A few months ago, The Orville hit Australian television sets, and I binged-watched it in its entirety. My passion for this show was so deep, I wrote an editorial about its critical discourse: Critics Vs The Orville: What’s Going On? There, I briefly looked at its critical reception, comparing it to Star Trek: Discovery‘s comparative acclaim. At the time of writing that article, I had enjoyed Star Trek: Discovery enough, but felt like it did not bring the same level of heart and detail as Seth Macfarlane’s homage-ridden show. Now, the sophomore seasons for both properties have just begun and… I had a lot of feelings.
First and foremost, The Orville Season 2 is now ranking at 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes—a far cry from Season 1’s 28% rating. In contrast, Star Trek: Discovery was certified fresh at 87%, and its second season has risen to an impressive 98% rating. Now, this is not to say that The Orville had made any massive changes that Discovery did not; both series have maintained a similar degree of quality the second time around, and I would attribute The Orville’s success to a weeding out of critics who disliked it from the first episode.
However, for me, the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery left me disappointed. This was not because of any expectations the show set for itself—as I said, it was of a similar ilk to its first season. The only difference was that I already had new episodes of Star Trek being released through a so-called parody show; I could tune in every week, spend some time with a crew I loved, and enjoy a few ethical quandaries along the way. In contrast, I had forgotten the names of many of Star Trek: Discovery’s main characters, felt myself scrolling through my phone during ’emotional’ moments and found things more laughable than I did engaging. I felt the need to watch the latest episode of The Orville straight after finishing Discovery, because one thing Discovery achieved was putting me in the mood for some real Star Trek.
Star Trek: Discovery’s latest episode kicks off with Captain Pike boarding the ship after a distress call. We are then treated to revelations about our main character, Michael Burnham’s, relationship with her half-brother, Spock. Already, we are given a spotlight on two characters from Star Trek canon—and personally, the inclusion of Pike was what made this episode bearable for me. Pike is a captain that, I feel, could have held an entire prequel series—he is charming and likeable, feeling like a breath of fresh air injected into the heavy atmosphere of Discovery. However, the rest of the episode was more of the same ‘gritty’ content: a Federation ship lays stranded on a volatile asteroid, our crew must perform death-defying stunts in extremely modern tech, and Michael has some familial issues going on, making way for some vague flashbacks.
Also in this episode, we learnt the names of the crew. While this may seem like a first-episode deal for most Star Trek content, the first season of Discovery featured four main crew-members and a bunch of faces that we recognised but didn’t know anything about. Featured in this group were ‘girl with a strange eye,’ ‘dreadlocked pilot’, and ‘random robot.’ In last night’s episode, Pike had the common decency to ask for everyone’s names, and we were given a brief introduction before we were catapulted into action. Meanwhile, Pike’s science-officer/Spock stand-in died suddenly mid-flight, but not many people seemed to care too much.
Meanwhile, on The Orville, a gelatinous life-form (Yaphit) who was used for a quick gag in the first episode is fleshed out more and more throughout the season. Dann, another side-character, is both recognisable and hilarious, and our prior knowledge of his character gives us an interesting dynamic when he is sent on a blind date with Alara, the security officer of the ship. Last night, I was emotionally moved by an episode about a character’s pornography addiction—a concept so ridiculous that only some likeable characters and impeccable writing can pull off. I felt slightly guilty for regarding a story about alien pornography as more valuable than Discovery’s more serious and epic narrative, but when you are not given enough time getting to know your characters, it is really difficult to care.
Will I keep watching Discovery? Probably. But it will be more out of a sense of obligation than actual enjoyment. I need to make clear that I am aware that these two shows are trying to achieve different things; one is a light-hearted, comedic take on a nostalgic property, and the other is a darker, more serious angle on something we already know. To me, I don’t watch Star Trek for high-stakes action and technobabble (which Discovery has in spades), but to feel comforted among a crew of people I can see myself slotting into. If you want impressive cinematography and complex lore-building, then I don’t blame you for enjoying Discovery—but it doesn’t make you feel like you did as a kid, eyes glued to the primary-coloured uniforms on a Sunday afternoon.
The Orville is 90’s Trek wrapped around bad jokes and nonsensical repetitive behavior. How many time will they land on a planet, engage with a alien society, get in trouble over a misunderstanding and then research the society to find a solution? Something they should have done before contact?
Three or four episodes like that already, the only difference now is that Bortus & friends decided to turn into Rambo and the Untouchables and slaughter their captors. Look, if you’re going to create a fake star to change an entire society then saying beaming your crew out of prison is against the rules is ridiculously stupid.
If Norm just playing himself as a ball of living snot reaches you then I’m putting you on the list of people who don’t know Star Trek, they just love goofy McFarlane jokes.
The Orville at least tries to impart a deeper meaning to its stories. Whereas Discovery is trying to cash in on the Star Wars epic space battle craze. All style and no substance. All glitz and no heart. You can bash Seth McFarlane all you want, but he has more talent than the writers of Discovery. They give no voice or personality to Discovery, and in the process they discrace the legacy of all Trek before them.
If you can’t see the same attempts with Discovery you’re just not being honest. Both shows try to impart deeper meaning that alone doesn’t make them quality. Especially when the execution is horrible.
I mentioned the repeated cultural mistakes trope Orville uses to force “meaning” into a poorly written story (remember the grinding on a statue thing?) but how about the one with the people trapped during a supernova?
Do you think it made sense to fly down to rescue them then have Bortus day “ I assume you have radiation suits”? Sure it forced a scenario where people had to decide who lives but why wouldn’t they ask that BEFORE they left and just bring them extra suits?
That is why the forced “deeper meaning” is pointless because the script feels written by marginally capable screenwriters.
Discovery is trash piled upon trash. No surprise it’s produced by the guys behind Michael Bay’s Transformers, and written by hacks who penned stuff for Halloween 4 and Desperate Housewives. Discovery dumbs down a Trek franchise that’s been dumbing down for decades, for an already dumbed down 21st century audience.
Indeed. The Mushroom engine that makes the ship whirl makes a lot of sense.
Crewmen who disrespect the hierarchical chain and who scream on the bridge all the time and who cry all the time that makes sense, does not it?
The biggest difference between the two shows is that one was created by people who absolutely loved Star Trek, the other was not.
If you think that ball of snot is just Norm MacDonald playing himself then I’m putting you on the list of people who don’t actually pay attention to what they’re watching.
I’m in the exact same boat. As much as I want to like Discovery I just don’t care about more than three or four characters. The Orville is what I always want Sci Fi to be; real, relatable, characters using ingenuity and excellence to deal with bizarre and unreal situations.
Discovery does this too but it’s more forced and flashy. Reminds me of a guy who buys a girlfriend two dozen roses because he couldn’t be bothered getting something personal. Sounds romantic but it’s just a few handfuls of severed plant genitals.
Both suck in comparison to TNG and DS9, and even Voyager.
Discovery is ruined by itself, with its meaningless history, scientifically absurd. Even if we consider it as a space fantasy series, it is completely absurd. Identifying the biggest problem in this series is a difficult task: The main character is a person with behavioral problems. The scripts are inconsistent and solemnly ignore the Star Trek timeline.
I don’t mind Orville. But their fans are terrible. They are obsessed with trolling on Discovery boards. For that reason alone, I would be happy if Orville was cancelled.
I don’t mind if both get cancelled. STD is the trashier disease though and should be put down with prejudice. The Orville is cute for an episode or three, but also is mostly lightweight cheese whiz crap. Let’s not get misty eyes over the original Star Trek universe based series either, they had some serious flaws. But at least they were cranking out 25 episodes a year, but a third of those are seriously good, and another third are solid, with just a few warts. Looking at the entire body of work, the original universe had probably couple hundred episodes of high quality television that had everything one could want. The Orville is a poor substitute, it needs to go away to make room for a real sci-fi series to step in. STD just needs to be excised as if it never existed though.
I can understand why some Orville fans are hostile to Disco fans. The Orville is a good show that gets unfairly criticized by people who think Disco is the best thing ever. Orville fans now feel like they have to prove that the other side is wrong.
I watched about 4/5 of the first season of Discovery. Maybe I’ll check out the now-in-progress second season, but I have to admit that I’m not engaged in the story or invested in the characters. It seems like all flash over substance. The stories seemed chaotic and rushed, with writing that has little character development beyond Burnham and people continually acting in bizarre ways. Much of the crew were simply faces and even some of the main characters we didn’t know well. And killing off main crew members for dramatic effect? This is science fiction set in a universe that they have labeled “Star Trek”, which is very different than the real thing. Let’s hope they don’t screw up the new Picard series in a similar way. A friend is sending me the first season of The Orville, so I look forward to seeing that show when the discs arrive.
Discovery is terrible. It is teeny bopper tv with ships and lasers. There is no real substance. I would like to see it cancelled.
The Orville is no substitute for proper Trek but understands the heart and mind behind it all. I enjoy it. It is light years ahead of Discovery which is all chaos, explosions and tears for teens.
i think Orville is a true star trek saga, with of course his own characteristics. Discovery is something else, it is different and i personally don’t like it very much. I can see they have spent a lot of money on it, on special effects and whatsoever but it’s not like a star trek series
Ive watched both. Orville, despite a lower budget, seems to understand what Star Trek truly is. Yes it is a bit silly at times, but also quite entertaining and dramatic at times. Discovery is a lot of flash and budget and so on. I do not connect with any of the characters, but still watch it more like I feel some like I have to, where as with Orville I am excited to watch it. Hard to explain, but one excites me and makes me wish I was there, and the other I guess im just along to see “what happens next” to some extent. Discovery is not horrible, but nor does it really draw you in. The negative quality of it and the dark story, gets old after a while.
For me, orville is much better then STD. First I started to watch STD, pilot was awesome, but with every other part I was tired and very confused of all that chaos, characters and their relationships which were often vulgar. I stopped watching it after 6th part. Several month after I discovered orville, it was like a beacon in the darkness. Characters are pleasant, you must love them, stories are clean, often with deep idea which you can discuss with friends. I think orville was made by people who really put their hearths in this show. Yes, there are some weak parts like in every show, but for someone else they may be great.
The Orville, in comparison to classic Star Trek; not that great-
in comparison to this CBS all-access trek; wonderful/smart/sweet/followable and it never insults your memory.
Orville is more in the ‘spirit’ of classic Star Trek than Discovery is. I enjoy both shows though. I’m happy that the Trek family continues to grow, and yes I include Orville a close cousin.
You said it, exactly how I feel: What sold me to Star Trek was the wish to be a part of the Crew, to know the characters like I do my friends and dream about exploring the vast universe with them. Discovery works actively against that – making me wish to never be in their Universe and I’m not saying it’s boring, it just doesn’t fulfill my demand for what I know Star Trek to be.
I mean, there is a reason why so many people over the years did Star Trek Cosplay – we dreamt to be a part of the crew discovering the mysteries of the Universe. And I’d rather be in the Orville’s universe than in STD’s.
I enjoy The Orville much more than Discovery for a lot of reasons. It’s inarguably nostalgic, but the show is much more emblematic of what Star Trek is to many fans. Ethical and moral dilemmas relating to our current climate of culture that allow the viewer a choice as opposed to hamfisting a narrative. Exploration consistent with our current level, but with an eye towards the future. Actual character development over time vs. quick, annoying ploys to gain eyes on the screen with stupid twists. People like The Orville because it has that indelible quality of making characters both believable and relative. I was excited for Discovery, but stopped watching after episode 6 because it’s annoying… It has none of the qualities that Trek fans want. God, even Enterprise got it right where Discovery just can’t. We don’t want action and effects, we want emotion! I’ve watched through s2e4 of The Orville, and actually teared up a few times. Discovery is a glorified action movie. I want to like it, but Orville actually gets it. There are still some dumb jokes here and there, but it deals with real issues and pushes real boundaries without trying to shove them down your throat… Just like Star Trek always has, and should. It makes you think, vs. making you believe. It’s reeeaaaallly hard to to say that McFarlane has done it better, but just watch it. He has, hands down, made a better Star Trek series without it being called Star Trek. I haven’t felt compelled to watch a show like this through since DS9. That’s how good it is.
Disco sucks and it has a nasty fungal infection, and that is why so many people are turning to the Orville.
I went on to the Star Trek Discovery BBS to discuss with others about how bad the show was. I was immediately attacked personally for being a troll. WOW I have always loved Star Trek and yes some episodes are great and there are plenty of bad ones in every series. But in my opinion, Discovery is horrible. the absolute worst sci fi show ever bar none. I cancelled CBS all Access,(Had it for 6 months, what a waste) and now just watch the reviews on You Tube. I find them more entertaining than the show itself. I have Hulu and Netflix and am enjoying lots of real good sci fi shows. You would think that it would be best for them to actually create a good watchable show. Anyway If Picard get good you tube reviews I will wait for its finale and then binge it for the cost of 1 month subscription then cancel. I will not support CBS for their lack of due diligence when it comes to Star Trek.
I have for long said that Star Wars fans hate Star Wars the most. By going through various Star Trek forums, social media and this thread I think I can apply the same to Star Trek an says Star Trek fans hate Star Trek the most.