The TV Ratings Guide: the orville reviews

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The Orville 'If the Stars Should Appear' [Season 1 Episode 4] Review

Ahmad U. Friday, September 29, 2017

Ahmad U.

***Spoilers Ahead***

If the Stars Should Appear

Seth McFarlane, Penny Johnson Jerald, Mark Jackson, Max Burkholder (left to right).
Michael Becker/FOX

After two episodes centered on single characters, 'If the Stars Should Appear' returns to focusing on the ensemble as a whole. And, after a relatively tedious episode last week, The Orville is back to the blend of comedy and adventure that made the first two episodes fun to watch.

The episode opens with a fight between Bortus and Klyden. Bortus eventually decides to go to work early and the crew members attempt to get him to explain what happened. Despite the initial emphasis, this shred of a storyline is scrapped a couple minutes in. While I didn't like how it was left unresolved, I'm happy that this installment shifted towards something more action-packed as opposed to another mellow episode with Bortus.

Ultimately, 'If the Stars Should Appear' shines in the main plot and produces The Orville's best outing yet. One thing that really helped strengthen the plot is the setting. I really enjoyed the dystopian elements that came with the biosphere on the ship. From the ruthless dictator to the sheer denial that the citizens had about their impending doom, there were many great allusions to past and current events that made the episode feel cinematic and realistic at the same time. Additionally, the outing produced many outstanding dramatic moments. For example, the interrogation scene between Kelly and Hamelac was just as gruesome as it was well-done. Scenes like the former help show that this series is not just a comedy and that The Orville is not afraid to add components that are unlike anything McFarlane has done in his career.

Nevertheless, that doesn't mean that the comedy department did not deliver in the episode. For the most part, Issac provided the bulk of the laughs in this installment. While his character isn't particularly original, I can't help but enjoy his straight-forward demeanor and the way he explains simple things in a ridiculous manner. He really gets his moment in the sun in "If the Stars Should Appear" after being neglected in the first three episodes.

On the other hand, the B-plot doesn't really deliver. It focuses on the rest of the main cast (Bortus, Malloy, Lamar) as they fight off the Krill. The payoff of this underdeveloped plot is when Lamar exclaims "Boom Bitch!" after they defeat the ship. That brief moment serves as a nice nugget of comedy gold in an otherwise tedious storyline. Other than that exclamation, the plotline does not add much to the jam-packed outing. Overall, this storyline is far from bad, it just ends up being more than a bit forgettable. The writers should really utilize Lamar & Malloy more in future episodes instead of putting them in insignificant roles. But, I guess it's not realistic to expect every character to receive an equal amount of attention in each individual episode.

'If the Stars Should Appear' is the best episode of the series to date. The Orville has nailed the comedy-to-drama ratio and the dystopian premise helped create a great setting for another entertaining adventure. I hope that the series will continue to focus on action and adventure while also giving each character their moment to shine.

Stray Thoughts

The intro is simply too long. Sure, the ship looks great, but I wish they would do away with it.
Yaphet and Dr. Finn have great chemistry. I hope to see more of the former in the future.
I wonder if Klyden & Bortus's argument may be leading to a divorce.
On that note, the writers seem to have dropped Kelly & Ed's flirting/bickering shtick.

Grade: A-

Leave your thoughts in the comments below. Catch an all-new Orville next Thursday at 9/8c on Fox.

The Orville 'About A Girl' [Season 1 Episode 3] Review

Ahmad U. Friday, September 22, 2017

Ahmad U.

***Spoilers Ahead***

About A Girl

J Lee, Halston Stage, Seth MacFarlane (left to right). Jordin Althaus/FOX

Political undertones in entertainment are a polarizing subject in today's divided landscape. It seems that there isn't any middle ground regarding this topic. Either one enjoys seeing social issues discussed on-screen or they would rather watch something detached from current events. Like Sunday's episode, The Orville pulls off a risky move despite being very early in its run. This time, instead of shifting character dynamics, the series dives head-first into a dramatic and controversial debate about changing the gender of Bortus's child. When the audience learned that Bortus came from an all-male species in the pilot, it seemed like a throwaway gag meant to act as a catalyst for MacFarlane's bathroom-oriented humor. But, the writers were saving that detail for something significantly more meaningful. While I won't say that 'About A Girl' was as entertaining as the past two episodes, it was still very captivating and engaging in a drastically different way.

The episode starts off with last week's semi-cliffhanger and centers on Bortus and his husband struggling with the fact that their child is a female in their all-male species. At first, Bortus is set on converting his kid into a boy. But, after watching an iconic Earth movie, he changes gears and wants his child to stay the way he is. For a show that was advertised and billed as "Family Guy in space", it's really surprising to see something so touchy being handled in a serious manner. The stakes are raised even higher when the matter is put in a Moclan court of law and ends in a bitter fashion. Despite their anti-female nature, I was expecting the Moclans to eventually cave in and let Bortus's child stay a girl. Instead, the episode goes down a more somber route with his child being forced to go through the procedure and the crew's hard work going to waste. I'll admit, the ending left a bad taste in my mouth, but it was a very admirable way to handle the matter. This cements the fact that the show won't settle for the predictable and satisfying ending and instead will close with something more realistic and heart-wrenching at times. So, while I wasn't a fan of the outcome, it was fresh and well-done.

While the episode was rather solid, some aspects of 'About A Girl' were lacking. First off, the installment almost entirely abandons comedy and takes a more depressing tone. Sure, in an outing like this, it makes perfect sense for the show to stick to the dramatic route. Nevertheless, I do hope that the series ventures back to the more light-hearted territory that was present in the past two episodes. Additionally, there was a lack of action and adventure in this third program. The episode progressed slowly at first and the whole debate about the gender of Bortus's child felt tedious at times. In fact, 'About A Girl' didn't really find its footing until the court case. I think the main problem with this plot is that The Orville hasn't earned the right to do an episode like this yet. It would have been better to have this as a plot after viewers learned more about Bortus, Klyden, and the Moclan species. That way, they would be a lot more invested in the characters and the situation. Outside of that, some of the cast members were pushed aside to the point where the episode could've easily done without them. I hope that the series will be able to focus on the ensemble as a whole in future episodes instead of only focusing on some and taking attention away from others.

Ultimately, 'About A Girl' isn't a poor outing, it simply takes an unfamiliar turn. It hits the emotional beats quite well, but the series should have waited a bit longer before hitting them. Unlike the episodes before it, this installment wasn't very fun to watch, but I understand why the writers wanted to do a politically-charged episode like this. The promo for the next episode depicts a return to whimsical adventure and comedy. Personally, I prefer to see more of those elements in The Orville.

Stray Thoughts

That cowboy scene gave me 'A Million Ways to Die in the West' flashbacks
Glad to see more of Yaphet. I hope he gets a bigger role soon.
In episode two, there were a ton of Kermit references. This time, we get Rudolph. Who's the next classic children's character to be an integral part of an episode? My money's on Winnie the Pooh.
It's reassuring to know that cancer will be cured in 2056. I'm surprised that Gordon didn't know who cured it. The other stuff that Kelly asked him was trivial, but this was something important.
I really want more Issac.

Grade: B-

Leave your thoughts in the comments below. Catch an all-new episode next Thursday at 9/8c on FOX.

The Orville 'Command Performance' [Season 1 Episode 2] Review

Ahmad U. Monday, September 18, 2017

the orville reviews TVRG

Ahmad U.

***Spoilers Ahead***

Command Performance

Seth MacFarlane (left), Adrianne Palicki (right); Fox Broadcasting Co.

If the U.S.S Orville was free-falling and had to get rid of something in order to restore balance, they would take their comedy and eject it into the depths of space. While the pilot was enjoyable when it was focusing on action and adventure, the jokes fell a bit flat. The typical MacFarlane humor just doesn't seem to fit well in the Orville universe. Don't get me wrong, there were still some reasonably funny moments, but the series still hasn't found the right balance of comedy and drama. 'Command Performance' ends up erasing this problem as the episode focuses on the action and adventure elements that made the pilot so great.

It's a pretty gutsy move to isolate the two main characters away from the other cast members this early in the game, but The Orville manages to pull it off. Ed and Kelly leave the ship and are captured by another species that imprison them in a futuristic zoo. With those two away, Alara is put in charge and has to deal with the difficulties of being the acting captain. After being pushed to the background in the pilot, Alara gets her moment in the sun in this installment. It was very refreshing to understand her as a character instead of a gimmick. Alara's struggles felt genuine and it became very easy to feel what she was going through. Also, I hope that the series will give other characters the chance to be in the main role for an episode as well (particularly Issac).

Outside of the main plot, Ed & Kelly also had some worthwhile moments. While the love-hate relationship between the two is relatively predictable, they do have impeccable chemistry. I'm not sure when the writers are planning on getting the two back together, but I'm sure it'll happen towards the end of this inaugural season. Coincidently, the concept of being trapped in a zoo isn't exactly original, but the flawless execution is what made it enjoyable.

My main criticism of the pilot was that the series had too many bathroom-oriented and Family Guy-style gags that missed the mark. While 'Command Performance' does end up toning down on the comedy front, it still can't find the right balance of humor and drama. The series still doesn't know if it wants to be a comedy with some drama or a drama with some comedy. Nevertheless, the episode was still fine without relying entirely on laughs. But, I would still prefer to see more self-referential or satirical jokes pop up here and there. Those ones are clever and generally fit the mood of the program.

Ultimately, 'Command Performance' isn't a step-down or a step up from the pilot, it remains firmly in place. The episode does improve in some areas, but the show still has some work to do in others. But, despite some flaws, The Orville is a very enjoyable ride. Each episode feels like a mini-movie and it really does a phenomenal job creating that sci-fi vibe.

Stray Thoughts

I've only seen a handful of Futurama episodes. Leave it to the Orville to take a page out of an episode I've actually seen.
Between Ed's admiration of Kermit the Frog and MacFarlane's constant muppet references on his animated toons, one can tell that Seth is a muppet buff.
Bortus has a female child? Not sure where the show is going with this, but I'm interested.
That reality TV bit was hilarious.

Grade: B+

Leave your thoughts on the episode in the comments below. The next episode of The Orville will air this Thursday at 9/8c on Fox.

The Orville 'Old Wounds' [Season 1 Episode 1] Review

Ahmad U. Sunday, September 10, 2017

seth macfarlane the orville the orville reviews TVRG

Ahmad U.

***Spoilers Ahead***

Old Wounds

Fox Broadcasting Co.

A show or film with the Seth MacFarlane label usually contains an excessive amount of offensive, polarizing, and crude jokes. Because of this, it makes perfect sense why I enjoy his animated and live-action comedies. But, I can also understand why some steer clear of his work, his style definitely isn't for everyone. With that said, The Orville is a much different beast compared to Family Guy or Ted. While the sci-fi series still exhibits the comedy style of MacFarlane's other works, it tones down the comedy in favor of action and drama. That's certainly not a bad thing and it generally works in the show's favor.

The plot of 'Old Wounds' is relatively straightforward. Ed (MacFarlane) is chosen to be the captain of The Orville. The only problem is, he has to work with his ex-wife Kelly (Adrianne Palicki). The bittersweet relationship between these two is easily the weakest aspect of an entertaining pilot. While watching, it was obvious that Ed would want Kelly to stay on the ship by the end of the episode. Outside of those two, there are a variety of interesting and creative characters onboard. I mainly enjoyed the non-human cast members, Bortus and Issac, they really helped strengthened the sci-fi atmosphere and easily stole the show in the outing. Since they are both stern and straightforward, they played off of the enthusiastic LaMarr and Malloy incredibly well. The other main members of the crew, Dr. Finn & Alara, don't get too much to do in the pilot, but I did enjoy Alara's super strength gimmick and Finn's amusing introduction.

The first quarter of the episode is expectedly uneventful, but the episode really shines once plot exposition is out of the way and the antagonist is established. Once it is revealed that there is a traitor in the midst, the installment turns into a fun-filled, action-packed ride. It was really enjoyable seeing the Orville crew face off against the Krill and ultimately prevail in their mission. While most reviewers will compare it to Star Trek, I felt that it also gave off a vibe reminiscent of 80's Saturday morning cartoons like He-Man.

As stated earlier, most MacFarlane shows are filled to the brim with crude jokes, but 'Old Wounds' doesn't seem to have any. The humor in the show is more observational and occasionally bathroom-oriented instead of being offensive. But, despite being a little different from past MacFarlane shows, a good majority of the comedy still came from the least edgy gags found in an episode of Family Guy. Ultimately, I felt that the comedy was very hit-and-miss, but there were still some solid jokes (I was particularly amused by the scene where MacFarlane tells the Krill to move to the center of the screen). Because of the absence of off-putting jokes, this show is a lot more universal and will likely appeal to people outside of the MacFarlane fandom.

In the end, 'Old Wounds' was a solid pilot. There are still kinks that need to be worked out, but for the most part, it was a pleasant surprise. The action was on-point and the soundtrack gave it a cinematic feel. In the end, it should appeal to both Star Trek and Family Guy fans.

Stray Thoughts

Loved Brian George's role. You may remember him from that one episode of 'Seinfeld'.
MacFarlane wanting to command his own ship probably connects to how he's wanted to bring back a 'Star Trek'-esque show to television for a long time.
For some reason, I cracked up when MacFarlane ran into that 'blob guy'.
Happy Arbor Day!