THE ORVILLE S2, E2: "PRIMAL URGES"

[The Wormhole]

I don't know. This episode was kind of all over the place. The Bortus stuff was good, with the seen with him meeting the giant alien porn dealer easily the highlight of the show. And the interactions between Bortus and Isaac were really interesting to watch, I especially liked the part where Bortus said he was glad he wasn't like Isaac. And of course the Moclan porn fantasies were amusing, with the lakeside orgy especially standing out.

But the rest of the episode, meh, I'm okay with the stuff with the planet getting little attention since we got character stuff instead, but I really could have done without the porn program carrying a virus that nearly led to the ship's destruction. It reminded me too much of TNG which pulled that storyline too often. Granted, it works better here since 1) This is just a run of the mill ship and not the state of the art flagship and 2) All the virus really did was disable key systems, it was only due to the ship's location that destruction was possible. Still, that part could have been easily excised with more attention given to Bortus and Klyden's marital problems or the planet and its people.

And I know MacFarlane said that the reason why the order was switched with this coming after Ja'loja was because Ja'loja was supposed to come first, but really, I find this one might have made a bit more sense after Ja'loja. At the very least, Ed and Kelly being so casual with each other seems rather odd after last week. Ah well.

 

[rocketdave]

Human erogenous zones include areas like the ears. That said, why are Ferengi attracted to human women? That seems a little lazy to have them attracted to humans other humans would find sexually attractive.

I've always just assumed that Ferengi are not so discriminating when it comes to physical differences. I could even imagine Quark listing that as one of the ways that his culture is ostensibly superior to humanity.

 

[Amaris]

It makes perfect sense for Ferengi men to want human women that other humans are attracted to. To them those females would hold more value and the Ferengi are after all about acquisition.

Lazy? No. Great well thought out writing I'd say.

I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

I've always just assumed that Ferengi are not so discriminating when it comes to physical differences. I could even imagine Quark listing that as one of the ways that his culture is ostensibly superior to humanity.

It just feels like lazy writing, though, don't you think? Why would aliens be interested in humans? Why do we humanize these aliens?

 

[picardjean-luc]

I think I would have probably liked the episode more if the B-plot about trying to save the survivors on the endangered planet had been the main focus and they'd given less time to Bortus' porn addiction. To be totally honest, the various simulations made me pretty uncomfortable... but if they had to do an episode about porn, maybe it's good that it centered around the lumpy alien's fantasies, because then it's less likely to be accused of being exploitative or titillating at the same time that they're trying to deal with a serious issue (although I'm sure there have to have been some viewers out there who found Bortus' kinky scenarios appealing).

Second this strongly. I'm also saddened to see that 35 people from the planet perished when it was swallowed by the nova yet they were not mentioned at all during the episode's final segment.

The rescue attempt should've been made front and center of the episode. The fact that not all the planet inhabitants could be rescued - as they only had one shuttlecraft and no transporters - and the aftermath of the rescue.

Perhaps a scene involving the leader's husband with either Mercer or Bortus thanking them for the rescue despite him losing his wife - would've made this a much better episode IMHO.

 

[Jayson1]

I'm sorry, that's incorrect.


It just feels like lazy writing, though, don't you think? Why would aliens be interested in humans? Why do we humanize these aliens?

Fetish I would imagine. Humans being into aliens as well. It might be seen as the most kinky thing possible especially since we are talking about years into a future where porn has been around so long that you would literally be running out of new idea's on how to top whatever thing that comes next.

Jason

 

[eschaton]

Not at all alien. They wrote a clever communication barrier into the episode, but the aliens were to all appearances motivated and behaved like human beings.

If you don't think that example is alien enough, there's other examples in every Trek:

TOS: Horta, Medusans, Tholians
TNG: Farpoint Station, Sheliak, Calamarains, Devidians,
DS9: The Prophets
VOY: Ba'Neth, Cytoplasmic Lifeform (Nothing Human)
ENT: Aliens in Vox Sola
DIS: Pahvans, Tardigrade

Basically, Trek has two ways that it uses aliens. Typically they are written as characters - particularly if played by a human. But quite often they are basically plot devices - either totally non-communicative or communicating in such a cryptic manner that nothing of their personality is clear.

 

[Mudd]

Yes, but as you point out, the "alien aliens" aren't characters. They're plot devices.

As soon as they begin talking intelligibly with the human characters, they're human.

The Tholians were alien looking, but when Loskeen got on video with Spock he had a human personality.

There are no alien characters in Star Trek.

 

[Mudd]

The rescue attempt should've been made front and center of the episode. The fact that not all the planet inhabitants could be rescued - as they only had one shuttlecraft and no transporters - and the aftermath of the rescue.

That sort of thing's been done over and over in Star Trek. Unless they can bring something fresh and, honestly, kind of funny to it, The Orville really doesn't need to do that one right now.

They gave it probably ten to fifteen minutes of screen time, and that was more than enough.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I've gotten confused. Is alien porn suppose to be a good or bad thing?

Jason

It's a good thing in moderation.

 

[eschaton]

Yes, but as you point out, the "alien aliens" aren't characters. They're plot devices.

As soon as they begin talking intelligibly with the human characters, they're human.

The Tholians were alien looking, but when Loskeen got on video with Spock he had a human personality.

There are no alien characters in Star Trek.

I've said this before elsewhere on the forum, but if I were in charge of a total Trek reboot, I'd eliminate the "ancient humanoids" lore, and establish that the main humanoid races are all just humans. Basically handwave that the Iconians built a galaxy-wide empire 200,000 years ago, taking early modern humans from Earth and genetically modifying them in various ways to use as a labor force (or even just for the lulz) across the galaxy. This helps explain why the humanoid form is so common, why seemingly all humanoid races can interbreed, and there don't seem to be many inherent biological differences between the psychologies of the various Trek races.

 

[Mudd]

So, who did Billingsley play in this, the doctor who's up for giving Bortus an injection?

 

[Finn]

According to IMDb, he won't show until the next episode

 

[picardjean-luc]

So, who did Billingsley play in this, the doctor who's up for giving Bortus an injection?

Based on the promo trailers, I believe he will appear in the "Home" episode.

Spoiler

He seems to play a Xelayan intruder who crashes into Alara's parents house, shoots Ed, and engages in a fight with Alara.

 

[Owain Taggart]

I liked it quite a bit more than Sunday's episode. It was overall an episode with tighter writing.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Bloody Hell, this is why I love Orville. Bortus has quite a range of sex fantasies going on there, from his submissive dungeon scenario to the hedonistic oasis orgy. But as hilarious, and oddly touching, as all that was, the scenes of John, Dan, and Isaac desperately trying to save the ship while being stroked and nuzzled by horny Moclan porn holograms was the highlight of my week. I wonder what percentage of the simulator database is dedicated to erotica. I'm sure most of the crew have something funky going on in there. I know I would. Not with Moclans, of course. I'd be more likely to-- but I digress.

On the flip side of that, in true Orville fashion, we have the heartbreaking reasons for Bortus's career-endangering and life-threatening porn addiction. He still hasn't come to terms with his baby's sex change or Klyden's part in it. The scene with Dr Finn acting as counselor, bringing it all out in the open, was great. Especially the dramatic shift of Klyden coming in as the injured party and suddenly realizing what his part really was in Bortus's breakdown. Watching the Moclans act out what is essentially a very common and universal relationship crisis in their characteristically blunt and prosaic manner was both hilarious and poignant.

The B-plot involving the rescue of the planet's last survivors was not well developed and should have been given its own episode, if it needed to be done at all. Given the weight and excitement previewed for the upcoming first contact episode, it was dramatically unproductive to throw an inconceivably tragic first contact situation like this in ahead of it. There were plot holes aplenty, and very little attention was given to the horrific dilemma of leaving behind more than half of a civilization's remaining population, even while rescuing a handful of people with no more than the clothes on their backs, who have nothing left of their lives or world or culture, and who do not even represent a viable breeding population. What will become of them?

Also, on the subject of plot holes, the computer virus was not really necessary to the overall plot, providing only a little exaggerated drama at the end. What was so special about the Moclan Oasis Orgy program that Bortus needed to go to a shady Tardigrade for it? "Computer, give me an idyllic pond and a half dozen horny hunks." Easy peasy.

But, structural quibbles aside, it was still a very enjoyable episode (and another reminder of how easy it would be for CBS to do real Star Trek). Gordon, Alara, and Grayson didn't have a lot to do-- and Grayson was acting like kind of a jerk for no apparent reason-- but the season is young.

 

[Skipper]

You know what I liked?

I liked not having to listen to some goddamned bloodless, ritual debate over the fucking Prime Directive before Mercer and Grayson decided to swoop in and try to rescue those survivors.

That's a kind of masturbation that Star Trek can keep to itself, thank you very much.

You are so right. Thank God. "Do we have to kill an entire civilization for some nebulous reason?"

 

[picardjean-luc]

The B-plot involving the rescue of the planet's last survivors was not well developed and should have been given its own episode, if it needed to be done at all. Given the weight and excitement previewed for the upcoming first contact episode, it was dramatically unproductive to throw an inconceivably tragic first contact situation like this in ahead of it. There were plot holes aplenty, and very little attention was given to the horrific dilemma of leaving behind more than half of a civilization's remaining population, even while rescuing a handful of people with no more than the clothes on their backs, who have nothing left of their lives or world or culture, and who do not even represent a viable breeding population. What will become of them?

Second this. As I have argued earlier, the rescue shouldve been given more time in the episode instead of just 10 to 15 minutes it received in the series.

Since unlike in Trek-verse, PU starships don't have transporters, it was obvious the planet's survivors cannot be simply transported away at the very last second as in TOS or TNG style-rescues. As only 30 survivors out of 75 can be rescued by the shuttle, more of them actually died when the sun went nova than those who were rescued by the Orville.

This tragic situation and its implications for the survivors is something that has never been explored by Trek (again because of transporters). I believe there was an opportunity to explore the rescue and its aftermath that was missed in the.episode as most of the episodes were instead directed for Bortus and his addictions. I think more viewers wouldve liked the episode had more time were given to the former instead of the latter as involved the ethical dilemma classic Trek fans wouldve appreciated.

 

[picardjean-luc]

You are so right. Thank God. "Do we have to kill an entire civilization for some nebulous reason?"

Second this. This was the reason I didn't like "Pen Pals" the TNG episode where a natural disaster resulting in a mass extinction of a planet that I believe have some parallels with 'Primal Urges.'

I never understood why such a rational, highly intelligence Capt like Picard who at other times were willing to violate the PD for humanitarian reasons suddenly decided to ban Data.from rescuing his "pen pals" who lived in the doomed planet, citing PD as the reason, then decided to do a 180 degree turnaround and rescued the planet inhabitants in the last few minutes of the episode.

Glad that PD doesn't exist in the Orville-verse so the crew can make the most common sensical decision in a humanitarian disaster like this.

 

[Mudd]

Because GR insisted on it.

 

[Mudd]

I think more viewers wouldve liked the episode had more time were given to the former instead of the latter as involved the ethical dilemma classic Trek fans wouldve appreciated.

I can't speak for what others might want - just for myself. I liked the story that they did, and sure didn't miss having the focus on the aliens of the week. They can do that another time.

For that matter, this week they revisited the emotional aftermath of what was done to Topa, and there's a strong likelihood that we're going to see pretty direct fallout from Ed killing all those Kriil. So maybe they'll just let the survivor story here "breathe" a little.