The Orivlle Season 2

[dps]

Anybody here still watching? I thought we had an Orville thread, but I can't find it, and I think it's probably been over a year since it was posted in, so I don't want to necro it anyway.

[Aotrs Commander]

Only got up to about episode... six? (the first one with the new lass), so far, but I'm certainly very much still enjoying it.

[LibraryOgre]

I'm enjoying it. Seth McFarland is trying, but he's pretty heavyhanded on any message he tries to do, and all his "Moclan culture is repressive" stories tend to emphasize "Well, you're going to have to conform, anyway."

[Peelee]

I'm enjoying it. Seth McFarland is trying, but he's pretty heavyhanded on any message he tries to do

I think he's pretty heavy-handed on anything he tries to do. I have a love/hate relationship with the Orville; there are parts that are really good, but then they just have ridiculous things like the pilot wanting to have his Big Gulp or characters just coming off as petulantly childish that seem out of place with the overall show (I call these "Family Guy moments," and my hatred of McFarlane's humor doesn't really do any favors to those either). The guy just doesn't seem to embrace subtlety.

[LibraryOgre]

I think he's pretty heavy-handed on anything he tries to do. I have a love/hate relationship with the Orville; there are parts that are really good, but then they just have ridiculous things like the pilot wanting to have his Big Gulp or characters just coming off as petulantly childish that seem out of place with the overall show (I call these "Family Guy moments," and my hatred of McFarlane's humor doesn't really do any favors to those either). The guy just doesn't seem to embrace subtlety.

Embrace it? He doesn't even nod knowingly when he passes it in the corridor.

[The Glyphstone]

Embrace it? He doesn't even nod knowingly when he passes it in the corridor.

If Seth McFarlane passes subtlety in the corridor, he's violating the lifelong restraining order he has against ever getting close to it.

[Legato Endless]

Having finished episode 5, I'm assuming it's all uphill for the rest of the season. Mostly because while not the worst episode, Birthday Cake is in the running for the most nonsensical first contact episode in space opera history.

Other than that, it's been fine. Still not a fan of the more sophomoric humor, I like the show better when it leans into the space opera more.

[LibraryOgre]

Having finished episode 5, I'm assuming it's all uphill for the rest of the season. Mostly because while not the worst episode, Birthday Cake is in the running for the most nonsensical first contact episode in space opera history.

You remember the TNG episode when Wesley was sentenced to die because he stepped on some flowers? Because breaking any law in that (randomly determined) zone was punishable by death, so everyone was nice to each other to avoid being summarily executed?

[Algeh]

I've been watching it, often running a little behind since I watch it with my dad when I go visit him rather than as it airs (which is true of most tv, which is why I'm so rarely present in current-media tv threads).

It feels like it's lost a little of its charm this season. I can't quite put my finger on why, but it may be that they're now in the part of the show that's outrun the initial "good story ideas from before the show was started" phase and are now having to feel their way through the combination of "initial ideas we didn't choose before and are still kicking around" and "ideas we have now that the show is going" piles, which is an adjustment. They may not have had a clear vision for what the show would look like if they got multiple seasons and where it would go.

I feel like the show needs to make a decision about how much it wants to tell an ongoing story versus plot-of-the-week. I really wish they'd just go fully plot-of--the-week rather than try to build ongoing stuff - it would be more in line with the parts of Star Trek they're riffing off of, and it's easier to carry in a world that doesn't have a lot of well-thought-out world building. This might be another reason I'm less of a fan of this season, since they're doing a lot of ongoing character development along with their weekly plots and I'm just not convinced that their format and writers can pull that off well. I guess I'd rather see a slightly larger cast and less development for each character given the type and level of jokes the show is aiming for.

I also feel like we're spending a lot more time on Mocklan stuff this season than I'd prefer, which is where a lot of tone whiplash is coming from for me. This just feels like they want to be the kind of show that shares interesting thoughts about the complexity of gender and sexuality AND to be the kind of show with jokes about someone only peeing once a year, and they've dumped both of those wants not only into the same show, but onto the same character, which makes it hard to really do either of those things well. I'd be down for either kind of show, depending on the writing quality, but it's hard with this one because there's a weird undertone that makes me wonder if they think that the gender plotline stuff is along the same lines as the peeing once a year plotline stuff and I'm just not cool with the same level of taking it seriously in those two situations.

[Legato Endless]

You remember the TNG episode when Wesley was sentenced to die because he stepped on some flowers? Because breaking any law in that (randomly determined) zone was punishable by death, so everyone was nice to each other to avoid being summarily executed?

Hey I said in the running, not inarguably number #1.

It's kind of a pick your poison, that episode has an absurd premise coupled with some of the sillier fixations of Roddenberry versus this Birthday which seems grand for the first five minutes and then descends into multiple vectors of brain free drama and bad narrative.

[LibraryOgre]

Hey I said in the running, not inarguably number #1.

It's kind of a pick your poison, that episode has an absurd premise coupled with some of the sillier fixations of Roddenberry versus this Birthday which seems grand for the first five minutes and then descends into multiple vectors of brain free drama and bad narrative.

A rather large part of the show DOES rely on the idiot ball.

"So, yes, they would have been this sign if they'd been born on your planet BUT, they were born on entirely different planets where other signs are ascendant. Here, let me show you a 3d star map from Earth."

[Kitten Champion]

You remember the TNG episode when Wesley was sentenced to die because he stepped on some flowers? Because breaking any law in that (randomly determined) zone was punishable by death, so everyone was nice to each other to avoid being summarily executed?

I think the bigger issue was that they broke the prime directive and established first contact with what was a pre-warp civilization just so the Enterprise crew could have shore leave on a planet populated seemingly entirely by model-pretty blonde people who apparently exclusively wear loose-fitting underwear. That's something I'd literally expect from Zapp Brannigan.

Wesley being sentenced to death was the highlight of that episode, and possibly the season.

[Aotrs Commander]

A rather large part of the show DOES rely on the idiot ball.

"So, yes, they would have been this sign if they'd been born on your planet BUT, they were born on entirely different planets where other signs are ascendant. Here, let me show you a 3d star map from Earth."

I considered that... Then realised that those folk were THAT dumb that that wouldn't bother them since it was that is was the same time as on THEIR stars, and the stars were the ones telling them right, so the fact that other, foreign stars have constellations didn't matter - the facts that mattered was all whosamacallits were born at that time anywhere in the universe.

[dps]

my hatred of McFarlane's humor doesn't really do any favors to those either

Yeah, I'm not a fan of McFarlane's humor for the most part. To start with, I had been under the impression that The Orville was supposed to be a spoof/parody and given my dislike of McFarlane's humor, I wasn't interested. But then people told me that the jokes were only a small part of the show and it was worth checking out. And tbh, I think most of the jokes that are in The Orville work better than the jokes in Family Guy or McFarlane's other animated comedies.

[Bartmanhomer]

I just started watching Season 2 of The Orville. I didn't watch Season 1. So I think it a very good show.

Spoiler

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I wanted to say on the last recent episode that Issac race is evil and want to start a war on Earth.

[dps]

Jeez, spoilers, dude!

[Aotrs Commander]

Spoiler: s2e6 A Happy Refrain

Show

And thus Isaac actually one-ups Data.

Neat.

Not unexpected, after the whole shuttle incident back in season one, honestly, it does really kind of work.

[DanielPerry]

I've just watched the last episode. I wish the new one come as sooner as possible. Hate to wait for a new episode after such finals.

[HMS Invincible]

Season 2 ending arc is better than season 1, which was forgettable.

[Aotrs Commander]

Just watched Identity 1 & 2.

Spoiler

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Unholy fracking crap, that starship battle was AMAZING!

(That Discovery, is how you fracking do that.)

And thus Orville moves up a notch.

That was the best I've seen for a looooong time since DS9's Way of the Warrior or Babylon 5.

It actually spent the time to show the battle for the battle's sake as well, not just entirely as back-drop to the drama, like a lot things haven't done for a while; 'bout time someone remembered that starship battles are about spectacle as well.

Okay, sure, we're going the old cliché route of Teh Robotz Are Teh Bad Guyz again, but, you know what?

Give me more starship battles like that and I really don't CARE what you do.

More of that, please and thank you.



Also, Ty has clearly inherited his mother's brass balls.



I sort of figured that Isaac was going to turn on the others. (I mean, seriously guys, giving them all red lights? I can see you'd not go green because of the Krill, but it... Made it about as obvious as possible these were the Bad Guys!) But unholy fracking crap, he literally just ripped Primary's fracking head off! Ahahaha! Nice! Which was definitely not the quickest way of killing him. "Don't have emotions," huh. Bullcrap. (Also, Primary's whole motivation was entirely without any emotinal investment, was it? Suuuuuure you don't have emotions, mate. *snort*)

[darkrose50]

Hey I said in the running, not inarguably number #1.

It's kind of a pick your poison, that episode has an absurd premise coupled with some of the sillier fixations of Roddenberry versus this Birthday which seems grand for the first five minutes and then descends into multiple vectors of brain free drama and bad narrative.

They should have tried this argument. However the potentially heretical notion of differing points of reference in determining ones sign may have caused more harm than good.

We have so many differing religious beliefs. So much so that in the one I was raised in has pastors trained out of two seminaries. One seminary was much more strict than the other (as in dancing was seen as sinful in one). So if your pastor was from one seminary, then your school could have a dance. If your pastor was from the other seminary, then no school dance for you. Convincing someone that their religious practice is silly can be a very hard thing to do. Silly things like dancing being good or bad arise over time where silly preferences of influential individuals intermix with religion.

[DigoDragon]

I've been slowly watching The Orville. It's pretty decent; funny at times, occasionally tackles an interesting message/idea, but I agree on the heavy handedness with most messages. Also, sometimes I think Seth is holding back on letting the show just 'do the thing' and be zany in good, interesting ways. Or maybe that's the executives. I don't know. It's still good enough to hold my interest.

Embrace it? He doesn't even nod knowingly when he passes it in the corridor.

*points with a smile as he passes by*

"There he is!"

[Tyndmyr]

I'm enjoying it. Seth McFarland is trying, but he's pretty heavyhanded on any message he tries to do, and all his "Moclan culture is repressive" stories tend to emphasize "Well, you're going to have to conform, anyway."

Yeah.

It's got some really good elements, but if Seth met subtlety in an alley, he'd murder it with a brick to the face.

I'm also super tired of the romance plot with his character. It's...kind of self-centered in a strange way. It also often detracts from the fun stuff going on, rather than adding to it.

Isaac remains my favorite character.

[LibraryOgre]

I'll be honest, I'm really tired of "Robots don't have emotions" as a thing.

[HMS Invincible]

I'll be honest, I'm really tired of "Robots don't have emotions" as a thing.

You mean with the Kaylons where they insist they don't have emotions except you can tell they are really mad and scared?

[LibraryOgre]

You mean with the Kaylons where they insist they don't have emotions except you can tell they are really mad and scared?

I'm also watching ST:TNG when I can, so I'm getting a lot of it from Data, too.

[Tyndmyr]

I'll be honest, I'm really tired of "Robots don't have emotions" as a thing.

It's amusing if played for a laugh, but as a serious element, it is a little odd. In practice, it's very hard to have entirely emotionless characters.

See also, Equilibrium.

[Aotrs Commander]

I'll be honest, I'm really tired of "Robots don't have emotions" as a thing.

Yeah, I'd have been more annoyed at that myself, and the whole

Spoiler

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Keylons-want-to-do-Reaper-impressions thing...

But frack it, if you give me a really good starship battle like that, I'll forgive nearly anything.

[dps]

But frack it, if you give me a really good starship battle like that, I'll forgive nearly anything.

It kind of explains why so many of the earlier episodes in the season were so character-driven; they were saving up on the special effects budget.

[Magic_Hat]

All I know about this show is it's a Seth McFarlane product which is enough for me to stay far away from it. Then I randomly saw one clip where this one human had a leg removed in his sleep and said some robot did it. Then it cut to that robot, and the robot said "Ha, ha. Got you."

That actually made me laugh. Is the rest of the show of that quality?