MovieChat Forums > The Orville (2017) Discussion > Episode 2: a few observations

Episode 2: a few observations

posted 7 years ago by sarahb2 (69)
3 replies | jump to latest

Spoilers, obviously...

Overall, I thought the episode was very well-done. There was more drama and less humor, so a better balance there. Adrianne Palecki and Seth MacFarlane work well off each other, making their relationship believable. And the makeup and special effects were also very well done.

A few observations:

How is it that Alara doesn't know who Obi-Wan is, but she's apparently familiar with 21st century reality TV? There seems to be a hole there.

The race who kidnapped Ed and Kelly may be technologically advanced, but they aren't very bright. When Alara and Klyden show up in the head zookeeper's office, the zookeeper doesn't notice that Alara is wearing the exact same uniform Ed Mercer was, making it very obvious she's from the same ship. She didn't have any civilian clothes she could have worn?

I really like Dr. Finn, and thought she gave Alara great advice about leadership, which is why I was somewhat dismayed when Alara told her she had command and her reaction was a grumpy, "Son of a bitch." Yeah, it's funny, sort of, but as probably the most mature person on the ship, Dr. Finn's reaction should have been a smile and a "Yes, sir." Certainly Dr. Finn was aware all along that she was next in the chain of command? Alara can use youth and inexperience as an excuse, but there was no reason for Dr. Finn to be so unprofessional in her response. It brought her down to the level of all the other yahoos on the ship.

How did they get the little green alien child out of the zoo? What about the other "exhibits"? They took the kid but left the poor creature who'd been there 30 years? I wish we'd learned how that was accomplished.

I want to serve in this fleet, where disobeying a direct order in order to rescue a captain who wasn't even the "first choice" for the job doesn't get you court-martialed because your boss can talk the admiral out of it. It doesn't seem like this universe has any rules at all!

[–] TexasJack (12515) 7 years ago

Yes a huge suspension of disbelief is required. Alara would have been kicked out for insubordination even though she ran a successful rescue mission. And no one is going to assign ex-spouses to work together as captain and first officer. The comedy angle gives them a bit more cover to get away stuff like this.

[–] sarahb2 (69) 7 years ago

I'm baffled as to how she didn't know she was fourth in command. How can you serve on a vessel of any type and NOT know you're fourth in line to sit in the captain's chair? She didn't seem to be aware that Bortus had requested leave, but I imagine that it would be something that was announced. And she seemed completely unprepared for it, which if I was a crewman on that ship would worry me a LOT.

[–] Jes' Sayin' (5945) 7 years ago

For all the Calovan know, all humans dress like that. Just because it's obvious to us doesn't mean it's obvious to them. People who are intelligent can still be ignorant about certain things.

Re Dr. Finn's reaction, one of the hallmarks is that people are real, not mythological. They all act petty, childishly and selfishly, less like people in an epic novel and more like the people you know in your office. It's a warts-and-all style.