyed the 1st season. But season 2, for me, is turning out to be a big disappointment.
They both share the plot point of each of the women initiating the relationship, hoping for romance, but instead finding their prospects using the experience purely as an intellectual exercise, although both Data and Isaac devote a significant amount of programming resources to the project. Both relationships end in failure, with the one difference being that in the Orville version, Isaac is made to understand that his behavior has hurt Dr. Finn, emotionally, which causes him to make amends with her and revive their dating rekationship.
The subplot consists of:
1) The Orville crew studies a binary star system
2) Bortus grows a mustache
Overall, I was thoroughly bored with this episode. I felt the main plot had a huge potential but was wasted on the banality (and predictibility) of its execution.
I had hopes for the conclusion, when Isaac apologizes to Dr. Finn and makes an effort to bring spontaneity and imagination to their relationship, but the ending was so cheesy I felt embarassed for the show. Isaac makes it rain on the bridge of the Orville, drenching everyone, while the song, "Singin' in the Rain" plays over the ship's speakers. Just, wow.
The two subplots are devoid of any interesting quality, whatsoever. The binary star system they're studying is nothing more than a pretty background visible in the main viewer and it adds literally nothing of value to the episode.
A few minutes of screen time are devoted to Bortus as he decides to grow a mustache. Most of his crew mates think it looks silly but are too polite to tell him. Bortus believes his mustache makes him look sophisticated but he eventually shaves it off only because his husband constantly nagged him about it. Seriously? This is the best subplot your writers could come up with?
Actually, this isn't a rhetorical question. It occurs to me that Seth McFarlane is intentionally including large amounts of ordinary, mundane activities and dialogue into his scripts, for the apparent purpose of making the show seem more realistic to the common individual. He is trying to achieve a ceetain amount of verisimilitude.
This presents an obvious problem. By incorporating the banal details of daily life into a show that is supposed to be a space adventure fantasy, tbe result is inevitable -- dull, boring, banality.
I very much enjoyed the 1st season. But season 2, for me, is turning out to be a big disappointment.
- Jan 1, 2011
- 2,857
- 15,669
- Disclosures
- I never actually learned to play very well
My expectations from the show were established clearly in S1. Seth McFarlane is shooting for pretty much exactly what you say, with occasional exceptions. Life aboard an exploratory starship would be quite ordinary and mundane 99% of the time and McFarlane is determined to depict that. I’m ok with it now that I know what to expect.
I thought Bortus and his moustache was funny. He looked like a porn actor.
I really liked this latest episode, "Deflectors". A thought provoking examination of gender preference bigotry that showed much more nuance than the usual story where the bigot is clearly an evil villain and the discrimination victim is obviously a hero. This story describes complex characters who are generally good but behave badly in certain circumstances. Bortus' mate, Klyden has always seemed a sympathetic character, but his vitriolic hate for Locar, based on his gender preference, reveals that he may not be such a nice guy after all.
For his part, Locar, while being the victim of senseless persecution, nevertheless chooses to fake his own death and frame an innocent person for the murder.
I especially liked how Talla, the new security chief, is passionate enough about her beliefs to chastise her superiors and others when she thinks she's on the right side of justice. Her telling off Klyden was applause worthy.
The episode leaves some questions for the future. Bortus and Klyden have some serious issues to resolve, while Ed and Kelly discuss an interesting point about the Union's future relationship with the Moclan race in the face of their increasingly unsettling cultural intolerance for nonconformity.
There is no happy ending, here. Locar returns to his home planet and is summarily convicted of deviancy and sentenced to life in prison while his entire family is left in disgrace and shame.
Incidentally, this episode is very similar to the TNG episode "The Outcast" where Riker enters into a romantic relationship with a member of an adrogynous race that views gender identity as a perversion.
Riker's love interest is similarly judged to be a deviant by the rulers of its government but instead of prison, the individual was forced to undergo a thorough mental reconditioning process which eliminates its gender preference. Rules is outraged and attempts to intervene but Picard forbids him from interfering out of consideration for the Prine Directive.
For his part, Locar, while being the victim of senseless persecution, nevertheless chooses to fake his own death and frame an innocent person for the murder.
I especially liked how Talla, the new security chief, is passionate enough about her beliefs to chastise her superiors and others when she thinks she's on the right side of justice. Her telling off Klyden was applause worthy.
The episode leaves some questions for the future. Bortus and Klyden have some serious issues to resolve, while Ed and Kelly discuss an interesting point about the Union's future relationship with the Moclan race in the face of their increasingly unsettling cultural intolerance for nonconformity.
There is no happy ending, here. Locar returns to his home planet and is summarily convicted of deviancy and sentenced to life in prison while his entire family is left in disgrace and shame.
Incidentally, this episode is very similar to the TNG episode "The Outcast" where Riker enters into a romantic relationship with a member of an adrogynous race that views gender identity as a perversion.
Riker's love interest is similarly judged to be a deviant by the rulers of its government but instead of prison, the individual was forced to undergo a thorough mental reconditioning process which eliminates its gender preference. Rules is outraged and attempts to intervene but Picard forbids him from interfering out of consideration for the Prine Directive.
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I wonder if the writers are overusing the Moclan same sex society as a major plot point in too many episodes. I'd really like to see more exploring of new worlds and civilizations.
- Jan 1, 2011
- 2,857
- 15,669
- Disclosures
- I never actually learned to play very well
At first this is exactly what I was thinking. Back to that again already? But the story won me over. This was a very solid episode.
The plant creature was supposedly voiced by Bruce Willis.
- I have gay friends and family, both male and female
- I do not wish to see their intimate moments, out of respect
- I do not wish them to see my heterosexual moments, for the same reason
Just an observation.
The depiction of displays of romantic affection (holding hands, hugging, flirting, kissing) between a man and a woman have been widely accepted in movies and television (and other media) since the beginning. With the exception of a few puritanical busybodies, the public seems to enjoy it and it doesn't make anyone uncomfortable.
It seems obvious to me why this is -- if we assume 90% of the population is heterosexual and is naturally programmed to experience pleasure in participating in such activity, then we should expect that watching that activity on TV would also be pleasant.
Yet, for whatever reason, nature appears to have included in our brains an inclination to react with disgust to witnessing the same displays of romantic affection between two women abd especially two men.
For some people, this emotional reaction is so extreme that it isn't enough to simply ignore the display. Measures must be taken to put a stop to it so that no one can see it -- even if they wanted to.
This is, of course, nothing more than my opinion and I dont pretend to be qualified to make moral judgements on the natural, emotional reactions one human being experiences regarding the behavior of others. I believe we're largely incapable of controlling some of our stronger base emotions, but what we are responsibke for is how we act on our feelings and whether we tolerate behavior that may offend us but does us no actual harm.
I get the storyline & all that--and the idea of a single sex species has many story possibilities in it.
Including who they interact with other species.
Of course there is the possible issue of inter-species relationships as well.
In any case though--I would like to see some more danger/risk/etc.
It doesn't have to be end of the world stuff, but the last couple of episodes--while they had many good points get like they were B stories with no A storyline.
Including who they interact with other species.
Of course there is the possible issue of inter-species relationships as well.
In any case though--I would like to see some more danger/risk/etc.
It doesn't have to be end of the world stuff, but the last couple of episodes--while they had many good points get like they were B stories with no A storyline.
Most of this season seems like that, to me. At least compared to the 1st season, which I thought contained some real quality science fiction.
So, I just watched this last episode again and one scene stuck out to me as odd.
Captain Mercer and Commander Grayson call Lt. Talla to a private meeting and chew her out for not clearing it with them before she began a relationship with Locar.
I thought this was strange, since there wasn't actually a relationship. She simply invited him to take a walk with her in the holodeck program and while they were talking, he spontaneously gave her a kiss. She kissed him back, but was interrupted by being called back to duty for a short time. Immediately after that, he had apparently been murdered.
So when was she supposed to run to the captain to get permission for a relationship? Right after he kissed her, but before she kissed him back?
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- Jan 1, 2011
- 2,857
- 15,669
- Disclosures
- I never actually learned to play very well
This is an interesting review of "Deflectors".
Review: ‘The Orville’ Breaks Up The Drama In “Deflectors”
Review: ‘The Orville’ Breaks Up The Drama In “Deflectors”
I don't mind, but was a little shocked the first time it happened right near me at Helter Skelter in Los Angeles.
I guess if I'd become a ripe old age without having witnessed such a thing before, it might still shock me.
I guess if I'd become a ripe old age without having witnessed such a thing before, it might still shock me.
Its the distant future, so I like that Seth thinks in those terms..........things might be a bit different then
This sounds right to me. Many things that pass unnoticed today would be shocking if they had happened a century ago -- or less.
Consider a common dinner party. It used to be, women were expected to allow the men to lead all conversation and only speak when appropriate. Their opinions on important subjects like politics and finance were considered trivial. Now, when men and women converse, there is usualy an expectation of a gender neutral playing field. I wonft pretend there arent still some cavemen who think wonen with opinions are out of line, but for the most part, it's become the norm.
I watched a few episodes of this season. Robert Picardo's performance as what's her name's dad was weird. He was overacting hard. It seemed like he was either angry about something behind the scenes or was going through some personal stuff. I don't know. He was making weird acting choices.
