The Orville

[bbmike]

^ See what I mean!

[GDS_Starfury]

the 3rd episode is a hell of a lot stronger then the first two.  I really liked that it didn't end on a happy note.

[mirth]

^cool. I'll check it out tonight.

[JasonPratt]

Haven't been able to watch Ep 3 yet. Is there any evidence that the executives skipped an episode? -- or that this is ep 2? I remain curious from a writing, and series-history, perspective. (e.g. I know that executives flipped the broadcast order of the 2nd and 3rd eps of Burn Notice, which was retained by the eventual disc release. The differences the order makes to story progression in this case are pretty small, but still interesting to me. Possibly due to mild OD-C. ;) )

[mirth]

Is there any evidence that the executives skipped an episode? -- or that this is ep 2?

Not that I'm aware of. AFAIK, they're being aired in order. After the Firefly debacle, I think FOX knows better than to screw with a sci-fi show like that.

[WallysWorld]

the 3rd episode is a hell of a lot stronger then the first two.  I really liked that it didn't end on a happy note.

I agree. I am also surprised at how it ended considering that the subject matter is somewhat a hot topic in today's society.

[bbmike]

Ok, just watched the first episode. It was...not good. Basically, Seth Macfarlane really likes Star Trek and really wanted to do a Star Trek show. So he sold this to the network as a new comedy. Trouble is it's not really a comedy. And not a good science fiction show. And for those reasons, I'm out.
And yes, the first episode of Quark was better. Way better.  ::)

[Barthheart]

Ya gotta give a few episodes to get its legs.... loot at the first few TNG......

[mirth]

Ok, just watched the first episode. It was...not good. Basically, Seth Macfarlane really likes Star Trek and really wanted to do a Star Trek show. So he sold this to the network as a new comedy. Trouble is it's not really a comedy. And not a good science fiction show. And for those reasons, I'm out.
And yes, the first episode of Quark was better. Way better.  ::)

You probably think Galactica 1980 was better than the reboot.

[Barthheart]

Ok, just watched the first episode. It was...not good. Basically, Seth Macfarlane really likes Star Trek and really wanted to do a Star Trek show. So he sold this to the network as a new comedy. Trouble is it's not really a comedy. And not a good science fiction show. And for those reasons, I'm out.
And yes, the first episode of Quark was better. Way better.  ::)

You probably think Galactica 1980 was better than the reboot.

It was... what's yer point?

[bbmike]

Galactica 1980 

[mirth]

With Wolfman Jack!

[JasonPratt]

Okay, watched the third episode a few minutes ago. If there's no missing ep, then I think I admire the writers just throwing viewers into the water in ep 2 without having established Bortus' mate as a character yet.

And I mostly admired the plot and thematic complexities of ep 3, regardless of how much I agree or disagree with any part of any side.

Mostly.











************* spoiler breaks here **************************













The plot sets up a pretty obvious and huge revelation about the society, but it's so obvious and huge that the plot has to skirt away from it to keep the main plot running since it would be totally unfeasible for this to be a secret: the species isn't monogendered after all, but is made up of males and females as usual. The males just make sure all the females are cosmetically altered to appear to be male, with perhaps some hormone adjustment. Otherwise, none of them could lay eggs -- that requires a vagina (or anyway it wasn't established otherwise in the show), and in fact Bortus' mate has one. (I don't recall which of them was supposed to lay the egg, but it would make coherent plot sense for the mate.)

But this not only couldn't be a feasible secret, it couldn't be a practical secret either. Yet the story nods toward it by revealing there are more females being born than the official claims acknowledge. I seriously thought the plot was about to reveal this when the captain ordered the planetary scan for females, and I still don't recall seeing how the plot segued to this. The actual reveal sort of worked, but as a practical matter still didn't (how did someone get to be so famous an author when her family intentionally sequestered themselves from a society that rejected them?)

This might count as a story trope called a Broken Aesop. But I still admire the basic attempt to take a Trekkian social debate stab.















*********** just more spoiler space for people scrolling past the spoiler *****************

[BanzaiCat]

I just watched the third episode too, and I gotta say I'm more than a little blown away. I mentioned before being confused as to whether this was a serious show trying to be funny, or a funny show trying to be serious. The episode ended completely the opposite of how I expected it to, and I appreciate that greatly. If they keep this up, this show is going to be one of my favorites in short order.

[Staggerwing]

True. Considering all the kumbaya ST:TNG homage still floating around you have to give the writers some credit for ending ep3 the way that they did.