# Did The Orville get better **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 23, 2019, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274 "2019-12-23T03:10:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/1 "2019-12-23T03:10:09Z")
Way too much interpersonal crap. I stopped watching when Sherry Palmer fell in love with the robot after being pursued by the Mucinex snot monster with the voice of Turd Ferguson. The ugly monster and his husband grossed me out when I thought about them having ugly monster sex. And Capt Brian Griffin dumping SHIELD Agent Bobbi Morse just for sleeping around confused me, though her refusal to buy some Compound W to get rid of that wart is odd. Did the show get better in the second half of the season? ETA: Do I watch too much TV? ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/2 "2019-12-23T03:22:55Z")
I enjoyed The Orville very much. Got better in the second half of the 1st season, and the second season was even better imo (and the tone was more serious) Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/3 "2019-12-23T03:50:13Z")
It grew on me. It managed to be ridiculous and human at the same time. It was a pleasant surprise. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/4 "2019-12-23T04:19:56Z")
Dammit, it’s on Hulu and not Netflix. Of course McFarlane has been shilling for them since they first hit the scene. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/5 "2019-12-23T12:00:36Z")
There were some more multi-episode story arcs, if that’s what you’re into. But I wouldn’t say that there was less “interpersonal crap”, at any rate. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/6 "2019-12-23T12:39:22Z")
I look forward to the next season. The Orville has some charm of the original Star Trek where it was more personal relations between members and less rank involved. So speech is more free flowing. I also found that the second season is more serious, actually trying to take the place of real next Star Trek in the heart of the fans while still being able to claim a parody of ST when ST Discovery was bombing hard, so perhaps some less interpersonal stuff as they need time for the ‘going where no one has gone before’ stuff. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/7 "2019-12-23T12:48:19Z")
It used Dolly Parton’s song 9 to 5 as the background music for a battle and it worked. The show is just getting better. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/8 "2019-12-23T13:46:57Z")
I think it gets better, but I like it for many of the reasons you don’t. The interpersonal stories start off really awkward but develop in ways that I find interesting. Some of these relationships are part of the “what does it MEAN to be human?!” strain of science fiction, and the best examples compare favorably to good episodes of Star Trek. > [@dropzone](#): > > I stopped watching when Sherry Palmer fell in love with the robot after being pursued by the Mucinex snot monster with the voice of Turd Ferguson. This becomes a major thread and story arc later on. Again, I liked it, but you might be bored. > [@](#): > > The ugly monster and his husband grossed me out when I thought about them having ugly monster sex. Yeah there’s a lot more of that, so if you find it icky… maybe this isn’t the show for you. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/9 "2019-12-23T14:44:46Z")
It’s the best Star Trek available now. Is it perfect? No. Is it good? Hell yeah! ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/10 "2019-12-23T14:56:52Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Dammit, it’s on Hulu and not Netflix. Of course McFarlane has been shilling for them since they first hit the scene. Season 3 will be exclusively on Hulu but it won’t come until late next year. From what I have heard they will take advantage of not having a set episode length and some may go well over an hour. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/11 "2019-12-23T16:18:52Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > It’s the best Star Trek available now. > > Is it perfect? No. Is it good? Hell yeah! This sums up my opinion of the show also. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/12 "2019-12-23T16:28:09Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Dammit, it’s on Hulu and not Netflix. Of course McFarlane has been shilling for them since they first hit the scene. First of all, lots of things aren’t on Netflix. Second, is it so surprising that he’d “shill” for Hulu? His programs air on Fox, which was one of the owners of Hulu. (Now that share is owned by Disney, which owns one of the production companies behind the show.) ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/13 "2019-12-23T16:41:58Z")
Well I loved the show from the beginning but if it’s not your thing it’s not your thing. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/14 "2019-12-23T16:49:05Z")
There are some terrible episodes. There are some terrific episodes. There are some “meh” episodes. There are some perfectly nice episodes. On the whole, I consider the positives to outweigh the negatives significantly. Weirdly, one of the episodes that has stuck with me was the one with the phone girl. It was just…sweet. ---
**Author:** ![Sterling\_Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Sterling\_Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterling_Archer)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/15 "2019-12-23T17:36:40Z")
The robot love thing was weird, agreed. It gets a lot better for sure. But the interpersonal stuff is always front and center, so if that’s what you find off-putting, you’re probably not going to change your opinion. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/16 "2019-12-23T18:02:14Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > This sums up my opinion of the show also. I might describe it as Star Trek that doesn’t take itself as seriously as the real thing and with half the pomposity. Granted, if you’re looking for serious, solemn science fiction, it’s probably not the show for you. But if you’re looking for good science fiction that’s often very funny, then it is. BTW Bortus, Klyden and the cigarettes is about the funniest thing I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/17 "2019-12-23T18:17:39Z")
I think they maintained the course they were on from the get-go. Things were more balanced, maybe, but if you really didn’t like the first few shows, you probably won’t like the first few shows, but a little better. As stated above, they did add more arcs, so if that was holding you back, there you go. [spoiler]The only thing I liked about the robot love arc is that he REMAINED A ROBOT. No emotion chips, no hidden depths. He didn’t let them kill the doctor’s kid, but even that was after playing a long con on the Union, betraying everyone, and setting things in motion that got a shitload of ppl killed. I suspect he will continue to evolve into a Real Boy, though, because we can’t have a friggin’ Trek show without our Spock analogue. The doctor needs psychiatric help for pursuing that relationship. Also, there was too much plot stupidity. They didn’t react like intelligent people when they found the caverns filled with the bones of millions of dead people. They went to ask what was up, instead of performing the, “Get the Hell out of Dodge” maneuver. I thought AT LEAST, they’d have a plan if the talk went bad, but no, they depended entirely on the kindness of robots with millions of hidden bodies. I. . . find fault with that strategy.[/spoiler] They’ve said since the beginning that its inspiration was TOS Trek, and it plays like that. They do some questionable things like they did 50 years ago, but it doesn’t play well in this age. Not for me, anyway. I’ll still watch it. I like about 1/3 of the shows quite a bit (but enough episodes revolving around Bortus and the Machlans!), and the humorous moments are often fun, but I will continue to be disappointed when they do plot-mandated stupid stuff. And they will. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/18 "2019-12-23T19:52:59Z")
The Road Not Taken was at least as good as Best of Both Worlds and maybe even All Good Things. (for those that don’t hate those episodes…) ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/19 "2019-12-23T20:13:16Z")
> [@bump](#): > > BTW Bortus, Klyden and the cigarettes is about the funniest thing I’ve seen. Absolutely. No matter your feelings on the rest of the show, you owe it to yourself to catch that episode, OP. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274/20 "2019-12-23T21:41:35Z")
The humor was really stupid at the beginning of the first season. But, in general, everything got much better, particularly in the second season. If you like Star Trek, keep at it. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-orville-get-better/845274.md?page=2)