# The Orville Season 2 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [December 31, 2018, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966 "2018-12-31T06:20:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 19
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/361 "2019-01-29T23:26:00Z")
[Soon we will have two Star Trek parody shows apparently](https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-care-bears-now-drive-a-magical-space-ship-because-1832167740). ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/362 "2019-01-29T23:32:10Z")
I mean - there was nothing too exotic about the guns they used in the episode. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Union had basic firearms training for exactly these sorts of situations. But in any case, 20th century style guns are really simple. You can figure out that you point them at things and pull the trigger. It’s not like 17th century weapons that would require more specialized training. I would think there would be convergent design - if you’re a humanoid, you’d probably design a gun that works basically like our guns do. Of all the details to criticize I don’t find that one even makes the list. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/363 "2019-01-30T03:03:32Z")
Right. And I just want to know: _compared to what?_ I assume we’re all Star Trek fans: so what episodes would you hold up as being much less nitpickable? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/364 "2019-01-30T03:44:26Z")
This episode feels like a straight out of mid-era TNG episode. It’s alright. Nothing remarkable, not terrible. Lots of plot holes under examination. At least it wasn’t resolved with technobabble, which makes it better than about 40% of TNG episodes. Problem is… 1980s middle of the road TNG episodes aren’t that compelling now. TV has gotten so much better. So even if those middle of the road TNG episodes were on par or better than average for 1980s TV, they aren’t now. The humor and the character relationships work in this show. The sci-fi plots not so much. They work fine as dressing, but they’re rarely all that compelling on their own. Since the second season has shifted away from the former to almost exclusively the latter it’s just not that entertaining unfortunately. ---
**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:** [January 30, 2019, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/365 "2019-01-30T07:33:41Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > [Soon we will have two Star Trek parody shows apparently](https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-care-bears-now-drive-a-magical-space-ship-because-1832167740). :eek::eek: Darn you for getting my hopes up! LOL. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/366 "2019-01-30T12:51:17Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > How the hell is Commander Kelly Grayson a crack shot with a submachine gun that she’s NEVER USED BEFORE!!??? I qualified “Expert” the very first time I ever shot an M203 grenade launcher. I made every shot. To show I’m not bragging or superhuman, I never, ever qualified beyond “Marksman” with the M16, though. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/367 "2019-01-30T19:41:59Z")
Sounds fun! (I say that despite never having used any gun other than a .22 rifle when I was a kid.) So none of the people criticizing this episode want to nominate an episode of “Star Trek” that they feel could not be nitpicked the same way? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/368 "2019-01-30T20:52:58Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > So none of the people criticizing this episode want to nominate an episode of “Star Trek” that they feel could not be nitpicked the same way? :dubious: Care to point out where anyone in any Orville thread at this site has made that claim? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/369 "2019-01-30T20:59:02Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > I qualified “Expert” the very first time I ever shot an M203 grenade launcher. I made every shot. To show I’m not bragging or superhuman, I never, ever qualified beyond “Marksman” with the M16, though. Were you firing live grenades? The only times “close” matters are horseshoes and hand grenades. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/370 "2019-01-30T21:16:43Z")
The premise of the episode was fine, but the handling, once they had the reveal, went from dumb to dumber and kept falling from there. I can handle a nitpick-able point or 3, but this episode was so filled with stupidity it grated on my nerves. And what type of fleet expecting first contacts doesn’t have protocols to handle _away team captured by natives_? Just leave them behind. Ludicrous! C’mon, McFarlane. I _want_ to like this show! But you are making it so damn hard. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/371 "2019-01-30T23:26:58Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > So none of the people criticizing this episode want to nominate an episode of “Star Trek” that they feel could not be nitpicked the same way? :dubious: It’s not a useful point in this discussion. So I nominate the best star trek episode. You find a nit to pick with it. Oh, I guess this mediocre episode of The Orville is as good as the best episode of Star Trek. You win. And you deflect any criticism of the episode as nitpicking, because clearly this work is so near-flawless in its idea that any criticism you could have about it is nitpicking. So you’ve set yourself up so that any response confirms your point in your mind. That’s not a useful argument for anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/372 "2019-01-31T02:27:18Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > The premise of the episode was fine, but the handling, once they had the reveal, went from dumb to dumber and kept falling from there. I can handle a nitpick-able point or 3, but this episode was so filled with stupidity it grated on my nerves. And what type of fleet expecting first contacts doesn’t have protocols to handle _away team captured by natives_? Just leave them behind. Ludicrous! > > C’mon, McFarlane. I _want_ to like this show! But you are making it so damn hard. Am I missing something in the timeline? The protocol would be “Operation Scotty”. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/373 "2019-01-31T02:38:48Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > You know what would have been the coolest twist ever? > > That they were right. People on their world \*are \*controlled by the birth stars. Seriously. I really, really thought that’s what the reveal was going to be when they were scanning the constellation and saw the black hole. I thought, “Oh man, they’re actually affected by gamma rays or something!” The actual reveal was a bit of a letdown. But I still enjoyed the episode. Especially Bortus being jealous about keeping his birthday to himself. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/374 "2019-01-31T03:05:50Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > So none of the people criticizing this episode want to nominate an episode of “Star Trek” that they feel could not be nitpicked the same way? :dubious: One person’s nit is another person’s NOT I guess. No doubt every episode of every show ever has nits to pick … here’s the thing though - if the show is otherwise good enough even some fairly major stupid will be ignored, it would take horrific stupid to pull us out of the show in that case. Or, as pointed out, something that forces us to suspend disbelief by being internally inconsistent in a significant way. Give me quality funny, or characters I invest in, or a plot that pulls me in and makes me think or surprises me, or even just something beautiful to watch, and I will give not a shit about a few eye roll aspects. First year this show gave enough of the first three … it’s not delivering on them this time, at least for some of us … so even otherwise ignorable nits grow into big nots, and more major stupidity and inconsistencies annoy greatly. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/375 "2019-01-31T05:23:06Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Were you firing live grenades? The only times “close” matters are horseshoes and hand grenades. And dancing. Horseshoes, dancing and hand grenades. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/376 "2019-01-31T12:49:07Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > Does the Union have some kind of universal translator? I think it has been mentioned that they do. They always did in Star Trek. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/377 "2019-01-31T13:04:34Z")
I always thought universal translators were kind of a crutch technology like transporters that made things too easy. (Related: good on this show for not having transporters. Holy shit how many star trek episodes could be solved in 5 seconds with a damn transporter but weren’t) I’m okay with having a universal translator for known languages, like alien species you’ve had contact with for years and you’ve got a little computer implant in your ear that translates for you - that seems fine and plausible - but it makes no sense that a computer could instantly translate a whole new language on the first encounter. But I guess then first contact stories would always become communication difficulty stories, limiting your space to work with. So it’s an understandable cheat. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/378 "2019-01-31T13:39:23Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > I’m okay with having a universal translator for known languages, like alien species you’ve had contact with for years and you’ve got a little computer implant in your ear that translates for you - that seems fine and plausible - but it makes no sense that a computer could instantly translate a whole new language on the first encounter. > > But I guess then first contact stories would always become communication difficulty stories, limiting your space to work with. So it’s an understandable cheat. There was a DS 9 episode where the UT took a while to begin working. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/379 "2019-01-31T13:42:27Z")
And of course the famous TNG episode where the UT works but the language is nothing but cultural references. _Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra!_ But yeah, starting every “here are some new aliens” episode with three minutes of technobabble about the UT would get old really quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/380 "2019-01-31T14:32:32Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > And of course the famous TNG episode where the UT works but the language is nothing but cultural references. > > _Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra!_ > > But yeah, starting every “here are some new aliens” episode with three minutes of technobabble about the UT would get old really quickly. Johnny Bravo, with his eyes open wide! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966.md?page=18) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966.md?page=20)