Last month, we had a look back on Seth MacFarland’s ode to 90’s Star Trek, The Orville, noting how it slowly blossomed from a one-note parody into something almost passing for a legitimate science-fiction adventure serial. It did what the actual Star Trek shows, Discovery and Picard, had no interest in attempting: It brought back the tropes, the style, and, yes, the unashamed love of Star Trek itself, that the franchise enjoyed when it was in its heyday…
Consider that part one of four in this series catching Cult readers up on the show. A third season is in the works but for now, let’s look back on the episodes that comprised the show’s first season…
S01E01 – Old Wounds
The Orville begins by highlighting what makes this show like and also unlike classic Star Trek. In terms of similarities, the trappings are obvious: Camera shots, music stylings, production design, the whole notion of an inter-planetary “united nations-esque” governing body, and utopian Earth; this is more than just an homage. If you squint hard enough, this simply is Star Trek.
That being said, MacFarlane offers up a very different brand of humor than what any other Trek show had. Some call it juvenile, some call it low brow; whatever it is, it’s a brand and it has made Fox a lot of money with a variety of animation shows over the years. His brand of humor is likely what sold the show in the first place so it is front and center in the series’ pilot. In terms of plot, there’s not much to be said. It feels very much like box-checking, with every second of the 45-minute runtime devoted to setting up everything that will be relevant in the episodes to come.
7/10 – I didn’t hate it, but it’s certainly not the show’s finest hour (then again, what Trek pilot is).
S01E02 – Command Performance
Star Trek: The Next Generation had a handful of great little sci-fi episodes in its first two years, but overall the show struggled early on because it failed to make those stories about its cast. When Michael Pillar started running the show in season three, he took the high-concept sci-fi plots of the first two years (where things happened to the crew) and turned them inward (where things happen that are about the crew). That little change in focus turned the show around completely.
The Orville began with that lesson already learned, and it took the time with its first two episodes to focus on the two “alien” members of the ship’s crew. Up first is Alara. She’s young, small, and inexperienced, but when circumstances arise, she’s forced to take command of the ship. The show takes what could have been a tiresome “plot” and turns it into a character-focused “story.” The tone of the show is still being smoothed out, but already you can see the potential. Whether it reaches its fullest potential is still TBA.
8/10 – To have an episode this confident and competent this early on only bodes well for the future.
S01E03 – About a Girl
Easily one of season one’s two true standouts. “About a Girl” is, in my opinion, exactly what the Orville should be and achieves an almost perfect balance of sci-fi, morality play, and MacFarlane-esque humor. Bortus is given the spotlight here and what makes this even better than last week is how the plot is not fabricated but naturally arises…literally. Bortus comes from an all-male species (or so we’re told) and procreation comes via laying eggs. We get some wonderful set-up to this week’s pay off in the previous episode as a buck-naked Bortus sits patiently on his giant egg while Alara is forced to take command. A running theme for the series will be Bortus and his race; they provide the best humor and the best “themed” episodes, hands down.
About a Girl explores the hidden side of Bortus’ race, where girls are born on occasion but are quickly biologically modified after birth to become boys. A classic Trekkian ethical quandary erupts when Bortus decides he wants his new baby just as she is, causing an uproar amongst his people. The many twists and turns that arise make for some wonderful television. It was this episode that told me my initial skepticism was unfounded and that this show was not content merely to be a parody of Star Trek, but a true successor.
10/10 – A story worthy of the Roddenberry legacy it reveres so highly.
S01E04 – If the Stars Should Appear
If there’s a common complaint with The Orville, it’s not the humor but the way the show happily reworks ideas from old Star Trek episodes. This one is basically the same premise as The Original Series episode “For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky “. If you don’t remember, here’s the premise for the show that aired in 1968…
The Enterprise encounters an asteroid that turns out to be a huge alien biodome, with passengers that think they’re living on a normal world. Due to a malfunction, the asteroid/ship/biodome is now on a collision course with another populated world.
The Orville’s take can be summed up like this…
The Orville encounters a massive ship adrift in space that turns out to be a huge alien biodome, with passengers that think they’re living on a normal world. Due to an engine failure, the ship/biodome is now on a collision course with a star.
Sort of an “Ice Ice Baby” vs. “Under Pressure” thing, yeah?
Here’s the thing: One of the hallmarks of science-fiction is “repurposing.” How many “AI rises up to enslave humanity” stories are there? Originally there was just one, then someone read that one and “did a new take” on it. It is not stealing when you do this, it’s perpetuating. Star Trek has gone from being the contemporary reimaginers of classic ideas to, itself, being a classic idea. MacFarlane’s love of Trek shines through here as he takes an old episode plot and does his own take. That’s not a bad thing; that’s commendable. I wish actual Trek did that more than zero times.
9/10 – There are a ton of magical moments here, especially in the climax. Old fans should set aside the fact that the idea has already been done because The Original Series’ version was a great idea done only averagely. This is a great idea done very well.
S01E05 – Pria
Remember what I said about Star Trek taking a couple of years to find its footing after the “plot-heavy” first two years? This episode feels like The Orville doing a “season two” episode of TNG, instead of the “season three-six” sweet spot. The A-plot (featuring Charlize Theron as a time-traveler) is passable, but not strong enough on its own to carry the episode. Fortunately, the B-plot features Isaac the Robot learning the concept of humor, and the results are delightful enough to bump the rating up a notch.
8/10 – It could have been a 7, but then Isaac chopped off Gordon’s leg while he was sleeping. Hard to knock a show for that.
S01E06 – Krill
Episode one introduced us to the recurring villains of the show, the Krill. They’re a race of xenophobic, religious fanatics, played a little like the Klingons, a little like the Dominion, and a little like nothing from Star Trek. The total package is a race with more than enough storytelling potential to mine, as evidenced by this great episode. It does what the Orville does best, and that is balance irreverent humor with a love of sci-fi concepts, told with absolute sincerity. Really, that’s Seth MacFarlane himself. The man who made his bones in Hollywood with Family Guy-esque humor really loves classic films, art, music, and theater. He’s the consummate showman and his large pool of interests comes out over and over in the show.
Here he tackles a “go undercover to the alien ship” plot that Star Trek does repeatedly (DS9’s “Apocalypse Rising” comes to mind) but manages to squeeze every ounce of humor and awkwardness out of the premise, while also finding time for sincere drama, too.
9/10 – An extremely confident episode, showing how everyone involved knows what they’re doing and that what they’re building is sustainable.
