Why I Really, Really like The Orville

I know others have said this better than me, but I wanted to throw a little love your way.

First and foremost, the best part of this show is that it is downright enjoyable to watch. It embraces it's campyness, it owns it's tropes. I feel like it's set up so Seth can respond to any criticism of in-world continuity with "Because it's a television show". The Orville takes massive damage in the pilot and comes back for the next episode in perfect condition without any mention of it because...it's a television show. And television is nothing if not a form of entertainment. The Orville is unapologetic, episodic entertainment.

This also shows in it's embrace of humour. Stargate SG1 was at it's best when O'Neill was cracking jokes to lighten the mood at a very dark time. Some of the best emotional experiences are when you swing between laughing and crying. I'm thinking TNG s04e02 where an emotionally wounded Picard visits his brother and they snap from fisticuffs to laughing and drinking. That's catharsis. The ability of MacFarlane to inject unexpected quips is very welcome in an era that seems to value 'real and gritty' television. We haven't seen much emotional drama yet, but I think we can assume we will, and the contrast between despair and comedy could make some truly excellent television.

More importantly though, the characters are all likeable. The cast features a diverse range of characters without shoving anything down your throat. Stereotypes are embraced and enjoyed. Seth seems genuinely sincere in his performance and his ability to laugh at himself shows real humility at the helm. It feels aware of our cultural period but also free from the current political climate. This isn't a show trying to be something, it's one made out of love for the genre.

Contrast that with STD, which takes itself way too seriously and the characters seem insufferable. I watched the first 5 episodes then posted on the StarTrek sub how I felt dissatisfied and was lambasted for it. That sub seems so very toxic compared to this one.

Seth MacFarlane is now championing the mantle of Star Trek better than any actual Trek in the last 15 years. I'm so pleased to be able to take part in this and look forward to some TNG cameos and emotional depth between bouts of episodic fun.