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Thread: The Orville

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    Extraordinary Member Derek Metaltron's Avatar
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    Default The Orville

    Ok, just watched Episode 1 of The Orville, great show! I think it's going to end up being more Star Trek'y than the new Star Trek show will be, if I'm honest. It really feels like an episode of the old shows with a good range of characters and the right balance between comedy and serious sci-fi elements, plus the budget seems impressive. And it's definitely not like Family Guy just because Seth happens to be the lead, it's feels very much like a kind and respectful homage to Star Trek and Galaxy Quest alike. So definitely give it a watch.

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    Mighty Member Qwerty's Avatar
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    It's far less comedic than they advertised. I wish they had left out the comedic elements all together.
    Stick "we work together and we get out of here alive"

    Matt "peace out suckas"

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    Extraordinary Member Derek Metaltron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Qwerty View Post
    It's far less comedic than they advertised. I wish they had left out the comedic elements all together.
    I felt they got the mix about right, though they seemed to have put most of the best jokes for the first episode in the first trailer. I think my main concerns right now is if they keep using the 'my ex-wife is a ass' gag too much, or the same with peeing jokes (I think there were three in the first episode). I like the idea the episodes are self contained, probably allowing them to do stories inspired by some classic sci-fi tropes.

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    Extraordinary Member Jokerz79's Avatar
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    It felt like a Star Trek series with a crew of 20th/21st Century Humans in it. I really liked and while I liked Enterprise a lot and liked the Kelvinverse films. There hasn't been a show or film to feel this much like Star Trek since Voyager or Nemesis.

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    The good thing about THE ORVILLE is it's just like STAR TREK. The bad thing about THE ORVILLE is it's just like STAR TREK. All the characters correspond to Trek characters--or composites of them. It's a bit maddening.

    The pilot could have lost the first half of the episode and it would have been just as good. All the action kicks off when they land on the planet's surface--and if it had begun there it would have thrown us into the momentum of the story. Also I think some of the best humour was in the back half.

    The first part was like STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE in its plodding set up. I understand why pilots do this--for the sake of TV executives who really need the premise explained like talking to a five year old. But if they had left the back story out of the first episode, that would leave stuff they could fill in later in the following episodes. And it's more interesting to discover these things as the series goes forward. Giving the main characters some mystery establishes a reason to keep watching for the answers.

    The first episode of STAR TREK, the Original Series, when the series first aired was out of production order. But by leading off with "The Man Trap," no time was wasted with false starts--the audience was dropped into the middle of things. Much better than the "Farpoint" first ep for TNG, which this pilot resembles more than a little.

    Adrianne Palicki is the best thing this series has going for it. Even though her character also borrows from Star Trek characters, there's enough original in her that could feed into further adventures. And she's so telegenic. When she's on screen you need to look at her. She's the opposite of Seth McFarlane--who himself may be a creative genius but he just has no screen presence. The best thing generic Captain has going for him is a large cast of characters who can carry those scenes.

    For me, the series inadvertently benefits from CBS having dropped the ball on Star Trek. There's so many technical corporate loopholes that have the real franchise tied in knots over its IPs that it makes it nearly impossible to do a good ol' episode of a Star Trek series. Which really angers me. So THE ORVILLE is the best we can hope for under these circumstances.

    It's never good to judge a TV series by its pilot. And STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION needed two seasons before it showed improvement. So I'm willing to cut this series some slack. But future episodes ought to cut out the exposition and move at a quicker pace.

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    Astonishing Member AndrewCrossett's Avatar
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    Huh, I skipped it but now I'm kind of curious to see it. Looks like Fox has it up online already... maybe I'll give it a look.

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    Extraordinary Member Zero Hunter's Avatar
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    Man I am not on the same page as some of you at all. I thought it was just so boring and most of the humor did not hit for me. The characters all seemed so one note too. It was not the worse thing I have ever seen, but I have no real desire to watch the 2nd epidode, and I usually like shows like this.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Zero Hunter View Post
    Man I am not on the same page as some of you at all. I thought it was just so boring and most of the humor did not hit for me. The characters all seemed so one note too. It was not the worse thing I have ever seen, but I have no real desire to watch the 2nd epidode, and I usually like shows like this.
    Like I say, the first half was boring for me and I was ready to check out. But the second half saved the bacon and showed me that it might get better. It depends how you approach the series--as either mainly a drama or mainly a comedy. I think it's mainly a drama and they need to use the humour to bring out the characters but not as punchlines. GALAXY QUEST does this better as it really is a drama, even though there's some truly funny elements in the movie. But this ain't SPACEBALLS.

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    Bishop was right. Sighphi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Qwerty View Post
    It's far less comedic than they advertised. I wish they had left out the comedic elements all together.
    It looked like they were just going to goof on Trek and space shows but they didnt really do it that much. It sort looked like they were actually trying to do a space show that just happens to be less on the serious side.

    The jokes were too simple, the whole thing was too simple.

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    DC Enthusiast Tony's Avatar
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    I thought it was really bad. I'm not sure this will make a full season. The jokes didn't work the fight was very A Team with 20 bad guys unable to hit the broad side of a barn. The ship fight awful. The acting/writing awful. I was looking forward to this for months too.

    Adrianne Palicki is growing quite the resume of awful with Wonder Woman, Agents of Shield, and the Orville.

  11. #11

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    Liked it a lot. Great mix of comedic/non-comedic elements (one didn't seem to overwhelm the other). I can already tell Isaac will be my favorite character.

    Quote Originally Posted by Derek Metaltron View Post
    I think my main concerns right now is if they keep using the 'my ex-wife is a ass' gag too much
    That's my main concern as well. I'm already tired of it, and if they are going to keep it going it seemed an odd turn to add that bit at the end with her and Garber's character, as it will make Mercer start to look like the ass the longer he's in the dark about it.

    or the same with peeing jokes (I think there were three in the first episode).
    That is my secondary concern, and these seem to be mostly relegated to the Malloy (Scott Grimes) character. On the other hand, this is a common staple of any MacFarlane project so we're probably stuck with it. *shrugs* Small compromise for an otherwise good show.

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    Mighty Member Qwerty's Avatar
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    Grimes is totally Tom Paris. Did they reveal that the technician in the window (when Seth was asking Adrian to stay) was painting flames on the ship cause that was my first thought and I am almost positive we have seen a shot of the ship with flames on the hull.
    Stick "we work together and we get out of here alive"

    Matt "peace out suckas"

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    I thought it was good. So far all the cast is likable and it set up what was needed.

    Still comes out better then buying STD.

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    Extraordinary Member Derek Metaltron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nate Grey View Post
    Liked it a lot. Great mix of comedic/non-comedic elements (one didn't seem to overwhelm the other). I can already tell Isaac will be my favorite character.

    That's my main concern as well. I'm already tired of it, and if they are going to keep it going it seemed an odd turn to add that bit at the end with her and Garber's character, as it will make Mercer start to look like the ass the longer he's in the dark about it.

    That is my secondary concern, and these seem to be mostly relegated to the Malloy (Scott Grimes) character. On the other hand, this is a common staple of any MacFarlane project so we're probably stuck with it. *shrugs* Small compromise for an otherwise good show.
    Going by the trailer Issac is probably going to cause more problems with organics than solve them.

    I'm fine with them bickering for plot threads, but since we can guess they'll gradually mend their differences I'm hoping it'll get toned down over time. And yeah, I like Family Guy and some of Seth's other animated projects but I'm hoping that they stick to more sci-fi gags and pokes and less body humor stuff if possible. If they regulate it to Malloy as you say though that would be fine. But I'm hopeful so far!

    Quote Originally Posted by Qwerty View Post
    Grimes is totally Tom Paris. Did they reveal that the technician in the window (when Seth was asking Adrian to stay) was painting flames on the ship cause that was my first thought and I am almost positive we have seen a shot of the ship with flames on the hull.
    He so is, isn't he? Since I was one of the people who grew up with Voyager as 'my' Star Trek it's nice to have a Tom Parisish person on the team. Given that Alara looks a bit like Torres to me - albeit with a nicer personality - I wonder if a romance with those two is on the cards.

    I'm hoping as with most Star Trek shows of the past they will try to give each of the main crew members their own focus episode so we get to learn more about them, given the fact that Mercer and Grayson were really the core focuses of the opening episode.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Derek Metaltron View Post
    He so is, isn't he? Since I was one of the people who grew up with Voyager as 'my' Star Trek it's nice to have a Tom Parisish person on the team. Given that Alara looks a bit like Torres to me - albeit with a nicer personality - I wonder if a romance with those two is on the cards.
    Heh. Deep Space Nine was 'my' Trek, so I was looking for anything that reminded me of it in the show. Closest I got was Bortus, the obvious Worf analogue, and perhaps Isaac's dry sardonic way of talking (Odo) but that one is reaching, he's obviously the Data analogue.

    Anyway, now that you and Qwerty mention it, yes I see a lot of Tom Paris in Malloy, just not as smarmy (sorry found Paris a tad smarmy). And Alara does resemble Torres in appearance at least. I'd ship those, and I'm not even a shipper. So, good call you two.

    Just wondering where that leaves LaMarr.

    I'm hoping as with most Star Trek shows of the past they will try to give each of the main crew members their own focus episode so we get to learn more about them, given the fact that Mercer and Grayson were really the core focuses of the opening episode.
    I'm positive this will be the case, and that each character will get no less than two spotlight eps per season, just like Trek and well most other shows with a similar cast of its size. I'll have to research MacFarlane's feelings on this project but I'm getting the impression he's taking it very seriously and will pay homage to Trek and other sci-fi shows in various sometimes subtle ways.

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