Wow, what an emotional rollercoaster of a story! I love how the writers were able to put a smile on a face and a tear in my eye. We get to follow a young child seeking answers, parents and a culture that may not agree with the child, and a topic that can be divisive yet told in a way that never felt on the nose and which matches with the sci-fi universe perfectly. It really got me thinking... and feeling. Anyways, great episode, probably the best of the season so far.
158 Reviews
Showing Discovery how to do it.
rovex323 July 2022
The Orville managed to do in one episode what Discovery couldn't in 2 seasons.
This is how you handle gender topics, not the joyless, overbearing and heavy handed way Star Trek Discovery is doing it.
The emotions seemed real in this episode, whereas Discoverys are over blown and fake. Such a shame because 30 years ago this is how Star trek would, and did handle it.
This is how you handle gender topics, not the joyless, overbearing and heavy handed way Star Trek Discovery is doing it.
The emotions seemed real in this episode, whereas Discoverys are over blown and fake. Such a shame because 30 years ago this is how Star trek would, and did handle it.
An acting class by Ms. Palicki
carltonbrice1 July 2022
The acting talent of Ms Palicki was never more apparent. Her face is beautiful and virtually every muscle of her body, not to mention her voice, is used to express her emotion. As always, I enjoyed her, Ms. Jerald and Mr. Jackson. The Isaac character will eventually win over even Ensign Burke. As with his protection of Dr. Finn's sons before, his protection of Topa was inspirational to watch. His honesty is funny and instructional at the same time. In a way, the episode was, I thought, a push back against current trends. Perhaps Bill Maher and Seth MacFarlane are both old school liberals.
Wrapping up, an added delight was the archeological story and adding an extra dimension to Ensign Burke. Since the civilization and the people are gone, I don't think it was colonial tomb raiding. The planet looked uninhabited. I hope that story line is picked up again.
Wrapping up, an added delight was the archeological story and adding an extra dimension to Ensign Burke. Since the civilization and the people are gone, I don't think it was colonial tomb raiding. The planet looked uninhabited. I hope that story line is picked up again.
Genius misinterpreted by most.
pidstr30 June 2022
Read the other comments, they're all about Transistion or De-transistion, Woke or Anti-Woke, Progressive vs Coservative,... when this is really a story about Rights.
It's about letting a person choose the right path for themselves and supporting them, regardless of which path they strike out along.
It's about doing the right thing, even when you're under pressure to do the safe thing, and it's about advocacy for those who need support, even if it means going against one's own community.
And lastly, it's about enlightened self interest, where helping the community helps the individual as well.
Well done writing team.
It's about letting a person choose the right path for themselves and supporting them, regardless of which path they strike out along.
It's about doing the right thing, even when you're under pressure to do the safe thing, and it's about advocacy for those who need support, even if it means going against one's own community.
And lastly, it's about enlightened self interest, where helping the community helps the individual as well.
Well done writing team.
Simply outstanding
rskolek30 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Simply outstanding. This is how you tell a nuanced story about a complicated and sensitive subject. Presenting opposing views, not constantly bashing the audience over the head with "the message". The resolution is a little too convenient, but that is a small flaw in an otherwise perfect episode.
Watch and learn, new Star Trek shows.
Watch and learn, new Star Trek shows.
Brilliantly Written and Performed.
ereignisband30 June 2022
I completely enjoyed this episode. The acting, the writing, the subject matter... Tolerance, Acceptance, Tradition.... Change. Bravo MacFarlane. You've set the bar pretty high for yourself now. Good luck matching this one.
Excellent episode
ingra8830 June 2022
I saw myself in this.
cerwen8030 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I only wish real life was so wonderful.
I fell apart when I saw Topa gain what she had been missing for so long. This means so much to me.
Most people don't understand, but this felt so authentic to me. So much that I relate to. I would have been obsessed with Kelly too.
Thank you Seth Mcfarlane.
I fell apart when I saw Topa gain what she had been missing for so long. This means so much to me.
Most people don't understand, but this felt so authentic to me. So much that I relate to. I would have been obsessed with Kelly too.
Thank you Seth Mcfarlane.
The tragedy, pain & complications...
dave42c1 July 2022
...of one aspect of, my body my choice, was extremely well depicted in this episode. The fight for the right to self determination, and the crews' support & willingness to sacrifice for someone struggling, was incredibly moving.
If somebody had told me that a Sci-Fi action comedy TV show would produce one of the most moving TV episodes I've Ever seen, I would not have believed them.
------ You don't need religion to have morals. If you can't determine right from wrong then you lack empathy, not religion.
If somebody had told me that a Sci-Fi action comedy TV show would produce one of the most moving TV episodes I've Ever seen, I would not have believed them.
------ You don't need religion to have morals. If you can't determine right from wrong then you lack empathy, not religion.
Missing secondary story
turkeyboy255 July 2022
Excellence
pioneer641 July 2022
It's at least 20 minutes too long
mars3750-511-8523754 July 2022
I have no objection to the topic of transitioning/detransitioning but holy cow this episode felt like it was never going to end.
It's an hour and 15 minutes long. It very much felt like they could have easily cut 20 minute from this episode and it would have been better off.
It's an hour and 15 minutes long. It very much felt like they could have easily cut 20 minute from this episode and it would have been better off.
Walking a tightrope
Billy D.-21 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This episode is making a value judgment from a narrow perspective. What this episode says is that the human race value system is the only one that matters in the universe. No other spices has a right to their beliefs if it is not in alignment with the human race. He had no knowledge of the situation and the fact that it bothered a human who felt her values superseded the beliefs of another spices. Yet if the situation was reversed, we be ready to go to war. This storyline should have been a slow subplot to see time progress and allow an opportunity for a balanced opinion to developed.
I was hoping for space battles and crazy aliens
imaginelovinglife3 July 2022
I was hoping for space battles and crazy aliens but what I got was a very dramatic episode. To my surprised, this was very good. I liked it a lot. No matter what sides of the political spectrum you go to, I think most people agree that you should have choice over your body.
This isn't the allegory you're looking for...
wolfstar_imdb30 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I've always said the great thing about The Orville's Moclan storyline is the fact that it isn't a direct analogy for any LGBT issue on Earth. That's part of what makes it so interesting to explore and why the show has repeatedly struck gold with these thoughtful episodes. That's partly why I'm surprised to see reviews seeing this as a simple trans story when it's far from that.
Consider this: at this moment in time in the West (but particularly Anglosphere countries), we have a mass social contagion of teenage girls identifying as non-binary or as male, only to desist within a decade. Some of these girls never go as far as hormones or surgery, so detransition isn't too much of a problem. Yet many in their early teens are put on an affirmative pathway leading to permanent and irreversible physical changes up to and including double mastectomy and even phalloplasty the moment they're old enough to consent. Instead of addressing the toxic culture that leads tomboys and girls who don't fit in to think they're actually boys, we surgically change them into approximations of boys. Once they hit their early twenties and are in a different peer group environment without the influences and stressors that drove their transition, increasing numbers of these girls are realizing that they made a mistake and reclaming their femalehood. Yet it's not as easy as the procedure shown in this episode. As relevant and hard-hitting as this episode is now, it's going to look brave and prescient in just a few years' time when the class-action lawsuits of detransitioned young women start hitting the headlines.
Topa's detransition is also a great analogy for the kids out there with Munchhausen's by Proxy parents who have deliberately raised their child as the opposite sex due to the desire to have a trans child. This is increasingly happening under the radar - abusive parents (often the mother) do it for social media clout, because they wanted a girl but got a boy (or vice versa), or as a way to get back at their ex-partner. Topa discovering that she was forcibly transitioned as an infant and brought up as the opposite sex purely to satisfy her zealot parent's gender ideology is a powerful scene that recalls the case of David Reimer.
It's an incredible episode with stellar performances, writing and direction, somehow even more powerful than the season opener which deftly addressed the topic of suicide. Peter Macon is just fantastic as usual, Adrienne Palicki is really great too, and Imani Pullum is to be highly commended in a difficult role under heavy makeup.
Consider this: at this moment in time in the West (but particularly Anglosphere countries), we have a mass social contagion of teenage girls identifying as non-binary or as male, only to desist within a decade. Some of these girls never go as far as hormones or surgery, so detransition isn't too much of a problem. Yet many in their early teens are put on an affirmative pathway leading to permanent and irreversible physical changes up to and including double mastectomy and even phalloplasty the moment they're old enough to consent. Instead of addressing the toxic culture that leads tomboys and girls who don't fit in to think they're actually boys, we surgically change them into approximations of boys. Once they hit their early twenties and are in a different peer group environment without the influences and stressors that drove their transition, increasing numbers of these girls are realizing that they made a mistake and reclaming their femalehood. Yet it's not as easy as the procedure shown in this episode. As relevant and hard-hitting as this episode is now, it's going to look brave and prescient in just a few years' time when the class-action lawsuits of detransitioned young women start hitting the headlines.
Topa's detransition is also a great analogy for the kids out there with Munchhausen's by Proxy parents who have deliberately raised their child as the opposite sex due to the desire to have a trans child. This is increasingly happening under the radar - abusive parents (often the mother) do it for social media clout, because they wanted a girl but got a boy (or vice versa), or as a way to get back at their ex-partner. Topa discovering that she was forcibly transitioned as an infant and brought up as the opposite sex purely to satisfy her zealot parent's gender ideology is a powerful scene that recalls the case of David Reimer.
It's an incredible episode with stellar performances, writing and direction, somehow even more powerful than the season opener which deftly addressed the topic of suicide. Peter Macon is just fantastic as usual, Adrienne Palicki is really great too, and Imani Pullum is to be highly commended in a difficult role under heavy makeup.
Living In The Storm
jupiterscreen1 July 2022
I am gonna be honest, one of the things I have been pleased about this new season, is that the drama of Klyden & Topa have been nonexistent. Klyden's atrociousness demeanor, while instilled with the Moclan traditions, has always left me feeling indignant. And it angered me to see those conventions coming to attainment in Topa. With that being said, I was very pleased with this story. It is yet another emotional episode, that delves into gender indentification and gives the point-of-view from not only the transgenders side, but as well as societies many standpoints on the matter.
On another note, this episode has finally won me over on Adrianne Palicki character. This is the best performance of Cmdr. Grayson to date. From maternal role model to a stern and pugnacious first officer, Palicki really drives this episode.
On another note, this episode has finally won me over on Adrianne Palicki character. This is the best performance of Cmdr. Grayson to date. From maternal role model to a stern and pugnacious first officer, Palicki really drives this episode.
A great well written episode that could have gone really bad
perrycs-4915230 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
When I saw what the story was about I started to get some dread... why? Mainly because of how other shows do such a horrible job in touching on issues.
There was 1 moment I was like "oh no" but it was quickly put at ease.
I can't stand how a lot of shows handle issues. It's like a 2 x 4 to the face.
This episode, was well written, well acted and I even had some tears welling up in my eyes at one point in the show.
This could have been a huge trainwreck. Shows like Discovery, Charmed 2018, (the entire CW) should take note on how to write something like this.
This was intelligent, it was well done, and I really enjoyed it and by the time it finished, I decided that even in the future, I could actually watch this again, and enjoy it.
Well done writters. Thank you! I normally rate stuff like this 1 out of 10 but, this was well done as I have mentioned many times.
It touches on a real issue in society that we are going through right now. Normally I could care less about gender issues in todays society. This was done in a proper way without being preachy, annoying, or eye rolling.
Due to the short seasons I do hope they have more action filled stuff in the future. Despite this being a good episode I want more science fiction stuff.
There was 1 moment I was like "oh no" but it was quickly put at ease.
I can't stand how a lot of shows handle issues. It's like a 2 x 4 to the face.
This episode, was well written, well acted and I even had some tears welling up in my eyes at one point in the show.
This could have been a huge trainwreck. Shows like Discovery, Charmed 2018, (the entire CW) should take note on how to write something like this.
This was intelligent, it was well done, and I really enjoyed it and by the time it finished, I decided that even in the future, I could actually watch this again, and enjoy it.
Well done writters. Thank you! I normally rate stuff like this 1 out of 10 but, this was well done as I have mentioned many times.
It touches on a real issue in society that we are going through right now. Normally I could care less about gender issues in todays society. This was done in a proper way without being preachy, annoying, or eye rolling.
Due to the short seasons I do hope they have more action filled stuff in the future. Despite this being a good episode I want more science fiction stuff.
Regardless of you position, you can't deny the artistry.
foxcool30 June 2022
Social commentary these days often executed as propaganda and extremely cringe with minimal thoughts and effort that goes into actually telling a good story. Worst is the lack of empathy for the other side.
This episode is the opposite of that. It was a well thought out story, directed impeccably with above average performance by most of the actors. This is the star trek we need. Social commentary that's not cringe like in the actual star trek series they're making now.
Credit to where credit's due. I was never "pro" in the matter and don't think I will ever be because of how obnoxious the activists are in reality (yes, I'm against just because of the activism even though I have nothing against the actual thing). But I'm not so blind to not recognize art when I see it. In the end, it doesn't really matter if you're "for" or "against", this is a damn good episode.
This episode is the opposite of that. It was a well thought out story, directed impeccably with above average performance by most of the actors. This is the star trek we need. Social commentary that's not cringe like in the actual star trek series they're making now.
Credit to where credit's due. I was never "pro" in the matter and don't think I will ever be because of how obnoxious the activists are in reality (yes, I'm against just because of the activism even though I have nothing against the actual thing). But I'm not so blind to not recognize art when I see it. In the end, it doesn't really matter if you're "for" or "against", this is a damn good episode.
Out of the park
ncce3730 June 2022
This show just hit it way way way out of the park, what a fantastic episode and so relevant today. Emotional & Satisfying episode. What outstanding writing. Sensitivity from so many perspectives, each with respect and understanding of the character's point of view. Torpa (Blesson Yates) was outstanding in the part hope we see more of him.
Well written drama but I miss the Orville
du_puy14 July 2022
The writing was decent if not predictable. Peter Macon gave a great performance, as did the actor who played Topa. But all the things that I loved about the Orville have been missing this season. With one episode exception, it all drags me down. It's all pseudo political drama, no exploration/ new ideas and very little humor. I don't mind a show making statements or showing different view points but this all feels very contrived. Even the whole Dr & Issac thing is getting old. They need to quit driving so much of that into every storyline. I still watch but I am not on my seat to watch it every week anymore and likely will just stop if something more interesting comes along. I hope Seth gets his show back.
I think this ship is slowly sinking..........
k_tomb2 July 2022
Something is just not right about the show anymore. It lacks fun and spontaneity. They all seem like the characters we all loved 2-3 years ago, but it feels forced and not the same anymore. There are far too many call backs to previous episodes. It feels like they are forcing "Message" episodes, that feel rushed, as far as coming to some EASY unreal conclusion, and at the same time too strung out and boring. There needs to be FAR better editing, and time allotted, for a TRUE 2nd plot in these over long episodes. The relics in the tomb were just rushed over and laughable compared to the Drama heavy Topa story. Not bad overall, but just not enjoyable as the show used to be.
Absolutely stunning episode
sergeman_ec-133-2651801 July 2022
The level of Acton in this episode goes hand-in-hand with the mastery of the script frame. Many TV shows and movies I've seen that have to do with this topic, but it took the Orville for me to finally be able to say that this piece of television hit the nail on the head. Excellent episode and a 10 out of 10.
The Odyssey is off-track.
sciencguy4 August 2022
Is The Orville turning into a family drama? I appreciate the societal point of the episode, but it was practically the entire episode. That not what I tune into the show for. The first two episodes of the season seemed to heavily feature the doctor's personal problems. I hope the rest of the season is not headed in this direction. I want action, special effects, and plenty of interplanetary conflict. Add on all of the sociological problems you like, but don't make them the main feature of the show.
Horrible messaging!
media-1560230 June 2022
It seems I'm the only person here with a negative impression of this episode, but then again, maybe this is what happens when you watch TV from a non-ideological, apolitical point of view. First let me say that I believe everyone should be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of your gender, race, creed, nationality, etc. This philosophy has to be the starting point of everything we do, everything we discuss. That being said, I was very disturbed by the themes advocated in this episode, and I think any honest individual who watched this from a neutral and non-ideological point of view would have felt the same.
What exactly gives Commander Grayson the right to substitute the father of the child's judgment with that of her own? On what grounds are her morals superior to the collective morals of the entire Moclan civilization? Why is she as an alien outsider "right" but Klyden, the individual who shares half of the child's DNA, wrong? And as if to underscore the superiority of Commander Grayson's morals, why was it necessary to verbally and physically humiliate Klyden? Why were there no consequences for Captain Mercer and Commander Grayson for blatantly disobeying a direct order?
I understand that the changing tides in our modern society leaves no room for dissent or discussion, but if I as a parent made a decision in the best interest of my child according to the ethics and customs of my culture, and that decision were contemptuously overruled by the child's teacher and school administrators (because they know better than I), who then proceeded to subject my child to a life-altering operation against my explicit wishes, there would be no force in hell equal to my fury! Regardless of where each of us stands on the transgender issue, we can't possibly think it's okay for third parties to impose their will on parents and subject their children to invasive procedures against their will! No matter how you look at it, this is simply the worst way to resolve complex issues and I'm very surprised that this is the approach being advocated by the show's producers.
What exactly gives Commander Grayson the right to substitute the father of the child's judgment with that of her own? On what grounds are her morals superior to the collective morals of the entire Moclan civilization? Why is she as an alien outsider "right" but Klyden, the individual who shares half of the child's DNA, wrong? And as if to underscore the superiority of Commander Grayson's morals, why was it necessary to verbally and physically humiliate Klyden? Why were there no consequences for Captain Mercer and Commander Grayson for blatantly disobeying a direct order?
I understand that the changing tides in our modern society leaves no room for dissent or discussion, but if I as a parent made a decision in the best interest of my child according to the ethics and customs of my culture, and that decision were contemptuously overruled by the child's teacher and school administrators (because they know better than I), who then proceeded to subject my child to a life-altering operation against my explicit wishes, there would be no force in hell equal to my fury! Regardless of where each of us stands on the transgender issue, we can't possibly think it's okay for third parties to impose their will on parents and subject their children to invasive procedures against their will! No matter how you look at it, this is simply the worst way to resolve complex issues and I'm very surprised that this is the approach being advocated by the show's producers.
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