The short version of this article is apparently from the title: We’re currently watching The Orville on Hulu, and I’m loving it. It’s essentially Star Trek with an excellent balance of comedy, adventure, drama, and moral dilemmas.
The longer version requires some context. First, I’ve only watched a few episodes of Star Trek over the years. I have absolutely nothing against the show, and I have a list of episodes recommended by readers, but it just isn’t a show I’ve wanted to spend a lot of time on. Despite that, I love when shows like Star Trek ask interesting ethical questions in a sci-fi context (I think Fringe did this well, and sometimes Lost).
Second, I’ve only watched Seth Macfarlane’s movies (like Ted). I like some of his humor, but only some of the jokes land for me.
So when I originally learned about The Orville, I was curious, but my general lack of interest in Star Trek and Seth Macfarlane humor made me hesitant to dive in. I was partially worried that it would be a spoof on Star Trek.
But that’s not at all what The Orville is. We’re 9 episodes in, and from what I’ve seen, it’s a modern version of Star Trek (pretty good special effects, good pacing, etc) with characters who act like people (they’re serious when the situation demands that they be serious, and otherwise they have fun with each other).
A recent episode was a great example of this. It started with the crew of the Orville having a karaoke night. It’s just a few minutes, but it was refreshing to see people doing what humans might actually do if they’re stuck in a space capsule for weeks and months. Later in the episode a character dealt with a tough personal issue, and part of the solution involved a difficult moral dilemma. And the solutions to moral dilemmas are rarely cut-and-dry, nor do they wrap up in a tidy solution. They’re nuanced, and they’ve resulted in some great post-episode conversations.
What has been your experience with The Orville? Does this level of quality continue, or does it somehow get even better?
The Orville is great. The second season is, almost unbelievably, even better.
If you are enjoying it, I’d suggest Star Trek: Lower Decks on CBS All Access – it is animated, but it is probably the most consistent. surprisingly sweet, and certainly the funniest Star Trek property in years.