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I tried watching the first episode of this and couldnt stay engaged, mostly in that it felt like a Star Trek lite. Has it picked up since then? The Seth sitcom stuff wasnt overwhelming, but there was just enouhh to fail to hook me initially.

 Vaktathi wrote:
I tried watching the first episode of this and couldnt stay engaged, mostly in that it felt like a Star Trek lite. Has it picked up since then? The Seth sitcom stuff wasnt overwhelming, but there was just enouhh to fail to hook me initially.

I would say so. I missed the original launch so I was able to binge watch the first 3 episodes and was hooked from there. I can't say every single 'main plot' is brilliant but they've done a great job making the crew likeable so there's always something going on onboard with some of the characters to keep it ticking over.

For almost any single episode you can point to 2 or 3 specific TNG, DS9 or VOY episodes and see where significant inspiration came from but most of the time the 80s/90s premises have been updated to reflect 21st century social issues (example - this week's featured Reg Barclay-style holodeck addiction but rather than being played for laughs with the musketeer bits etc, it was called out explictly as an addiction to pornography that was harming a marriage (and what we did see seemed to be a bit... freaky)).

 Vaktathi wrote:
I tried watching the first episode of this and couldnt stay engaged, mostly in that it felt like a Star Trek lite. Has it picked up since then? The Seth sitcom stuff wasnt overwhelming, but there was just enouhh to fail to hook me initially.

It's a good show. The pilot of a large ensemble cast is always going to have an issue of introducing all of the cast, compounded by being SF and setting the ground "rules" for the technology and society. Once you get that out of the way, it's a better TNG than TNG was, and a better Trek than Discovery is. Do watch it in order, as there is a lot of B-plot continuity that builds over the episodes. You couldn't watch yesterday's episode without watching things in S1, etc.

 JohnHwangDD wrote:
it's a better TNG than TNG was

Ooh, that's a claim and a half. I love the Orville, but TNG at its peak mops the floor with it. Seth McFarlane is never going to have an Ed Mercer style "There are 4 lights" moment. If you compare the 'average' episode of each then it's more of a contest, but let's not forget that early TNG really struggled and brings down the average.

It's fair to say that the Orville has started stronger than TNG did, but I'd be (pleasantly) amazed if it had anywhere near the same ceiling.

Edit: I will say that on balance, if I had to go out drinking with the crew of either ship then the Orville wins hands down...

 Riquende wrote:

 JohnHwangDD wrote:
it's a better TNG than TNG was

Ooh, that's a claim and a half. I love the Orville, but TNG at its peak mops the floor with it. Seth McFarlane is never going to have an Ed Mercer style "There are 4 lights" moment. If you compare the 'average' episode of each then it's more of a contest, but let's not forget that early TNG really struggled and brings down the average.

It's fair to say that the Orville has started stronger than TNG did, but I'd be (pleasantly) amazed if it had anywhere near the same ceiling.

Edit: I will say that on balance, if I had to go out drinking with the crew of either ship then the Orville wins hands down...

The Orville has not yet reached its peak. If you go per episode, Riker hasn't even grown the beard. If you count per season, well, TNG S1 & S2 are *not* good. As for the "4 lights" episode, it aired as the 10th and 11th episodes of the sixth season, the 136th and 137th episodes of TNG whereas The Orville has barely 1/10 as many episodes. If we allow that The Orville airs for a 6th season, who's to say whether Mercer might find himself in a similar situation as a captive of the Krill. As an aside, The Orville lacks the amusement of the Riker and Picard moves - I might make you take a shot every time Riker mounts a chair, and a double whenever Picard tugs on his uniform.

Again, TNG went for quite a few years, so we have yet to see when or how it might peak.

As I believe I've said elsewhere, I would gladly serve under Captain Mercer.

I have really enjoyed the Orville so far, the studio couldn't have had better timing than releasing alongside Disco..

This second series though feels like it hasnt really got going yet, the first episode came accross as a place holder rather than trying to bridge the series and the second episode to me felt like it was trying too hard to say something profound.

 JohnHwangDD wrote:
Also...
"Hi! I'm Dan!"

Lol, I was just about to post that quote after watching the episode. The increased budget per episode really shows; I wish they had started with that as the season premiere instead. Even the props/sets don't look like cheap ikea hand me downs this season which was something that I felt last time. Definitely a solid episode that combined drama and the occasional humor. I'd say it's my second favorite Orville episode so far (second to the Krill destroyer infiltration one last season).


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 Vaktathi wrote:
I tried watching the first episode of this and couldnt stay engaged, mostly in that it felt like a Star Trek lite. Has it picked up since then? The Seth sitcom stuff wasnt overwhelming, but there was just enouhh to fail to hook me initially.

Yes and no. It's more like a sine wave in terms of quality at times but I feel that the core idea is solid (unlike with STD). I myself almost stopped midway through the first Orville season when I was getting fed up with back to back moralistic lecturisodes but I'm glad I stuck with it. If you stream the latest episode like I just did, it might give you a better idea since everyone is different. I just googled "orville fox" and the link was one of the first.

 JohnHwangDD wrote:

 Riquende wrote:

 JohnHwangDD wrote:
it's a better TNG than TNG was

Ooh, that's a claim and a half. I love the Orville, but TNG at its peak mops the floor with it. Seth McFarlane is never going to have an Ed Mercer style "There are 4 lights" moment.

The Orville has not yet reached its peak. If you go per episode, Riker hasn't even grown the beard. If you count per season, well, TNG S1 & S2 are *not* good. As for the "4 lights" episode, it aired as the 10th and 11th episodes of the sixth season, the 136th and 137th episodes of TNG whereas The Orville has barely 1/10 as many episodes. If we allow that The Orville airs for a 6th season, who's to say whether Mercer might find himself in a similar situation as a captive of the Krill.

In the commercials previews, is it just me, or does it seem that the Orville may be doing a "4 lights" episode with the Krill?

Well, that was pretty lame.




They seem to be alternating between lame and good judging so far from the episodes and next week's preview.

I also have some major world building issues (both literally and figuratively) with the episode as well. As soon as I saw the skyscrapers on a world with such ridiculously high gravity, it bothered me as the material properties of elements don't change just because of G forces. I'd have preferred if things had instead been low to the ground and reinforced instead of elegant thin and tall to better account for that.

Yeah i've got mixed feelings on tonights episode... I'll stick with it and hope for the best though.

I thought that it wasn't a bad episode, but if this is as weak as things get, it's going to be a helluva 2nd season.

I'm just befuddled as to why Gordon didn't land the shuttle over Ed and turn the gravity shield back on. Lots of overdramatics for something that should have been a really simple. Plus the show is apparently losing one of it's better characters. Not a bad episode just meh.

Overall a good episode. I didn’t feel they handled the high gravity very accurately at all, and I’m bummed to see her leave the show, but the story they told within it was rather good I thought. I did quite like her parting gift, I correctly guessed what it was right before they showed it.

 warboss wrote:
I also have some major world building issues (both literally and figuratively) with the episode as well. As soon as I saw the skyscrapers on a world with such ridiculously high gravity, it bothered me as the material properties of elements don't change just because of G forces. I'd have preferred if things had instead been low to the ground and reinforced instead of elegant thin and tall to better account for that.

Xelayans appear to have some kind of anti-gravity technology of some sort, which they demonstrate with their flying car and floating wheelchair and tube trains. The buildings are only 10-ish stories high, which is not unreasonable when you consider that the pre-industrial Romans were more than capable of building equally tall things (they chose not to, because people could not exit safely if there was a fire). As a general rule, the materials properties of an item are more than adequate to support whatever they need to, and things fall down due to misalignment, not sheer strength. The compressive strength of stone is immense, and that is one of the most basic building materials. One could build something 1km tall out of granite (as strong as steel), if you could somehow manage to make it out of a single, uniform & seamless slab. That works out to about 300 stories. So if Xelaya has 30x Earth gravity, then normal engineering will work just fine.

That said, yes, the gravity thing was pretty silly.

But the architecture wasn't what I was most upset about.

It was okay. Lower tier of all episodes so far but that doesn't mean bad. I like Alara so I'm sad to see her go (if Bortus leaves I riot). The parting gift was a nice touch, although I do remember people complaining about that 'catchphrase' at the time.

Took me a while to place the voice of the 'houseguest' but it was Phlox!

I look forward to further interactions between Bortus and... Tharl? In a way I'm not so keen on another Xelayan as the Orville's imagination when it comes to alien species makes it almost a missed opportunity.

A couple things that I forgot to react to:

* The extra esphagus guy was the Tick? Right? BOOM! Oh, wait, that's Flynn... SPOON!

* I like what they have to say about anti-vaxxers and their sympathizers. fething sociopaths, one and all, who should commit suicide or be shot.

Phlox! I totally misidentified him! I immediately recognized him as another Star Trek actor, but my brain went to Neelix. But no, now that you say Phlox that’s absolutely right, obviously.

Also yes, the Tick. I caught Warburton’s name at the beginning of the episode. Don’t care for the character so far though with what little we’ve seen.

Still not feeling this series (season) yet, it seems like three filler episodes and no real meat to it. Hope its not the last of Alara as I quite liked the character.
Interesting to see two Trek doctors in one episode, wonder if we will get Walter Koenig or Marc Alaimo appearing.

Orville's on right now. I'm wondering if a theory I've had for a few episodes will happen given the first 15 minutes.


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Yup... they just revealed it. I won't spoil it here until after the episode.

Yeah I kind of figured that’s where they were going pretty quick.

Good traditional episode, but I wonder if there was a social theme.

Spoilered for, you know, spoilers.

The aliens that attacked the Krill seemed like less bulky versions of the Mangalor from Fifth Element.

Overall it was a fine episode but darn it all if at the end when they played Billy Joel as they sent Teleya off and showed Cap Mercer looking all melancholy that I didn't get hit with some momentary feels.

I wonder how much more we’ll see of the new aliens. Are they really savages? Should Mercer have been afraid of them if they’re enemies of the Krill?

I suspect that the Orks will actually be reasonable folks, because that would be a more interesting story to tell.

Bit of worldbuilding, with an unknown race added that seem to be in conflict with the Krill on the other side of their Empire. Maybe Mercer's actions here will be the start of a peace process?

Overall I haven't been wowed by any of the outright new episodes (favourite is still the held over 'Primal Urges') but neither am I disliking anything, it's all moving along at solid 7/10. This and 'Vikings' are my only two weekly pleasures at the moment to be honest.

"We canoodled... you canoodled with me... that was all fake?"

I'd add that the Orks are 100% correct in their approach to the Krill:
* offer NO negotiation,
* give NO quarter,
* show NO mercy,
* allow NO escapees,
* take NO prisoners,
* leave NO survivors.

The Orks recognize that the Krill represent an existential threat that cannot be negotiated with, because the Krill are extremist fanatic ideologues. We've seen that the Krill have no qualms about attacking civilian outposts and such with WMD, due to their ubermensh + Manifest Destiny ideology. That's why the Krill automatically identify and sympathize with the Nazis in Raiders of the Lost Ark. When there can be no negotiated middle ground, the only choice is extermination and eradication. Carthago Delenda Est.

Aside from the fact that the Orks are literally in a fight for their very existence, my expectation is that the Orks are actually going to be an exceedingly gracious, highly-cultured, highly-refined species driven to absolute ruthlessness due to the threat that the Krill currently operate. It'd be a great shift to show the "scary, monstrous" Orks are actually High Elves when not at war. The Orks are probably Artisans and Entertainers and Authors who've taken up arms to preserve themselves the only way that they can, after a series of failed diplomacy efforts.

As a metaphor for conflict in the Middle East, and Islam in general, it's a good contrast. I really hope that they keep coming back to this, along with the Orks.

Well that was the first episode of the show that was bordering on being just bad. It wrapped up a bit too neatly, and didn't feel well executed. Unsure how to feel about Talla, but I didn't immediately dislike her, so that's perhaps a good sign.

If the mis-born insignia were yellow star, and the lucky few were called "Brahmin" would that have been a bit too on the nose?

So is Warburton’s character just gone uncerimoniously?