Just finished the episode and it was a hoot. It's just so goofy I love it. While I do love dark and gritty space shows it's nice to have one that's more light hearted. And finally someone found a use for all those horrid "reality" tv shows.
News Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville
- Thread starter Kai "the spy"
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He's Steve Newton (according to Wikipedia), the Chief Engineer. I'm pretty sure he's outside of the chain of command on this show. So, Lt. Kitan outranks him purely because she's the ranking bridge officer placed in command of the ship. Dr. Finn might also outrank her (she doesn't rare rank pips, so I'm not positive), and the navigator (LaMarr) and helm (Molloy) all have the same rank, but they all address her as "Sir" (Star Trek II reference? or just a sign of egalitarianism?) by virtue of her appointed position.
I wonder if they do have matter transport, but it's not safe to use on biological creatures (perhaps after a long slew of transporter accidents), but they use it for food replication/3D printing all the time. The Caliban seem to have transporter technology, perhaps even transwarp beaming. I love that they're actively dealing with cultures that are technologically more superior than the Planetary Union.
I guess the pot brownie was either a removed plot point, or perhaps just meant as a quick joke.
And if nothing else Mercer put Kitan in charge and his reason was as you say - she was the ranking officer on the biridg.
TNG had the same issue feature in Arsenal of Freedom and Descent.
I enjoyed the second episode. The tone was quite serious in parts, really underscoring the dramedy genre.
When the buoy exploded and Bortus seemed to lose his egg, I was thinking Happy Feet.
When the buoy exploded and Bortus seemed to lose his egg, I was thinking Happy Feet.
Played effectively by Ron Canada, no less (Martin, Ch'Pok, Fesek).
TUCKER: Know anything at all about the Cavilon?
KITAN: What every ship Captain knows. General Order 7, no vessel under any condition, emergency or otherwise, is to visit Cavilon space.
MENDEZ: And to do so is the only death penalty left on our books. Only the Admiralty knows why. But between you and me, it's because they're assholes.
KITAN: What every ship Captain knows. General Order 7, no vessel under any condition, emergency or otherwise, is to visit Cavilon space.
MENDEZ: And to do so is the only death penalty left on our books. Only the Admiralty knows why. But between you and me, it's because they're assholes.
I loved the second episode, much better than the pilot. I feel like we got our first proper normal episode since the episode could get right into the adventure of the week. If every episode is like this, bring it on because it is going to be a fun ride.
The episode was funny but had its real moments too. The opening scene between Bortus and Mercer was great. Alera walking in on Bortus sitting on his egg was hilarious. But there were some nice serious moments too. I particularly liked the scene between Mercer and Grayson in their fake apartment when they reminisce about the bad double date to the opera. Palicki and McFarlane actually sold that scene really well. It really felt like a normal couple reminiscing over a fond memory. I found it very believable that Mercer and Grayson used to be married. The talks between Alera and the doctor were also quite good. The ending where Alera sends them all our reality TV was a very clever resolution and it will also be interesting to see what develops from the news that Bortus's child is the first female of their species.
Overall, the episode was very entertaining and funny but also gave us some nice character moments. As others have stated, the show is Berman Trek without the pretense. It fully embraces the fact that it is silly scifi. The plot (captain and XO get kidnapped by aliens and junior officer has to take command) was very much a Trek plot but instead of the characters taking things seriously and pretending like it could be real, the characters on the orville fully embrace the humor. Love it! So refreshing!
The episode was funny but had its real moments too. The opening scene between Bortus and Mercer was great. Alera walking in on Bortus sitting on his egg was hilarious. But there were some nice serious moments too. I particularly liked the scene between Mercer and Grayson in their fake apartment when they reminisce about the bad double date to the opera. Palicki and McFarlane actually sold that scene really well. It really felt like a normal couple reminiscing over a fond memory. I found it very believable that Mercer and Grayson used to be married. The talks between Alera and the doctor were also quite good. The ending where Alera sends them all our reality TV was a very clever resolution and it will also be interesting to see what develops from the news that Bortus's child is the first female of their species.
Overall, the episode was very entertaining and funny but also gave us some nice character moments. As others have stated, the show is Berman Trek without the pretense. It fully embraces the fact that it is silly scifi. The plot (captain and XO get kidnapped by aliens and junior officer has to take command) was very much a Trek plot but instead of the characters taking things seriously and pretending like it could be real, the characters on the orville fully embrace the humor. Love it! So refreshing!
It looks like Berman Trek but plays a lot more like TOS - mainly because the sf premises they're using so far are old-fashioned "high concept" stuff: a time-accelerating ray, a "space zoo." Kirk and company might have dealt with such stuff but TNG moved away from it on a weekly basis pretty quickly.
Out of order production is pretty common - its when they show out of intended broadcast order which Fox did with Firefly and Almost Human that things can get screwed up.
The other thing I like about The Orville is that it is not mocking Star Trek. Up to now, we've gotten a lot of parodies of Trek where the humor was designed to make fun of trek. The Orville's humor is different. The show is funny without ridiculing Trek. In a lot of ways, I feel like The Orville is actually very respectful of Trek.
I have to say that the second episode was better than the first, and I loved the first one! This one felt like a good adventure story, where it just keeps moving along, bits of comedy here and there and just rolls along, taking you for the ride.
When I posted on Twitter that I got a small Wright Flyer model to put on my desk at work, someone from The Orville feed replied, saying to wait to see what Mercer has on his desk after that! I love it! And his explanation as to why Kermit was an inspiration to him (with him almost choking up about it) was great!
I recognized the nods to Trek and original Twilight Zone (and MacFarlane has said that original Trek and TZ were big favorites of his, saying that Roddenberry and Serling were big parts of his inspirations) in this one, but it felt like a good, fun take on it. Once the Admiral said that no ship is to go there, it was a great homage to "The Menagerie".
Overall, this episode rocked! They really hit a good stride with this one, and made me fall in love with the series all over again!
And I just realized something this morning: there is someone here in work who is my "work wife", the one who tells me to go home if I'm sick, the one who yells at me if I don't eat lunch, always banters with me. Um, she looks a lot like Adrianne Palicki, and I started laughing this morning when I realized it!
In fact, a couple times I told her that I thought she was high, and the one line Mercer said last night made me laugh loudly, because I've said that here in work!
When I posted on Twitter that I got a small Wright Flyer model to put on my desk at work, someone from The Orville feed replied, saying to wait to see what Mercer has on his desk after that! I love it! And his explanation as to why Kermit was an inspiration to him (with him almost choking up about it) was great!
I recognized the nods to Trek and original Twilight Zone (and MacFarlane has said that original Trek and TZ were big favorites of his, saying that Roddenberry and Serling were big parts of his inspirations) in this one, but it felt like a good, fun take on it. Once the Admiral said that no ship is to go there, it was a great homage to "The Menagerie".
Overall, this episode rocked! They really hit a good stride with this one, and made me fall in love with the series all over again!
And I just realized something this morning: there is someone here in work who is my "work wife", the one who tells me to go home if I'm sick, the one who yells at me if I don't eat lunch, always banters with me. Um, she looks a lot like Adrianne Palicki, and I started laughing this morning when I realized it!
In fact, a couple times I told her that I thought she was high, and the one line Mercer said last night made me laugh loudly, because I've said that here in work!
Yes! My first chance to insert something into my head canon. You see Xeleyan tequila comes with different types of mixers already inserted into the tequila. That's why it can look different everytime you get it.
Jason
Just a question..it goes without saying that there has to be a ship named Enterprise in the Orville Universe....So can they have it appear or be mention or does CBS/StarTrek own the rights to spaceships named Enterprise?
Plus with all the pop culture references in Orville I wonder if Star Trek will be reference directly.
Plus with all the pop culture references in Orville I wonder if Star Trek will be reference directly.
Well they could have a ship called Interprise instead captained by John Lou Picardo. played by Patrick Stewart in a wig.
Jason
I think they'd be skating awfully close to legal action at that point.
I would have to say one of the parts that had me laughing was when Isaac says that Alara is his pet, and she deadpans, "woof". It was done so quickly and right into the next line, and worked perfectly!
I have to wait until tonight to watch when it is available on Hulu, so see you guys tomorrow with my thoughts.