THE ORVILLE - S1, E5: "PRIA"

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by Serveaux, Oct 4, 2017.

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Rate the episode:

  1. ***** Excellent

    23 vote(s)
    26.7%
  2. ****

    36 vote(s)
    41.9%
  3. ***

    19 vote(s)
    22.1%
  4. **

    7 vote(s)
    8.1%
  5. * Fear the banana

    1 vote(s)
    1.2%
  1. tomalak301

    tomalak301 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    With the whole Friends and now Seinfeld thing, I really hope they can get Kelsey Grammer as a guest appearance, or just have a Frasier reference. Go through the whole NBC Must See TV line up.
     
  2. Ar-Pharazon

    Ar-Pharazon Admiral Premium Member

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    It's still reminding me of the Leah Rewolinski Star Wreck books. Lt. Dacron watching soap operas on his console with a can of Dr. Pepper hidden in the console from the first or second book.
     
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  3. Greg Cox

    Greg Cox Admiral Premium Member

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    Yep. To pass the time in transit, I guess.

    I mean, they can't watch "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" all the time. :)
     
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  4. Mojochi

    Mojochi Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I actually liked that part for more than just the practical joke set up. With a ship so advanced, they surely would have down time in transit. Bortus' deadpan admission, that he'd find someone getting smashed in the balls funny, gave me a good hard laugh
     
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  5. fireproof78

    fireproof78 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Why not, as others have asked. Seems like a reasonable way to pass the time, if the Captain agrees. It's like when I got to listen to the Super Bowl at work, because we were so slow.

    My family does. :shrug:

    Good grief, I think it was a solid two years before I saw the end of "A Few Good Men" from start to finish.
     
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  6. Skipper

    Skipper Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Yep. And probably they do something similar in the universe of TNG. I mean, a trip in warp can last days, weeks or months. What they do all the time on the bridge? They just stare at the starfield screensaver on the main screen?
     
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  7. Locutus of Bored

    Locutus of Bored Yo, Dawg! I Heard You Like Avatars... In Memoriam

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    The explaining humor to Isaac subplot was hilarious. When he came onto the bridge with the Mr. Potato Head parts I was dying laughing. And the shock value of the amputated leg made that all the funnier. I like that they took Data's lessons about embracing humanity to their logical endpoint like that. Of course a being that can have his parts torn off and reattached on a whim is not going to view severing a leg as any big deal. I knew as soon as Malloy got in a practical joke contest with Isaac he was going to regret it, but I didn't expect it to go that far. And having the leg fall out of the roof while they were confronting Pria was great comedic timing.

    I'm not really a fan of Yaphit's and Newton's continued pushy sexist behavior, especially since that seems to be their only defining behavioral characteristic beyond being competent at fixing stuff. Yaphit is less annoying (even though he's more overt) because he's a big dollop of alien snot, so he can be forgiven some cultural faux pas, but the captain or XO needs to put a damper on their behavior before it gets even more out of hand. The doctor and Pria handle it well, but it's getting old fast.

    This episode was a nice combination of TNG - The Most Toys and In Theory (the dark matter nebula part) with some VOY - Future's End mixed in with the time traveling adversary from the 29th century. But while it does borrow elements of various Trek shows liberally, it always does make an effort to put its own creative twist in the plot(s) so as to remain unique.

    I like that Mercer and Grayson were both right and both wrong in their handling of the situation. Even though Grayson's suspicions did turn out to be vindicated, she went against orders and greatly exceeded her authority in violating the privacy of Pria's quarters based on a gut feeling and incomplete records. And Mercer was so lovestruck that he was not willing to listen to his eX-O's concerns, but did immediately come around when presented with actual evidence and also did the right thing by protecting her privacy rights. Despite their personal hangups, their skillsets and personality traits really do complement each other well, and they make an excellent command team.

    I loved the creative design of the tree-like alien ship and the Medusan-like aliens at the end. Very cool, and nice to get away from forehead aliens.
     
  8. Phoenix219

    Phoenix219 Commodore Commodore

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    If true, then that was still quite a risk to take - but I was still under the impression that after the rescue, they went back to their original heading, and still encountered what they would have if they hadn't side tracked to save her initially. It wasn't until after she "proved" herself by saving them that they deferred to her route.
     
  9. JoeCabby

    JoeCabby Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Good episode. The humour was actually funny this time. I like how this show doesnt use transporters. Makes things more interesring.
     
  10. fireproof78

    fireproof78 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I've been really surprised by that, especially given Episode 2. It's a nice dynamic to have.
     
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  11. Amaris

    Amaris Guest

    I love that they don't have transporters yet. Part of me will think "they should beam out!" in some kind of emergency situation, only then do I remember they don't have that technology, and they have to find another way to resolve the situation without a blink of an eye getaway. Love it.
     
  12. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

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    Eventually he's going to do that, and she'll just push a button to make the door slide open.

    The Dark Matter storm was moving-- in the original timeline they just encountered it a day later or something.
     
  13. FPAlpha

    FPAlpha Vice Admiral Premium Member

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    I think i'm about to quit the Orville, it seems it's not for me.

    The humor is mostly flat (such as attaching Potato Head parts to that Data wannabe) and stunt casting like Theron doesn't do it for me (that role didn't require or need an Oscar level actress, could have been any attractive TV actress).

    Characters are bland, acting is average at best and the show can't decide wether it wants to be a serious show with lighter comedy elements or a comedy show with serious elements. Take a cue from DS9 on how to find the perfect balance between drama and humor.
     
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  14. theenglish

    theenglish Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I like that this show doesn't fit into a specific genre. Some of my favorite shows ever were "dramedies"
     
  15. unigolyn

    unigolyn Ensign Red Shirt

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    It's quite obviously a serious show with comedy elements. The only episode that didn't follow this formula was the pilot, which seemed more like an outright comedy with a perfunctory dramatic plot slapped on.

    Also I don't understand the complaint about "stunt casting". It's not as if they paid Theron some exorbitant sum, she appeared because she's good friends with MacFarlane. How does having an Oscar winner play a character hinder your enjoyment of the show?

    Same thing with Liam Neeson - and they didn't even publicize that at all.

    That said, if you don't like it, you don't like it. If you don't love it by this episode, you're absolutely right and it's not for you.

     
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  16. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Maybe the physical standard of beauty has changed by the 29th century, and that's why Pria takes chances in the past, because it's the only place that she can get laid, without having to pay for it?
     
  17. Beagleman

    Beagleman Commodore Commodore

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    I think I'm done, too. If I had one word to describe the show it's bland, the humor, the drama, the sets, I could go on. It makes sense since it's a love letter to Trek's blandest era, so I guess in that way it suceeds? That just hasn't been my cup of tea for about 20 years now. So I wish the show, the crew and it's fans all the best, I'm out.
    (Wow, that was some flounce.;))
     
  18. dahj

    dahj Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I watched both seasons of Legends of Tomorrow and am now completely immunized from trying to make sense of temporal paradoxes :D
     
  19. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Very incredibly bland, but it's no blander than TNG was.
     
  20. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

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    I hope it doesn't. Deep Space Nine was simply awful in that regard.