THE ORVILLE: S1, E7: "MAJORITY RULE"

Yep, I do think this episode was an excellent allegory on our modern social media phenomena.

 

McFarlane says he wrote this episode while reading the book So You've Been Publicly Shamed.

 

Isn't that a flaw of the episode: that it didn't fully address how prejudicial such types of voting can be? Lamarr and Alara made undeniable faux-pas that in some countries might have criminal consequences. Social media allows disapproval to be registered for true trivialities. How many downvotes have I seen for a bad microphone or a little "giggling" from a woman!

 

You don't think the episode addressed that?

 

The root cause of downvotes was always shown to be real faux pas.

 

I think it did a good job of saying how prejudicial it could be. In LaMarr's case, an out of context viral video was shown on a screen before he came out to apologize, the audience was primed after it was described who the statue was representing and before he spoke one host hit his downvote button, all without a word coming out of his mouth.

In fact, not only did it show how prejudicial that manner of voting could be in that instance, the briefing room scene near the end discussed it, as well as demonstrating how the media has a role in making prejudicial decisions, just from something out of context.

 

As I noted above, the root causes of the downvotes were real faux pas, things that could be considered illegal in some countries: treatment and desecration of symbols and monuments, cultural appropriation, clothing. What happened afterward is that the case was put to the public as to whether the individual could be saved, as if they were pleading for mercy, which is not unlike what happens in a criminal trial. It was a multi-step process.

 

That was something else that was interesting in this episode: they don't have lawyers. They have publicity agents to groom them for the apology tours.

 

If they stopped doing prequels, I would love more Star Trek too, and while I enjoy Discovery, it still doesn't feel like Star Trek to me.

 

An idea that deserved more attention as well.

 

I agree.

 

Orville always seems to give a whole lot in every episode. On the one hand, I always find thing to like. On the other, something don't get addressed as deeply as they could.

(Conversely, I think that Discovery doles things out very slowly, though well.)

 

With The Orville, it feels like more episodes have passed, just due to the amount of what's being put into each episode. That isn't a complaint at all, in that I love the series and it has the feel of what I like from a Sci-Fi adventure.

 

Yeah, that was nice. And influencing elections by spamming news feeds has in fact happened in the real world. Within the past, uh, year in fact.

Indeed.

 

I much prefer the fast-paced, once-over lightly style of The Orville to the ruminating style of modern Trek - it's probably another reason I embraced AbramsTrek so wholeheartedly.

I looked at the clock at 9:47 last evening and wondered "They haven't even gotten to the sentencing - how are they going to rescue John and wrap all of this up?" And the answer was: entirely satisfactorily, that's how.

And I, too, could get very excited about a new Star Trek series - don't need one, ain't really missing it, but would love it if they do another good one. I'd rather they stick to the TOS era myself, though.

 

An enjoyable episode. Very trek-like. A handful.of tweaks would be needed to make it fit

I do.think there has.to.be some value in the up vote to offset down votes even.though not.stated.

 

I've always wanted them to explore the movie era. So much more ground to cover and you really don't have to worry about continuity. It's either that, or after Voyager.

 

Well, the movie era is more or less TOS era, just as the Discovery era is - in either case we're talking about a world where Kirk and Spock are out there somewhere serving on starships. So yeah.

 

I always saw it more of a transition between Star Trek and TNG, especially all that time after TUC.

 

I quite enjoyed it. So very Star Treky!

My main objection is how those two idiot pilots act when going undercover.
They are a cacophony and their juvenile "jokes" are awful.
They are not even funny, they just behave like morons.
The best humor in the series so far, comes from Bortus.