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That could have been a Voyager episode with the names changed. Over-reliance on the word 'quantum' to solve any tech problem (which I think was even called out by Clare) and a few characters pulling "in theory the brand new idea that nobody's ever thought of should work" from their behinds (god I hated Torres for that). Even the Mercer/LaMarr shuttle trip was reminiscent of the one Janeway and Torres took when Janeway was deciding on who should be chief engineer. This is literally Parallax but without all the stupid.
Anyway, despite that, I liked it, moreso for the further character development across the crew and the amazing visuals (also the music during the 'flatland' sequence was noticeably epic, sort of brought The Motion Picture to mind). The smuggler captain was very well realised too. I'm disappointed that there wasn't much in the way of Bortus comedy though. I don't think there was much in the way of humour overall aside from the cat on the bridge part.
Edit - special mention for the return of Lt. Dan. "Did somebody say pancakes?"
Edit 2 - "Were the plants watered? Do we have a plant guy?"
So 11 of 12 episodes down and not a stinker in there for me. Certainly some are better than others but the very weakest episodes have still been fun and very watchable. I reckon we'll get a cliffhanger next week (as episode 13 has now been moved back to season 2). I assume it'll be something Krill related.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2017/12/01 11:25:39
“Good people are quick to help others in need, without hesitation or requiring proof the need is genuine. The wicked will believe they are fighting for good, but when others are in need they’ll be reluctant to help, withholding compassion until they see proof of that need. And yet Evil is quick to condemn, vilify and attack. For Evil, proof isn’t needed to bring harm, only hatred and a belief in the cause.”
Had the solution come from one of Claire's annoying kids, you'd have said it could have been one of many TNG episodes wherein Wesley saves the day.
The character development was really good double compare/contrast in who gets promoted, and why, and what it should mean. It also had something to say about networking and professional relationships.
I wonder if Isaac will ultimately get the cat and name him Spot. That would be very satisfying next season.
I wonder if John will suffer an eye injury that requires him to wear some kind of special glasses. That would also be very satisfying.
Oh, yeah, the Bortus comedy was off the bat with Yaphit. OMG. I was dying.
JohnHwangDD wrote: Had the solution come from one of Claire's annoying kids
You know, I don't actually find them that annoying.
“Good people are quick to help others in need, without hesitation or requiring proof the need is genuine. The wicked will believe they are fighting for good, but when others are in need they’ll be reluctant to help, withholding compassion until they see proof of that need. And yet Evil is quick to condemn, vilify and attack. For Evil, proof isn’t needed to bring harm, only hatred and a belief in the cause.”
JohnHwangDD wrote: Had the solution come from one of Claire's annoying kids
You know, I don't actually find them that annoying.
I think the blunt treatment they get from Isaac goes a long way to making them less irritating - half the annoyance of "kidisodes" in TNG was from the way the adults often indulged them, where here they get treated like, you know, kids. 80's post-hippie ideas about childcare and childhood agency might have gone a tad far in the opposite direction from "just beat them".
"Your society's broken, so who should we blame? Should we blame the rich, powerful people who caused it? No, lets blame the people with no power and no money and those immigrants who don't even have the vote. Yea, it must be their fething fault." - Iain M Banks
-----
"The language of modern British politics is meant to sound benign. But words do not mean what they seem to mean. 'Reform' actually means 'cut' or 'end'. 'Flexibility' really means 'exploit'. 'Prudence' really means 'don't invest'. And 'efficient'? That means whatever you want it to mean, usually 'cut'. All really mean 'keep wages low for the masses, taxes low for the rich, profits high for the corporations, and accept the decline in public services and amenities this will cause'." - Robin McAlpine from Common Weal
I think the blunt treatment they get from Isaac goes a long way to making them less irritating
You might be right there.
"Can we help?"
"No. You are small and feeble. And, you do not possess the necessary intelligence."
Oh if only Data had delivered that line to Wesley early on.
“Good people are quick to help others in need, without hesitation or requiring proof the need is genuine. The wicked will believe they are fighting for good, but when others are in need they’ll be reluctant to help, withholding compassion until they see proof of that need. And yet Evil is quick to condemn, vilify and attack. For Evil, proof isn’t needed to bring harm, only hatred and a belief in the cause.”
Riquende wrote: I've been playing around with video editing at work recently, and also somehow been accumulating Orville episodes on my PC. I think I'm going to make a 'Best of Bortus' megamix and upload it so Fox can sue me.
Hopefully there'll be something to add next week as well.
“Good people are quick to help others in need, without hesitation or requiring proof the need is genuine. The wicked will believe they are fighting for good, but when others are in need they’ll be reluctant to help, withholding compassion until they see proof of that need. And yet Evil is quick to condemn, vilify and attack. For Evil, proof isn’t needed to bring harm, only hatred and a belief in the cause.”
“Good people are quick to help others in need, without hesitation or requiring proof the need is genuine. The wicked will believe they are fighting for good, but when others are in need they’ll be reluctant to help, withholding compassion until they see proof of that need. And yet Evil is quick to condemn, vilify and attack. For Evil, proof isn’t needed to bring harm, only hatred and a belief in the cause.”
So the episode itself - certainly has strong overtones of Who Watches the Watchers but with its own timey-wimey (sorry) rankle. I liked that the episode took a brief stab at how religions start and evolve but felt there was a lot more to say on that - it was all lightly touched on in the last 5 minutes, and that combined with the 'just use Isaac' plan meant that main plot didn't really feel like it resolved, just more stopped. It would be nice if it had noticeably affected Isaac in some way, it was weird he took great pains to say this was no big deal for him as that also worked to cheapen the ending.
Still, the Ed/Kelly dynamic was more satisfying and dealt with well. I think I've mentioned before that the Orville has done so much to create a generally likeable crew that even when their main adventures are less than brilliant, seeing their interpersonal relationships develop keeps most episodes afloat.
“Good people are quick to help others in need, without hesitation or requiring proof the need is genuine. The wicked will believe they are fighting for good, but when others are in need they’ll be reluctant to help, withholding compassion until they see proof of that need. And yet Evil is quick to condemn, vilify and attack. For Evil, proof isn’t needed to bring harm, only hatred and a belief in the cause.”
“Good people are quick to help others in need, without hesitation or requiring proof the need is genuine. The wicked will believe they are fighting for good, but when others are in need they’ll be reluctant to help, withholding compassion until they see proof of that need. And yet Evil is quick to condemn, vilify and attack. For Evil, proof isn’t needed to bring harm, only hatred and a belief in the cause.”
The episode itself is very similar to one that aired on Voyager - itself, one of the better Voyager episodes.
Also, all Orville stories tend to resolve very quickly, with a rather extended buildup to where you wonder how they'll end it, then BAM!, it's done. Pretty much all Orville episodes have this sort of pacing with very brief third acts.
Using Isaac was actually very sensible vs sending Kelly.
JohnHwangDD wrote: The episode itself is very similar to one that aired on Voyager - itself, one of the better Voyager episodes.
Also, all Orville stories tend to resolve very quickly, with a rather extended buildup to where you wonder how they'll end it, then BAM!, it's done. Pretty much all Orville episodes have this sort of pacing with very brief third acts.
Using Isaac was actually very sensible vs sending Kelly.
I kinda like it tbh. They're not trying for some big, agonising, is-it-or-isn't-it climax, they spend the plot setting out the problem, in so doing walk you through the logic of the solution, and then solve the problem. No DS9-style handwringing to make absolutely sure the audience don't think they might be in any way slighting organised religion/capitalism/whatever sacred cow of modernity the story pitch might have originally been critical of, just the obvious conclusion playing out as it should.
Too much modern storytelling is based on twists for their own sake IMO.
"Your society's broken, so who should we blame? Should we blame the rich, powerful people who caused it? No, lets blame the people with no power and no money and those immigrants who don't even have the vote. Yea, it must be their fething fault." - Iain M Banks
-----
"The language of modern British politics is meant to sound benign. But words do not mean what they seem to mean. 'Reform' actually means 'cut' or 'end'. 'Flexibility' really means 'exploit'. 'Prudence' really means 'don't invest'. And 'efficient'? That means whatever you want it to mean, usually 'cut'. All really mean 'keep wages low for the masses, taxes low for the rich, profits high for the corporations, and accept the decline in public services and amenities this will cause'." - Robin McAlpine from Common Weal
The pacing is slightly different from other similar shows, and I can feel it. I notice I get kinda antsy around X:45, as a regular show would have already started the 3rd act, where the Orville is still building.
Wee bit of news has come up from a Q&A panel, some bad, some good, some great.
The bad news is Season 2 looks like being delayed into early 2019, the good news is why - they've got an expanded episode order, at least 14 episodes this time. MacFarlane said not to expect a whole lot more than that since they're aiming to avoid filler episodes, but a handful of extras is nice anyway.
The great news, IMO anyway, is they look to be focusing the tone of the show more towards the sci-fi drama side of things than the comedy side going forward. It'll still have that aspect to it, but they're aiming to make it more a natural part of otherwise "serious" stories rather than feeling like they have to crack out a certain number of jokes-per-page in the scripts. A solid decision I think, since the show's humour tended to be at its best for my money when it was deadpan asides or brief B-plot scenes.
"Your society's broken, so who should we blame? Should we blame the rich, powerful people who caused it? No, lets blame the people with no power and no money and those immigrants who don't even have the vote. Yea, it must be their fething fault." - Iain M Banks
-----
"The language of modern British politics is meant to sound benign. But words do not mean what they seem to mean. 'Reform' actually means 'cut' or 'end'. 'Flexibility' really means 'exploit'. 'Prudence' really means 'don't invest'. And 'efficient'? That means whatever you want it to mean, usually 'cut'. All really mean 'keep wages low for the masses, taxes low for the rich, profits high for the corporations, and accept the decline in public services and amenities this will cause'." - Robin McAlpine from Common Weal
There are so many things I want this show to do. I heard a rumour that Patrick Stewart was lined up for an episode, it would be great (if self-indulgent) to do one with him and Shatner as two rival veteran captains taking on one last mission (a bit like the Kor, Kang and Koloth DS9 episode).
.
“Good people are quick to help others in need, without hesitation or requiring proof the need is genuine. The wicked will believe they are fighting for good, but when others are in need they’ll be reluctant to help, withholding compassion until they see proof of that need. And yet Evil is quick to condemn, vilify and attack. For Evil, proof isn’t needed to bring harm, only hatred and a belief in the cause.”
I tried watching this, made it through several episodes, and it's just not working for me.
It's got too much Trek parody to work with the handful of serious elements (like the Krill or the greater Union background) theyve clearly put a lot of effort into building, too much slapstick to take any action seriously, and is far too "in your face" preachy to enjoy as an offbrand Trek clone (to be fair, ST did that at some points...but did so when it was actually edgy to do so).
I like some elements of it, the world building clearly had some good effort and thought put into it, but it really does come off as Store Brand economy-choice Star Trek with an unhealthy dose of self righteousness layered in awkwardly executed slapstick.
TL;DR it's about what you'd expect from a budget Trek parody from the people that brought you Family Guy.
IRON WITHIN, IRON WITHOUT.
New Heavy Gear Log! Also...Grey Knights! The correct pronunciation is Imperial Guard and Stormtroopers, "Astra Militarum" and "Tempestus Scions" are something you'll find at Hogwarts.
Sometimes I think I must have come from a parallel universe where Star Trek was one of the most political and aggressively "preachy" shows ever put on TV, because I keep running into folk who seem to have watched an entirely different show to me.
"Your society's broken, so who should we blame? Should we blame the rich, powerful people who caused it? No, lets blame the people with no power and no money and those immigrants who don't even have the vote. Yea, it must be their fething fault." - Iain M Banks
-----
"The language of modern British politics is meant to sound benign. But words do not mean what they seem to mean. 'Reform' actually means 'cut' or 'end'. 'Flexibility' really means 'exploit'. 'Prudence' really means 'don't invest'. And 'efficient'? That means whatever you want it to mean, usually 'cut'. All really mean 'keep wages low for the masses, taxes low for the rich, profits high for the corporations, and accept the decline in public services and amenities this will cause'." - Robin McAlpine from Common Weal
Vaktathi wrote: I tried watching this, made it through several episodes, and it's just not working for me.
Fair enough. Like most shows I feel its pilot and first few episodes don't do a great job of advertising the show. I watched 1-4 together as I missed the start and it did enough for me, I thought Pria was a bit tame and Krill was decent enough, but when it came back after a week off with Majority Rule it really hit its stride and had a very strong run to the finish.
It's got a good following so I hope season 2 is at least a continuation of the quality so far, and if it somehow steps up a gear then we're looking at something really special. It's throwback TV but in the best possible sense.
“Good people are quick to help others in need, without hesitation or requiring proof the need is genuine. The wicked will believe they are fighting for good, but when others are in need they’ll be reluctant to help, withholding compassion until they see proof of that need. And yet Evil is quick to condemn, vilify and attack. For Evil, proof isn’t needed to bring harm, only hatred and a belief in the cause.”
Vaktathi wrote: I tried watching this, made it through several episodes, and it's just not working for me.
It's got too much Trek parody
Fair enough, but it's not a parody of any sort, at least, if you know how "parody" is actually defined. It's not for everyone, and that's OK. But seeing it as a Trek parody misses a lot of what makes the show enjoyable.
Compel wrote: Its only recently started airing in the UK and yeah, parody doesn't fit at all. - Galaxy Quest is a parody.
Orville is more like "Star Trek with normal people."
This is how I describe it. Star Trek with everyone acting like real people rather than a bunch of perfect people with some screw ups tossed in so that some story arcs work.
I have enjoyed it a lot, took a couple episodes to find its stride but honestly most shows do, go watch the first couple episodes of ST:TNG if you have any doubts.
Compel wrote: Its only recently started airing in the UK and yeah, parody doesn't fit at all. - Galaxy Quest is a parody.
Orville is more like "Star Trek with normal people."
This is how I describe it. Star Trek with everyone acting like real people rather than a bunch of perfect people with some screw ups tossed in so that some story arcs work.
I have enjoyed it a lot, took a couple episodes to find its stride but honestly most shows do, go watch the first couple episodes of ST:TNG if you have any doubts.
Yup. TNG is my favourite Trek, and I think people often overstate how bad the first couple of seasons were, but they were definitely rougher than later seasons and they had the worst good:filler:stinker ratio by far. Orville already looks to be doing better in that regard.
"Your society's broken, so who should we blame? Should we blame the rich, powerful people who caused it? No, lets blame the people with no power and no money and those immigrants who don't even have the vote. Yea, it must be their fething fault." - Iain M Banks
-----
"The language of modern British politics is meant to sound benign. But words do not mean what they seem to mean. 'Reform' actually means 'cut' or 'end'. 'Flexibility' really means 'exploit'. 'Prudence' really means 'don't invest'. And 'efficient'? That means whatever you want it to mean, usually 'cut'. All really mean 'keep wages low for the masses, taxes low for the rich, profits high for the corporations, and accept the decline in public services and amenities this will cause'." - Robin McAlpine from Common Weal
Very interested to see how they handle season 2. Even with all of its flaws it was more Star Trek than the Star Trek we had this past year. One thing I've been tracking is the audience reaction to The Orville vs. Star Trek: Discovery.
Rotten Tomatoes:
Facebook:
It has a far better audience reaction on Rotten Tomatoes than Discovery and has recently overtaken Discovery with the number of 'Likes' it has on Facebook. Discovery just started airing new episodes so we'll see if that changes anything since we won't get any new Orville till late this year.
Compel wrote: Its only recently started airing in the UK and yeah, parody doesn't fit at all. - Galaxy Quest is a parody.
Orville is more like "Star Trek with normal people."
This is how I describe it. Star Trek with everyone acting like real people rather than a bunch of perfect people with some screw ups tossed in so that some story arcs work.
I have enjoyed it a lot, took a couple episodes to find its stride but honestly most shows do, go watch the first couple episodes of ST:TNG if you have any doubts.
AKA "normal people".
When I talk to ex-military, the behavior on the Orville is highly consistent with things that they've seen. The only really miss is language - RW military language would never hit the air.
Compel wrote: Its only recently started airing in the UK and yeah, parody doesn't fit at all. - Galaxy Quest is a parody.
Orville is more like "Star Trek with normal people."
This is how I describe it. Star Trek with everyone acting like real people rather than a bunch of perfect people with some screw ups tossed in so that some story arcs work.
I have enjoyed it a lot, took a couple episodes to find its stride but honestly most shows do, go watch the first couple episodes of ST:TNG if you have any doubts.
I think that is a very accurate description. Like when they were watching reruns of old Fox shows on the viewscreen. That was funny but felt real!
Anyways the Orville is way better at being Star Trek than STD.
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