Last weeks episode of the Orville, I thought was possible the best ever. This weeks is by far the worst and when I say worst I'm comparing it to the clowns of NCIS Hawaii and the litany of prejudiced pre-pubescent dross cancelled this year by the CW.
It is not the fact that it raised a contentious and difficult issue nor indeed that it presented it in a highly prejudicial way (and the whiff of subliminal misandry permeating the show was not unnoticed either) but that it did so in a most shallow, superficial, irresponsible and crass manner without any regard for reality. There are always negative consequences to such events.
In a matter of days (seemingly) the crew of the Orville were able to correctly psycho analyse an adolescent's 'confusion' and make potentially life changing decisions for them, get the adolescent and a parent to agree to it without seriously exploring the potential consequences or alternative options, allow an uncertified member of crew undertook a medical procedure, trample over parental rights, trample over the Union chain of command, trample all over the culture of another species and do so without any serious consequences at all. Well it is Follywood.
In a more realistic version, there would have been a full inquiry into such a breach of protocol, the Kaylon would have been kicked out of the Union forces altogether (the Mochlans would have insisted). At least one if not more of the senior crew would likely have been transferred for their disobedience (you cannot allow such conspiracies to go unpunished), the Doctor could have been struck off (how did the Kaylon get access to the equipment) and Topa and Bortus likely would have been banned from ever returning to their home planet or face charges if they did. There would have been serious consequences for such a conspiracy even if it didn't break the Union alliance up.
Simply saying the Mochlans decided not to break the alliance just doesn't wash. To allay domestic unrest over what they saw as an outrage they would have had to demand their pound of flesh. At best the whole episode is an exercise shoddy writing. At worst its outright dishonest
Furthermore, by taking such an extremist libertarian/liberal stance serves nobody. To run a successful society one has to balance individual self-determination against the collective needs of that society and any act that totally disregards the collective needs takes that society one step further toward chaos and anarchy. Of course it does help explain as to why the USA is in the increasing mess it is in and why a certain supposedly 'enlightened' section of western society is treated with utter contempt by the rest of it. They've lost any appreciation for the need for balance. Its not what they stand for, its how they stand for it thats the problem.
If it were just a story it would be fine but clearly the writers set out to preach at its audience from its very own little soapbox and if it is going to preach then it needs to preach honestly. There will always be longer term negative consequences to such reactionary behaviour and by failing to allude to that within the show, the show became a joke.
It is not the fact that it raised a contentious and difficult issue nor indeed that it presented it in a highly prejudicial way (and the whiff of subliminal misandry permeating the show was not unnoticed either) but that it did so in a most shallow, superficial, irresponsible and crass manner without any regard for reality. There are always negative consequences to such events.
In a matter of days (seemingly) the crew of the Orville were able to correctly psycho analyse an adolescent's 'confusion' and make potentially life changing decisions for them, get the adolescent and a parent to agree to it without seriously exploring the potential consequences or alternative options, allow an uncertified member of crew undertook a medical procedure, trample over parental rights, trample over the Union chain of command, trample all over the culture of another species and do so without any serious consequences at all. Well it is Follywood.
In a more realistic version, there would have been a full inquiry into such a breach of protocol, the Kaylon would have been kicked out of the Union forces altogether (the Mochlans would have insisted). At least one if not more of the senior crew would likely have been transferred for their disobedience (you cannot allow such conspiracies to go unpunished), the Doctor could have been struck off (how did the Kaylon get access to the equipment) and Topa and Bortus likely would have been banned from ever returning to their home planet or face charges if they did. There would have been serious consequences for such a conspiracy even if it didn't break the Union alliance up.
Simply saying the Mochlans decided not to break the alliance just doesn't wash. To allay domestic unrest over what they saw as an outrage they would have had to demand their pound of flesh. At best the whole episode is an exercise shoddy writing. At worst its outright dishonest
Furthermore, by taking such an extremist libertarian/liberal stance serves nobody. To run a successful society one has to balance individual self-determination against the collective needs of that society and any act that totally disregards the collective needs takes that society one step further toward chaos and anarchy. Of course it does help explain as to why the USA is in the increasing mess it is in and why a certain supposedly 'enlightened' section of western society is treated with utter contempt by the rest of it. They've lost any appreciation for the need for balance. Its not what they stand for, its how they stand for it thats the problem.
If it were just a story it would be fine but clearly the writers set out to preach at its audience from its very own little soapbox and if it is going to preach then it needs to preach honestly. There will always be longer term negative consequences to such reactionary behaviour and by failing to allude to that within the show, the show became a joke.