The Orville is Seth McFarlane's fully-realized Star Trek self-insert fanfiction with the serial numbers rubbed off and--wait where are you going? Seriously though, I went in with rock-bottom expectations and came out with my heart filled with joy at the memory of watching Star Trek with my dad back in the day. The first couple of episodes are kind of rough (and I suspect were made because they felt they had to go heavy on the comedy at the beginning, even when that comedy is, uh, hit or miss) but it's since found a better balance and the more tiresome sitcom tropes are being phased out. It feels like old Star Trek in a way that nothing has in a long time. As far as I can tell McFarlane just really loves it. It's utopian science fiction in which people are still people. It's a deliberately janky throwback to 20th century space operas (hello painted foam cave sets and rubber forehead aliens, my old friends). In a world of grimdark reboots, this is goofy. It's bright. It's fun. Also the crew can say fuck.
Anyway I'm especially baffled about the critical reception, which is just ??? "The public loves it! But me, I hate it. Just awful."
Critical dissonance is a known thing, alas. I'll have to check it out--my mom said it was really good, so that's two recs so far...
I feel like the critics were expecting a full-on Star Trek parody and this is definitely not that. A pastiche, maybe. That and they don't know what to do with tv that doesn't take itself too seriously.
