The Orville

[Jim Kelly]

I can never get used to female officers being called "sir." It's as jolting as seeing people salute when they're not wearing a hat.

If I had ever dared to address a female commanding officer as sir, I would have got a dressing down. Not that I would ever disrespect anyone like that.

On CASTLE, Penny Johnson Jerald's character insisted on being called sir. That was okay--she gets to choose how she identifies. But on THE ORVILLE it's applied to every female officer--seeimingly without choice. I don't see that as progressive. I see it as regressive--where we default to the male gender for everything. There should be a neutral term of respect--maybe "sage"--"yes, sage."

If, on the one hand, we're saying that people get to choose their pronouns--on the other hand then, isn't addressing everyone as if they were all male disrespecting their gender identity?

I need guidance on this matter. Maybe Adrianne Palicki can help me out.

[Nate Grey]

Right so...this is the end of Klyden? I know that may relieve a lot of people, but personally I felt they tried to hard too make him a villain. They doubled down on that by also making him violent when he doesn't get his way.

I guess now we'll see Bortus adjusting both to having a daughter and single life.

I like how everyone came together to help Topa. The Union presented a conflict, the team figured out a way around it. "That D is too high!" had me rolling.

[j9ac9k]

Right so...this is the end of Klyden? I know that may relieve a lot of people, but personally I felt they tried to hard too make him a villain. They doubled down on that by also making him violent when he doesn't get his way.

To him, Klyden was trying to protect his child - which is a circumstance we tend to forgive when it comes to violence. Saying he wished his child was never born is what made him the "easy to dismiss his viewpoint" villain, despite all the half-hearted proclamations the show had about respecting other cultures.

Still, this show (unsurprisingly) falls right in line with old Star Trek's "comfortable liberalism." I get it, but it still comes across as a mainstream mindset attempting to embrace progressive ideas on its own not-so-challenging terms. There is a place for it I guess, but it just feels dated to me. It struck me that in all the crew's attempts to help, not one of them told them they were also trans or were born into a body that wasn't how they felt. They didn't mention that it happens all the time in the Federation. (or whatever they're called) So, they (the show) can judge Klyden's "backwards" culture all they want without daring to fully embrace it as part of their own identity. (if they covered this in the S1 episode when they had the trial, let me know - I don't remember. But if they had, it would have been a good time to reiterate it)

On another note, while I appreciate that this show is standing by Isaac genuinely not having emotions, it's getting silly at this point that the doctor doesn't understand that. She warms to his honesty as though it were a virtue, but it's not - he doesn't care.

[Anthony W]

Just saw the new episode. For a moment there I thought Gordon was going to be written off the show.

[Jokerz79]

Watch Two Topas last night great episode and I have to admit it surprised me but when Issac performed the surgery and the medical bed had that over the top of the patient monitor design from the TNG Era or Trek it hit me a little.

This show besides being good just hits me in the old feels for my youth of watching TNG, DS9, & VOY.

[LordMikel]

Just saw the new episode. For a moment there I thought Gordon was going to be written off the show.

Honestly, I'm not even sure how I feel about this episode. Like wow, and then they told him at the end, and he was, "Oh you did the right thing."

[Anthony W]

Honestly, I'm not even sure how I feel about this episode. Like wow, and then they told him at the end, and he was, "Oh you did the right thing."

Everyone on The Orville would have died back in season 1 due to a dark matter storm if not for the intervention of a time traveller named Pria. So technically aren't they all criminals?

[90'sCartoonMan]

Finally caught up with this show. I didn't realize these episodes would be so long, but I think it's doing a better job at what it sets out to on Hulu than on Fox.

Claire has had the best episodes so far, and I was thinking Bortus was going underused until the Topa episode. I'm shocked they gave Ed a kid, I wonder how that's going to work.

What do people think of Ensign Burke? I like her grudge against Isaac, but I feel like making her a main character means she's in scenes when someone of her station probably wouldn't be. Sorta like Harry Kim on Voyager.

Honestly, I'm not even sure how I feel about this episode. Like wow, and then they told him at the end, and he was, "Oh you did the right thing."

I thought the episode was tragic. Gordon really would have killed for his family, but then they never existed and he never knew about them. He was so disconnected from them that he was okay with being pulled back to his time. Pretty sad.

[Witchfan]

Ensign Charlie Burke is s good addition to this show. She needs a quick promotion.

[Thezmage]

So was Timmus K-1 from the flashbacks?

[Anthony W]

So was Timmus K-1 from the flashbacks?

Yeah. Pretty crazy. Timmus is very old.

[90'sCartoonMan]

Those K-1 flashbacks were intense. Gave me Second Renaissance from the Animatrix vibes. Between that and the brief hope spot with Claire and Isaac, I'm glad this episode had the bit of comedy with Ed and Gordon moving the bags (and Gordon volunteering to be used by that one woman).

Is this the end of John and Talla? I felt they didn't devote enough time to the two of them.

[Thezmage]

Is this the end of John and Talla? I felt they didn't devote enough time to the two of them.

I hope not. The least they could’ve done was ask Claire if there was a medical solution before breaking up

[j9ac9k]

I hope not. The least they could’ve done was ask Claire if there was a medical solution before breaking up

Or y'know... some bondage. For safety reasons...
Their whole "relationship" was hollow - it had a little buildup, then went to 100 all of a sudden, then done. Was anyone supposed to care? They spent more time on the ... joke(?) of him being hurt over and over than they did on any other aspect of their relationship.

[Celgress]

To him, Klyden was trying to protect his child - which is a circumstance we tend to forgive when it comes to violence. Saying he wished his child was never born is what made him the "easy to dismiss his viewpoint" villain, despite all the half-hearted proclamations the show had about respecting other cultures.

Still, this show (unsurprisingly) falls right in line with old Star Trek's "comfortable liberalism." I get it, but it still comes across as a mainstream mindset attempting to embrace progressive ideas on its own not-so-challenging terms. There is a place for it I guess, but it just feels dated to me. It struck me that in all the crew's attempts to help, not one of them told them they were also trans or were born into a body that wasn't how they felt. They didn't mention that it happens all the time in the Federation. (or whatever they're called) So, they (the show) can judge Klyden's "backwards" culture all they want without daring to fully embrace it as part of their own identity. (if they covered this in the S1 episode when they had the trial, let me know - I don't remember. But if they had, it would have been a good time to reiterate it)

On another note, while I appreciate that this show is standing by Isaac genuinely not having emotions, it's getting silly at this point that the doctor doesn't understand that. She warms to his honesty as though it were a virtue, but it's not - he doesn't care.

I agree with you about Klyden. I was very disappointed by the end of his "character arc". Unless Klyton returns so he can at least repair his relationship with his child in some fashion this was a terrible ending especially because of what he said to his kid (out of anger or not). I was hoping Klyden's character would evolve beyond the close-minded bigotted strawman for the behavior and beliefs of other characters to be shown as "moral" by way of comparison. By way of contrast, Archie Bunker a very prejudiced character eventually had an adopted Jewish daughter Stephanie (I've been watching some classic TV series lately lol) who he accepted despite his nature. Why not have Klydon say he still loved his child even if he disapproved of and did not understand Topa's choice? I guess wanting something nuanced was too much to ask for, oh well.