THE ORVILLE S1, E10: "FIRESTORM"

[Mr Awe]

At first, I thought the episode was going to reveal that there was an alien in the plasma storm that got trapped on the ship and was tormenting the crew but I am glad that they did not go that route because it would have been too derivative of TNG. I actually found the holodeck reveal to be a pleasant twist.

Either route is very derivative of TNG to be honest. I just don't like the fake/dream stuff within an already fictional story. The drama becomes too diluted. I would have preferred if it was some sort of alien influence or even if they went with the hypothesis in the episode--that the barrier between reality and fiction was breaking down (something like that).

Granted, it's all derivative--but I guess we each have our own preferred forms! TNG and Voyager have trained me to dread holodeck stories and I guess that's still intact after all these years!

The execution of the creepy parts was fantastic! Goes to show that you don't need a huge SFx budget to make things scary!

 

[Tom]

Great episode! I feel like its 30 years ago again when i was enjoying similar episodes for the first time on TNG.

 

[137th Gebirg]

So apparently in this universe holodecks simply don't have safeties? Alara seems to get banged up a fair bit, and there's never any mention of the possibility that she can't really hurt herself. Unless we're to assume that her override also disabled any safeties.

I'm pretty sure that, yes, the "Directive 38" she used to override the Captain's authority and lock it down under her sole control pretty much seemed to give her complete domain over the environment. It would stand to reason that, as a part of her order to Isaac, to make the simulation as realistic as possible, which includes no safeties. Otherwise it wouldn't be an effective learning tool. It was for this same reason she had the Doc blank her memory of the fact that it was a simulation in the first place.

Perhaps there was a clue to that effect when the others came in with their dueling pistols and period costumes. As funny-as-shit as that was, there was also a message there, I think. They clearly are not going to kill each other in what is to be some kind of simulated dueling game. So, the safeties are there during normal everyday use and off only when they absolutely "need" to be, like in First Contact and Picard's extremely awesome Tommy Gun action against the Borg. There may also be different settings of intensity. Maybe it allows her to get banged up but death is avoided. That's getting a little too in-the-weeds for the purposes of the narrative, but it's almost certainly customizable based on the visible facts.

Alara was, quite simply, not fucking around. She has become one of my favorite characters on this show, which is difficult for me, because I really kind of love them all.

 

[Romulan_spy]

Granted, it's all derivative--but I guess we each have our own preferred forms! TNG and Voyager have trained me to dread holodeck stories and I guess that's still intact after all these years!

True but for me personally, I found the use of the holodeck to be more interesting than TNG and VOY. Here the holodeck actually served a purpose. This episode gives us a practical use for the holodeck as a training tool. At least, they did not have the holodeck malfunction that required the engineer to invert the holodeck's duatronic matrix or something to fix it.

 

[The Wormhole]

Okay, so it's a holodeck episode, but not really a malfunction story since everything is going exactly how Alara set it up to be. Sort of a reset, except the character development Alara got over the course of the episode was still with her at the end, so it's all good. But yeah, a great episode, which even if it became a bit predictable in the second half, starting with psycho Dr. Finn, and made definite with Gordon being eaten by the giant spider, was still a blast.

What is making this show stand out over Star Trek is this show is more character oriented. Where Star Trek would have wasted time with the technobabble and explaining what is going on, this focuses on Alara and how she deals with the crisis at hand and what it means to her. Also, I like that this is apparently the first death of a crewmember on the show and even though he is just a random redshirt, his death is still relevant to the story and we see it actually means something to the crew they've lost one of their own, even among characters who never really knew the guy. Definitely better than on Star Trek where redshirts are a dime a dozen, or in the case of Enterprise, unrealistically avoiding good guy deaths until the second season finale, and even then no one on the ship died until early third season.

This episode in particular definitely did a good job juggling drama and humour. I liked the bit in Chief Newton's eulogy where he made the joke and then added that Lt. Payne would have thought it funny so don't complain over it. It actually reminded me of several incidents here on Trek BBS. Plus the whole thing with Gordon, John, and eventually Bortus showing up at the holodeck while Alara was venting her feelings on the punching bag was hilarious. I especially liked Gordon's complaint about what's the point of making reservations, which for some reason really set me off laughing pretty hard.

 

[137th Gebirg]

This is also the first holodeck episode that really shows the audience how a holodeck works, or at least, how it looks to both the participant and those observing from above. You could see Alara "running" in place with the corridor "moving" around her, relative to her static position. Quite possibly the best visual display of how it functions...well...ever.

This show fucking rocks! Rated this ep as 5-stars excellent.

 

[The Wormhole]

This is also the first holodeck episode that really shows the audience how a holodeck works, or at least, how it looks to both the participant and those observing from above. You could see Alara "running" in place with the corridor "moving" around her, relative to her static position. Quite possibly the best visual display of how it functions...well...ever.

Oh yeah, that was cool. I was kind of surprised at how large the empty holodeck was. Maybe I'm misremembering, but I don't remember the one on Earth we see in the pilot being quite that big, and you'd think a holodeck in a planetary facility would be large than one on board a ship. A mid-range cruiser, at that.

 

[Mr Awe]

True but for me personally, I found the use of the holodeck to be more interesting than TNG and VOY. Here the holodeck actually served a purpose. This episode gives us a practical use for the holodeck as a training tool. At least, they did not have the holodeck malfunction that required the engineer to invert the holodeck's duatronic matrix or something to fix it.

We've seen that training use already in Discovery's not quite holodeck too. TNG actually had a good one where Geordi used the holodeck to deduce what was happening by incorporating scanner data to recreate something. I forget the story and details because it has been decades, but that was a great use.

I can see what you're saying and agree that there is at least a good characterization purpose behind it. However, the same purpose could've been served by it being aliens or some other phenomenon. She'd still have to overcome her fears.

I'll agree that this was a better than average holodeck story. Definite props to The Orville for that. But, man, it was really disappointing when after all the creepiness and mystery surrounding whatever was going on it was revealed that it was a fucking holodeck story. Yes, it was interesting why Alara did that, but there's still that disappointment.

 

[tharpdevenport]

The music too Undiscovered Country and Wrath of Kahn with a touch of Aliens.

And "Total Recall" (Goldsmith), and "Something Wicked This Way Comes" (Horner).

And the opening of the episode had ST: TNG-esque scoring.


John Debney really did a bang up job here.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Holodeck/suite? Mind control? Alternative reality? They are all the same to me. However, this episode had more tension than I would normally expect. I think what might have made the episode really hit home would have been if Isaac--or his alter-ego--were more clearly the antagonist. Holo-Isaac should have been more Holo-Moriarty, resolute, self-conscious, and merciless.Nonetheless, solid episode.

Halston Sage is a better actress than I had previously credited. Back when my son was still into all things Nickelodeon, I was forced to watch How to Rock a few times, and I found her atrocious. The fragile, but strong/magical girl thing has been done many times, and I generally hate it, but not here. Being focused on duty helps.

Penny Johnson, OTOH, was incredible. She was getting all sorts of weird lines around her mouth that were absolutely creepy. What great physical control!

Now, more Borteus and Klyden, please!

ETA: Picardo was cool, but Alara's mom was a dud. I keep imagining someone like Tovah Feldshuh.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I wasn't super crazy about the holodeck plot resolution but it was executed pretty well as far as these things go. Halston Sage really inhabits the role of Alara and the actress disappears and I always feel I'm really seeing the character.

 

[B.J.]

Really liked this episode! In fact, this one had my entire family fully engaged the whole time, which is a first for pretty much anything. Had several times where we reacted audibly too.

Damn creepy-ass clown.

 

[galad2003]

It was ok. I got kind of bored with it as it seemed to TNG. McFarlane is doing some nice world building, in showing how the holodeck works and showing us more of the ship. He clearly understands us nerd-fans love that stuff. I also dislike Alara's chracter as she is just to "millennial" to me. I hope I am not getting bored of this show.

 

[Photoman15]

At first, I thought the episode was going to reveal that there was an alien in the plasma storm that got trapped on the ship and was tormenting the crew but I am glad that they did not go that route because it would have been too derivative of TNG. I actually found the holodeck reveal to be a pleasant twist.

At one point I thought that everything took place in Alara's mind while she was hesitating to run thru the fire to save Payne. Then she snapped out of it and saved him. Oh well....

 

[Mudd]

Yeah, I was expecting, with considerable disappointment, that it was a space anomaly or alien from the plasma storm.

Loved the opening navigating the plasma storm, BTW.

At the point Claire kills Park I was just about certain that we were in an hallucination/illusion of some kind, and when Gordon dies, we know for sure that what's happening isn't rea. I didn't go to the holodeck explanation early on because - despite that the events were clearly tied back to Alara's moment of fear - the question was whose program?

 

[Forbin]

Ya know what would have been a good gag - the giant spider eats Gordon, chomps down, and his new leg gets left behind as the spider runs off.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Ya know what would have been a good gag - the giant spider eats Gordon, chomps down, and his new leg gets left behind as the spider runs off.

That reminds me, I thought it was odd that surgery was his phobia since he seemed to handle the leg thing pretty calmly.

 

[Mudd]

You notice how much more casual the attitude is toward Miraculous Future Medicine than in Trek?

Lop off a leg, grow 'em a new one - just another a day at the doctor's office.

Shot in the chest? A field medical kit will fix you up in a minute or two.

Want to forget something? Short-term mind wipe, like they do it every day. Altering memories seems potentially problematic, but no one bats an eyelash.

 

[Gryffindorian]

I agree with Alara's dad - humans are the hillbillies of the galaxy!

The clown wasn't creepy at first glance but looked vicious when he attacked Alara at the cargo hold. This episode reminded me of TNG's "Night Terrors."

 

[Mr Awe]

Yeah, I was expecting, with considerable disappointment, that it was a space anomaly or alien from the plasma storm.

Instead it was the disappointing holodeck resolution. It became apparent early on that it had to be one of those things--so pick your poison. I had some small hope that they'd be able to find some big surprise resolution that didn't cover such well trodden ground. Alas, that probably wasn't possible.

The characterization and overall creepiness was excellent though.