Originally written January 1, 2018

Every so often a show like The Orville will come along, where I feel the need to talk about it because I fear that people will dismiss it too easily. As of the time of writing this review, there is a huge divide on this show between its perception with critics and audiences. Its current Rotten Tomatoes score shows a 20% from critics, and a 93% from audiences. When this happens, I really like to explore the possible reasons of why there’s such a huge divide. I read some theories from people that since a new Star Trek show premiered around the same time as The Orville (which takes heavy inspiration from Star Trek), critics wanted to write off The Orville so that Star Trek: Discovery wouldn’t have competition. While I won’t deny the possibility that some critics might get paid off to write certain kinds of reviews, I generally don’t like conspiracy theories like that because it’s too big of a generalization. If 80% of critics gave this show a negative review, I doubt it’s because 80% of critics were being paid off. While it might be true for some, I think the reasons are a lot simpler.

I think the biggest reason is critical perception towards Seth Macfarlane, the creator and star of the series. There are a lot of people out there that have a deep hatred for Macfarlane, and so regardless of what he does, they will say that it sucks. While some of the criticism towards his work may have been earned over the years, I think he’s treated a bit unfairly. It’s true that the quality of Family Guy has dropped because he doesn’t care about it as much, but The Orville is the definition of a passion project for Macfarlane. He’s said that it’s the show that he’s always dreamed of making. I think this passion really shines through. Another potential reason I see for The Orville being reviewed so harshly might just be because of the marketing. The show is advertised as a comedy, but it’s really a half and half mix between comedy and drama. There isn’t nonstop jokes, so people that want this might be disappointed. But the story does want itself to be taken seriously at times, and so I’ve seen some critics complain about this. So, if you only want this to be a comedy, I can see why you might not like it. Otherwise, though, I think The Orville is being treated very unfairly, because it’s an excellent show.

The Orville is basically a direct homage to Star Trek. It’s about a crew that flies around space on a ship called The Orville, going around to different planets and carrying out missions. It’s a pretty basic premise, which is why the main draw to a show like this is with the characters and the individual stories. The ship is led by Captain Ed Grayson, a man who’s been given his first command of a ship with The Orville. His first officer is Kelly Grayson, his ex-wife. Kelly cheated on Ed a year before the beginning of the series, and so their marriage ended immediately after that. Now, the two must reconcile their differences in order to work together on the ship. It’s a really interesting dynamic that’s explored in a lot of different ways. I could talk about who all of the other members of the team are, but you don’t really get a feel for all of the different unique personalities on the show until you just go and watch it.

This is the kind of show that’s mostly episodic (although there are a few storylines that travel through multiple episodes), and so over the course of its 12 episode first season, it is clear that some episodes are stronger than others. Interestingly enough, I’d actually say that the pilot episode may be the worst one of the show, so if you can get past that one then you’re likely going to enjoy the rest of the show. However, through all of the unique plots, a lot of different themes (such as religion, equality, and humanity) are explored. I feel like the way it handles its storylines is perhaps the greatest strength of the show. However, what keeps me around is all of the great characters, and I love that each character is given at least one episode in the season to explore their personalities more in-depth. Honestly, I think that critics really missed the mark on this one, as I really loved The Orville pretty consistently throughout the whole season. It’s the best new show I’ve seen in a while. I’m really excited that the show has been renewed for a second season, because I haven’t been this excited to see where a show will go next in a while.

4.5/5