If you’ve followed this blog for any amount of time, you know that I tend to try and stay away from reviewing really new stuff. It’s not that I don’t like things that are being currently released, it’s just that I’m a pretentious snob who doesn’t feel like much that comes out anymore contains the same level of passion and imagination as the older stuff that we used to get. I see newer films as being lazy, and burdened with unnecessary elements like pedantic exposition, unrealistic computer effects, and plot holes so big you could drive a supertanker through them. But, no really, I just feel like, at least as far as TV and movies are concerned, that the older things have a certain quality to them that I find more appealing. However, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t at least try to keep up with all the hip new things that all of the cool kids are doing. Also, with a new Star Trek show coming out in just a couple of days, I figured now would be a great time to take a look at something that’s a slightly different flavor from the same general vein of entertainment. Hence, we’re going to look at Seth MacFarlane's newest sci-fi comedy series The Orville.
I’ve generally heard nothing, but positive things about this new show, and I think that’s great! We’ve had sci-fi shows non-stop for forever, but I think they’ve lost something that this show in particular is trying to revive, but we’ll get to that. The basic premise of the show is that after a painful divorce, Commander Ed Mercer slides into a life of mediocrity. When a starship captain retires, a replacement is needed, and so he’s promoted to captain, and given command. His crew is somewhat rag tag, and his ex-wife ends up being his XO, and that’s the pot of ingredients that set the stage for The Orville. We’re only three episodes in so a lot of my review will have to be impressions based on observation as there just isn’t a lot of hard material to draw conclusions off of at this point.
I like the characters in this show. Sure, they’re stereotyped to a degree, but with as many fictional characters as have existed in our culture, is it even possible to come up with a truly original character idea these days? Stereotyped characters would be a negative, but these characters are treated extremely well. They all have personalities that make them engaging, and they all get a good amount of presence in each episode to give them opportunities for development. This is typically where I would drone on, and on about each character, but I don’t want to spoil anything for those who have intentions of watching, but haven’t had a chance so suffice it to say that I think the cast of characters have the potential to be a memorable, and lovable group as time progresses on the show.
I love the universe that’s been created for this show! It’s very reminiscent of Star Trek circa Next Generation, but totally unique in its presentation. Where TNG was always very prim about how it got treated, as a comedy, and a parody, Orville can spin off in directions that TNG just wasn’t allowed to explore due to its pedigree. For example, the ‘mundane’ aspects of life in general such as adultery, and divorce are subjects that were maybe a little too specific for Trek to tackle. The idea of seeing people replicating non-perishable goods for entertainment is something that, again, is really mundane for Trek to stray into representing as it’s trying to tackle bigger social issues. However, it’s a really nice change of pace to see regular people doing regular things on a regular basis. Sure, I love my Trek heroes, but far too seldom did we get to see those characters doing everyday things that made them relatable on a more personal level. I like that aspect of Orville.
I’ve been super impressed with the production aspects of Orville thus far. With very few exceptions, which I will refrain from mentioning so as to not spoil the experience for others, everything about the show has been extremely well put together. The props and sets look wonderful! The ships are gorgeous! The costumes are well-made, and incorporate an insane bit of detail! Lighting is superb, the cameras are used incredibly well, the makeup for aliens looks good even under the harsh scrutiny of 1080p high definition, and because it’s my schtick, the music is phenomenal! The one thing I can say that took a minute for me to warm up to was the writing in general, but specifically the humor. I tend to be leery of Seth MacFarlane as his shows are kind of hit or miss for me depending on both the show, and what season we’re talking about. So when I heard about this show, I was a little skeptical. Indeed, I didn’t find myself laughing quite as much as I had expected through the first two episodes, but by episode three, I was totally on board! I marvelled as I thought, “It usually takes Star Trek three seasons to really get its legs under itself, but Orville did it in three episodes!” Wow! Just… WOW! That’s a real credit to the crew involved in this project.
Without being too specific, I’m pleased to be able to say that Orville is really trying to carry on the legacy of Star Trek in spirit. While the humor is there, it’s not the biggest focus of the show, thankfully. Watching an episode of Orville is a lot like watching an episode like Q-Pid in TNG. The humor is there, but it doesn’t detract from the commentary. Oh, and there is a ton of commentary in this show. And what I like about that situation is that the commentary is just getting more and more brazen as the show matures. The latest episode uses no subtlety in its comments about our society. It’s all just out there for everyone to see; no punches pulled. That’s an aspect of the Trek pedigree that I hope Orville continues to reflect. That unflinching look at cultural issues launched Star Trek into the stratosphere, and beyond, and I believe that it could do the same for Orville.
While we’re on the Trek pedigree, I think it’s a great time to discuss some more abstract strengths of Orville. There are some tangible similarities between Orville and its muse. For example, tractor beams are called tractor beams, food replicators are called food replicators, and the aesthetics of the show are very reminiscent of TNG-era Trek. However, there are some more abstract similarities that really bolster the show’s strength. I’m not entirely certain how to express them, but I’ll put it this way: As I watched the pilot, I felt like it was 1994, I was 12 again, and I was watching an episode of TNG. The Orville quite successfully managed to tap into that bit of nostalgia for me. It was a wonderful and amazing experience to be swept up in that type of emotional response. I think this hearkens to my comment about a certain something that’s been missing in sci-fi as of late. I feel like, although we’ve been getting some really good science fiction, it’s all been hyper focused on the grit, and the post-apocalyptic, and just the depressing ‘real’ aspects of existence. That sort of formula is seen as edgy and whatnot, and so I think Hollywood has used that as a way to ‘remain relevant’. But think back to the 80s and the 90s sci-fi. Yes, it was often cheesy, and sometimes too far beyond the realm of belief to be taken seriously, but most of it had one general thing in common: It was optimistic about our future as a species. Most sci-fi from that era was saying that while we had our struggles now, in the future we were going to find ways to overcome those weaknesses and grow in a positive way. That’s primarily something that Gene Roddenberry championed, but it was an idea that I think a lot of sci-fi writers of the day latched onto.
That optimism is something that the world needs I think. We’ve got some crazy stuff that we’re dealing with right now, but I think we need a place that we can escape to for an hour a week to dream of the day when all of these crazy things are just a footnote in history, and we’re able to say with confidence that we came out a better species because of those struggles. We’ve been so focused on the struggle part in sci-fi lately that we’ve forgotten to dream about the positive payoff at the end, and I can’t stress enough how much I love that Orville is training its lens on that area of sci-fi again. It’s refreshing, and it’s comforting to be getting something that feels familiar for all of those reasons. I’m not saying that I don’t want to get my Expanse, or my 100 anymore because I thoroughly enjoy those shows, and I would be sad to see them go. However, I hope that Orville can plot a parallel course that can balance the take on our species’ future a bit so that I can have my dark and gritty and my bright and optimistic.
I highly recommend that if you haven’t given this show a try, you do so as soon as you can. It’s on Fox every Thursday at 9 pm now, or you can stream it on Fox.com. It’s a seriously refreshing take on science fiction, and if you loved TNG, I think you’ll enjoy this show just as much. I can’t say enough positive things about it. Some of you may think I’m going soft, but I promise you, it’s just that good. Here’s hoping that when I inevitably compare and contrast Orville with Star Trek Discovery next week, that I can be as positive about that. Stay tuned because next week could be a doozy!
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