[kdmorse]

Honestly, I felt the episode was actually too long, and would have worked better as a two parter. I know that this means less in the streaming world, but the overall length of the episode, and the length of the battle scene, fell a bit into the trap of "ok, this fight's dragging on and on, let's get back to more plot". (Maybe it was just me).

Although Ted Danson suggesting we sit down with the Kaylon one by one and teach them ethics made me giggle, as if we've seen that somewhere before.

(Kaylon running through absurd variations of the Trolly Problem could be good for a laugh - Absurd Trolley Problems )

 

[Test]

Although Ted Danson suggesting we sit down with the Kaylon one by one and teach them ethics made me giggle, as if we've seen that somewhere before.

Thought I figured out the ending when they were all in there talking about that, explained how the weapon works and mentioning all the kaylons are linked up. I thought for sure the big solution was to combine the weapon with whatever software upgrades the dr came up with and blast it out to them all at once.

This isn't the first time the show got me with dropping hints on what a typical sci-fi show would do to solve a problem and then flipping it to something else.

 

[madscientist]

I expect they wanted to preserve the Kaylon as a very different species and keep the tension between them and the rest of the Union: giving them all feelings like Timmis would undermine that.

I agree that the battle scene dragged. It could have been 5 minutes shorter and had more punch.

Still another really good episode.

 

[NJChris]

I do think them changing the Kaylon from a big threat to being on their side was done much better than I expected. So many sci-fi shows tend to do that in ways that I find either boring or in a way that doesn't feel genuine.

 

[Bierboy]

BMDE = Big Moclan D**k Energy?

 

[Family]

They do drag the battles longer than most would want, but this week's episode is another example on why The Orville is an excellent series.

It is worthy of a season 4!

 

[kdmorse]

One of the nice things about the Orville is that it's a familiar universe (very TNGy), yet not an established universe with a set future. So they can do things like upend the status quo without having to twist themselves in knots to put it back to match "established canon" at the end of the episode/season/series. The Star Trek universe can't really get away with big upsets like the shift from Kaylon vs Union+Moclan vs Kriill to Kaylon + Union vs Krill + Moclan. Discovery kinda tried to shoehorn universe changing story into the past, and when that didn't work terribly well, they jumped so far into the future as to bypass all existing canon, and that caused an entirely different set of problems.

Similarly, Orville they can get away with plot points similar to Star Trek, without it feeling like a rehash of an episode we've already seen, because at least they're not reusing plot points from within their own franchise. When Star Trek steals from an episode of Star Trek that stole from another episdoes of Star Trek, those of us that have see every episode of Star Trek kinda roll our eyes. But when Orville borrows a little from Star Wars, a little from Star Trek, a little from Enders Game, teases a little from The Good Place - it works out.

It's absolutely worthy of a fourth season. I really think McFarlane managed to create something that exceeded even his own vision here.

 

[Amnesia]

Behind the scenes of Dolly's cameo

 

[Donbadabon]

That space battle was soooo long. I started 30 second skipping to get through it.
Didn't we just have a base infiltration episode? I felt like I was watching the same episode.
If the decision were mine, I would've used the weapon to wipe them out. Especially since when we get down to it they are just machines. We wouldn't think twice about bombing gun emplacements or using EMP weapons against a computer. Just because they have a human shape shouldn't make a difference. The terminator had a human shape too.

 

[madscientist]

Didn't we just have a base infiltration episode? I felt like I was watching the same episode.

I said, well, I guess they're going to re-use the sets! But then I realized both infiltrations were into Moclan secret bases so I guess it makes sense they look the same: it's very on-brand for Moclus.

Especially since when we get down to it they are just machines. We wouldn't think twice about bombing gun emplacements or using EMP weapons against a computer. Just because they have a human shape shouldn't make a difference. The terminator had a human shape too.

I think if you find yourself agreeing with the oppressive race that abused the Kaylon badly enough that they decided genocide was a good idea, you probably should reconsider your position

On the other hand when they were showing how the Kaylon were treated and the corporate CEO who decided to hand out pain zappers to "fix" the problem of self-aware robots, I was definitely like, "oh that's exactly how we would do it, no question".

 

[Tony_T]

Didn’t the Kaylon state that their surrender was only until they can defend against the device and then they woukd resume to wipe out all life forms? So why would they allow their leader, Prime, to assist in recovering the device?

 

[vertigo235]

At that point they needed the Kaylon's help to recover the device, I'm not sure they really had a choice.

 

[morac]

Didn’t the Kaylon state that their surrender was only until they can defend against the device and then they woukd resume to wipe out all life forms? So why would they allow their leader, Prime, to assist in recovering the device?

There really was no good reason for Prime to be down on the planet. It’s like sending the President on an away mission. It makes no sense. He could have sent one of his underlings.

Speaking of which, I’m not sure why Teleya was there either. Especially wandering around by herself.

 

[Anubys]

That space battle was soooo long. I started 30 second skipping to get through it.
Didn't we just have a base infiltration episode? I felt like I was watching the same episode.
If the decision were mine, I would've used the weapon to wipe them out. Especially since when we get down to it they are just machines. We wouldn't think twice about bombing gun emplacements or using EMP weapons against a computer. Just because they have a human shape shouldn't make a difference. The terminator had a human shape too.

They are sentient. So they are not just machines. Your view is how their makers saw them and how they justified what they did to them.

Also, clearly, the slavery metaphor is completely lost on you, LOL.

There really was no good reason for Prime to be down on the planet. It’s like sending the President on an away mission. It makes no sense. He could have sent one of his underlings.

Speaking of which, I’m not sure why Teleya was there either. Especially wandering around by herself.

It's no different than the Orville sending out the Captain, first officer, head of engineering, ...etc. (basically their entire command crew) on every mission and leaving an Ensign in charge of the ship. People in that universe are all dumb.

 

[Tony_T]

There really was no good reason for Prime to be down on the planet. It’s like sending the President on an away mission. It makes no sense. He could have sent one of his underlings.

Its not that, we found out that they can re-create Primus, so he’s not at risk, its that he has stated that the peace is only in effect until they can defend against the device, then it’s “Kill all Humans”, so why would Mercer give him access to it? (but in the end, they changed his mind by Charly sacrificing her life to save the Kaylons)

It seems that when Mercer gives an order you don’t like, its easy to change his mind,
I also find the numerous long closeups of MacFaflane unintentionally very funny.

 

[pgogborn]

There really was no good reason for Prime to be down on the planet. It’s like sending the President on an away mission. It makes no sense. He could have sent one of his underlings.

Any questions?
Kaylon Primary: I will accompany the ground mission.
I had assumed that you would be leading the Kaylon fleet.
Kaylon Primary: Kaylon Secondary will command our forces.
We already have one Kaylon. We don't need another.
Kaylon Primary: On the contrary. Isaac has proven he is not to be trusted.
We trust Isaac. We don't trust you.
Kaylon Primary: You misplaced the weapon once before. I intend to ensure it does not happen again.

By a small margin I think Kaylon Primary kept himself safer by joining the Union infiltration squad than commanding the Kaylon battle fleet.

Read more at: https://tvshowtranscripts.ourboard.org/viewtopic.php?f=1358&t=55243

 

[vertigo235]

Also he had to be there to see what’s her name sacrifice herself to save the Kaylons.

 

[randyb359]

Also he had to be there to see what’s her name sacrifice herself to save the Kaylons.

It was not just her that sacrificed to save the Kaylon. They seem to ignore all the Union people who were killed on the ships while trying to get it back.

 

[vertigo235]

Well I mean that could be dismissed away as them just trying to get back a weapon that they could use to destroy the Kaylons.

 

[mlsnyc]

It was not just her that sacrificed to save the Kaylon. They seem to ignore all the Union people who were killed on the ships while trying to get it back.

In the end that's what their deaths amounted to. But until it reached the point that Charley had to trigger the meltdown and sacrifice herself in the process, the Union was still trying to recover the device so they can maintain their leverage on the Kaylons.