A Recap of The Orville Episode 3
When I first heard about The Orville I was super excited. The trailer made it look like a series version of my all-time favorite movie ‘Galaxy Quest’. It would be a space adventure but it wouldn’t take itself too seriously; after all Seth MacFarlane was behind it. But after watching episode 3, “About a Girl” I am simply blown away. ***Spoilers ahead, read at your own risk!***
The first thing that struck me about the episode was who directed it, Brannon Braga. He was an executive producer on Star Trek: Voyager. It wasn’t long before I noticed how the musical cues seemed Trek like in theme and tone. Even the shooting style of the episode screamed Star Trek (the 1990’s style not Kelvin). As for the story, I never thought MacFarlane would jump into something so controversial, especially for a show that’s advertised more for humor than drama. In fact, the episode’s humor felt almost out of place against the high stakes drama involved in the storyline.
Orville’s second officer Bortus and his mate Klyden just had a child. The only problem? It’s a girl and Moclan society doesn’t accept females. Initially both Bortus and his mate want an operation to change their daughter into a son. Their human counterparts aboard the Orville are shocked at the mere suggestion and after a little bonding over beer and an old Earth movie (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer) Bortus has a change of heart. This leads to a tribunal where first officer Kelly Grayson must defend Bortus and his daughter against the Moclan status quo.
The episode brings up issues about gender choice versus culture and equal rights for women in society; and there is absolutely no subtlety about it. There is an attempt to play down some of the heavy drama with the use of humor. Grayson uses Orville’s human pilot as an example that not all men are smart. “The tribunal must acknowledge that there is no valid claim for gender based superiority,” Grayson argues.
As far as I could tell, the bias Moclan society has toward woman only seems to apply to the Moclan species. Grayson, a human woman, seems to have no trouble making a case during the tribunal. She appears to have the respect of the Moclan legal system. Grayson calls Orville’s security officer, a Xelayan female, to the stand and there is no objection to her testimony. Yet at the end of the episode when Captain Mercer finds a Moclan woman to testify, there is chaos in the courtroom. When it turns out that female is actually the Moclan’s greatest writer; those gathered react in stunned silence.
If this had been Star Trek, I believe the outcome would have been different. The testimony would have worked in favor of Bortus and his daughter and the child would grow up free to choose her gender. But Orville is not Star Trek and in the end, the entirely male jury sided with Klyden and the sex change operation was carried out. There were no jokes in the end, no way to make light of that outcome and I am grateful they didn’t try.
All this from a series that’s supposed to make fun of traditional space adventures! Nearly everything about The Orville feels like Star Trek including the use of social commentary. In a time when so many different issues test our faith in government and each other, it’s nice to see a TV show shine a unique light on difficult subject matters. I look forward seeing more of what MacFarlane and The Orville have to say!
End Transmission