The Orville - Season 1 (1 Viewer)

[Carabimero]

It feels a lot like Voyager to me. The title sequence in particular is an incredible ripoff of STV.

I loved that it ripped off the VOY title sequence. I love that it has a title sequence at all, as most shows have omitted that.

 

[Francois Caron]

Next episode guest stars Charlize Theron and is directed by Jonathan Frakes.

Seriously, the marketing department is spreading the click-bait style voice-over a bit thick!

 

[Carabimero]

I just wanted to say how cool it is that Liam Nesson has now been on Star Trek.

Edit: I meant The Orville.

P.S. I wish DISCOVERY was on CBS so we could compare weekly ratings between the shows.

 

[Greg.K]

The dick jokes are definitely getting stale but I admit that I did laugh at the "it's a compliment!" line. It would be nice if they toned it down going forward but I kind of doubt that's going to happen.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Episode four was my favorite one yet. I like that were getting additional insights into the rest of the crew beyond the the captain and XO's ill-fated marriage.

And I really like how they're taking Heinlein-era sci-fi tropes and giving them a fresh coat of paint. The whole advanced civilization gets trapped without resources and devolves back to primitive superstition concept is one of my favorites.

Liam Neeson was a most welcome surprise, and it's little pearls like the revelation of his character name with the story of the aliens that give this show enough merit to keep me on board.

Next episode guest stars Charlize Theron and is directed by Jonathan Frakes.

It is really impressive how they're getting some big names for guest roles. This is where MacFarlane's big screen work pays off; Neeson appeared in Ted 2 while Theron co-starred in A Million Ways to Die in the West,

The dick jokes are definitely getting stale but I admit that I did laugh at the "it's a compliment!" line. It would be nice if they toned it down going forward but I kind of doubt that's going to happen.

I do appreciate when a joke is setup in the first act and then pays off much later in the episode, instead of just going for instant gratification.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Neeson appeared in Ted 2 while Theron co-starred in A Million Ways to Die in the West,

Neeson also had a significant role in A Million Ways To Die In The West, a movie that I may be the only person willing to admit to spending a ticket on it.

 

[TJPC]

Neeson also had a significant role in A Million Ways To Die In The West, a movie that I may be the only person willing to admit to spending a ticket on it.

My wife and I did see it and although we love his other work, found it to be one of the most aggressively unfunny "comedies" ever made. Anything that was even mildly amusing was in the trailer.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

My wife and I did see it and although we love his other work, found it to be one of the most aggressively unfunny "comedies" ever made. Anything that was even mildly amusing was in the trailer.

My big problem with the movie is something you pointed out - all of the jokes were in the trailer. Whether it was the Doc Brown cameo, or numerous punchlines, everything was spoiled beforehand in theatrical trailers and TV spots. I saw the movie on opening night, and I felt like I had already seen it before it started -- every time a new scene would begin, or you could see a new comedy routine forming, I immediately would flash to the punchline that I already saw and would wait for the scene to catch up. I've seen comedies before that gave away most of their good jokes in the trailer, but I had never seen anything where I felt so completely spoiled in watching it.

I wasn't able to give the film an honest reflection at the time because I had been so annoyed by that. It really impacted by ability to enjoy the film. Now that I've seen both the film and the trailers and it's been a couple years, I might enjoy it more, but that was such a bad marketing decision by the studio.

 

[Matt Hough]

Neeson also had a significant role in A Million Ways To Die In The West, a movie that I may be the only person willing to admit to spending a ticket on it.

I bought it on Blu-ray in spite of all the horrible reviews it got. I can't help it; Seth's droll work and some great sight gags and talented actors in the star and supporting cast really made me laugh.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I think I'll like it more a second time, when it's not about being surprised about what might be coming next, but just enjoying what's happening as it happens.

 

[Christian T Lee]

Neeson also had a significant role in A Million Ways To Die In The West, a movie that I may be the only person willing to admit to spending a ticket on it.

No Josh, I bought a ticket AND bought the Blu-Ray.
Really got a kick out of it. Love Seth's work, and I think I am enjoying the Orville more then any other show I've seen in a while. Fun stuff, and that comes from a classic Star Trek fan from the early 70's . (Wasn't old enough to see it in the 60's)

 

[Stan]

No Josh, I bought a ticket AND bought the Blu-Ray.
Really got a kick out of it. Love Seth's work, and I think I am enjoying the Orville more then any other show I've seen in a while. Fun stuff, and that comes from a classic Star Trek fan from the early 70's . (Wasn't old enough to see it in the 60's)

I started watching in the '70s, syndication repeats, I was probably ten years old. There was an episode with a very tall, skinny alien guy, burned or electrocuted his hand, I forget, been a long time since I've watched any TOS episodes. Terrified my little sister and we were banned from watching the show.

Compare that minor thing to what "The Walking Dead" gets away with now.

 

[Dheiner]

I was none too impressed with the pilot. It’s basically Star Trek with bad jokes. And McFarlane’s tenancy to write in the hot girl as his girlfriend is really getting old.

Well, it sounds like real life.

Seth MacFarlane has been in relationships with Emilia Clarke (2012 - 2013), Trisha Cummings(2010 - 2012), Katie Sah (2009), Kaylee DeFer (2009), Amanda Bynes (2008), Kate Todd (2008 - 2009), Eliza Dushku (2008), Kat Foster (2007 - 2008), Camille Guaty (2007), Jessica Barth (2006), Christa Campbell (2006) and Nicole Sullivan (1998 - 2000).

Seth MacFarlane has had encounters with Alexandra Breckenridge (2011), Ashley Greene (2009)and Tamera Mowry-Housley (2006).

 

[Michael Henry]

An observation...

Seems to me that episode 2 and 3 were shown out of order...

The interaction between the green blob character and the doctor was a little off...

He / it wasn't coming on to the doctor in episode 3 like like he / it was in episode 2...seemed like the harassment wasn't going on like they would have been if the episodes were arranged differently...

 

[BobO'Link]

^They were. It was done to supposedly put stronger, or rather more interesting to the general viewer, episodes following the football lead in.

 

[Walter Kittel]

I've been playing catch up on demand with the show. Watched episodes 3 and 4 earlier today.

It isn't great, but it is good enough to keep watching.

I'm sort of split on the low brow humor. The tonal shifts associated with the humor sort of take me out of the episode, but there is another part of me that appreciates the idea that real people engage in this sort of humor from time to time in the workplace. I have to admit I had a good laugh in episode 4 when LaMarr destroyed the Krill vessel "Boom bitch!!! That's what I'm talking about!" A more honest reaction than usually what one sees on other SF series, at least to my mind.

The FX (except for most of the makeup) are surprisingly strong. I love the design of the ship and think it is much more Trek-like than the designs I saw in the pilot episode of ST: Discovery. (That just may be nostalgia for ST:TNG which this show evokes big time, at least for me.) And that is probably the biggest attraction of the series for me, the nostalgia for ST: TNG that the show engenders. (Never got into ST: Voyager but I definitely see echoes of its credit sequence in The Orville.) The revisitation of a variety of SF tropes (in particular episode 4) also feeds into that experience.

Another thing that feeds the sense of 'Trek' is the score for the opening credits, which feels a LOT, LOT, LOT more like Trek than the opening score for ST: Discovery. Maybe it is unfair to compare four episodes of one series against one of another, but that's all I've got to go on.

Speaking of music in episode four when the Orville is battling the Krill ship, I think I caught just a whiff of Star Wars: A New Hope (when the Millennium Falcon escapes the Death Star and Han and Luke gun down the Tie FIghters.)

Final thought for the post: I'm guessing that naming the Kaylon member of the crew Isaac is an homage to Isaac Asimov; considering how much robotics figured in his literature.

- Walter.

 

[Dheiner]

Final thought for the post: I'm guessing that naming the Kaylon member of the crew Isaac is an homage to Isaac Asimov; considering how much robotics figured in his literature.
- Walter.

Kind of like "I,Robot"...

 

[Francois Caron]

Best. Practical. Joke. EVER!

 

[Christian T Lee]

The wee little foot! HA!!!
Oh, I am so getting a kick out of this show, and I really hope they release a soundtrack.

 

[Todd H]

Oh man this show is really starting to find its "legs."

Quickly rising up my list of favorite shows this season.