THE ORVILLE S2, E7: "DEFLECTORS"
- Thread starter Mudd
- Start date
I would have thought so too, but the way the story was presented was too obvious to be as clever as I think they wanted it to be. Cutting away from Klyden's confrontation with Locar before anything happened, and then having a rather suspicious recording "confirm" what seemed most likely was just too pat - and not an unfamiliar kind of misdirection.
The double meaning for the title is a reach.
It was a nice bit of foreshadowing if it's intended that Moclan society being all male conformers is something that's propaganda enforced by their government and it's a deliberate fabrication.
"Moclans are all male."
"Really?"
"Yes, only 1 in 50 Moclans are born female."
"Wait, hold on, that's 2% of your population. That's not an insignificant number at all."
"Yes, 2% are reported female and are made male."
"Reported female?"
"Yes, we are all content with male-male relationships. Except for the deviants. They are attracted to women."
"How big a percentage are those?"
"This interview is over."
"Moclans are all male."
"Really?"
"Yes, only 1 in 50 Moclans are born female."
"Wait, hold on, that's 2% of your population. That's not an insignificant number at all."
"Yes, 2% are reported female and are made male."
"Reported female?"
"Yes, we are all content with male-male relationships. Except for the deviants. They are attracted to women."
"How big a percentage are those?"
"This interview is over."
Well, evidently early on it was titled "Shields," which is sufficiently general and colloquial that IMO the dual meaning would have worked better.
Hell, the very fact the Moclans identify as male when they're hermaphrodites is something notable.
Klyden was given a working male reproductive system.
1. The entire egg process is recent genetic modification after some kind of fertility crisis... so it is very easy to tack on an egg pouch and fertility Canon to either cis gender. Klyden is still genetically female and all the changes made to him were cosmetic.
2. Klyden was genetically modified to male. All of his dna was changed. He is cis gender male.
3. 50 percent or greater of the population are born female and altered to appear male but only a male and an altered female can make an egg.
4. There is no biological mixing to make eggs. Men make eggs alone. It doesn't matter that Klyden was born female and might still have a lot of female parts under the hood because he didn't fertilize bortus.
5. Neither of these boys supplied genetic information to their child. Eggs could be implanted into babies near birth because of a not so recent fertility crisis.
Last edited:
I think you guys are way off base with the "what should have been done about Cassius" question.
He wasn't even breaking and entering or whatever, was he? Didn't he have a key?
Kelly made the decision extremely abruptly and seemingly out of the blue (to him, we as viewers recognize the parallels she saw between her and Ed that caused her to act). It's pretty understandable that he would think she might change her mind or reconsider after a day or two.
And then when he realized that she wouldn't, he literally moved away. If it was meant to be taken more seriously, the show would have taken it more seriously. It was simply meant to advance the Ed/Kelly plot in the background of a more serious story.
He wasn't even breaking and entering or whatever, was he? Didn't he have a key?
Kelly made the decision extremely abruptly and seemingly out of the blue (to him, we as viewers recognize the parallels she saw between her and Ed that caused her to act). It's pretty understandable that he would think she might change her mind or reconsider after a day or two.
And then when he realized that she wouldn't, he literally moved away. If it was meant to be taken more seriously, the show would have taken it more seriously. It was simply meant to advance the Ed/Kelly plot in the background of a more serious story.
I love "The Orville," but this was a pretty flat episode for me. Using straight people as a metaphor for gay people is the kind of writing that should be left to early-season TNG.
The only thing I really liked about this episode was Talla, and the bread crumbs of her backstory the episode tossed us.
I also now absolutely abhor Klyden, and just want him blown into space.
The only thing I really liked about this episode was Talla, and the bread crumbs of her backstory the episode tossed us.
I also now absolutely abhor Klyden, and just want him blown into space.
Creepy? Let's talk creepy.
I'd rather have a circus clown at the foot of my bed. Or Cassius; a clown's a clown.
No one on this ship ever locks a door. Does this tell us something about 25th century Earth culture?
There's something really off about Isaac. He's an alien machine wearing a human suit.
I'd rather have a circus clown at the foot of my bed. Or Cassius; a clown's a clown.
No one on this ship ever locks a door. Does this tell us something about 25th century Earth culture?
There's something really off about Isaac. He's an alien machine wearing a human suit.
I found it rather repelling myself.
Also, who else is waiting for the Moclan child to decide s/he wants to go back to being female?
Bortus laid the egg, and gave birth in episode 2?
It's been a year for us, but unless there's a lot of downtime (The Kelly is a god episode took months, and so did the Kelly has a star sign) it's been less than a year since the ship left "spacedock" but that kid looks 7 or 8 years old, if he were human.
Topa is going to be a difficult teen (by human standards) in season 3.
It's been a year for us, but unless there's a lot of downtime (The Kelly is a god episode took months, and so did the Kelly has a star sign) it's been less than a year since the ship left "spacedock" but that kid looks 7 or 8 years old, if he were human.
Topa is going to be a difficult teen (by human standards) in season 3.
Key words being, if he were human.
When we see a colt we don't expect it to take 26 years to reach adulthood.
Moclans obviously grow at a different rate than humans. There never really needs to be an explaination verbally given either.
It's just how it is on their planet, perfectly normal.
