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THE ORVILLE S2, E6: "A HAPPY REFRAIN"

It's true, as has been said, that Jerald is the MVP of this series.
I know you don't care for DS9, but she was great on that show, too. Among other things, she delivered one of the funnier and more naturally human bits of dialogue ever on Star Trek:

Sisko: "I am a Starfleet officer. The paragon of virtue."
Kasidy: "You're more like a parody of virtue."
 
The thing about "In Theory" was that it had to be from Data's point of view, it involved a disposable character we would never see again, and it had to be buttoned up by the end of the episode.

About twenty minutes into this show I realized how much more interesting it was that both of the characters are people we already know and will keep seeing, and that the story of the human being trying to make it work with this machine was far more intriguing than the other way around.

It's true, as has been said, that Jerald is the MVP of this series.
Exactly. The fault of In Theory is how disposable they make the human, & by that, I mean she really has no investment, so much so that she actually kind of undercuts a lot of Data's development in her remarks about what she perceives are his limitations. He actually gets short changed as a character, because she needs to be written off so easily, & the episode falls a little flat because of it. They write her as almost delusional for even considering it

At least here we get more investment from a character point of view
 
The episode was so heartwarming, so full of life and love, and so very well done. This is what I look for in shows like these: positivity, love, character growth, exploring new concepts or at least examining them up close, and yes, even though TNG tried one episode of this with Data, that one pales in comparison to what The Orville has created here. Seeing Mark Jackson "come to life" was definitely awe inspiring, and I was so excited about where the episode was heading.

I love the little "B" story about Bortus' mustache, but I'm glad it didn't get in the way of the "A" story. The fun scenes where Isaac was trying to make the right decisions in planning each date was so much fun, and it was delightful to watch him try to succeed where he was out of his depth. It made him more personable, which can only be a good thing as far as I'm concerned. The ending was so sweet, I just loved it, and I laughed at Malloy's "we are the weirdest ship in the fleet" comment.

As for Isaac and Claire, I hope their relationship lasts, and I can't wait to see what's next.


This episode gets an A+. Fantastic.
 
So Bortus is now a moustache man. How manly of him. :)
I really enjoyed this episode, even if nothing significant happened. Some really good lines in it.
The rain thing was odd at the end. I’m sure things on the bridge are water proof.
 
So Bortus is now a moustache man. How manly of him. :)
I really enjoyed this episode, even if nothing significant happened. Some really good lines in it.
The rain thing was odd at the end. I’m sure things on the bridge are water proof.
I wouldn't agree nothing significant happened. I guess it depends upon what you're looking for in the show. For me, these interpersonal developments are the bread and butter of any show, and I loved how effectively the dynamic was used here. Were there galaxy altering events? Not really, but I'm an old romantic, and so for me what conspired was nothing short of beautiful. This is my favorite episode of the series.
 
Personally, I loved this episode. I watched most of it with a big goofy smile on my face, and the ending made me a bit misty eyed. In general I feel like these character-driven episodes have become the main strength of The Orville. Their somewhat irreverent tone, and the greater humor quotient, gives them a chance to do things with Isaac that TNG never would have done when Data had a "girlfriend" in the episode In Theory.

I also appreciated the inversion that took place over the course of the episode. When it started out it seemed like Claire was the object, and Isaac was the subject. That was interesting, but Claire's infatuation was building for some time, so it wasn't that surprising. But in the end this was really an episode about Issac. He was the one who ended the episode (we presume, since there is no reset button on The Orville) having made a realization about himself and grown as a person.

This is the best episode that The Orville has done yet. Aside from the clumsy technobabble scene Issac had with Mercer, the episode had no flaws.
 
The Claire Finn character is pretty much the reason I haven’t relegated this show to the “maybe I’ll watch it when it’s on Netflix Canada someday” category and once again the character, and the actor’s performance, pull it through. My favourite episodes have been those where she (often with Isaac) is front and centre. As long as that happens reasonably often, I’ll keep watching.

Easily the best episode of the series to me.
 
They're much shorter than the normal network commercial breaks.
Most of them are under 2 minutes.
But by having shorter breaks, they then need to have them more often, no? Ultimately it's more disruptive imho. Hell, I'd rather watch a show that does a 15 minute mid-show intermission, but that's never going to happen, because we'd stop watching until they came back. Shorter breaks, that happen more often is a tactic to keep you stuck watching them, am I right? How is disclaiming that they do that, at the top of the show, qualify as a bragging right? :guffaw:
 
But by having shorter breaks, they then need to have them more often, no? Ultimately it's more disruptive imho. Hell, I'd rather watch a show that does a 15 minute mid-show intermission, but that's never going to happen, because we'd stop watching until they came back. Shorter breaks, that happen more often is a tactic to keep you stuck watching them, am I right? How is disclaiming that they do that, at the top of the show, qualify as a bragging right? :guffaw:
In the UK it’s like that. A hour long show is split into three commercial breaks every 15 minutes. A half hour show only has one.
 

Those lines are old clichés but Mark Jackson's Isaac voice and way of talking, along with the visual made me laugh out loud.

Great episode. I really enjoyed it. Definitely The Orville's version of In Theory but it far exceeded that episode in every way. I like that this entire episode focused on Claire and Isaac and both actors delivered. They were also complimented by a terrific musical score, which is becoming one of my favorite elements of the show.

Love the idea of a traveling orchestra visiting Union starships. Loved the visual of Isaac entering a bowling alley.

I know I should have been expecting it but Norm MacDonald appearing in the flesh as Yaphit's human counterpart surprised me and was hilarious. Norm has always been a strange-looking guy and that's only accelerated since he's gotten older.
 
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I thought that episode was charming, except for the Raining on the bridge part. That ship should be damaged after that scene. Everything else though was great. Probably my favorite episode of the season, even though the Alara leaving episode was still really great.
 
But by having shorter breaks, they then need to have them more often, no? Ultimately it's more disruptive imho. Hell, I'd rather watch a show that does a 15 minute mid-show intermission, but that's never going to happen, because we'd stop watching until they came back. Shorter breaks, that happen more often is a tactic to keep you stuck watching them, am I right? How is disclaiming that they do that, at the top of the show, qualify as a bragging right? :guffaw:

I think the point they're making is that there's actually less commercials in total. The first season episodes averaged 44 minutes and the second season's are 48.
 
A major difference between Orville and Discovery, based on the two shows I watched yesterday, is how they film the episodes. Orville is more enjoyable for me, as the people involved feel that the world around the characters is as important as the characters, that it is its own character. There are no weird angles, no frentic editing, distracting you from the world.
 
Speaking of bananas, what happened to the anti-banana Ray? With the creator dead does that mean it’s lost?
 
I agree with all....

and dang, imagine TNG doing an orchestra in the main shuttlebay instead of twelve people including the main characters watching Data tell a poem about Spot in Ten Forward. Talk about an missed opportunity.
Wasn't that wonderful?
 
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