[tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

Post by Smoove_B »

I dunno. It was a dark episode but it felt like very other (not as dark) Star Trek episode where they're also seemingly not worried about toxins or disease...until it's a plot point.

There's definitely a different tone for these last two episodes. There's very lite humor; definitely seems like it is trying to come across more serious.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

Post by hepcat »

I gave up disliking it for the oftentimes anachronistic humor (not just anachronistic, but also seemingly centered on stuff from the 80s and 90s) and eventually got into it. It mimics Star Trek TNG fairly well in terms of core stories. And even down to the sterile and bright appearance of everything. One thing I’ve come to believe is that the biggest difference stylistically between this and the new Star Trek shows on Paramount+ is that The Orville looks like it was made for television (not a knock, it’s quite well done), while the Star Trek shows look more cinematic. It may be just the film they use, though.

Edit: so…that 2nd episode?
Spoiler:
Guess they really wanted their own version of the Borg, huh.
Also,in episode 1
Spoiler:
It kind of trivializes the very real tragedy of suicide by bringing back the character that killed themselves at the end of the episode…even if they’re a construct.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

Post by Smoove_B »

Watched Ep3 last night and I'm still enjoying the show. The episode was a bit weird but once they figured it all out and the reason was revealed, I felt it came together.

Regarding the reason
Spoiler:
I guess they have their own "Q" character now?
Either way, the tone might be different (definitely seems to be leaning more serious, less jokey) but I'm glad the show is back and moving forward.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

Post by hepcat »

Smoove_B wrote: Fri Jun 17, 2022 11:03 am Watched Ep3 last night and I'm still enjoying the show. The episode was a bit weird but once they figured it all out and the reason was revealed, I felt it came together.

Regarding the reason
Spoiler:
I guess they have their own "Q" character now?
Either way, the tone might be different (definitely seems to be leaning more serious, less jokey) but I'm glad the show is back and moving forward.
I was just going to note that. They got their
Spoiler:
Borg
a few weeks ago, now this.

Next up, we're getting this guy:
Spoiler:
Image
I do find it funny that the captain's chair is pretty much open to anyone who walks near it. The just graduated young blonde even got a crack at it this week.

And they continued their pattern of only acknowledging Earth history from 1980 to 2020. That's getting a bit old.

I think they're having an identity crisis. I feel like they need to make a decision at some point: do they want to be Star Trek TNG for people who want a static, set in time homage; or do they want to be their own semi-comedic entity. Because right now, the tone is confusing at times.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

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Hope he brings Tranya.

Enlarge Image

Hint - Clint hated grapefruit juice
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

Post by Smoove_B »

hepcat wrote: Fri Jun 17, 2022 12:21 pm I think they're having an identity crisis. I feel like they need to make a decision at some point: do they want to be Star Trek TNG for people who want a static, set in time homage; or do they want to be their own semi-comedic entity. Because right now, the tone is confusing at times.
I want to say I read something (though I can't find it) suggesting Fox really pressured him to make it like Family Guy Star Trek - lots of dick jokes. The first two seasons weren't really dick-joke humor, but there was so much more comedy than the first three episodes of the new season.

I've been ok with it, though I did enjoy the humor - like the whole Mr. Potato head prank routine and the whole Bortus / Latchkum gag (with the hidden knife) was completely unexpected.

So yeah, it truly could be the transition away from airing on Fox - and this is what he was after the whole time.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

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Smoove_B wrote: Fri Jun 17, 2022 12:58 pm
I want to say I read something (though I can't find it) suggesting Fox really pressured him to make it like Family Guy Star Trek - lots of dick jokes. The first two seasons weren't really dick-joke humor, but there was so much more comedy than the first three episodes of the new season.

I read the same thing. It's a good reason why the first season relied more on crass humor, but by the second season, the humor had grown more subtle and mature. If the tone is different in season 3 is as different as you say, as I haven't watched it, then that'd kind of ironic given that being off a network should have given them more freedom to be its own thing. If it's too far in the other direction, that kind of negates the whole thing as one of the primary differentiators of the show was its humor.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

Post by Smoove_B »

Here's the thing though - it's still good. Without the crass humor, it feels even more like a love letter to Star Trek than ever before. Ep3 ("Mortality Paradox") could have easily been something on any of the more recent Trek-adjacent shows (at least in my mind).
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

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I could have done without the Tron light cycle rider though...
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

Post by Smoove_B »

Yeah, I didn't care for the look either - probably my biggest complaint of the episode, quite frankly.

But that it was tied to earlier seasons? Smart writing.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

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Smoove_B wrote: Fri Jun 17, 2022 1:16 pm Here's the thing though - it's still good. Without the crass humor, it feels even more like a love letter to Star Trek than ever before. Ep3 ("Mortality Paradox") could have easily been something on any of the more recent Trek-adjacent shows (at least in my mind).
Ok, I'll take your word for it. Between what was said here, I couldn't get a good picture of the new season.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

Post by Smoove_B »

I'm watching it every week as the episodes air....in the age of binge-streaming. It's good! :D
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

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I'm still kind of iffy on it. While I enjoy it, McFarlane still annoys me sometimes. The tone, the obsession with the 80s and 90s, the stories...they're hit or miss with me quite a bit. I really didn't like this latest episode, to be honest. Much of what they're doing now just seems like rehashed TNG scripts. I wish they'd grow beyond that more.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

Post by malchior »

The most disconcerting thing to me this season is very specific. The team doing the music is clearly aping John Williams. The whole third episode kept using cues that were similar to Raiders of the Lost Ark and especially Return of the Jedi.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

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Haven't seen the latest (the episode that came out today), but last week's ("Gently Falling Rain") was...heavy. They're really leaning into the previously established lore/story for this latest season. Still enjoying it.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

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I think Gently Falling Rain may be one of my favorite episodes so far. It was heavy handed at times, but it did a remarkable job with Captain Mercer's side story/dilemma.

In the past, I've argued against calling this the best Star Trek on TV because I felt the claims were being made mainly almost solely due to the show clearly and purposely mimicking the aesthetics of TNG. All the way down to color, lighting and sometimes cheesy set designs. But they're doing much better this season with the stories, in my opinion. They're getting to the point where I can read those claims without rolling my eyes.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

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To clarify, I didn't mean heavy-handed - just heavy in the topics covered. The government/election issue was striking on its own. The subplot (involving Mercer) was not expected and really changed the overall feel (for me). I wasn't sure if there was any Star Trek story that had come close to covering the same issues (avoiding spoilers), but it felt like a more mature (?) modern take on those subjects.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

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Oh, sorry...my reference to heavy handed was not related to anything you wrote. It was a stand alone observation of my own.

One thing that surprised me (and I think they should have gone further with) was
Spoiler:
the side bit about abortion being illegal on Krill and the punishment for it. it was a surprisingly sympathetic look at the subject instead of the usual "abortion should be legal...period" stance we get from Hollywood. That doesn't mean I'm anti abortion....I am most definitely not...but when you present something in a way that isn't immediately insulting to opposing views, you have a better chance of making a point with the other side. unfortunately, they kind of bum rushed it through with Mercer simply claiming it was cruel and then forgetting about it.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

Post by Smoove_B »

Wow, this week's episode was also quite heavy ("A Tale of Two Topas") - continuing the trend of following up on material covered during the first two seasons. There was also much more humor in this episode, which was good to see (imho).

Also, when I saw it was 75 minutes, I groaned, but it genuinely didn't feel that long at all; I was surprised when the credits rolled.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

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Ooof, yeah….they’re on a mission to be relevant, aren’t they. I appreciate the attempt to speak out against the current clime in this country, but I think (as I said before) that they’re being too heavy handed. And they may be approaching these subjects in a way that may do some harm as well
Spoiler:
The recent suicide episode, for example…you shouldn't trivialize the act the way they did with an 11th hour reset.

In this latest episode on gender identity, they have one of their characters idolize her parents….who told her that to alter her sex would be an affront to nature. Talk about mixed messaging.

I really hope they have trained psychologists going over these scripts at some point. If you’re going to tackle such things, it’s best not to do it as an amateur.
Also, I really dislike Charly. You could replace her with a coffee mug and I doubt I’d even notice until season 7. Quit trying to force her on us by having her cover every single job on the ship.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

Post by Smoove_B »

I'm not an expert on anything Trek related, but apparently the topic the latest episode was (broadly) covered by TNG in ~1990 (from the Wiki):
Spoiler:
In "The Offspring" (S3, Ep 16) - Data invites Deanna Troi, Wesley Crusher and Geordi La Forge to his lab and surprises them by introducing a featureless humanoid android, whom he created based on his own structural design and recent advances in Federation cybernetics technology, describing it as his child. He names the android Lal (after the Hindi word for "beloved") and encourages it to select a gender and appearance.
Not exactly the same - definitely more abstract given the characters involved, but I was rather surprised to read it. I'm guessing it hit very different in 1990 than if you'd watch it now.

But yes, it does seem like this season they've really changed the overall tone. Still enjoying it but they're not making allusions or coded references to current topics.

EDIT: And I guess even for DS9 (which I am more familiar with)
Spoiler:
Curzon to Jadzia - again, not exactly the same, but there have been numerous times in the series (that I've seen so far as part of my re-watch) where Jadzia meets someone they knew as Curzon and there's a recognition of the change. That there's been a transition. Clearly even with Sisko - there's an acknowledgment that Curzon is kinda there still, but now he's really Jadzia. I never really thought of the character that way, but I guess some might?
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

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I’m all for messages in the show. But I prefer them to be a bit more clever. And I worry they’re tossing them in without much critical thinking, as mentioned in my two recent examples.

Right now it feels like they’re just picking what’s in the news this week and shoving it into their scripts without trying for any nuance.

But again: more power to them when it comes to trying to throw a spotlight on injustice and intolerance.

P.S. my favorite DS9 episode with real world issues was Far Beyond the Stars. Great look at civil rights in the 40s/50s through the eyes of a black science fiction writer (Sisko).
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

Post by Smoove_B »

Haven't posted in a few weeks, but these last three episodes continued more of the same theme. The most current one in particular ("Midnight Blue") was almost 90 minutes long! I was not expecting the guest star either - completely came out of left field for me.

Lots of universe-changing decisions this season with all the new developments in giant plot arcs. Still feels like a genuine love letter to all things Star Trek, even more so then when I started this season (if that's somehow possible).
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

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They duplicate the exact look of TNG, that’s for sure. The look of the technology and even the lighting is pretty much copied verbatim from TNG.

This season has been better than previous ones and I started to enjoy the last one quite a bit….until that annoying stunt casting. I love the celebrity, mind you. I just really, really hate stunt casting. It pulls me out of the show and reminds me I’m watching one man’s vanity project.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

Post by Smoove_B »

Watched the newest episode last night ("Domino") and was rather surprised at how it ended.
Spoiler:
Killing Charlie off???!
Overall continuing on the bigger picture elements of the story, not random "monster of the week" episodes, which also surprises me. They're really investing in the overall Orville universe, creating plots that span all the various alliances. It's not at all what I expected from the series.

Either way, still enjoying it. I believe next week's episode is the S3 finale.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

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I really enjoyed it...although they once again padded the damn thing with another musical interlude so that McFarlane's pal Scott could show the audience he's a musician. That and the celebrity cameo crap pulls me out of the show and reminds me this is still basically a vanity project.

And I'm perfectly fine with
Spoiler:
the death of Charlie


I found that character annoying. It was just another beautiful person they added to the core group. That character also represented the constant issue I have with this show and the cast just showing up in a scene doing a job they normally don't perform. Usually people have an assigned role on military ships. They don't wake up each day and decide, "well, today I'm an engineer for half the day, then I think I'll head up to the bridge and pilot the ship for a few hours. If I have time, I may take over as head chef in the commissary.".

BUT, I appreciate that the show is trying to be a TNG for folks who wanted a Star Trek that never changes. In that regard, they do a (mostly) good job. I just want them to expand the core group a bit more, add some folks who don't look like they're going to spontaneously vogue at any second, and give Dann a bigger role (that actor just cracks me up every time he opens his mouth).
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

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Regarding the spoiler for this week
Spoiler:
I think we were supposed to not like her the whole time; it was intentional. She was set up to be annoying and frustrating but when it mattered she made the ultimate sacrifice - even after everything that happened to her and her core hatred of Issac and the Kaylons
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

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I haven't read the last couple of posts (as I'm one episode behind), but I did just read that this season was supposed to be 11 episodes, not 10. One (which took place between 8 and 9) was was not able to be filmed due to COVID, so MacFarlane wrote it up as a short novella (35 pages): The Orville: Sympathy for the Devil. There is also and audiobook version narrated by Bruce Boxleitner.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

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I read the novella for the missing episode this season. It was good. The dialog was a little awkward at times, but it was interesting hearing the 'inner thoughts' of the characters from the guy who created them and (for Mercer), plays them. As to the story, it was worth the read. I saw the twist coming... and I was completely wrong. I can see why COVID prevented filming - it would have required a lot of travel abroad, and a lot of extras. It also would likely have been the darkest (and potentially most controversial) episode

As to the most recent episode:
Spoiler:
Charlie's final realization and sacrifice was a nice end for her, but when they brought it up to the Kaylons, they pretty much ignored the thousands of other Union member in space above the planet who also sacrificed themselves for the sole purpose of saving the Kaylons.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

Post by rittchard »

ummmm, that finale...
Spoiler:
Was it just me or was that the most boring episode of just about anything? I kept waiting for a twist or a turn or even a hint of something. But the best we got was a cameo from the girl from season one. I honestly had to fight to stay awake towards the middle, I got up, snacked, walked around, went outside, I couldn't believe this was how they were going to go out on what might be the series finale.

OK it was kind of sweet and the Moclin ritual was funny, but after a season of strong issue themed and action packed episodes, this was a real letdown.
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

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Spoiler:
I don't disagree. Don't forget that this season started filming in 2019, then had to be stopped for COVID, then resumed in late 2020, then was halted again for the 2020/21 winter surge, then resumed again. At least one episode (as mentioned) wasn't able to be filmed due to COVID, and I really have a feeling that the season was planned to end differently. And at this point, with all of the delays and uncertainty, the entire cast is off of contract, so that may well have been the series finale. They may have changed it to avoid a cliffhanger/surprise for exactly that reason.
Also, did we really need...
Spoiler:
...another Gordon concert?
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

Post by Smoove_B »

I really hope they can start filming again:
“All I can tell you is that the the there is no official death certificate for ‘The Orville’,” MacFarlane told TheWrap in an interview when asked about an update on a possible Season 4. “It is still with us. I can’t go any further than that at the moment. There are too many factors.”

MacFarlane’s co-star Scott Grimes added that conversations about “The Orville” Season 4 began before the SAG-AFTRA and Writers’ Guild of America strikes.

“I do know that we are still talking about it. It’s not dead in any sort of way whatsoever. It’s just about when, where and how and building the stuff again,” Grimes told TheWrap. “I’m excited because it’s one of the greatest things to work on. So I just have my fingers crossed. And I know Seth wants to do it and that usually holds a lot of power. And I hope he gets to because it’s one of his babies that he just loves and it’s a blast to work on.”
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Re: [tv / HULU] The Orville .......Seth MacFarlane

Post by hepcat »

I would kill to have Grimes do an entire episode with his character talking in his Steve Smith voice.
Spoiler:
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