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Author Topic: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery  (Read 4577 times)

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Offline Guildmage Aech

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The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« on: January 12, 2018, 07:37:43 PM »
So in the blue corner the sucessor to Gene Roddenbury's sci-fi liberal utopia and in the red corner Seth MacFarlane's spiritual comedy homage.

Fight!

Round one, characters.

Both are hitting on strong female characters (literally in the Orville's security officer), and characters of other sexual and racial backgrounds. Which is nice.

I find I'm better at remembering names or Orville crew than Discovery. Its like we keep seeing the redhead bionic girl at the discovery's con station and the daft punk robot but who are they? Why are they here?

Harry Mud has been a redeeming feature in my opinion. Well acted, well scripted and an ideal scoundrel in every way.


Round 2 Enjoyableness

Giving it to the Orville, we're exploring backstory, picking up weekly plots like the best The Next Generation ever achieved.

Micheal and Saru's constant be-atching I find more annoying than anything else. I appreciate that this is a nebulous scoring bu I look forward to sitting down for an episode of Orville whereas some Discovery episodes are a bit of grind to get though (I can handle this... after all I've see every episode of Voyager!)

Discovery is very keen to be gritty and adult with torture and sweary words and Very Serious Drama. Whereas the Orville loves the odd dick joke but still carries some weighty plotlines, one episode featuring a homosexually male dominated culture that considers baby genital reassignment surgery to be akin to fixing a cleft palate for example.

Round 3 Sets, Graphics and special effects.

Both very nice, mildly goes to Discovery for detail of spaceships but penalised a point immediatly for the daft klingon ship design. Both playing up to non Newtonian space combat tropes perfectly well.

Discovery waaaay out in front for sets, a lot more money has been thrown at building it. The Orville does look a bit Ikea here and there on interors. Depends how much you like tables I guess.



So who wins? I think I prefer the Orville, maybe I like that lighter side to space drama. Maybe I should just rewatch TNG yet again... :P

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Offline magenb

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2018, 11:57:23 PM »
Star trek is the better visually and acting wise, some of the fight sequences have not been thought out very well.

I don't have a problem with the female leads in isolation, but Hollywood is shoving it in your face at the moment, so it kind of takes away from it.


Orville is the kind of show you could miss an episode and not be lost in the story and it is a light comedy so you immediately don't take it too seriously, so you give it a pass on a number of things.

I enjoy watching both, but I think I like Discovery slightly more as there seems to be a single story unfolding through the season.

Offline The GrimSqueaker

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2018, 12:10:14 AM »
I don't have a problem with the female leads in isolation, but Hollywood is shoving it in your face at the moment, so it kind of takes away from it.

Do tell. What's bothering you here?
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Offline Grand Master Lomandalis

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2018, 12:24:14 AM »
I don't have a problem with the female leads in isolation, but Hollywood is shoving it in your face at the moment, so it kind of takes away from it.

Do tell. What's bothering you here?
I'm curious as well.  Personally, I find the female leads to be a welcome change of pace.  It's been so rare for there to be a strong, well developed female character that it is a nice change.  Perfect example would be if you look at Arrow and how they used Laurel Lance.  She started off as a great character, but soon devolved into the always-crying-ex-girlfriend bullamphetamine parrot.  I'm glad Discovery hasn't gone down that road (yet, as far as I am aware).
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Offline The GrimSqueaker

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2018, 12:28:07 AM »
The Orville got a *lot* better about four episodes in. The writing and characters were tighter and the plot started to flow more than episodically. It was meh to start but I really enjoyed it after that point. Discovery I've still to catch up on as beslubber CBS.
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Offline Saim-Dann

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2018, 05:44:39 AM »
G'day, Hymirl!
Great topic. I like The Orville, but I reeeeally like Discovery. Yes I like the fact that the main character is female, however, I also applaud the fact that she's not the captain.

Seth's humor has always been hit and miss with me. with Family guy as well as Orville, I'm falling off my chair laughing one episode, and not even a snicker the next.

Discovery for my vote and I'm beside myself with joy so does that count as 2 votes?

Offline Calamity

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2018, 08:42:38 AM »
I've been watching TNG for the first time ever, so I'll be paying close attention to this thread to see what to watch next (alongside DS9).

Offline Grand Master Lomandalis

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #7 on: January 13, 2018, 11:00:34 AM »
I've been watching TNG for the first time ever, so I'll be paying close attention to this thread to see what to watch next (alongside DS9).
Definitely watch DS9!  I watched through it a few years back and it is my favourite star trek series, even though I was dubious about how good it would be.

The acting and story lines are top notch, and it has the best season finale I have ever seen.
If there is anything that recent politics has taught us, it is that quotes taken out of context can mean what ever you want them to.
Well I always liked the globals...
I knew I had fans!!!

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"Dark Angels are Traitors" is the 40k equivalent of Flat Earthers.  You can provide all of the proof you want that says otherwise, but people just can't let it go...

Offline Saim-Dann

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2018, 11:07:33 AM »
G'day GML!
Totally agree with you on DS9 and it's ending. Was extremely disappointed with Voyagers ending. It felt rushed. Was looking forward to the return to Earth and joining of families. Oh well! Pointy ears forever!! (Including Vulcans)

Offline Roboknee77

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2018, 02:18:01 PM »
I vote for The Orville.  I'll admit, I only watched the first episode of Discovery but it didn't engage me.  Also finding out the only way for me to watch it was to pay for another streaming service put the nail in the coffin for me.  I will admit it was visually stunning but good looks only does not make something good.

The Orville hooked me right away.  It had humor, it was optimistic, and felt more like Star Trek than Discovery did to me.  I feel like Fox marketed it poorly as a straight comedy at first when it was sci-fi with comedy included.  Watching it felt like being in rpg back in college and every so often somebody would make a dumb joke.  Sure, sometimes the jokes fell flat but everybody playing was having fun.

I will also agree with everybody else that says watch DS9.  It's still may favorite Trek series I've watched.

P.S. I'm suddenly having flashbacks to DS9 vs. B5 debates in college now because of this thread and it's making me laugh.

Offline Guildmage Aech

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #10 on: January 13, 2018, 04:28:51 PM »
G'day, Hymirl!
Great topic. I like The Orville, but I reeeeally like Discovery. Yes I like the fact that the main character is female, however, I also applaud the fact that she's not the captain.

....

Discovery for my vote and I'm beside myself with joy so does that count as 2 votes?

Good day! I'll allow your joyful two votes... I know I have this effect on people!

It is a change to be following the engineering department in Star Trek more than the bridge crew, perhaps thats one of the changes I was slow to adapt to... but as a science ship the Discovery mostly mooches around deep space avoiding interesting encounters and aliens!

I vote for The Orville.  I'll admit, I only watched the first episode of Discovery but it didn't engage me.


Its a bit of a slow burn. Most star trek series kick off with something tasty to get their teeth into, Discovery lays out foundations until episode 3.

Quote
The Orville hooked me right away.  It had humor, it was optimistic, and felt more like Star Trek than Discovery did to me.  I feel like Fox marketed it poorly as a straight comedy at first when it was sci-fi with comedy included.  Watching it felt like being in rpg back in college and every so often somebody would make a dumb joke.  Sure, sometimes the jokes fell flat but everybody playing was having fun.

I actually like this analogy a lot. If my RPG group tried Star Trek then it would probably turn out a lot like the Orville!

Quote
P.S. I'm suddenly having flashbacks to DS9 vs. B5 debates in college now because of this thread and it's making me laugh.

Lol a true classic debate.

(If this were facebook I'd post a picture of Simon Pegg shouting "Babylon 5 is a big pile of amphetamine parrot!" but I'm not going through the process of uploading a pic to link to!)
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Offline Sir_Godspeed

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #11 on: January 13, 2018, 09:16:23 PM »
I'm curious as well.  Personally, I find the female leads to be a welcome change of pace.  It's been so rare for there to be a strong, well developed female character that it is a nice change.  Perfect example would be if you look at Arrow and how they used Laurel Lance.  She started off as a great character, but soon devolved into the always-crying-ex-girlfriend bullamphetamine parrot.  I'm glad Discovery hasn't gone down that road (yet, as far as I am aware).

It's a bit weird seeing media press and social media treat this like it's revolutionary though, since Star Trek has a history of pretty well-developed female characters (and a good deal of cringy ones too, I'll admit), and of course at least one previous female captain of a main series.

Offline Wyddr

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #12 on: January 13, 2018, 10:11:06 PM »
I hear great things about Discovery, but the extra charge for the channel on which I only want to watch one show is a killer for me.

Orville looked kind a dumb, but now I'm hearing good things as well. Hmmmm...

One oddity: I've found that people who LOVED DS9 are also loving Discovery. People that preferred TNG are loving The Orville. As someone very firmly in the DS9 camp, I really hope CBS finds a way to let me see it without buying a whole stupid channel.

Offline The GrimSqueaker

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #13 on: January 13, 2018, 10:47:03 PM »
Orville looked kind a dumb, but now I'm hearing good things as well. Hmmmm...

Give it a few, four, episodes to work. It starts silly like you'd expect from Seth then it *works*.

I'm in the DS9 crowd because it dealt with war and terrorism in a way other ST shows just didn't.
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Offline Saim-Dann

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2018, 12:13:42 AM »
G'day Wyddr!
For Discovery? DVD's, mate. As for The Orville, Would be a lot better without the Family Guy feel to it. 

Offline The GrimSqueaker

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #15 on: January 14, 2018, 12:21:37 AM »
For Discovery? DVD's, mate.

What DVDs would these be currently?
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Offline Saim-Dann

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #16 on: January 14, 2018, 12:44:00 AM »
G'day GS!
Not yet, but give it time. Looking forward to adding it to my collection.

Offline The GrimSqueaker

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #17 on: January 14, 2018, 12:48:26 AM »
So nothing then. Thanks for your input.  :D
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You have to love the smell of science in the morning. It smells of learning.... or perhaps a gas leak.

Offline Grand Master Lomandalis

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #18 on: January 14, 2018, 03:31:49 AM »
 Android boxes are fantastic for streaming. Not going further than that lol
If there is anything that recent politics has taught us, it is that quotes taken out of context can mean what ever you want them to.
Well I always liked the globals...
I knew I had fans!!!

Quote
"Dark Angels are Traitors" is the 40k equivalent of Flat Earthers.  You can provide all of the proof you want that says otherwise, but people just can't let it go...

Offline Calamity

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Re: The Orville vs Star Trek Discovery
« Reply #19 on: January 14, 2018, 03:40:46 AM »
In the uk netflick provides both.  8)

 


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