For me, this was the first episode of The Orville that became a copy of Star Trek rather than a tribute to it.
If the vile behaviour of pre-teens was intended to be comedic, it certainly missed the mark, leaving the ep completely devoid of any kind of humour. Instead it leans into the drama of an AI finding emotional intelligence as it becomes more intimate with the fears and needs of human children. Except the children are revolting, and the AI is dull so there's pretty much zero emotional investment or pay off for us viewers.
Filling in between separation and reunion is a pointless side-bar plot of a planet of war-ravaged, biological weapons-damaged population of canabalistic locals that goes nowhere.
And for those challenged by the doctor's trigger-finger when dispatching her captor, let's not forget that he offers a veiled threat about him being the only hope for his species, suggesting her potential for being breeding stock for him is another compelling reason behind her willingness to dispatch him - other than his keeping her captive and being generally pretty hostile (honestly guys, how many reasons do you need?).
For me, this was an uninspired episode that stepped too far away from the fundamentals of what separates The Orville from Star Trek and didn't compensate for that with an engaging, well-realised theme, good acting (the robot out-acted the humans) or pathos.
Plus the kids made me want to set weapons to kill.
Review of Into the Fold
