410 replies to this topic

[MisterPL]

Oo! Mixed drinks! Now I need to try that.

[Alteran195]

I love grape soda.... They have those machines that will mix and match soda syrup... I found "grape mellow yellow" to be especially tasty.

Now I know what I'm getting next time I come across one of those Coke machines.  

[Alteran195]

Spoiler

So this episode was a mix of Blink of an Eye, and Who Watches the Watchers, and in a sense was very much Star Trek.

 

But I just didn't like it for some reason. 

 

I find it hard to believe that a religion that spanned centuries would come out of a random encounter that lasted a minute or so. 

 

Not to mention this civilization somehow having photo realistic images and statues of Kelly from that same short encounter during the bronze age? The people who saw her couldn't have possibly gotten a good enough look at here, and then passed that appearance down for centuries. 

 

It just didn't do it for me. 

 

Picard becoming a godlike being in TNG was based off a much longer encounter, and involved actually beaming the person to the Enterprise to save his life, not healing a cut in the woods then running away. 

 

Voyager was a new star in the sky, and appeared alongside earthquakes, and was ALWAYS there for the people on the ground to see. Inspiring whatever beliefs people had in the skyship on that planet made sense. 

 

I really want the Orville to stop remaking Trek episodes, and do their own thing. They have an interesting universe, and a good cast of characters.

[Gothneo]

I had a similar reaction. I enjoyed it... and it has a unique "splash" but ultimately you felt like you had seen it before... and you probably had.

What I do like is the blurring of relationship lines in the show. Trek, for the most part kept everything above board and pretty professional. The last couple episodes brought the "what happens if" aspect of allowing relationships to confound the job.

Still overall this is Avery up beat and optimistic show.. I think they need some writers that can come up with something new... which may be hard these days.

[MisterPL]

I thought the episode was about the dangers of alcohol and impaired judgement. Then again, impaired judgement is the theme of the entire show.

 

Orville is still struggling to find its identity. It's trying to be a heady sci-fi series but at the same time a sophomoric comedy and this last episode shows why the two don't go well together. Are we supposed to take their "prime directive" seriously or is it more of a guideline? Because it seems like they want us to think breaking it and covering it up is a very serious infraction but on the other hand the characters dismiss any consequences as a slap on the wrist.

 

I'm waiting for the crew to be put on Double Secret Probation!

[1701D]

Well Ive watched the first episodes of The Orville! Loved it.

Its Star Trek! Totally Star Trek: The Next Generation, from set design, music and literally everything as if it were still the 1990s and thats really its only issue; its a show very much stuck in that 90s era of television. Im not sure how long this will last before it becomes kind of monotonous and repetitive but so far, its thoroughly enjoyable. A series that may not have the importance or impact that Discovery has, but is nevertheless, something that is most refreshing to watch in such a serialised tv landscape.

As for the argument over what series is more like Star Trek? Well I think both Discovery and The Orville are very much in keeping with Star Trek. They both focus on different parts of a vast franchise that has gone where no other franchise has gone. Its the great thing about Trek. That both The Orville and Discovery can be so totally different from one another, yet still uphold and honour the Star Trek legacy.

I think its just up to the individual as to what type of Star Trek story you enjoy more.

[Gothneo]

I kinda of thought you'd like the show once you saw it.

[MisterPL]

I've become somewhat desensitized to the 90s influence of the series. It's like watching a TNG blooper reel sometimes.

[1701D]

Well, three episodes in and this is a great show. Its Star Trek had there not been a 12 year break. Meaning that I could totally see this as a spin off from Star Trek: Voyager coming hot off the heels of Enterprise.

It kind of highlights the problems with Star Trek. Tone down the comedy slightly and this, after a 12 year break, is how Star Trek should of been revived. Why? Because this show does everything a Star Trek show should be doing. Its topical, slightly hokey, and episodical stories that are based upon a crew and a ship.

Discovery while still Star Trek... really needs to take a hard look at The Orville because with that show, lies the direction Orville should be headed in.

[Gothneo]

So 1701D, I know at one point, based on conjecture and reading, you theorized that the Orville was Trek meets Family Guy... I didn't think the humor was quite as crass as family guy... but more kinda futuramma wacky... though it gets more serious as the series goes on... 

 

Any new insights now that you've seen a few episodes?

 

Episode 3 already gets into a pretty big social and m moral issue... and the next two are both pretty strong... arguablly some of the best of season IMO... episode 5 guest stars Charlize Theron, which kinda shows MacFarlanes ability and pull to get big names to guest on the show. 

 

I think Eps 4 and 11 may be my favs of Season 1. 

[1701D]

I am eating my words.

The Orville is a refreshing return to Tv of the 90s. Most specifically; Star Trek: The Next Generation. Its a loving homage to that kind of storytelling and successfully adapts many of the great things about TNG, for the modern audience.

And whilst the humour at times feels out of place, this is only due to the passion MacFarlane delivers in taking on this role and playing such honour to TNG.

Its so good, if you toned down the humour just a tad and put these characters in established Star Trek settings, it would be the show I think a lot of Star Trek fans would really like to see.

The humour is not much like Family Guy, however it is clearly a Seth MacFarlane show - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt. The other thing this show delivers is a great sense of reality; this is how I imagine humans being in space acting like. Its not all regimented militaristic, its a day at the office. Thats what was so forward thinking of TNG and thats the brilliance of Orville.

If there was one criticism I had to level at this show is that at times it does seem to wrestle with itself; is it a comedy show, is it a science fiction show? I think it perhaps needs to find its direction in the second season and maybe be a little less crass in terms of its comedy, and a little more genuine. All in all though, this is how I remember Star Trek being. Its more in keeping with Star Trek than Discovery is.

Perhaps though, thats ok. I think Star Trek needs to justify itself by being the more serious show. I think as a result of such a long break, Star Trek needed this season of Discovery to really cement itself back in the minds of pop culture. What Discovery needs to learn now is how to be more Star Trek, in other words; more like The Orville.

I do wonder what the future of The Orville looks like now that Disney have bought Fox? The fan in me would love to see CBS buy the rights and produce it with MacFarlane as a Star Trek series. Slowly adapting it to fit into the Star Trek franchise. I think that would be the nerdy cool idea.

Also; DST... get an electronic Orville out with an Ed Mercer Action figure.

[Gothneo]

Good feedback! no need to eat your words as you say... prior comments were based on conjecture and input available at the time!

 

I think your critiques are very similar to others, and I think your going to enjoy the show as it matures... at least I found I did. Towards the end Macfarlane seems to be finding a better footing, and I believe he'll use the feedback he sees to tune season two more. 

 

I kinda like that Discovery and Orville are two different things... I don't get that wound up about the direction DISCO has gone... but I reserve he right to reject it if I don't like the final outcome of the whole story!

 

I think Disney will allow Fox to run as a subsidiary and leave it to make them money, so I'm not so worried about that.

 

Enjoy the run... I find I'm enjoying re-runs of Orville... not so much of DISCO.

[Alteran195]

I’ve been rewatching The Orville with my fiancé who’s seeing it for the first time, and I’m not enjoying them as much on my second viewing.

Disco I haven’t even rewatched at all yet. I just can’t be bothered to, and was planning on it before chapter 2 comes out. Doubt it’ll actually happen.

[1701D]

I find Discovery to be a bit heavy to rewatch. The Orville is light and lends itself to multiple viewings just like Star Trek of old. Its easy to watch and enjoyable to watch. Theres an intelligent message behind the fun and comedy which all adds up to such an enjoyable series.

It goes back to a point I made about Discovery. As good as that series will ever be, it just wont be as long lasting as other Star Treks because theres not the longevity in it that a show like The Orville has. Discovery is a snapshot of a piece of Star Trek history. The Orville is a show that has no middle and no end, it can go anywhere, do anything until quality in the storytelling declines and they call it a day!

[Gothneo]

 As good as that series will ever be, it just wont be as long lasting as other Star Treks because theres not the longevity in it.

 

Maybe... I think were a bit too close to it still... 

 

I did put it on and let AA play the run through... I kinda let the first few episodes just play in the background while I did other things... but, with the exception of the Mudd episode... I was really being drawn into the last few episodes... which I really think are not just some of the best, but are actually pretty compelling Trek.

 

My current analysis then is they spent too much time with the setup... and my complaints about the clunkiness of the Klingon in the first few was slightly offset when Buhrnam reveals the universal translator.... it kinda made me appreciate it! 

 

Anyway... I find theres allot to like about Discovery. I'm not ready to write it off yet.

[1701D]

Oh dont get me wrong, I think Discovery will be one of the best Star Trek series but as for its rewatchability... I think itll suffer where the other Star Treks havent because of its deep and heavy storyline. I watched the first episode again and then gave up haha. Ill watch the next 6 episodes because I too found that the show completely changed direction in the mudd time loop episode. I reckon that episode was the point in which Bryan Fuller left the series.

[Gothneo]

I think Fuller was gone after the pilot actually... most likely he fleshed out the story concept and thats why he retains the creator title, but I don't think much of the show has any of his actual creative direction... but what do I know! 

[s8film40]

I think Fuller was gone after the pilot actually... most likely he fleshed out the story concept and thats why he retains the creator title, but I don't think much of the show has any of his actual creative direction... but what do I know! 

I'm thinking he retained his credits simply because unions require it since he technically put work into it. It's similar to how a movie sometimes will be written by someone and the studio likes the story but not the script, they fire the original writer completely rewriting the script erasing virtually everything the original person put into it and yet still have to credit that person to avoid future legal issues. I think that's essentially what happened here.

[MisterPL]

And they said Discovery was going to be like Game of Thrones! 

 

http://sciencefictio...season-delayed/

[s8film40]

http://www.slashfilm...lle-season-2-2/

So it seems they want to push the sci-if side more and let the comedy fall aside somewhat. Sounds great to me! Also relevant to this forum he specifically said he wants a toy line.