# 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:** 27
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/521 "2017-09-23T05:07:22Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > 3rd episode was entertaining, surprising ending. > > Nice that their deus ex machina find did not actually resolve the issue as the hoped. On Star Trek it surely would have. Yeah, that was defiantly a huge twist. Even after the tribunal ruled in favor of the surgery I was expecting Klyden to have a change of heart. > [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > My guess is that ‘male’ and ‘female’ are simply variant body morphs, with no real biological difference. They only use the terms because the morphs generally resemble the males and females of other humanoid species. That’s what I’m thinking too; the Moclans are a race of hermaphrodites; the overwhelming majority have what other species consider masculine characteristics, and the even the pronouns and words male & female are just a translation convention. Still it’s odd that they went so far as to have Heveena were a dress. :dubious: > [@AK84](#): > > All I can say is; awesome episode. McFarlane took massive risks, bringing by my count about half a dozen controversial issues into sharp relief. What I liked about it is how he subverted expectations. The “father” of the baby is the one born female. The aliens have their own real culture, they are not just humans with skin diseases. And the ending; there is no great epiphany for the “backward” culture, and no great make-up/break-up scene, the partners just, try and live on. I agree with everything. > [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Standard from STNG onward. > Speaking of which, this episode is right up there with STNG. > Was it about female circumcision? > > All hail Rudolph! MacFarlane also reference the [replicating center](http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Replicating_center); which appeared in 1 scene of 1 episode of TNG (& yes immediately recognized it). I think intersexuality would be a better analogy that female genital mutilation. The parallels are pretty obvious when you think about it. “Femalehood” is an extremely rare condition (though possibly not as rare as people think) that the entirety of the medical & legal establishment are in agreement that it must be “corrected” for the child to have any chance at a normal life. It’s a big enough emergency that the Moclans government was willing to divert a starship in order for 2 of it’s citizens to have it done on their child. Male circumcision is an even worse analogy; plus by the 25th century human medical science is probably going to be advanced enough that it could be reversed as easily as getting your ears pierced. ---
**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:** [September 23, 2017, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/522 "2017-09-23T05:35:49Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Was it about female circumcision? Highly unlikely. I can’t say for sure what the writers were thinking about, but aside from the comparison to circumcision, which invariably comes up in discussions of FGM, it doesn’t actually fit that. ‘Correction’ of intersex children is closest. It’s not even merely analogous - aside from the ‘single sex species’ aspect, it’s exactly the same situation. It also hits most of the tropes of science-fictional trans analogies. ---
**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:** [September 23, 2017, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/523 "2017-09-23T06:14:26Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > I can’t say for sure what the writers were thinking about, but aside from the comparison to circumcision, which invariably comes up in discussions of FGM, it doesn’t actually fit that. Actually, it just occurred to me that I’m slightly wrong on this point - Klyden having been altered, and insisting the child has to, also connects to FGM. Intersex ‘correction’ still fits better, though. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/524 "2017-09-23T07:19:07Z")
As an aside, I’d just like to note that the scene in the Holodeck with the bandito dancing to “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” was probably the best laugh-out-loud moment of the series so far. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/525 "2017-09-23T07:45:39Z")
_I have had many years of yazz-tap lessons!_ ---
**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:** [September 23, 2017, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/526 "2017-09-23T12:24:12Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Nothing a little soap and water can’t fix. :o > > BTW, what was the British SF series that used “smeghead” a lot as an insult? :dubious: I believe you’re thinking of Red Dwarf. A comedy Sci-Fi series itself. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/527 "2017-09-23T13:48:56Z")
> [@Reluctant\_A](#): > > Wait… so that scene wasn’t supposed to be an obvious send-up of _Armageddon_? I thought the joke was, “We told the whole story of your two-hour movie in two and a half minutes!” I didn’t think it was a send-up so much as demonstration that they’re not going to be the usual Sci-Fi TV show, which ignores the easy and obvious use of their technology to solve a problem. After all, how hard is it to come up with the plan, “Make the big rock into smaller rocks so it’s easier to move”? ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/528 "2017-09-23T16:22:51Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > In time, gravity will always do you wrong. > [@carnivorousplant](#): > > “an object in motion will continue in that motion.” > -Sir Issac Newton. Unless acted upon by an outside force, e.g., gravity. ---
**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 23, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/529 "2017-09-23T16:52:49Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I believe you’re thinking of Red Dwarf. A comedy Sci-Fi series itself. And a beautiful insult it is, too! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/530 "2017-09-23T17:17:07Z")
Explain to me how the Pilot knows about Compton but doesn’t know the capital of the USA? ---
**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 23, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/531 "2017-09-23T17:20:12Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Explain to me how the Pilot knows about Compton but doesn’t know the capital of the USA? Evidently, the USA won’t have existed for some time 400 years from now. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/532 "2017-09-23T17:48:23Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Explain to me how the Pilot knows about Compton but doesn’t know the capital of the USA? I’m not sure that he does. It’s possible he knows the _expression_ about Compton without actually knowing any of the moving parts; when I was a kid, I came across the phrase “bringing coals to Newcastle” – and made ignorant _but correct_ use of it by missing the reference while treating BringingCoalsToNewcastle as a single concept. ---
**Author:** ![Reluctant\_A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@Reluctant\_A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reluctant_A)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/533 "2017-09-23T18:17:53Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > I didn’t think it was a send-up so much as demonstration that they’re not going to be the usual Sci-Fi TV show, which ignores the easy and obvious use of their technology to solve a problem. After all, how hard is it to come up with the plan, “Make the big rock into smaller rocks so it’s easier to move”? “Send-up” wasn’t the word I wanted to use, but I couldn’t _think_ of the word I wanted to use, so that’s what I settled on… It’s still on the tip of my tongue. ---
**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 23, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/534 "2017-09-23T18:18:18Z")
There are kids _today_ who know about Compton but couldn’t tell you the capital of the USA. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/535 "2017-09-23T19:41:54Z")
I liked the episode but I think the defense’s strategy of trying to prove girls are capable too was a bit misguided. The prosecutor’s main point was that, as a woman, the baby would be shunned by Moclan society. What the defense should have pointed out is that Moclans are now part of _The Union_ and as such the members of their species don’t necessarily need to abide by local prejudices and customs to live meaningful lives anymore. Speaking of _The Union_: Union laws were brought up when Bortus demanded the captain to force the doctor to perform the operation. Surely _The Union_ has applicable laws for the situation. Some kind of universal right of bodily integrity for sentient beings, or something? Though it was never explicitly stated on Star Trek, I always got the notion that for Federation citizens it was Federation law first and _individual-member-of the-federation-culture-law_ second. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/536 "2017-09-23T19:57:01Z")
> [@Reluctant\_A](#): > > “Send-up” wasn’t the word I wanted to use, but I couldn’t _think_ of the word I wanted to use, so that’s what I settled on… It’s still on the tip of my tongue. [Riffing on the concept](http://silvercreekart.weebly.com/riffing-on-an-idea.html) is what I usually say when you’re just playing around with the possibilities, without the intent to parody it. ---
**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 23, 2017, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/537 "2017-09-23T22:01:19Z")
> [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](#): > > Though it was never explicitly stated on Star Trek, I always got the notion that for Federation citizens it was Federation law first and _individual-member-of the-federation-culture-law_ second. Something like US states vs. the US Federal government? Does Earth have a world government? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/538 "2017-09-23T22:23:00Z")
Loved the fact that what you expected would happen did not. And for the record, I’m leaning towards the right decision was made (the counter aurguements mostly sucked) Dancing bandito was funny. “And now I see why euthanizing Rudolph would have been bad” " I don’t think that was ever on the table" Upset “asshole” guy with replicator with something like “have a nice day” pillow… ---
**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 24, 2017, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/539 "2017-09-24T00:41:10Z")
Were I Mercer, I’d have shot the dancing bandito. Screw him. The least he could have done was bitch about stinking badges. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814/540 "2017-09-24T01:18:03Z")
heh Now, if all of a sudden dancing badgers had appeared as a support to dancing bandito…that would have set the awsome to at least 11… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814.md?page=26) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-orville-seth-mcfarlane/786814.md?page=28)