When I first started this show I found it to be a really awkward mix of comedy and seriousness. It had some jokes thrown it at the most inopportune times as some kind of comic relief from a really serious situation. Perhaps the first half of the first season was actually a bit rough or maybe the show just grew on me, but by season 2 I found myself loving this show.
To me it seems as every bit as comfy, intellectually interesting and even funny as some classic Star Treks while still clearly being its own thing. I wish more comfy space shows like this would get made.
What are your thoughts on The Orville? Also I miss Alara.
It was/is the best modern “star trek” thats coming out. Loved that you could see all the writers and seth were just huge trekies. The moral dilemma’s are almost always good. And the mostly episodic episodes are a huge bonus.
I would agree with you, until Star Trek Strange New Worlds. That show is fantastic.
Along with Lower Decks as well. The crossover to Strange New Worlds was great.
Lower Decks is fantastic, but it’s almost its own thing while still being a love letter to earlier Treks. It is obviously aimed at a different demographic while still being one of the best modern Treks. That crossover episode was almost all fan service, but there is nothing wrong with that every once and a while. It was a very fun episode. The end where the SNW cast was animated had me laughing, it was very well done.
I was in the same boat as you until recently. I was burned so bad from Discovery and Picard I just couldn’t go through it again. I heard all the good things, but still I just couldn’t get around to it. I’m so glad I finally did. I know there is some recency bias but I think I would go so far as to say Captain Pike is my favorite Captain now…
"oh yeah? Well, I’m gonna make my own Star Trek, with black jack and hookers. "
- Seth McFarlane
Star Trek Producer: “This guy is trying to out-startreck us” proceeds to make Strange New Worlds to retaliate
And you will not see me complaining. SNW is the best Trek of recent times.
I loved it. I thought the actors did a great job with some of the more sensitive content. It was pretty generic in general, but I didn’t mind that. I like shows that don’t take themselves too seriously.
I watched the first 2 seasons. The “sitcom in space” parts work quite OK, Kaylon’s concept was somewhat interesting, space battles are well animated, particularly in the 2nd season which clearly got more budget, but…
Whenever the scripts stray away from “personal drama of the week” and dumb jokes about starships it becomes uninspired and shallow. It’s clear to me that MacFarlane tries to “dunk on both sides”. Sadly, his attempts at political/social critique look like “enlightened centrist” reddit rants which don’t try to think about broader consequences and context of points being made. To the point of some stories being somewhat problematic when dissected.
I watched the first episode of the third season to see where does the series go. It took a highly sensitive topic, again reiterated high-school philosophy arguments and made this potentially hard and relatable for viewers subject into an awkward bedtime conversation. I decided the rest of the season is not worth my time.
Luckily Strange New Worlds premiered soon after and I never looked back. SNW beats Orville on all measures.
Better Star Trek than actual Star Trek.
Modern Star Trek, right?
EDIT By “modern Star Trek” I mean every show from Discovery to Strange New Worlds.
Ahhhhh Lower Decks came out between those two shows release dates and it’s a great show.
Yes I’ll die on that hill.
