# 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:** 21
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/401 "2019-02-01T19:53:17Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > 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. If I’m understanding you right, you’re basically saying something to the effect that it sucks because it’s not as good as Breaking Bad, The Wire, or Game of Thrones, all of which are cable TV, have shorter seasons and pre-scripted story arcs for the entire series. That’s hardly a fair comparison; if you stretched any of those shows out to 22 episode seasons, you’d get a fair number of stinker episodes as well. ---
**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:** [February 1, 2019, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/402 "2019-02-01T20:41:03Z")
> [@bump](#): > > If I’m understanding you right, you’re basically saying something to the effect that it sucks because it’s not as good as Breaking Bad, The Wire, or Game of Thrones, all of which are cable TV, have shorter seasons and pre-scripted story arcs for the entire series. > > That’s hardly a fair comparison; if you stretched any of those shows out to 22 episode seasons, you’d get a fair number of stinker episodes as well. I agree with your general sentiment, but “Breaking Bad” at least (not sure about the others) definitely did not have a pre-scripted story arc. Their whole method was to write themselves into corners and then give themselves the challenge of writing their way out in later episodes. (When it came to the final season, Vince Gilligan actually regretted this quite a bit.) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/403 "2019-02-01T20:52:49Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > ETA: Oh! And I liked Bortus with the mustache. He should have kept it! I don’t care what anybody says: Bortus looked fucking dope with that stache. ---
**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:** [February 1, 2019, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/404 "2019-02-01T21:07:57Z")
Was the Bortus 'Stache a reference to “[growing the beard](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GrowingTheBeard)”, I wonder? And did anyone else think that–based on the mustache idea–they were going to give Isaac fake lips? ---
**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:** [February 1, 2019, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/405 "2019-02-01T21:56:02Z")
Gordon and LaMarr running shoulder-to-shoulder through the ship had me laughing, as did Isaac on the couch. “As I am incapable of stuttering, I must conclude that you heard me.” ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/406 "2019-02-01T22:25:49Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > But being served up Star Trek TNG episodes, played almost entirely straight, is not compelling in 2019. Sure it is. I, for one, am perfectly content to enjoy _The Orville_ as a thinly-veiled continuation of the TNG series I so loved in my youth. And I’m certainly not alone in this respect; it’s a sentiment I’ve seen expressed time and time again on other web forums. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/407 "2019-02-01T22:27:00Z")
Very decent epi, no quibbling from me. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/408 "2019-02-01T22:38:11Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Was the Bortus 'Stache a reference to “[growing the beard](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GrowingTheBeard)”, I wonder? And did anyone else think that–based on the mustache idea–they were going to give Isaac fake lips? \ ---
**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:** [February 2, 2019, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/409 "2019-02-02T00:39:44Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Sure it is. I, for one, am perfectly content to enjoy _The Orville_ as a thinly-veiled continuation of the TNG series I so loved in my youth. And I’m certainly not alone in this respect; it’s a sentiment I’ve seen expressed time and time again on other web forums. That’s me, too. I’m patiently waiting for the Marina Sirtis episode. I didn’t expect them to give Isaac lips, but I really didn’t expect what they did do! It was fun seeing the actor, and it will be interesting to see if Finn changes Isaac’s opinion that humans are an inferior life form. ---
**Author:** ![Tinker\_Grey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tinker_grey/32/8136_2.png) [@Tinker\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinker_Grey)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/410 "2019-02-02T00:43:48Z")
I thought the Dr did a very nice acting job of indicating a crush before saying it and also without being childish. ---
**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:** [February 2, 2019, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/411 "2019-02-02T00:52:44Z")
Also, we haven’t seen a whole lot of her yet, but I think I’m going to like Talla better than Alara. Talla isn’t going to take any crap and I think she’s kind of a smart ass. I liked Alara, but her insecurities got on my nerves. Talla will be more entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/412 "2019-02-02T03:32:32Z")
I thought it was good. I also liked the symphony with the stars behind them. That was a nice touch. I would have liked to have seen a couple of alien instruments but I was happy with it. Why would Clair’s favorite restaurant be in her personnel file? The twist with the human Isaac was unexpected but it worked. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/413 "2019-02-02T04:59:36Z")
At first, I groaned, because the episode seems to just be a twist on the ST:TNG episode “[In Theory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Theory_(Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation))”. I said to myself, “This had better have something significantly different in the way it resolves.” Fortunately, it did. It’s easily the most enjoyable episode of the season to date. I especially loved the insertion of the Chopin (Etude in E Major, Op. 10, #3). 🙂 ---
**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:** [February 2, 2019, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/414 "2019-02-02T12:10:01Z")
Well just as I was feeling like the show had left me, that was a fantastic episode. Might be the best of the series. It explored the sci-fi aspects of AI/human relationships better than the data episodes of TNG that did the same. It was probably the funniest episode so far and had a ton of funny moments. The relationship developed in a logical and believable way, with each character’s motivations changing for reasons that made sense. The actors were fantastic. Even the CGI was funny - making Mophit’s blob reactor to the news was great. Isaac and the wifebeater was amazing. Taking “let’s flip the tables” literally and immediately cracked me up. This episode cemented my viewership. I was worried that the second season being touted as the show they really intended to make was making me worried the show wasn’t really for me, but this brought me right back in. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/415 "2019-02-02T13:14:16Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > I don’t care what anybody says: Bortus looked fucking dope with that stache. Klyden certainly didn’t like it. Of course he seems to dislike a lot of what Bortus does. He’s constantly irritated by him. Those two need some serious couple’s counseling (since divorce is out of the question). > [@Helena330](#): > > Also, we haven’t seen a whole lot of her yet, but I think I’m going to like Talla better than Alara. Talla isn’t going to take any crap and I think she’s kind of a smart ass. I liked Alara, but her insecurities got on my nerves. Talla will be more entertaining. I feel just the opposite. For me, Alara’s insecurities made her more interesting. Talla so far is boring. They need to give her some personality; some flaws. ---
**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:** [February 2, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/416 "2019-02-02T15:28:12Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Well just as I was feeling like the show had left me, that was a fantastic episode. Might be the best of the series. … > > … this brought me right back in. Yup. Could there be nits to pick? Sure. But with all that is great this time who cares? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/417 "2019-02-02T18:31:52Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > I feel just the opposite. For me, Alara’s insecurities made her more interesting. Talla so far is boring. They need to give her some personality; some flaws. The problem with Talla for me, is they just seem to have plugged her into Alara’s role in this episode, including unearned intimacy with the rest of the crew. The ‘girl talk’ scenes were, as a result, the weakest parts of the episode. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/418 "2019-02-02T18:40:03Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > It explored the sci-fi aspects of AI/human relationships better than the data episodes of TNG that did the same. It was probably the funniest episode so far and had a ton of funny moments. The relationship developed in a logical and believable way, with each character’s motivations changing for reasons that made sense. I agree. The most relevant episode of _ST:TNG_, which I mentioned above, was what I consider a surface poke at the issue. It was like someone on the writing staff said, “Hey, what would happen if an android was the subject of a human’s love, and tried to ‘love’ them back?” As a first attempt, it wasn’t bad. But it seems to me that the writers for this show like taking things that were done on past science fiction shows and trying to see what really SHOULD be done with them. They don’t always succeed, but in this case, I think they did. They went past the obvious, “well, it will fail because Data/Isaac cannot love”, and tried to figure out what the repercussions of that would be. Further, can there exist a rationale for an android/robot/machine person to exhibit the traits of love? Remember: the reason Claire is falling in love with Isaac is because he’s doing the sorts of things that people do when they care for someone (the banana, for example). So trying to figure out the WHY of Isaac’s behavior was really important, and at least plausible. ---
**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:** [February 2, 2019, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/419 "2019-02-02T19:12:54Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > The problem with Talla for me, is they just seem to have plugged her into Alara’s role in this episode, including unearned intimacy with the rest of the crew. The ‘girl talk’ scenes were, as a result, the weakest parts of the episode. Are all names going to have an “al” in them, as Vulcan names were “S\*\*\*k” ? ---
**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:** [February 2, 2019, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966/420 "2019-02-02T22:22:49Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > The problem with Talla for me, is they just seem to have plugged her into Alara’s role in this episode, including unearned intimacy with the rest of the crew. The ‘girl talk’ scenes were, as a result, the weakest parts of the episode. I can believe it. There are only a couple of female senior crew members, so they probably spent at least several meals together already, even if it’s been only a week. If things click right that’s enough time to develop the beginnings of a trusting friendship. I agree it would’ve been nice to have one bonding-type scene, but it’s certainly plausible for Talla to be in on the more private conversations. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-season-2/826966.md?page=22)