The first hype that was out there about "The Orville," from creator Seth MacFarlane of "Family Guy" fame, was that it was a plagiarization of Star Trek, with fart jokes. But as reviews began to come in on "Discovery," with its wholesale changes to the Klingon mythos, weird ship designs, and shaky retcons of established Trek timelines… the Trek fans began to warm to "The Orville," almost as if in retaliation. Some may say it's about content, but I think it's about paying for it, because "Discovery" airs on the pay service CBS All Access. Apparently, Trek fans will take fart jokes as long as they’re free.
The humor has brought up situations that we know must happen in the Star Trek universe, but no one has tried to tackle before. Not only is it hilarious in those moments, it's thoughtful, refreshing, and in some cases, daring. In the space of three episodes, we have seen on "The Orville" both the best elements of the original series and TNG, with fart jokes. That is impressive. This is a show to watch, and you should watch it because it's good, not just because it's free. Two thumbs way up.
I had been curious about this show and decided to give it a try, fully expecting not to like it, and have been pleasantly surprised. I don't know, but it seems very "human" to me. The characters talk like real people, even with the occasional fart joke, etc.
ReplyDeleteI was concerned after the forced humor of the pilot episode. The formulaic "junior officer in charge, everything goes to hell" of the second episode was an improvement in the balance of plot and humor. It was the third episode, "About a Girl," where the true honor to Trek came out in its finest. That episode made it clear that The Orville will not be Star Trek with fart jokes; it will be a genuine homage and its own show too. I am looking forward to the next episodes.
ReplyDelete