Orville: New Horizons (Spoilers)

[Umbran]

If I'd been living in the US as long as he has and owned property, I'd be staying up to date on politics.

Aside from how he's not an American citizen and cannot vote here, has enough money that he has to have people to manage it all for him, the dude is 91 years old. How many 91 year-olds actually keep up?

 

[Ryujin]

Aside from how he's not an American citizen and cannot vote here, has enough money that he has to have people to manage it all for him, the dude is 91 years old. How many 91 year-olds actually keep up?

Can't speak to any 91 year olds but up until her death just shy of 81, my Canadian mother was keeping up on American politics. In Canada.

 

[Morrus]

it's not that I disagree to what is preached, it's that I simply don't need that in my entertainment.

Said the cis white man who doesn’t need representation in our culture. You really don’t get it.

 

[CapnZapp]

Because right this moment, you're not showing a lot of empathy for folks who can use the representation. Like, say, trans viewers? So, if we are apt to miss such a very basic point, maybe we do need it drilled home more.

I really don't appreciate you implying a lack of empathy on my part, Umbran.

There can easily be, say, a homosexual character in a show. The problem is not that. It is when the show makes a huge deal out of a basic truth like "hating homosexual people is bad, treating homosexual people like people is good". That's just time spent on what is immediately apparent and obvious to any humane being, which makes for predictable preachy television.

I know some of you think America needs shows that devote their running time to speaking basic truths like this. And some Americans certainly need to hear that (not that I imagine MAGA people watching Orville, but I digress). The point is that I don't need that. I would simply much rather have the show explore some space.

So you'll have to excuse me if I maintain that I liked previous seasons more. I'm not a secret MAGA troll that gets repelled by representation. I just liked previous seasons more.

There can be other reasons for giving the change in direction for Orville S3 a thumbs down than what occupies most of America these last years. I trust you can see the difference between wanting something other than preaching and "not showing a lot of empathy".

 

[Umbran]

This show pretty clearly did a huge change, doubling down on personal stories and social commentary in S3.

They started with Moclans and gender identity in Season 1, Episode 3 "About a Girl".
Also...
Episode 2, "Command Performance" - Mercer/Grayson relationship, personal story.
Episode 7, "Majority Rule" - social commentary.
Episode 8, "Into the Fold" - starting the Isaac/Claire relationship, personal story.
Episode 9, "Cupid's Dagger" - Mercer/Grayson relationship, personal story.

Then Season 2
Episode 1, "Ja'loja" - relationship stuff all over the place.
Episode 2, "Primal Urges" - Moclan relationship story
Episode 3, "Home" - Alara leaves, personal story
Episode 6, "A Happy Refrain" - Isaac/Claire relationship story.
Episode 7, "Deflectors" - Moclan intolerance social commentary story
Episode 10, "Blood of Patriots" - Gordon personal story and extremism commentary
Episode 11, "Lasting Impression" - Gordon falls in love with a hologram, personal story
Episode 12, "Sanctuary" - Moclan female colony, social commentary

Looks like relationships and social commentary were at the forefront a whole lot.

 

[Janx]

And, while you may not need it personally... maybe you do, and by extension, the viewers in general do. Because right this moment, you're not showing a lot of empathy for folks who can use the representation. Like, say, trans viewers? So, if we are apt to miss such a very basic point, maybe we do need it drilled home more.

Supporting this point, especially the timing, putting Nichelle Nichols on the bridge of the Enterprise is what normalized Black people in important positions.

It inspired Black people that they could be there.

It showed it as normal and perfectly fine for the folks who needed to see that. Kids were less racist because of Uhura, compared to their parents.

So it is with everybody else who has been historically excluded from being on the bridge.

We need to see it until we see it is normal and perfectly fine there and everywhere.

Because everybody can be on the bridge of the Enterprise.

Now maybe somebody here didn't need this sermon, but if they're arguing they didn't, they did.

Because everybody right with the Roddenberry knows to say Amen.

 

[Morrus]

I really don't appreciate you implying a lack of empathy on my part, Umbran.

I'll just come out and say it, then.

Some groups need representation in our culture. It's a tired, predictable, and selfish trope when random cis white men object to that representation because they don't want 'politics' or whatever in their entertainment. And this isn't the first time I've seen you espouse such opinions. I've seen you do it in the RPG forums too. Hell, I blocked you for about a year due to it, unblocked you and the very first thing I saw?

There it was again.

Tell you what -- don't do it. Easily solved.

 

[CapnZapp]

Said the cis white man who doesn’t need representation in our culture. You really don’t get it.

I'm not sure what to say. It really is a precarious position you are putting me in. If you all are so accustomed to people that resists what Orville S3 has doubled down must be MAGA trolls then I guess you aren't reading what I'm writing, you're reading what you think I'm writing.

Edit: Let me just state the obvious: I am NOT criticizing the Orville for including trans or gay etc people. It could have included those characters without sacrificing what the show is about. There are more and more shows with representation. Good. The Orville, however, chose a clunky focus, which I happen to not give a high grade. Other shows do it much better. That does not mean I "don't need representation". It means I found Orville S3 not very compelling television.

Either way, I realize I have nothing to win and everything to lose in a discussion that basically turns from space fun into "prove you're not a MAGA troll", so let me thank those who liked my post, and see y'all in another thread.

 

[Arilyn]

He may still have Canadian citizenship but at this point I think he has lived in the US longer than Canada (just a guess), and owns a large ranch in Southern California. If I'd been living in the US as long as he has and owned property, I'd be staying up to date on politics.

Not positive but I think he's been an American citizen for many years, not sure he even still has his Canadian citizenship.

 

[Zardnaar]

Orville did the social commentary well the quality didn't suffer.

A few shows doing it overcompensate so are bad before they even land eg the trailer.

Problem is for every Orville or Sense 8 there's several bad to terrible shows quality wise.