THE ORVILLE S2, E7: "DEFLECTORS"

[RJDiogenes]

If you want credit for teaching you need to say things that are challenging to *your* audience.

I agree, and I'd love to see that, but I don't think Orville is really about teaching-- I don't think people are really teachable on either the Right or the Left in the current political climate. I'm just happy enough to have a show where stories with meaning are the norm.

Anyone else disappointed Cassius got dumped so quickly?

Yes, but I'm not entirely convinced that we've seen the last of him. I just hope they do something relatively interesting with him, like make him another Krill agent, and don't just make him a cliched stalker or something.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Anyone else disappointed Cassius got dumped so quickly?

It seems they didn't want people getting attached to anyone but Mercer and Kelly.

Um, Kelly had already indicated that the reason she was pursuing a relationship with someone else was because of the whole scenario in TNG "Lessons." She explicitly put out a thought experiment to Ed that demonstrated that their relationship might compromise the chain of command. That telegraphed her breakup with Cassius.

 

[Nakita Akita]

Anyone else disappointed Cassius got dumped so quickly?

It seems they didn't want people getting attached to anyone but Mercer and Kelly.

On Star Trek Next Generation, they had a different pilot every other week.
I'm seeing Kelly and Ed as the being the new pilot every other week.
Except nothing, it seems, has to blowup and kill their replaceable boy/girl friends.

 

[Nakita Akita]

After we finished watching it, my son and I talked about the TNG episode where Worf killed Duras, and Picard read him the riot act about what it meant to join Starfleet (before he got off consequence free). During the episode I commented a couple of times about how life imprisonment for having a different sexual orientation should be such a basic violation of rights as to perhaps prevent entry into the union.

I actually think exploring this storyline more could very interesting.

Exploring it in what way?
When I watch the show it seems pretty black and white.

 

[1001001]

Exploring it in what way?
When I watch the show it seems pretty black and white.

Exploring it in a few ways, I guess.

- Why does the Union need the Moclans so much? Is it just defense against the Krill?
- Ed spoke of how the differences were "to the core of our values" (or something to that effect). Will these two events (the divorce stabbing, the life imprisonment) have any further consequences (besides causing Ed and Kelly to reexamine their beliefs about the Moclans)?
- What would happen if a majority of planets decided to expel a member?

They've done almost no world building when it comes to the Union. We know next to nothing about the macro-level functioning of this alliance. That could be explored too.

 

[Mudd]

I really hope the show doesn't wander off into the weeds exploring the details of its fictional setting, which is scribbling in the margins. It was when Trek started to take the Federation seriously that it started to deteriorate, at least partly because the folks involved seemed to be either satisfied with - or else found it expedient in order to avoid audience confusion - to based everything about the alleged future off of the closest contemporary or recent historical analogy they could. So we wind up with a Federation Charter "Seventh Guarantee" which maps directly to the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Keep everything vague, general and in the background. I do not care how many planets are in the Union or any of that nonsense.*

*I was told while on a story assignment that Gene Roddenberry deliberately refused to define the size of the Federation - "It could be ten thousand worlds, or two dozen" - which was fucking brilliant. Sadly, not long after his wishes ceased to be a factor we were given a number, which was of course based directly on the number of U.N. members.

 

[JD]

Anyone else disappointed Cassius got dumped so quickly?

It seems they didn't want people getting attached to anyone but Mercer and Kelly.

Yeah, I was. I liked Cassius.
Oh and I forgot to mention in my other posts that I loved the flower guy.

Halston "Alara" Sage had to leave because she was dating her boss IRL.

There's probably been a zero tolerance policy in play since Bill O'Reilly and Robert Ailes left FOX.

Hasn't this already been disproved several times in at least a couple other Orville threads?

 

[Charles Phipps]

Sage is in a number of movies that are bigger parts than in the Orville too.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Which sounds like a payoff for forcing her to leave.

I don't go into a lot of Orville threads @JD

I googled, and it told me that they still may be dating and they they were dating, and the FOX HR may be involved.

The only thing we know for sure is that Sage left the Orville.

 

[Charles Phipps]

While that may be a way, there's also possibly, "Sage saw a chance to be a bigger actress in a couple of movies and wanted to be written off."

Which happens. See Supergirl and Downton Abbey.

 

[The Wormhole]

Anyone else disappointed Cassius got dumped so quickly?

I'm not sure disappointed is the word I used, but aside from the premiere he's only really had a bit part in the episodes he's been in, meaning I didn't really have a chance to give a shit about him in order for their break-up to mean anything to me.

I will say that I'm surprised Kelly tolerated his sending text messages every hour wanting to talk and even getting a friend to break into her quarters on his behalf without any consequences. That's not the sort of shit anyone should have to deal with from their ex. Even today among ordinary civilians, a guy doing that to his ex-girlfriend would end up with at least a restraining order. But a civilian contractor doing that to a military officer and the ship's second in command? How in the hell is that not punished?

 

[EmoBorg]

Exploring it in a few ways, I guess.

- Why does the Union need the Moclans so much? Is it just defense against the Krill?
- Ed spoke of how the differences were "to the core of our values" (or something to that effect). Will these two events (the divorce stabbing, the life imprisonment) have any further consequences (besides causing Ed and Kelly to reexamine their beliefs about the Moclans)?
- What would happen if a majority of planets decided to expel a member?

They've done almost no world building when it comes to the Union. We know next to nothing about the macro-level functioning of this alliance. That could be explored too.

The Moclans are the lesser of two evils. They have a very rigid social system on their planet but at least they are not religious xenophobic expansionists like the Krill. I think it was mentioned in season 1 that one of their main exports is weapons. Maybe the Union needs their weapon technology.

 

[eschaton]

It's honestly weird as hell the Moclans aren't xenophobes. After all, internally speaking, they very much condemn both the existence of women and hetrosexual relationships. Yet they seem to have no problem whatsoever dealing with women and men who are attracted to women from numerous other races.

This almost doesn't compute. It would be as if we went out into space, discovered that every other race engaged in pedophilia, and just shrugged and said whatev as long as they didn't touch our kids.

 

[Amaris]

It's honestly weird as hell the Moclans aren't xenophobes. After all, internally speaking, they very much condemn both the existence of women and hetrosexual relationships. Yet they seem to have no problem whatsoever dealing with women and men who are attracted to women from numerous other races.

This almost doesn't compute. It would be as if we went out into space, discovered that every other race engaged in pedophilia, and just shrugged and said whatev as long as they didn't touch our kids.

Why not? It's how the U.S. does things. Look at our relationship with Saudi Arabia.

 

[Nakita Akita]

I'm not sure disappointed is the word I used, but aside from the premiere he's only really had a bit part in the episodes he's been in, meaning I didn't really have a chance to give a shit about him in order for their break-up to mean anything to me.

I will say that I'm surprised Kelly tolerated his sending text messages every hour wanting to talk and even getting a friend to break into her quarters on his behalf without any consequences. That's not the sort of shit anyone should have to deal with from their ex. Even today among ordinary civilians, a guy doing that to his ex-girlfriend would end up with at least a restraining order. But a civilian contractor doing that to a military officer and the ship's second in command? How in the hell is that not punished?

Because Kelly is a strong woman so she doesn't have to run to the authorities going "waa waaa waaaa"

 

[Charles Phipps]

Why not? It's how the U.S. does things. Look at our relationship with Saudi Arabia.

Pretty much my idea. The Moclans just want to be left alone to do their thing.

Which is problematic when minority Moclans go, "HELP!"

 

[Mudd]

Yeah, the "no dating policy" stuff is complete and unmitigated bullshit.

 

[Jayson1]

After we finished watching it, my son and I talked about the TNG episode where Worf killed Duras, and Picard read him the riot act about what it meant to join Starfleet (before he got off consequence free). During the episode I commented a couple of times about how life imprisonment for having a different sexual orientation should be such a basic violation of rights as to perhaps prevent entry into the union.

I actually think exploring this storyline more could very interesting.

I think the Moclans would be kicked out if they weren't so valuable. In the same way countries deal with countries that support human rights abuses in the name for oil I think that is what they are setting up for the two parter. To kick them out would create a fundamental change in the politics of the galaxy and maybe even lead to war if they go into business with the Krill or maybe even on their own.

There is also the fact that you got to assume many innocent Moclans, many who don't believe in these bad things would be hurt in the process as well. Of course I kind of just wonder where Bortus would go pee at next year if they get kicked out and he stays with the ship.


Jason

 

[Jayson1]

I really hope the show doesn't wander off into the weeds exploring the details of its fictional setting, which is scribbling in the margins. It was when Trek started to take the Federation seriously that it started to deteriorate, at least partly because the folks involved seemed to be either satisfied with - or else found it expedient in order to avoid audience confusion - to based everything about the alleged future off of the closest contemporary or recent historical analogy they could. So we wind up with a Federation Charter "Seventh Guarantee" which maps directly to the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Keep everything vague, general and in the background. I do not care how many planets are in the Union or any of that nonsense.*

*I was told while on a story assignment that Gene Roddenberry deliberately refused to define the size of the Federation - "It could be ten thousand worlds, or two dozen" - which was fucking brilliant. Sadly, not long after his wishes ceased to be a factor we were given a number, which was of course based directly on the number of U.N. members.

• Can't we agree that we all need to know Captain Mercer's Locker Number and also need to see a tech manuel of the ship!

Jason

 

[Marc]

It's honestly weird as hell the Moclans aren't xenophobes. After all, internally speaking, they very much condemn both the existence of women and hetrosexual relationships. Yet they seem to have no problem whatsoever dealing with women and men who are attracted to women from numerous other races.

This almost doesn't compute. It would be as if we went out into space, discovered that every other race engaged in pedophilia, and just shrugged and said whatev as long as they didn't touch our kids.

It's an internal cultural matter. It was said in the episode that Moclas was a very harsh planet and the Moclans have only managed to survive by following strict cultural rules.

They don't want inflict them on other species but mearly want ensure Moclans are still around in the 26th century.