# The Orville-Seth McFarlane **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 17, 2017, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814 "2017-05-17T03:28:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**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:** [September 18, 2017, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/281 "2017-09-18T00:58:21Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Starfleet is smaller than any sort of logic would dictate, by virtue of anything we’re told. For instance, at the Battle of Wolf-359, the Borg cube destroys 39 ships; this is presented as being the best the Federation could pull together to face the Borg ship, though they had substantial advance notice. I have to point out that Wolf-359 is not in the Federation boondocks; it’s the fifth-closest star to the Earth besides the Sun. > > This battle is suggested to be a significant blow to the Federation’s battle capability. > > Considering how frigging big space is, a fleet of thousands of ships would seem to make more sense for a large interstellar empire than a fleet that is severely mauled by the loss of 39 ships. Here’s a [reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/r/DaystromInstitute/comments/2iw6ew/how_many_ships_are_in_starfleet_circa_dominion/) estimating that Starfleet easily has 10,000+ ships. It’s pretty convincing, and he goes into Wolf-359 along with other stuff from the shows. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/282 "2017-09-18T01:14:26Z")
Haha…I got it before they did the reveal of where Capt. Ed and Kelly are. As he woke up I thought…_The Menagerie_? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/283 "2017-09-18T01:39:11Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I was wondering how long it would take someone to pick up on the “Pioneers of Aviation” theme. 🆒 > > I’ll bet the next few starships are named the _Leonardo_, the _Lillienthal_, and the _Langley_. Damn! I almost wrote the _Bleriot_ last week, but I opted for alliteration instead! Shit! :smack: Anybody pick up on the “Ensign Parker” reference? Sweet! 🆒 [![](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ca/06/50/ca0650c6d1c72ced8521cf7b66350862--funny-men-funny-people.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ca/06/50/ca0650c6d1c72ced8521cf7b66350862--funny-men-funny-people.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/284 "2017-09-18T01:40:50Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Haha…I got it before they did the reveal of where Capt. Ed and Kelly are. They even had a Keeper, too! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/285 "2017-09-18T01:42:55Z")
It seems to be leaning more toward the dramatic side. And the visuals are excellent. I’m liking it. Take that, critics! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/286 "2017-09-18T01:44:23Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > You know that he voices the son of MacFarlane’s character on AMERICAN DAD, right? They’ve been working together, on one show or another, for over a dozen years. Uhm, no, I didn’t know that. It’s been almost that long since I last watched _ **American Dad** _. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/287 "2017-09-18T02:02:40Z")
Hey, it even has a continuing B storyline (Bortus’ kid). Though I find it interesting that his mate is on the ship. Will they allow a kid of any gender to stay on board? Brian ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/288 "2017-09-18T02:05:13Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > It seems to be leaning more toward the dramatic side. And the visuals are excellent. I’m liking it. > > Take that, critics! Cool. I had some suggestions, and he’s very active on Twitter but since the shows are already in the can, I didn’t bother. Some were: Play it straight and let the jokes land themselves. No filler. Like that shootout in the pilot. Blast tropes if you’re going to have filler. People in firefights curse. They get scared. Someone is shooting at you!! They did bend a trope nicely in the premiere. They asked one bridge crew member to get them out of there with the engine left…and then ended up not even using that plan. So i’m glad to see them lean more dramatic. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/289 "2017-09-18T02:09:31Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Here’s a [reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/r/DaystromInstitute/comments/2iw6ew/how_many_ships_are_in_starfleet_circa_dominion/) estimating that Starfleet easily has 10,000+ ships. It’s pretty convincing, and he goes into Wolf-359 along with other stuff from the shows. SF had been mostly at peace for quite a while. And while they had some notice, the Borg Cube was travelling extremely fast. What’s dumb is that the bridge crew would even be ALLOWED to stay together rather than start captaining the new ships. And the Dominion War would complicate that even more but my fanwank was…by that point SF had given up and just turned 1701E into a diplomatic/Bob Hope tour Vietnam kind of ship. Picard shows up…waves… ---
**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:** [September 18, 2017, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/290 "2017-09-18T02:12:39Z")
This is Star Trek with 21st century people. TOS was Star Trek with mid 20th century people who wanted to be tough guy cowboys. Good lord, [Penny Johnson](http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Kasidy_Yates-Sisko) has aged. When it became clear that Sisko had become a wraith, or worm hole alien, she delivered the best line she spoke in DS9 (and probably Orville) “Oh my God.” She delivered that very well, having been a background character for seven years. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/291 "2017-09-18T02:22:54Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > The “Could you move to your right a bit? The framing was all wrong; it distracted me.” bit sounded like something Shatner would say in the \*\*\*TOS \*\*\*outtakes (or in some of the later movies). Maybe Seth is channeling Bill. :dubious: Oh, yeah. That was another reason the viewscreen bit didn’t fit for me. I forgot it started with this. It’s a joke that doesn’t work in continuity. If they’d instead had someone on the Orville fix it, then it would have worked. But having the villain care? It was just too silly for me, and set up my expectation for the next joke, I think. (Can’t comment on the next episode until it drops online. We cut the cord and the antenna. There’s even stuff piled up in front of the [CRT] TV.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/292 "2017-09-18T02:29:47Z")
Watched the second episode. Impressed, albeit the story-line is one that has been around SF (both written and in shows) for a long time and more than a few things didn’t ring true (They have adopted the ST motto that ignoring commands of higher authority is a good thing–the Lt would more likely have gotten a court-martial than a medal in any disciplined navy). That said, the humor was more muted and the characters better developed and more in depth. I do think this constant mention of the previous marriage is going to get old real fast if they intend to work it rather ham-fistedly into every episode. But the end clip on both shows have been tantilizing, so I guess I’ll stick around for awhile. ---
**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:** [September 18, 2017, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/293 "2017-09-18T02:33:18Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > I do think this constant mention of the previous marriage is going to get old real fast if they intend to work it rather ham-fistedly into every episode. One of the hallmarks of MacFarlen’s humor is running a joke so far into the ground that it pops up on the other side of the planet and becomes funny again. Or not, depending on your particular mileage. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/294 "2017-09-18T02:37:25Z")
Call me crazy but I’m liking it. Three cheers for episodic, fun sci fi! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/295 "2017-09-18T02:40:36Z")
Fox is claiming 16 million watched the pilot. The (next) test is how many watch the follow-up. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/296 "2017-09-18T02:46:02Z")
Gotta say these repair crew guys are pretty awesome. Last week, we saw the ship get big ass chunks of the hull get blasted out, this week all shiny new…until they get big ass chunks of the hull blasted out, and again all shiny new by the end of the ep no less. NASCAR needs to sign these guys. Also find it mildly amusing that apparently you get weed on demand in space. I figure there will be a holodeck poker game with Mockingbird playing Willie Nelson, Snoop Dog, Tommy Chong, and Dr. Johnny Fever. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/297 "2017-09-18T04:39:17Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Fox is claiming 16 million watched the pilot. The (next) test is how many watch the follow-up. Second episode ever and already preempted by football, thus guaranteeing that precisely zero people will watch it. Its been decades since people started buying DVRs and Fox still hasn’t seemed to figure out how to get their shit in order. It’s infuriating. Off to the torrent sites I go. ---
**Author:** ![4d3fect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/4d3fect/32/9728_2.png) [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/298 "2017-09-18T05:30:56Z")
Liked the second episode much more, it seemed tighter and I experienced a few belly laughs this time. They don’t need to spend so much screen time on shuttle movement (unless there’s some sort of marketing survey-thingy that proves it pulls enough audience in)–maybe that improves as the season progresses? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/299 "2017-09-18T06:01:01Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Second episode ever and already preempted by football, thus guaranteeing that precisely zero people will watch it. > > Its been decades since people started buying DVRs and Fox still hasn’t seemed to figure out how to get their shit in order. It’s infuriating. Well, in Fox’s defense, they couldn’t have predicted that the Cowboys/Broncos game would suffer an hour-long delay due to a severe thunderstorm. Under any normal circumstances, the game would have been over long before The Orville’s timeslot. ---
**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:** [September 18, 2017, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/300 "2017-09-18T06:57:35Z")
I’m still liking it. Space zoos are definitely a cliche but at my age just about everything seems cliched, so it becomes a matter of whether or not this week’s cliche was done in an entertaining manner. Disobeying orders and risking the ship and the entire crew for one or two people was a common thing on TOS. This was shown as a virtue but of course they only got away with it because the writers let them and in reality it would be risky and unwise. Now that they understand and can use that cloaking technology, I wonder if they’ll ever use it again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814.md?page=16)