New Series--The Orville

[wcw43921]

I don't think they will.  The various Trek series have certainly had their lighthearted moments--heck, "The Trouble With Tribbles" was basically one big fat lighthearted moment.

 

I especially liked this one from The Orville--

 

MACLIN SOLDIER: "Do you realize how fragile you are?"

 

MERCER: "There's an anti-bullying law named for me, so, yeah."

[slikmar]

That really seemed like a traditional STNG episode. I thought it pretty good and again the jokes are few and light and I am enjoying it.

 

I do wonder if by the end of the series the jokes might have vanished entirely.

Except, in STNG I have no doubt the child would not have been changed. Hence my comment, more like B5. STNG ending = make all the arguments, big shock moment, changes whole racial bias. B5 is show all that except you don't change the bias, just put the seed of doubt into it.

[Cassandra]

The only problem I have with The Orville is that it's on at the same time as Great News.

[Pattern Ghost]

Except, in STNG I have no doubt the child would not have been changed. Hence my comment, more like B5. STNG ending = make all the arguments, big shock moment, changes whole racial bias. B5 is show all that except you don't change the bias, just put the seed of doubt into it.

 

Remember the TNG episode that was a Left Hand of Darkness ripoff, where Riker fell in love with the alien who wanted to stay female for him? That ended with the alien getting reprogrammed according to the race's standard, didn't it? Been a long time since I've seen that one, so I could be wrong, but I thought it had a downer endin, with the cultural norm status quo maintained.

[Spence]

The only problem I have with The Orville is that it's on at the same time as Great News.

DVR?

 

 

[DShomshak]

That really seemed like a traditional STNG episode. I thought it pretty good and again the jokes are few and light and I am enjoying it.

 

I do wonder if by the end of the series the jokes might have vanished entirely.

Perhaps not coincidentally, Brannon Braga is one of the producers on The Orville. Braga started as a fan of TNG who sent in a script. It got made, so he wrote more, got on the production team, and has been a producer for every ST series since -- except ST: Discover. (At least, I didn't notice his name in the credits.) He's been involved in other SF series as well.

 

I am not sure his influence has been good. I am not convinced it's desirable to put a fan in charge of the IP. Though, I don't know how much of the Star Trek "style" should be attributed to any one person. It's entirely plausible to me that McFarlane wanted a TNG feel, so he sought out Braga.

 

I hope the potty humor drops out. ST had its funny moments, but they usually grew out of the character byplay. (With a few outright farces such as Trouble with Tribbles or I, Mudd.)

 

Dean Shomshak

[Ternaugh]

Perhaps not coincidentally, Brannon Braga is one of the producers on The Orville. Braga started as a fan of TNG who sent in a script. It got made, so he wrote more, got on the production team, and has been a producer for every ST series since -- except ST: Discover. (At least, I didn't notice his name in the credits.) He's been involved in other SF series as well.

 

I am not sure his influence has been good. I am not convinced it's desirable to put a fan in charge of the IP. Though, I don't know how much of the Star Trek "style" should be attributed to any one person. It's entirely plausible to me that McFarlane wanted a TNG feel, so he sought out Braga.

 

I hope the potty humor drops out. ST had its funny moments, but they usually grew out of the character byplay. (With a few outright farces such as Trouble with Tribbles or I, Mudd.)

 

Dean Shomshak

 

Braga directed the third episode of The Orville.

[Spence]

Braga directed the third episode of The Orville.

Makes sense

[zslane]

The fourth episode felt the most like a straight-up TNG episode to me. Fewer non-sequitor jokes and a classic Star Trek-like conflict. Part of me kept waiting for the people to see the Orville landing party (note that Bortus did not refer to them as "the away team", and I think that was very deliberate by the writers) and start chanting, "You are not of the body..."

 

 

Nice Liam Neeson cameo too, BTW.

 

 

Looks like they got some real A-listers to work on this show...next episode Charlize Theron!

[Cassandra]

The fourth episode felt the most like a straight-up TNG episode to me. Fewer non-sequitor jokes and a classic Star Trek-like conflict. Part of me kept waiting for the people to see the Orville landing party (note that Bortus did not refer to them as "the away team", and I think that was very deliberate by the writers) and start chanting, "You are not of the body..."

 

 

Nice Liam Neeson cameo too, BTW.

 

 

Looks like they got some real A-listers to work on this show...next episode Charlize Theron!

 

It made me think of the old series The Starlost.

[Hermit]

Okay,  this show continues to surprise me, and mostly in a good way. 

 

Seth's love of Next Generation certainly shines through, though yeah, the plot is very similar to some TOS material.

 

Thoughts: 

 

I think Bortus still resents Klyden subconsciously, not without reason, but it is interesting that their relationship is circling the same drain Mercer and Grayson's marriage did...but with a child on top of it.

 

Isaac is a (Insert "Compliment" here) but scary efficient.

 

Hey, a Federation Union Doctor with a fear of something *G*

 

Commander Kelly Grayson certainly earns points in her tough as nails merit badge.

 

John LaMarr celebrates a win, and you know what? I would too.

 

The plot is not original, but then, space ship Science Fiction is very well trod ground

Mercer is growing on me as a character in his own right.

[Cassandra]

Okay,  this show continues to surprise me, and mostly in a good way. 

 

Seth's love of Next Generation certainly shines through, though yeah, the plot is very similar to some TOS material.

 

Thoughts: 

 

I think Bortus still resents Klyden subconsciously, not without reason, but it is interesting that their relationship is circling the same drain Mercer and Grayson's marriage did...but with a child on top of it.

 

Isaac is a (Insert "Compliment" here) but scary efficient.

 

Hey, a Federation Union Doctor with a fear of something *G*

 

Commander Kelly Grayson certainly earns points in her tough as nails merit badge.

 

John LaMarr celebrates a win, and you know what? I would too.

 

The plot is not original, but then, space ship Science Fiction is very well trod ground

Mercer is growing on me as a character in his own right.

 

Issac has a more expressive face then Data.

[zslane]

It made me think of the old series The Starlost.

 

It also made me think of Metamorphosis Alpha.

[dmjalund]

is it just me or does Isaac sound like Brent Spiner?

[Hermit]

is it just me or does Isaac sound like Brent Spiner?

 

Not just you. More than once I thought "Am I imagining that, or is he really nailing the data voice?"

[zslane]

I figure that's gotta be intentional; to make Isaac as obvious an analog to Data as possible.

[DShomshak]

Braga directed the third episode of The Orville.

Huh, I hadn't noticed that. Well, he did pretty good. The ST franchise went steadily downhill with each series, I thought, but maybe that was the fault of other people.

 

Dean Shomshak

[zslane]

I blame Berman, not Braga.

[Starlord]

Remember the TNG episode that was a Left Hand of Darkness ripoff, where Riker fell in love with the alien who wanted to stay female for him? That ended with the alien getting reprogrammed according to the race's standard, didn't it? Been a long time since I've seen that one, so I could be wrong, but I thought it had a downer endin, with the cultural norm status quo maintained.

 

You are correct, sir.  Riker and Worf attempted to rescue her, but she was reprogrammed by her government back to 'androgynous' in the end and they were forced to leave.

[Badger]

I figure that's gotta be intentional; to make Isaac as obvious an analog to Data as possible.

 

ANybody catch the irony of using "analog" to describe "Data" 

 

Edit: Ok, I was thinking analog vs. digital

[Badger]

Huh, I hadn't noticed that. Well, he did pretty good. The ST franchise went steadily downhill with each series, I thought, but maybe that was the fault of other people.

 

Dean Shomshak

 

There was more than one ST series, my mind doesn't seem to compute there were any ST on TV after 1969.   

[Starlord]

Just saw Ep. 4 and IMMEDIATELY remembered a 3rd season TOS episode.  So basically, Ep. 2 was an amalgam of several TOS stories such as Squire of Gothos and Gamesters of Triskelion, Ep. 3 was a TNG episode called "The Outcast", and Ep. 4 was an almost exact copy of the TOS story "For the world is hollow and I have touched the sky", the only difference was the McCoy plotline.

[Pariah]

So, has Fox canceled it yet?

 

 

What? It's a fair question.

[DShomshak]

Just saw Ep. 4 and IMMEDIATELY remembered a 3rd season TOS episode.  So basically, Ep. 2 was an amalgam of several TOS stories such as Squire of Gothos and Gamesters of Triskelion, Ep. 3 was a TNG episode called "The Outcast", and Ep. 4 was an almost exact copy of the TOS story "For the world is hollow and I have touched the sky", the only difference was the McCoy plotline.

Egad, you're right. I *thought* Ep 4 seemed familiar.

 

Other homages: The scene where they cross the narrow bridge over the immense abyss? The Krell city from Forbidden Planet. And the music for the section where they enter the ship reminded me very much of the "Vejur" music from Star Trek: The Motion(less) Picture.

 

Though as they opened the sky and the doctor made her quote, I couldn't help but remember that Isaac Asimov also used that quote as the inspiration for his famous short story "Nightfall"... but in his story a people's first sight of stars in a dark sky had a less happy outcome.

 

Dean Shomshak

[Pattern Ghost]

Yeah, I was telling the screen, "Don't open the shutters with no warning, idiots!"