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The Orville |OT| MacFarlane's sci-fi com-, wait it's a drama!? That can't be right

DBT85

Member
Just finished ep4.

Same shit, different day. Interesting episode that could have done with spending less time talking about dicks, elevator awkwardness and an apparently pointless space battle to do more on the main point of the episode, what it would mean for those people aboard etc.

I'm tired of hearing about the divorce, the humour is falling flat most of the time and the only crew members that feel like they could actually be crew on a starship are Isaac and Bortus.

I'm continuing to watch with hope, but I'm expecting now that this is going to be the same every week for me. A shame as I like the look, the sound and some of the ideas.
 
Some of the jokes (again) didn’t hit.

But I love this show. That is the best episode so far, and the cameos are awesome.

I really kinda hope (and maybe this me looking into this way too much) they don’t have Alara start to fall for the captain. At, least that’s the vibe I got from the scene with her talking with Kelly.
 

nOoblet16

Member
REALLY liked this episode. No more awkward humour, the bit of humour that was there didn't seem out of place and served as a reminder that this is a light hearted show. In short it was the right mix. And if this is the tone it keeps it might end up being a great show.

Basically this is everything TNG era Star Trek was about and showed that it can do drama episodes well despite the comedy.

Infact if this show stays like this and Discovery stays like the first two episodes (I know first two episodes don't represent much) then I might end up enjoying The Orville a lot more.

I mean we are already getting episodes directed by Drake's and Robert Duncan, those two are good Trek directors who understand Star Trek.
 

Kadin

Member
The Orville continues to fire on all cylinders and keeps me entertained. It's weird to see McFarlane deliver lines without any jokes attached to them even though he continues to try at times. Really like the cast and I hope the ratings will be there cause I could see watching this for a good long while.
 
I'm fully loving this show now. It's starting to find its feet even if the jokes are sometimes hit and miss and the cultural references are all '90s.

I'm 34 though so I had to explain the Central Perk reference to my wife.
 
I'm fully loving this show now. It's starting to find its feet even if the jokes are sometimes hit and miss and the cultural references are all '90s.

I'm 34 though so I had to explain the Central Perk reference to my wife.

Loved that reference.
Don't kill the monkey!
 

jerry113

Banned
This series makes me yearn for a true post-TNG Star Trek series with the modern production values that The Orville has.

edit: did not expect liam neeson.
 

davepoobond

you can't put a price on sparks
Episode 4 was actually pretty good. It was more like a first contact SG-1 mission than anything else


Still was kind of boring though
 
Humor was better this time around, scifi was better, and it had Robert Knepper. It felt like one of those TOS/TNG episodes where they run around a set on the studio backlot for a while.

Still lots of room to improve, but I'm gonna keep watching.
 

megalowho

Member
Watched the first four eps in a row online and will definitely watch more. Still finding its voice but I’m a sucker for the throwback direction and cozily off brand Trek vibe. Hope it’s given room to grow.
 

Sesuadra

Unconfirmed Member
I'm fully loving this show now. It's starting to find its feet even if the jokes are sometimes hit and miss and the cultural references are all '90s.

I'm 34 though so I had to explain the Central Perk reference to my wife.
That was SO funny. And with they way friends is re-run I am pretty sure it will be still on TV in 1000years.

I can’t believe I enjoy a Seth MacFarlane show more than the new Star Trek series.

E04 was the best episode so far.
 

StudioTan

Hold on, friend! I'd love to share with you some swell news about the Windows 8 Metro UI! Wait, where are you going?
Liam Neeson cameo out of nowhere LOL
 

hollomat

Banned
My pregnant wife falls asleep 20 minutes after we put our child down so I'll have to watch this tonight ...

You’re wasting your very rare time alone to watch the Orville? Really? Really?

I recommend you spend it instead staring at the wall. You’ll enjoy it more. Or you could do literally anything else.
 

Kadin

Member
You’re wasting your very rare time alone to watch the Orville? Really? Really?

I recommend you spend it instead staring at the wall. You’ll enjoy it more. Or you could do literally anything else.
So your only post in this thread is to bag on someone for wanting to watch the show? wtf
 
This show is growing on me. I went in expecting Galaxy Quest and I'm one of the few who hated that movie. But this is something else. Its still a comedy but its a little more closer to Star Trek TOS than to a spoof movie and I"m digging it.
 

Necro

Banned
I am less annoyed by Macfarlane in this, though I still just see dillion harper whenever hes on the screen.
 

DBT85

Member
So your only post in this thread is to bag on someone for wanting to watch the show? wtf
Indeed lol.

I mean, I'm hardly it's biggest fan and from some comments in here I sometimes wonder if I'm watching a different show. Even still. Wow.
 

Volimar

Member
If the Stars Should Appear was the most trekky episode of sci fi I've seen in a long time. Yeah a lot of the jokes don't land but I did bust out when the guy said "Do you know what he's holding" and she replied with "A scale model of your penis?"
 

FiggyCal

Banned
I like the show just fine. Some of the jokes do take away from the serious drama the series is trying to set up, though. Like a few episodes back, we had the joke about Seth McFarlane eating another crew member's baby... like even as a joke it doesn't work, but especially if you're trying to make a serious show. And then more recently, we had that goo alien sexually harass the doctor as a "joke". It rubs me the wrong way.

And then there are the out of place cultural references you guys are pointing out. We're 400 years in the future and people are still talking about the Muppets, Smurfs, etc? Why?
 

Epcott

Member
What's this Central Park and Friends reference that people are talking about? I missed it.

That joke was nauseating. In fact, the whole "damsel in distress" situation was a real pain. Other than that, it was an improvement from episode 1. Still love third episode the most.

Episodes: 3 > 4 > 2 >> Romulan porridge >>> 1
 

nOoblet16

Member
That joke was nauseating. In fact, the whole "damsel in distress" situation was a real pain. Other than that, it was an improvement from episode 1. Still love third episode the most.

Episodes: 3 > 4 > 2 >> Romulan porridge >>> 1

That's fine and all but I was asking what it was because I seemed to have missed it and don't remember it.
 

DBT85

Member
I like the show just fine. Some of the jokes do take away from the serious drama the series is trying to set up, though. Like a few episodes back, we had the joke about Seth McFarlane eating another crew member's baby... like even as a joke it doesn't work, but especially if you're trying to make a serious show. And then more recently, we had that goo alien sexually harass the doctor as a "joke". It rubs me the wrong way.

And then there are the out of place cultural references you guys are pointing out. We're 400 years in the future and people are still talking about the Muppets, Smurfs, etc? Why?

The show likes to talk about dicks, use the word dick, show cg goo dick with too much regularity for my liking in the show. The dicks.
 

Dinskugga

Member
Watched the first two episodes

I think its quite good. But it feels a bit like the show have some personal crisis. The show dont know if it gonna be a comedy or a drama with comedic elements

I rather have go full space drama or full comedy.
 

Sesuadra

Unconfirmed Member
That's fine and all but I was asking what it was because I seemed to have missed it and don't remember it.
When the bad guy interrogates her and asks her where her friends are :) she answers with a friends joke that my wife and I found really funny
 

davepoobond

you can't put a price on sparks
That's fine and all but I was asking what it was because I seemed to have missed it and don't remember it.

Since no one is actually explaining it

A lot of scenes in Friends happen in a coffee shop

The bad guy asks "where are your friends"

She says "on Lafayette and blah blah there's a coffee shop"
 

Chronoja

Member
I like the show just fine. Some of the jokes do take away from the serious drama the series is trying to set up, though. Like a few episodes back, we had the joke about Seth McFarlane eating another crew member's baby... like even as a joke it doesn't work, but especially if you're trying to make a serious show. And then more recently, we had that goo alien sexually harass the doctor as a "joke". It rubs me the wrong way.

And then there are the out of place cultural references you guys are pointing out. We're 400 years in the future and people are still talking about the Muppets, Smurfs, etc? Why?

Not to sound like I'm making excuses for the show, but you're making the assumption that in the future of the show that those references are out of place. For all we know those franchises have been rebooted, reimagined, rerun or whatever else and are still culturally relevant. People today reference things that happened 400 years ago so there's no reason people 400 years in the future won't reference our present.

I still agree with you though, some of the comedy is still detracting from the experience, it's incredibly jarring to go from dick jokes to religious mob mentality execution or torture in the same episode. Or something that stands out more to me, the continued interest in a failed relationship, you're exploring the biggest bio ship ever discovered and the thing both exploration parties want to discuss is a why two humans broke up...c'mon now, it's not even funny dialogue.
 

mm04

Member
I'm digging this show. I guess I'm one of the few folks who doesn't have an issue with the is this comedy / is this drama question since it's not even a question in my mind that I'm asking. I'm not trying to classify it. I like the setting and production values. I like that it's sci-fi and the humor works for me for the most part. So yeah, I like it. Oh and that preview...can't wait!
 

megalowho

Member
Watched the first two episodes

I think its quite good. But it feels a bit like the show have some personal crisis. The show dont know if it gonna be a comedy or a drama with comedic elements

I rather have go full space drama or full comedy.
They've already done good by not making a parody show, the earnestness is disarming and appealing. Episodes 3+4 seem closer in tone to what the show is striving for. Just cool it on the dick jokes in the writer's room and the potential is there for comfy, character driven sci-fi adventure that isn't stuffy but takes the subject matter seriously.
 

Kadin

Member
They've already done good by not making a parody show, the earnestness is disarming and appealing. Episodes 3+4 seem closer in tone to what the show is striving for. Just cool it on the dick jokes in the writer's room and the potential is there for comfy, character driven sci-fi adventure that isn't stuffy but takes the subject matter seriously.
Yeah I'm all for the little bits of comedy thrown in here and there but I would like for them specifically to stop with saying dick each and every episode. I hope they've got it out of their system now because it's really unnecessary. I thought it was alright when Bortus told the guy to leave the shop and the guy gave his 'dick!' response. Other than that, it's just been way overused.
 
"Dick" was cringeworthy in the courtroom, but I enjoyed the racist robot confusing it for a compliment. (I will never not call him the racist robot lol). The depression rocky road was pretty funny too. l enjoyed the premise of the bioship lost in space for millennia. EP 4 was probably my favorite so far.

You’re wasting your very rare time alone to watch the Orville? Really? Really?

I recommend you spend it instead staring at the wall. You’ll enjoy it more. Or you could do literally anything else.

So much edginess.
 
You’re wasting your very rare time alone to watch the Orville? Really? Really?

I recommend you spend it instead staring at the wall. You’ll enjoy it more. Or you could do literally anything else.
For someone who doesn't like this show, you certainly seem to want to hover in this thread and shit on the people that do.
 

hyp3rlink

Member
Loved this episode, humor was sticking much compared to the earlier episodes.

This show is more like TOS than any other Star Trek; the cheesiness of the original has just been replaced by intentional humor. As a fan of TOS this fits me perfectly and it is the first time I have enjoyed a sci-fi show as much I like the original series.
 
the way I've made the references to modern pop culture work is assuming with the advancement of science ala star trek, society left war, sickness, and most of the trivial things we aspired to behind. Gone was the interest in million dollar blockbuster films or the actors that went with them. Instead, we aimed our pursuits towards the stars. However, there remained an enormous archive of material that people continued to enjoy that stopped production around the 21st century. To that end, we're not only looking at the same things over and again, but those things referenced in those works are still cited as well.

I'd imagine, like real Star Trek, music continued. However, everything else? They're still referencing old stuff just as we do since culture is so cyclical. Nothing of importance other than improving technology and going skyward happened again until the great war which nearly killed everyone and forced us towards our current peaceful united society (as referenced in Trek) or Zefram Cochran created the warp drive.

It makes sense.
 
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