"The Orville" is Seth MacFarlane thinking outside the box--something he is good at. The show feels like a combination of "Star Trek" and "Firefly". There are missions or problems to be solved as in "Star Trek", but humor is an integral part of the show, as in "Firefly".
MacFarlane plays Ed Mercer, captain of a Planetary Union Central ship that looks, inside and out, very much like The Enterprise. Adrianne Palicki ("Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.") is his first officer and someone he shares a contentious past with, making their relationship ripe for comedic banter. They have a diverse crew. Episode two highlighted the talents of Halston Sage, who plays Alara Kitan. Hopefully we will see plenty of her, because she is fun to watch.
The first two episodes display very creative writing. The production values, including the special effects are great. The blend of sci-fi and humor makes for an interesting show and I am looking forward to future episodes. They already did one thing right--they didn't name the show "The Wilbur".
Update 10/14/17: A few more episodes in, I am upping my grade to "8". "The Orville" is doing what sci-fi traditionally does best--utilizing the freedom afforded by the nearly limitless possibilities of an alternate universe to explore the intricacies and borders of concepts and principles.
I would score it higher, but the writers insist on including too many references to our time period. The show takes place 400 years in the future. Suggesting that people of that time would be intimately familiar with the music of Destiny's Child, for example, including the obscure authorship of one of their songs, is a silly anachronism. It is a distraction.
Updated 11/14/17: Episode 7, "Majority Rule", is about social media, public opinion, and actual democracy. It serves as a warning and it is an example of how good fiction--especially science fiction--can illuminate real issues. I am increasing my grade to "9".
MacFarlane plays Ed Mercer, captain of a Planetary Union Central ship that looks, inside and out, very much like The Enterprise. Adrianne Palicki ("Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.") is his first officer and someone he shares a contentious past with, making their relationship ripe for comedic banter. They have a diverse crew. Episode two highlighted the talents of Halston Sage, who plays Alara Kitan. Hopefully we will see plenty of her, because she is fun to watch.
The first two episodes display very creative writing. The production values, including the special effects are great. The blend of sci-fi and humor makes for an interesting show and I am looking forward to future episodes. They already did one thing right--they didn't name the show "The Wilbur".
Update 10/14/17: A few more episodes in, I am upping my grade to "8". "The Orville" is doing what sci-fi traditionally does best--utilizing the freedom afforded by the nearly limitless possibilities of an alternate universe to explore the intricacies and borders of concepts and principles.
I would score it higher, but the writers insist on including too many references to our time period. The show takes place 400 years in the future. Suggesting that people of that time would be intimately familiar with the music of Destiny's Child, for example, including the obscure authorship of one of their songs, is a silly anachronism. It is a distraction.
Updated 11/14/17: Episode 7, "Majority Rule", is about social media, public opinion, and actual democracy. It serves as a warning and it is an example of how good fiction--especially science fiction--can illuminate real issues. I am increasing my grade to "9".