I guess this was inspired by an article on Mary Sue, by Rachel Leishman, in which she questions her reasons for liking The Orville, a good year after the rest of us figured it out. https://www.themarysue.com/liking-the-orville/
Funny how liking The Orville is apparently fandoms dirty little secret, the equivalent of admitting out loud that the Star Wars Prequels aren’t that bad, or that Firefly is overrated.
This was also inspired because I, who have seen every incarnation of Star Trek, have given up on Star Trek: Discovery, at least for the moment. I don’t mind serialised storytelling, in fact, I welcome it, I just find the crew obnoxious, the show dark and depressing and the character of Commander Michael Burnham, well in fact almost all the characters (apart from Tilly), just unlikable.
I might go back to it later, but to me, even the theme tune is flat, dull and uninspiring…and this is from the woman who watched every episode of Star Trek: Enterprise.
The Orville‘s theme is so much better, just listen to it.
Feelings clear, let’s talk about The Orville.
It’s brilliant, it’s everything that ST: Discovery isn’t, full of optimism, with excellent quality screenwriting and directing and full credit to everyone who works on the show, because Season 2 is shaping up to be better than the first.
Living in the UK and being a spoiler junkie, I looked ahead, and episode 9, “Identity Part 2”, is perhaps the biggest game-changer in a show since Star Trek’s “The Best of Both Worlds”, and I’m not going to spoil it. But seriously, oh my god, seriously.
What The Orville does is create multi-layer dimensional characters, who are contradictory and also hypocrites, in episode 2 we’re meant to feel sorry for Klyden, when Bortus cheats on him in the Holodeck, sorry Simulator. But any sympathy is erased because of his petty jealousy and attitude towards Bortus’s heterosexual ex-boyfriend, which ruined the poor guy’s life.
It’s that level of multi-dimensional writing that makes this show so great, I fangirl over the main cast in my previous post about this, but I did mention that Captain Ed Mercer’s (played by Seth MacFarlane) personal hero is Kermit the Frog, this took some thinking about. But it’s widely appropriate.
Kermit the Frog is the most jaded and cynical of all The Muppets, who tries to keep control but when pushed too far, totally loses it and who is unlucky in love, all the while trying to maintain some semblance of control in a chaotic world.
Yet at times out of focus in comparison to some of the more insane moments of his crew and their antics, yet as a character tries not to show how vulnerable he is and hides it with occasional snarky humour.
Yes, I can see the connection. And once again kudos to Seth MacFarlane for just letting the actors do their thing, just because he created the show, writes the show and stars in it, he’s not stealing scenes from anyone.
Most of the time this season, apart from the episode with the Krill, he’s not really been in high focus, more content to watch the scene unfold and speaking up and getting involved when he has too, even when he doesn’t want too.
However, out of the supporting cast, my favourite character is Dann.
Fully admit to how dorky this is, but I always smile to myself when he interacts with Ed because it’s real life Family Guy’s Peter and Cleveland having a conversation…it’s a voice chaser thing.
I don’t know the name of his species, but Mike Henry plays a fantastic character, pleasant, easy going, showed his vulnerability at times and how hurt he gets when he’s being berated by the Captain and others. Though he takes it in his stride and tries to get involved, but is aware of his social awkwardness, but still tries. Incredible how a supporting character can get so much good development.
What makes this season better than the first (in my humble opinion), is that crew members who didn’t get considerable development time, get more focus. Sure Dr Finn, played by the fantastic Star Trek Alumni, Penny Johnson Jerald had episodes devoted to her, but this season her relationship with Isaac, her character’s background, and her relationship with her sons is more prominent.
“A Happy Refrain”, is officially one of my favourite episodes of the show, because it was fun to see Isaac played by the fantastic Mark Jackson out of the costume, and still being his character while portraying his human self.
It’s a masterclass of subtle acting, and it does amuse me, that their relationship (if it’s not over) with Dr Claire Finn, does mean in a roundabout way, ST: DS9’S Kassidy Yates is now a Robosexual…I’ve wanted to write that for so long.
Then again, this show is a gold mind for Trek Alumni, no way I ever imagined, a snark-fest over dinner between Robert Picardo and a very dangerous, John Billingsley.
At the same time, it’s clearly taken some of the most beloved tropes of fandom and giving them a delicious twist, everyone knows that Star Trek’s Spock has to go home every seven years to have sex, or go crazy and die, and Moclans have to go back and take a piss. This did make me wonder if Bortus has to do it, do Klyden and Topa have to do it too? Is the ship going back in a few months, do their pisses synchronise, as periods do?
I have noticed that a bulk of the second season seemed to be taken up with Bortus storylines, which is nothing against, it’s just something I saw.
Episode 1, “Ja’loja” him taking a piss
Episode 2, “Primal Urges” addiction to porn
Episode 5, “All the World is Birthday Cake” gets locked up along with Commander Grayson because anyone born under their astrological sign is considered dangerous because First Contact will do that for you.
Episode 7, “Deflectors”, Bortus’s ex-boyfriend shows up and is a heterosexual, also very Klyden heavy and always good to see more of Chad Coleman
It makes me wonder if something is going to come up with Bortus very soon, something dark and even more epic.
One thing I also love is that The Orville is just so much damn fun, in between the drama, you have Gordon Malloy and John LaMarr running through the ship like teenagers, spreading the news about Isaac dating Claire, you have Bortus growing a moustache (husband hates it). Last season you had Commander Kelly Grayson quoting “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child, because she had to quote one of Earth’s most celebrated poets, and that was all she could come up with on the spot!
I remember when The Orville was advertised, and no one took it seriously, the same way, no one took seriously, Family Guy, American Dad, Ted 1 and 2 and A Million Ways to Die in the West, (I like it) and everything else Seth MacFarlane has done.
I’ve heard the opinions of Seth that people seem to think he’s a smug bastard, who got lucky instead of being a guy who worked his ass off and at the age of 24 became the youngest television executive, with no instance of nepotism, by the way, he earned that.
Seth was smart enough to know that no one would take The Orville seriously, especially with ST: Discovery about to air at the same time, but he was confident enough in his abilities, and the people around him, that he didn’t give a shit. So, in the grand scheme of things, as a fan of Seth and the rest of The Orville cast and crew, I am feeling a slight bit of schadenfreude when I am now reading all these more mainstream publications, admitting that they got it wrong.
Right now, with “Identity part 2” screening tonight, (please remember I live in the UK) makes me wonder how it will affect the show?
So anyway, if The Orville continues for several more seasons, a spin-off film, and in a decade or so The Orville: The Next Generation, or carried on in comic book form.
Here are some storylines I would love to see developed.
Due to the Moclans screwing around with their biology, for generations that it’s an occupational hazard for them. It backfires when all the Moclans get together, for a massive celebration and they, all contact a virus, which manages to mutate when airborne.
The Moclans who were initially female, which in reality is about 15% of the population (including that asshole judge) it starts to reverse the surgery, and it cannot be stopped. So Klyden and Topa are becoming female, and there is nothing they can do about it. Klyden is devastated, but Topa and Bortus are delighted, and everyone encourages Topa into his female identity.
The Krill and the Union are making some headway, but the Krill have a massive issue. Teleya, who in her guise as Janel Tyler broke Ed’s heart, the surgery she had turning her into a human has reverse engineered, and she now resembles a Krill/Human hybrid. Like Delenn did on Babylon 5 and is considered an abomination.
However, due to maintaining the treaty, Ed Mercer has no choice but to accept her as part of his crew. Cue the tension, since Ed really doesn’t want her there, but he still has feelings for her, but she hates being there since everyone distrusts her (aside from Isaac, he doesn’t care).
However, friendship comes in the shape of Gordon, who has been studying the Anhkana in his own time, (he was curious about Avis, and wanted to know more) Gordon understands that Teleya is feeling isolated, so he makes her a simulation program of her church, they become friends and wind up having feelings for each other. Teleya also becomes The Orville’s teacher, (Ty and Marcus adore her), and eventually becomes more liked, but there is tension between Ed and Gordon regarding how they feel and but we also find out Teleya’s favourite Billy Joel song, and my money’s on “Your Only Human” by the way.
Marcus and Ty, the sons of Dr Finn, are undergoing some strange symptoms and it turns out that it’s due to the DNA of the donor daddy. Claire has to track him down, and the bio father is strange, attractive, and there is something mystical about him, it turns out he’s not human, and part of a more evolved race, and that impregnating Claire was a mistake and could literally tear the boys apart. Bonus points if he can be played by Avery Brooks, I don’t need to explain why.
Pria from the episode of the same name returns, and since in the future she changed The Orville was meant to be destroyed, but since its existence changed everything. Pria takes over the ship and takes everyone into the future, which isn’t exactly a utopia, and the crew have to figure out what they can do to change the future, without screwing up their present.
Maybe because one of my favourite ST: DS9 episodes is “Far Beyond the Stars”, but I want an episode of The Orville, where they are hit by a cosmic ray and since the Union ship is made up of mainly humans, it turns everyone on board the vessel human for no more than three days. It’s a bit of a culture shock, but most of them like Yaphit embrace it, and have fun since it’s a chance for the actors to be out of their prosthetics for a few days.
Dr Claire Finn and Isaac decide to really take advantage and have sex as much as they can outside the Simulator (giggidy), but when it’s over, in nine months, The Orville will have an extra addition. Naturally, the Kaylon’s hear about this and want the child, which doesn’t exactly go down well, and Claire and Isaac have to try to raise their daughter together.
So anyway, my geeky talk, discussion on The Orville, which as of writing this has not been renewed for Season 3, oh that better happen, this shows too good to be taken off the air.
To Seth, and the rest of the crew, thanks for a fantastic season two, keep doing what you’re doing, and please make Dann a member of the main cast because I just love Mike Henry.
Jodie Portugal 