"Marina Sirtis To Guest Star In ‘The Orville’ In Episode Directed By Star Trek: TNG’s Jonathan Frakes" (Friday, 7/27/18) -G
Fox reran season one ad naseum over the summer, and yet gave it a small order for season two. They really don't seem all in.
I think that also has to do with Seth McFarlane's schedule, he's still very involved with Family Guy and his other projects, doesn't leave much time for a full season of The Orville. If I remember correctly he commented once that there's too much for him to do for a full season. I'm just happy to get what they give us, even if it is just 14 episodes.
I think I appreciate what they tried to do with the porn addiction story line. It reminds me off something Mel Brooks said in an interview that I read perhaps 30 years ago. He mentioned how he had watched Westerns for most of his life, and in almost all of them, cowboys are shown eating beans, yet in all of those movies there wasn't one "bloozer" (his word, which has stuck with me). This led to his insistence (against the producer's wishes) on the extended fart scene in "Blazing Saddles." Here you have the wider sci-fi universe, complete with holodecks, and no one ever depicted making use of it in a away that seems most logical. Hence, this episode, which really only works because it is less gratuitous than it might be because they used the alien Moclon instead of a human and/or a female. But I didn't need it. There seemed to me some inconsistencies in the script - there were 75 people on the planet but the shuttle could only bring 25 so it would be three trips became 30 in a trip leaving half behind, and the number of hours the modifications to the shuttle would take changed (not from revisions of how long it would take, but script errors). I haven't noticed much of that previously.
We were surprised by how completely they committed last week to the departure of Halston Sage/Alara - and how unconvincing the character's rationale for leaving was. We don't pay much attention to fan sites and so were not aware Sage was filming other series while The Orville season two was in production. They could easily have left her character on the home planet for up to forever given the medical condition she had. But while returning quickly to the ship was fine, deciding your family finally loves you and so you're leaving your career felt . . . off. I liked the character and the actress. Apparently the new character - the new security chief - will be another female from the same species/planet.
We haven't had Fox for a couple of months - local affiliate fight with Direct TV - and are switching providers a week or so from now. Hopefully we can catch up on demand.
Just watched last weeks episode, man, so well written. A definite Star Trek feel to it, more than anything Discovery has delivered this season.