star trek krill species

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Krill (The Orville)

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Biology [ ]

They are pale skinned humanoids, with somewhat reptilian scales. It is a myth that male reproductive parts are located on their jaws.

As a species that evolved in near-constant darkness, UV rays or other high light sources are deadly to The Krill, needing to wear armor head-to-toe in order to not die from sunburn in a earth-like envorinment. The use of spf 50 hardly has any impact on them.

As the show parodies Star Trek heavily, the look of the Krill bears some similarities to the Jem'Hadar from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and culturally, they have aspects of Klingon culture in that they are a warrior race and assured of their superiority, especially in combat.

Later it was revealed that Krill are compatible with producing viable offspring with humans.

Culture [ ]

The Krill are somewhat unusual for an advanced civilization in that they are highly religious. Said religion views non Krill as being without souls. Their holy book is called the Ankana, and worship a deity called Avis who they believed created the Krill outside of all life. Though according to the Union, the Krill were once not so fanatical, before they left their homeworld. Upon encountering other species and realizing they were no longer the center of the universe, they built a facade of a superior species to justify their place in creation. 

• The Orville: Episode 1: Old Wounds
• The Orville: Episode 2: Command Performance
• The Orville: Episode 6: Krill
• 2 Asteromorph
• 3 Star Person (All Tomorrows)

• Cast & crew
• User reviews
• Episode aired Oct 12, 2017

Ed and Gordon are sent on an undercover mission to infiltrate a Krill ship and obtain a copy of their bible. Ed and Gordon are sent on an undercover mission to infiltrate a Krill ship and obtain a copy of their bible. Ed and Gordon are sent on an undercover mission to infiltrate a Krill ship and obtain a copy of their bible.

• Seth MacFarlane
• David A. Goodman
• Adrianne Palicki
• Penny Johnson Jerald
• 19 User reviews
• 1 Critic review

• Capt. Ed Mercer

• Cmdr. Kelly Grayson

• Dr. Claire Finn

• Lt. Gordon Malloy

• Lt. Cmdr. Bortus

• Lt. Alara Kitan

• Lt. John LaMarr

• Admiral Ozawa

• Krill Captain Haros

• Mining Chief Harry Leidecker

• Krill Girl Student

• Krill Boy Student

• Krill Soldier
• Krill Guard
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia First episode of the show not officially written by Seth MacFarlane , although supposedly he did extensive rewrites.
• Goofs When the Orville team returns to the Krill chapel, they are seen by Krill security and fired upon. The Orville team ducks and the camera views the security team from over the altar. No Holy Book is seen. However, later in this scene, the book is back on the altar.

Lt. Gordon Malloy : Should we tell them their God is a twentieth-century car rental company?

• Connections References Alien (1979)

User reviews 19

• absolutelylucid
• May 2, 2019
• October 12, 2017 (United States)
• United States
• Official Instagram
• Official YouTube Channel
• Fuzzy Door Productions
• 20th Century Fox Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 44 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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The Orville

“Krill”

Air date: 10/12/2017 Written by David A. Goodman Directed by Jon Cassar

Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan

Review Text

The Orville comes to the rescue of a Union colony under attack by a Krill vessel. Mercer's tactical cleverness is able to outmaneuver the Krill's superior firepower to win the battle and destroy the Krill ship. In the wreckage, the crew discovers an unscathed Krill shuttlecraft, which presents an opportunity for the Union: They can use the shuttle to send some operatives undercover as Krill crew members in an intelligence-gathering mission to learn about this mysterious enemy and their motives. Specifically, the assignment is to retrieve a copy of the holy book that guides the Krill's deeply held religious beliefs, in the hopes that we might learn what drives their society. Mercer and Malloy take on this task — for which they are not particularly well equipped.

"Krill" is the best episode of The Orville yet. It's the first episode that from start to finish feels like it's living in its own skin and starting to build its own universe, rather than reassembling pilfered pieces from here and there. Sure, the plot (undercover characters pose as the enemy) is another take on a reliable standby, but that's perfectly fine. I have no problem with new takes on reliable devices if the writers can bring a sense of energy or specificity. This is an entertaining, well-paced, breezy hour that works on the lightweight terms where this series lives.

And this undercover plot in particular proves to be a perfect vehicle for the blend of adventure and silliness. The humor mostly works; at the very least it didn't make me cringe or completely pull me out of the show. (The opening teaser with Bortus amazing everybody by being able to eat anything is particularly amusing and grows naturally from the characters.) Some of this is fish-out-of-water funny, like the fact Mercer's and Malloy's Krill names are "Chris" and "Devin." Some of it is pop-culture throwaway, like when Malloy asides that one of the Krill prayers sounds like "Katniss Everdeen" — or how he keeps quipping that the Krill deity, named "Avis," is actually the name of a car-rental company. (Since it comes from Malloy this seems in-character rather than merely random. But, okay, yes, also random.) Watching our two heroes desperately bumbling their way through a mission where they're in over their heads is solidly entertaining for the duration.

The show gradually builds some significant stakes and puts Mercer and Malloy in escalating danger. They have enough trouble trying to make the digital copies of the Krill's holy book. But when they learn the Krill are preparing to deploy a new weapon to wipe out a Union colony with 100,000 people, things get, as they say, real. Now they must figure out how to stop the weapon. They come up with a plan that will kill the entire crew: Because the Krill evolved on a planet of perpetual night, bright light is deadly to them ("Like vampires!"). So Mercer rigs all the lights on the ship to get super-bright and fry the crew after a 10-minute digital-clock countdown. But because there are children on board the ship, we also have an unexpected moral quandary, so we have to figure out a way to protect them from this deadly outcome by shooting out the lights in the classroom and keeping them confined there.

All of this, in having just described it, sounds colossally absurd. And, yes, it is. (Why would the lights on the ship even be designed to get bright enough to be lethal to the people living there?) But in the moment, this plot works like gangbusters and is fun and entertaining and glides right along. The episode was directed by Jon Cassar, who directed countless episodes of 24 , and it seems appropriate that the vibe I get from "Krill" is Star Trek: 24: An Interstellar Comedy .

BUT — and there is always a "but" when it comes to this series — "Krill" also highlights how there may be a ceiling to how good this show can ever actually be. And that ceiling might never be able to push above "good" to become "great." That's because, for all its deftly balanced comedy and action/adventure, "Krill's" drama is always a hostage of its irreverence.

This is a show that tries to harbor some modest Serious Intentions regarding humanizing the enemy and trying to understand their culture. But this proves difficult because, really, at the end of the day there's no useful depth given to the Krill. Consider their religion. We learn nothing substantive about it, except that they act in the name of Avis and use their beliefs to justify deadly attacks on anyone. And make no mistake: They are going to kill a lot of people if we don't kill them first. And that's about it.

During the Krill religious service, the officiant pulls out a severed human head and then repeatedly stabs it with a ceremonial knife. This is meant to be a shocking display that shows just how grave a situation our undercover heroes actually find themselves in, but the moment itself is so over-the-top as a cultural/religious display that it's merely ridiculous. Are the Krill supposed to be unforgivably evil or reasonable folks worth our sympathy? What motivates them and their attacks? Is all of Krill society this way? Are these a subset of extremists, or are the Krill just blind followers across the board? What we get isn't used for much useful social commentary beyond "religious fanatics are bad" — and, in all honesty, the point is mostly lost anyway, because the tone of the overall show (and the part that works like gangbusters; see above) is that this is just a light, fun, adventure romp and we shouldn't dwell on any of that heavy, religious fundamentalism head-stabbing stuff.

Until the final scene, that is. This scene reveals that all the children Mercer and Malloy spared from frying on the Krill ship will be returned to the Krill homeworld, where they will likely grow up hating humans (regardless of being spared by them) because of what Mercer did to all the adults. It's a valid, realistic point that highlights how we are not likely to win over young minds in a conflict that is much larger than them. But this also again highlights the fundamental tension in this series — the one between irreverence and earnestness. That tension is not going away. (The show wants to have it both ways — where I'm supposed to ponder the future of these poor Krill kids after the story fairly glibly just barbecued a bunch of adults.) If The Orville can balance the scales and execute as well as "Krill" does, it might be a good, fun series. But it may never be a great one.

Previous episode: Pria Next episode: Majority Rule

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Comment Section

79 comments on this post.

Best episode so far. Some of the things they were doing on the Krill ship were far fetched, but the episode was entertaining from beginning to end.

John Harmon

Some of the jokes were tryhard, the opening scene was hilarious. Very entertaining. The final scene was surprisingly well done. Not sure the characters ended in the moral high ground though, which I suppose was the point.

Great episode. Though I wonder if they couldn't have tried to sabotage the bomb rather than kill everyone...

**SPOILERS** It's funny, I really did think, "as if the children will just forgive them and etc.." and then they go and say it. Orville is slowly becoming that Trek in our minds (+ some weird humor here and there), like all of the, "hmm would that really work that way? Wouldn't it_____". In all honest The Orville could be amazing and stand on its own next to Star Trek if it would slow down on the unnecessary humor. I don't mind the jokes, but it hurts suspension of belief when it randomly becomes a galaxy quest type of show for a few moments. The eating moment was funny, didn't love it, but it felt real. The Orville keeps having these moments where it point out to the watcher the absurdity of the previous levity. I mean, he killed her brother, then joked around and pretend to know him. Then killed all her friends... Once again the "torture" and "blood" on the Orville is waaaay more realistic than Star Trek without being gratuitous. Some convenient deus ex but Star Trek pulled that bs on us all the time anyways. I'd give this episode a 2.5/4. *SPOILER FREE* Once again The Orville really struggles to walk the line between satire and a seriously thought opening Star Trek series. It's as if Seth wanted a really funny comedy show, and slowly began to actually want it to mean something, so we get jolting hiccups of self-aware "comedy" sprinkled throughout a pretty good Star Trek episode. I have come to the sad realization, that even with the weird humor, I'm enjoying this a lot more than Battlestar: Discovery... which I actually am not minding too much. But I find mindself constantly editing 30+ years of world building and lore in order to accept that anything that happens in STD is some change in the timeline.

Man, the suspension of disbelief was strong in this one. Those two were behaving like such imbeciles that they should have been arrested within five minutes of starting their undercover operation. That said, this was probably the first truly successful episode for me, entertaining, the jokes better applied (for the most part) and suspenseful. And I appreciate that they're willing to go into darker, more ambiguous territories. I actually liked MacFarlane more as a Krill. Maybe because I didn't have to see him try to act as much. (I did groan when the lady repeated "they will be". We got it the first time, guys.)

Decent episode. Really annoyed me how badly they were trying to blend in to the Krill crew. They were even making jokes that could get them found out. Also the way they handled the situation with lights was pretty bad. Why would krills install internal lights that can be tuned to spectrum's that can kill them? Does Orville's lamps have easy to access setting for gamma radiation? Otherwise OK episode, I'd give it 2 1/2 stars.

A very entertaining episode, but they should have toned down the "wacky guys in space" shtick for this one. All the horsing around they did when trying to blend into the Krill crew was just distracting, although I couldn't help but laugh when they identified themselves as "Chris and Devon" to the Krill crew. Still, you've got wonder about the competency of anyone involved in that particular mission when they couldn't even come up with convincing Krill identities.

Well stuff my shoulderpads and call me a Romulan: the Orville has thwarted my plans to stop watching. After weeks of exasperation left me willing to sit down one last time, we have the first episode that succeeds in blending comedy and sincerity. My partner and I laughed throughout, which was a first, and the hour even managed an effective final pivot to question the ability of a military expedition to "come in peace." The screwball tone stayed consistent enough that the fundamental nonsense of the plot--two men sent into deep cover who utterly lacked the skillset for the task--fit the episode's universe. Primary cast on Trek get sent on such missions all the time when Starfleet would sensibly send someone with relevant expertise (a xenoanthropologist, let's say). Here, we're seeing that trope deconstructed. "Krill" also delivers a plot that feels like it could come from Trek but which, for once, does not feel like a rehash of a specific episode: obtain a copy of an enemy's holy book so that we can understand them well enough to make peace. Does it make sense that the Krill would screw in light bulbs that would kill them when you flip the dial high enough? No, but the stakes of the story rise in ways that feel authentic, so we roll with the sci-fi silliness amidst an overall tone of comedy. Also, shows should not get cookies just for not featuring prominent sexism or racism, but this is the first episode where none of the jokes rubbed me wrong. Starting from the premiere telling us that a young woman has made lieutenant because minorities receive special treatment, the Orville's track record on the underlying messages of its humor has not been stellar. No sexual harassment jokes this week! What a relief.

Fantastic episode! The humor was on point, the tension felt genuine, the build-up to the dilemma at the end didn't feel contrived and didn't give Mercer and Malloy an easy out. They even managed to work in some solid continuity connecting back to observations in the pilot, Grayson and Alara's girl-talk a few episodes ago, and the consequences of the prank war in the previous episode - which is impressive for a show that's only six episodes in and isn't going out of its way to be serialized. The episode also does an excellent job of giving some much-needed depth to a recurring group of antagonists - showing our main characters and the audience just how high the cultural and diplomatic hurdles the Union needs to overcome in dealing with the Krill are, and while one or two scenes are a little on the nose it generally seems to try not to paint them with too broad of strokes. Yes, these are some seriously bad guys, but they're bad guys with friends, and siblings, and children, and a deep camaraderie with the other members of their species. Their beliefs and their culture make it difficult for them to empathize with the people they're attacking, but the episode takes the time to show they're not just mindless, disposable barbarians. Most important of all, "Krill" seems to reaffirm that, jokes and gags aside, Orville is at least *trying* to take itself somewhat seriously. Like "About A Girl", "Krill" presents us with a genuinely complicated moral dilemma that isn't worked out and wrapped up in a neat little bow at the end. Just like Heveena's rousing speech in front of the Moclan tribunal wasn't enough to single-handedly reform long-established social norms for an entire race, Mercer's act of compassion does little to convince Teleya of his people's peaceful intentions after deceiving her and killing her brother and crew. Their 'mission of peace' gathered valuable intel and even saved a colony, but in the process has basically confirmed all of the Krill's worst beliefs about other species, and inspired a whole new generation of hate and mistrust. I look forward to seeing how the consequences of this will play out. Solid episode, hope we keep seeing more like it.

I flat out loved this episode. Sure, the initial incompetence of the navigator dude in trying to blend in bordered on grating, but other than that, this was just great from start to finish. And it ticked back up to a 1.0 in the demo! First time it has gone up from one week to the next. If it can stay at a 1.0, it should be in good shape. I just wish it didn't sit there with that terrible Rotten Tomatoes score. One influential critic who I know is a Trek fan going way back, and who will revisit shows from time to time if enough people tell him they are getting good, is Alan Sepinwall. I would suggest that all of you who like and support the show take to Twitter as I have, and tweet at him @sepinwall and urge him to check out last night's episode and see if he sees more than he saw in his review (which was based on the first three episodes). He just released a book about "Breaking Bad", so it wouldn't hurt if you mentioned something about maybe buying that! (It does look like a good book, for real.) @Alexandrea: "Starting from the premiere telling us that a young woman has made lieutenant because minorities receive special treatment, the Orville's track record on the underlying messages of its humor has not been stellar." McFarlane's humor has made me cringe many times in the past, but I didn't interpret the deal with Alara that way. More like, her people are really frakking strong and capable, and don't often show interest in joining the Union, so when they do they are fast-tracked. I didn't at all get the impression it had anything to do with promoting the less capable above the more capable because they are a minority. If anything, it was more like an example of "Xelayan privilege". @Dixie: "They even managed to work in some solid continuity connecting back to observations in the pilot, Grayson and Alara's girl-talk a few episodes ago, and the consequences of the prank war in the previous episode - which is impressive for a show that's only six episodes in and isn't going out of its way to be serialized." Totally. It's a great balance. Re: the girl-talk, I do think this still sets us up for a potential romance (or at least crush) by Alara on the captain. BTW, it seemed like he cranked up the badass, Kirk style, this episode. Not only was he showing some strong moves in hand-to-hand combat, let's not forget the beginning of the episode when he came up with a brilliant and creative maneuver to defeat the much bigger and stronger Krill ship.

@Hpontes "It's as if Seth wanted a really funny comedy show, and slowly began to actually want it to mean something, so we get jolting hiccups of self-aware "comedy" sprinkled throughout a pretty good Star Trek episode." Seems to me like he just really, really wanted to be on Star Trek and finally has enough pull to just make up his own version on network TV.

Funny one. Avis, we try harder... Lol!!

1.5 stars, awful. It was remarkably decent until they actually got on board the Krill ship and the plot started. There were some good jokes in the opening section - Bortus being able to eat anything, the "hailing frequencies" joke, the fire suppression console catching fire. And the opening action sequence felt compelling and like it had stakes. After that, once they went undercover, it was inanely frenetic, crude and didn't work for me as drama, comedy or parody, made even worse when on top of the dumb action plot and the fact they didn't even try to blend in, they added the cheesy sentimentality of "we gotta save the kids"... it's just a vulgar, inconsequential mess with nothing to say. I know the fandom is all about Orville vs Discovery, but by this point in both series neither is working for me at all. There is far better sci-fi and drama out there than either.

I have a good sense of humor and think a lot of things are funny. But that's as far as it goes -- my thinking, "This is funny [or clever]." I actually laughed out loud at "Avis . . we try harder." I can't remember the last time I did that. And "Humans worship their own god, called Hertz." They were using the names of hundreds-of-years-old car rental companies -- it's a good thing they didn't try to get away with "Enterprise." James Horan, who played the Krill priest guy, was in two episodes of TNG: as Lieutenant Barnaby in "Descent" and as Jo'Brill in "Suspicions" (aka "The Episode in Which Dr. Crusher Gives Whoopi Goldberg a Tennis Racket").

@nvamske "The Episode in Which Dr. Crusher Gives Whoopi Goldberg a Tennis Racket" Ahh, yes. Now THIS was the turning point in the series. So many plots truly hinged on that one tennis racket.

For me, this was the best episode of an already good show. Orville beats Discovery in my mind, so I hope they continue to deliver.

@Tane 'Seems to me like he just really, really wanted to be on Star Trek and finally has enough pull to just make up his own version on network TV.' He WAS on star trek. ENT "The Forgotten" and "Affliction". This episode is the best so far I think. My favourite joke in this one was when Mercer asked Alara to open a channel and then started talking, and she interrupted him, to say she hadn't opened it yet. lol. Of course the episode was nonsensical, and they would have been caught on the Krill ship immediately, but it's a comedy so I'm not going to bother talking about plotholes or inconsistencies or anything like that, as I do when I'm talking about star trek, which is supposed to be 'serious' and 'realistic'. 3 1/2 stars.

This episode has finally convinced me to simply accept that MacFarlane has succeeded in creating an admirable sci-fi show. The comedic aspect of the show will always put off some number of people who believe that social issues can only be raised in a grimly serious atmosphere, but I cannot agree that the humour devalues the social and ethical issues raised in the show. Jokes in this episode were based on word-play, alien biology, and fish-out-of-water gags. The core ideas of diplomacy being based on mutual understanding, the dangers of religious fanaticism, the vulnerability of children to indoctrination, and dangers of violence begetting violence across generations are explored seriously. It has been a long time since there has been an optimistic view of the future portrayed on television, and since shows were willing to raise ethical dilemmas without providing an easily digestible answer by the end of the program. If the only way to get a show like that on TV again is to mask the weightiness of the ideas behind a facade of observational and, at times, puerile humour, so be it. I will chuckle at "go play in traffic" jokes, and pause to consider a system that is designed to strip a child of innocent curiosity and replace it with ideological hatred of the other.

This episode felt like a cross between Deep Space Nine and Farscape - and in a way the Krill feel like a mix between the Jem'Hadar and the Scarrens. Did anyone notice the religious Krill leader was played by the same guy who was a Jem'Hadar in DS9?

@ Jammer (and others): "Why would the lights on the ship even be designed to get bright enough to be lethal to the people living there?" Certainly the lights wouldn't be designed such that everyday settings existed for extreme brightness, and nor would there be a lack of safeguards, I presume, against some electrical problem causing them to brighten, or else someone accidentally setting them to high brightness. But we don't know the technology behind the Krill's lighting systems. For instance, traditional incandescent bulbs burn brighter with more current. While home electrical grids impose limits on the amount of current, were it possible to funnel a lot more into the grid, only the breaking of filaments from this excessive current, presumably, would prevent people present from being blinded or otherwise hurt. (Offhand, for comparison, I'm not sure how LED and CFL bulbs and such work.) So, if the Krill's bulbs are engineered such that more current makes them brighter, and if their nature is such that high current won't break them (at least in the near short-term), it's not implausible that Ed and Gordon could manipulate them to produce such brightness. It also occurs to me that considering how sunburned Gordon even got, those lights were indeed quite bright for a moment. Might the lighting system function doubly then as a sterilization system? As long as no one was aboard, remote activation of a high brightness setting could theoretically be used to sterilize the ship, I'd imagine. (Perhaps something like the baryon sweeps from TNG and VOY, which likewise were only to be used when no one was around.) If so, and if the Krill employ their lighting systems in this manner, then the lights *would* be capable of such brightness; the grid *would* be able to handle the current / power; and there *would* be a standard setting for it, albeit one not readily accessible, perhaps.

OmicronThetaDeltaPhi

Well... this was refreshing. Coincidently (or not) this is also the first episode NOT to be written by Seth MacFarlane. Too bad that next week we aren't getting a new epsiode. For some odd reason, Fox decided to air a rerun of the pilot on Oct. 19 before giving us episode 7 on Oct. 26. It is going to be much more difficult to laugh at the "Happy Arbor Day" Joke when you realize that there were probably Krill kids on that ship too.. @Wolfstar "I know the fandom is all about Orville vs Discovery, but by this point in both series neither is working for me at all. There is far better sci-fi and drama out there than either." Then why the **** are you still watching? Both shows, I mean? If you come from each and every episode with the verdict of "1-1.5 stars" then perhaps it is time to move forward to better things? It's completely crazy how something like 70% of the posters on the Discovery threads are bitching about how that DSC is stupid and depressing and all kinds of awful YET THEY CONTINUE TO WATCH THE SHOW (worse: they are actually *paying* to watch it, for crying out loud!). Really, how difficult it is for people get some common sense and stop watching stuff they dislike? This applies to the Orville no less than it applies to Discovery: If you don't like it, why waste your time on it?

@William (hey, nice name, fella!) "It has been a long time since there has been an optimistic view of the future portrayed on television, and since shows were willing to raise ethical dilemmas without providing an easily digestible answer by the end of the program." This is my #1 beef with STD or DSC or whatever you want to call it. Its grittiness resembles my world's grittiness and I'm not into it.

**woops, got cut off my last thought: ...the optimism, more than anything else, is what attracts me to the Orville as well..

It tells you something about this era we leave in, when a show which gives us a religious service involving severed human heads and a mob beating a guy to death (in episode #4) is called "optimistic". And the really scary thing here is that I'm not disagreeing with you, William and Bhbor. It still feels optimistic to me, especially when compared to the alternatives (and I'm not talking only about DSC here). But a part of me still longs for the good'n'clean 1980's where Trek was all nice and naive and shiny. I mean, I'm all for complex moral dilemmas, but do they really have to show us all this graphic violence onscreen?

"Then why the **** are you still watching? Both shows, I mean? If you come from each and every episode with the verdict of "1-1.5 stars" then perhaps it is time to move forward to better things? [...] Really, how difficult it is for people get some common sense and stop watching stuff they dislike? This applies to the Orville no less than it applies to Discovery: If you don't like it, why waste your time on it?" Because I'm a completist, it costs me nothing to watch, and it's perfectly OK for me to watch and criticize. I gave episode 3 of The Orville 3.5 stars and also liked the pilot; I liked the Discovery pilot and gave this week's ep 2.5 stars. So it's not the case that I "come from each and every episode with the verdict of 1-1.5 stars" - OK, that was the case with the last three episodes of The Orville, but I don't rule out there being episodes I like in future, particularly if there are future episodes written by actual sci-fi/drama writers. It's OK for me to criticise episodes of both series and still watch. I watched 4 seasons of Enterprise and only rated 13 episodes 3.5-4 stars. I watched 7 seasons of Voyager and would only consider a third of the episodes solid, but there are great episodes scattered throughout right the way through into season 7. I'm not saying I never bail on shows - I quit Lost after season 4, Desperate Housewives after season 2, Sense8 after 4 episodes, and have quit plenty of other shows after just the pilot. But with Trek (and Orville), I'm committed. I want to watch it, and I want to take part in the discussion, and yes, that includes criticism. A culture of "say only good things" gets no-one anywhere, and no-one should be personally aggravated at my liking or not liking a particular episode. It's OK for me not to like the last 3 episodes of The Orville and to articulate why, while also praising the parts that did work for me. It's OK for me to enjoy individual episodes of Discovery while critiquing the broader issues that hamper the series (the magic science, Michael's inconsistent characterization, the often-awkward plotting, the Klingons, the 'forced darkness', android crew members, Georgiou's arbitrary death etc.) I'm not #TeamOrville or #TeamDiscovery, I don't do tribes, and if my criticizing The Orville bothers you because you're that attached to the show that you hate it when someone doesn't like an episode and expresses that, because you're worried that emotional contagion from my post will affect your own enjoyment, just skip over my comment.

A lot of people like to "hatewatch" things. It's not really my jam, but it's common. @William: "I will chuckle at 'go play in traffic' jokes, and pause to consider a system that is designed to strip a child of innocent curiosity and replace it with ideological hatred of the other." That last part (after "pause") was extremely eloquent. I don't have anything to add, but I thought it deserved recognition. And you've now made me like the episode even more!

@Wolfstar "I'm not #TeamOrville or #TeamDiscovery, I don't do tribes, and if my criticizing The Orville bothers you because you're that attached to the show that you hate it when someone doesn't like an episode and expresses that, because you're worried that emotional contagion from my post will affect your own enjoyment, just skip over my comment." It doesn't bother me at all. Not for the reason you've stated, anyway. I certainly don't mind crticism (that's part of why these discussion pages exist) or feel threatened by your posts in any way. It just seems odd, to see the same guy coming here again and again and saying "it was awful" and then coming back next week for more. Especially when his main points of criticism seem to be an integral part of what the show is about. But you've given me a good enough answer: You're a completist I just don't get why people insist on continuing to watch something that they don't enjoy. Especially where their lack of enjoyment seems to stem from the very premise of the show in question. It's not like the Orville has any chance of getting good by your standards, so why even bother with it? But I guess you've given me an irefutable answer: You're a completist, and you're willing to sit through 10 episodes of trash in order to get to the occasional good one. Fair enough. Not something I would do personally, but it's a motivation I can understand.

@OTDP, that doesn't seem fair based on wolfstar's answer. When I commented that some people just like to hatewatch shows, I was taking it as a given that it was true that wolfstar panned every single episode (I didn't remember either way, personally). But if it's true that they praised the pilot and the third episode, that's quite a different matter. I agree with the approximate judgement on VOY that only about a third of the episodes are good--but that's still dozens of good Trek episodes, which can then be curated for one's friends and family going forward. Obviously I think "Orville's" batting average is much higher, but I don't think it's an unreasonable approach to a show. When you hate every single episode, that's harder for me to understand, but a lot of people do--as I said--like to hatewatch.

That's basically what I said... or tried to say. Looking at my message again, I see that it was sloppily formatted and so it probably came out wrong (what the heck happened there? I must have been completely out of focus when I wrote that comment) As for the Voyager discussion, I personally wouldn't continue to watch a show where 9 out of 10 episodes are stinkers. I'll be happily willing to wait for 9 so-so episodes to reach a great one, but suffering through 9 awful ones? No way. Fortunately for me, no Star Trek series ever got that bad in my opinion. Voyager may have had long stretches of "meh" episodes, but I don't recall stretches of really bad ones.

@OTDP: "As for the Voyager discussion, I personally wouldn't continue to watch a show where 9 out of 10 episodes are stinkers. I'll be happily willing to wait for 9 so-so episodes to reach a great one, but suffering through 9 awful ones? No way." Where are you getting "9 out of 10"? Both wolfstar and I are giving "Voyager" credit for about a third of the episodes being good. That means (if you're going through it the first time with no guidance for which ones to skip) watching two bad ones for every good one, which isn't ideal but is a far cry from watching nine bad ones for every good one.

I have panned every episode of this Sethtrash and have wondered why the incessant cheerleading by some here. Seriously. If you can’t smell and see garbage then you are invested. If you can’t say you’re invested, then you should not be commenting as it may be a violation of a fiduciary responsibility. I actually graded this a B- until I more carefully thought about it then realized it’s a D+, for many of the reasons wolfstar reflects upon, including the slapstick morality of the mission they embark upon.

@SlackerInc "Where are you getting '9 out of 10'? Both wolfstar and I are giving "Voyager" credit for about a third of the episodes being good" Oops. I somehow interperted your post of "there are several good 13 episode seasons in there" as saying there are about 13 good episodes overall. No idea why (looks like I had a bad day yesterday...). And yes, I know Voyager has more than 130 episodes. I rounded down. At any rate, I stand by my statement even of we replace "9 out of 10" with "2 out of 3". If a show required me to sitting through 2 shitty episodes before every good episode, I wouldn't be watching it. @Dougie "I have panned every episode of this Sethtrash and have wondered why the incessant cheerleading by some here." Because some people like different things then yourself? And what is this bull about "being invested"? What does that accusation even mean in this context? Aren't fans of a show always invested in it, by definition? And don't you have better things to do in life than come to a discussion page of a show you dislike and tell everybody how blind they are? Sheesh...

Remember how I said wolfstar didn't deserve it? Dougie definitely does. On some boards that would qualify as "threadsh**ting".

I have this really crazy idea. How about people watch the show if they want to and then come here and give their opinion about the show if they want to, and that's it? There is nothing wrong with expressing dissenting opinions or even a mature discussion about a topic, but maybe stop CRITICIZING each other's opinions or posts or views or personalities or whatever. If someone says something you disagree with, unless it's an incorrect fact of some kind, like Klingons shoot lasers out of their eyes, or a dog invented the airplane, then leave it be. All the arguing on this site is starting to get pretty stupid and annoying. And I like this site and don't want to see it get ruined by petty silliness. Like I said, a crazy idea, and I know it's the internet so it won't happen, but I can dream I guess. Go Orville go!

@Skivvies: Crazy idea indeed. I LOVE IT!

@Skivvies Not sure what you're complaining about. Most of the "arguments" on this site have nothing to do with people's opinions on the show. Love it or hate it, everything is cool. The arguments usually start when someone is being a jerk and someone else is calling him/her on it. And (quite surprisingly) these arguments tend to end quickly. Besides, if you really believe that people shouldn't complain about the disruptive behavior of other posters, what did *you* do just now? How would you like it if somebody told *you* to shut up because "your complaining is ruining this site"? I'll say that the discussions here are surprisingly civil, given the fact that this is a mostly unmoderated forum. People are definitely doing the effort to stay on topic... but sometimes they slip. And an open environment where people feel free to voice their concerns about where the discussions is going, is instrumental in recovering from these slips. Now, back to our regular programme...

Sometimes the arguments start because someone says "hey, look at the numbers" because that's a scientific measure of something and has nothing to do with opinion. I had insight into numbers, while some were still gushing and others were still booing (myself included on the latter). My reasoning for booing was, of course, the factual numbers. About this same time I visited Jammer's virtual Livingroom Reviewhouse and some dude hanging there was berating others that their comments weren't substantive enough. So moderated or not, boards can get bullies.

@SlackerInc Thank you for the compliment! Just thought I might dive back in and bullet point the issues this episode addresses once you peel back the goofy humour and AVIS jokes. Peace cannot be brokered unless there is mutual understanding. In the case of the Union and the Krill, the Union has to understand the religion of the Krill in order to fully understand the moral underpinnings of Krill culture. In-group biases blind people. In the episode, the Krill are so ethnocentric that they cannot see the obvious outsiders within their ranks (Gordon and Ed), because their world view predisposes them to assume that all Krill are the same. Judgements based on appearances supersede those based on actions. Violence begets violence, despite moral integrity. Ed and Gordon go out of their way, and risk their lives in order to save the Krill children, but in the end they are still culpable for the deaths of the crew. The fact that they saved the children will not prevent those children from remembering that everyone they knew onboard was murdered. This lesson might be the most hard to stomach in a culture where we often assume that the children of our enemy will grow up respecting us because of the moral defensibility of our actions. I will never claim that this series is for everyone. The fact that it incorporates humour into its very fabric precludes it from being universal, as humour is a matter of taste, but I will also never understand criticism that claims this show doesn't have something to say about our world.

@Dougie I see. Thanks for making your motivations perfectly clear, in case anyone doubted them. @William I really hope that the events of this episode receive a follow up. Now that we know why the Krill behave the way they do, I'd like to see how the Fed... I mean the Union use this knowledge to actually build an understanding with them. Sure, it looks impossible, but that's why it is so interesting. (Star Trek always tended to be on the naive side with this, and I'd really like to see the Orville's original take on gaining a mutual understanding) Oh, and you're 100% correct about the humor. Comedy, more than any other genre, is a matter of personal taste. One person's gold is another person's pile of dirt (for me, btw, it's somewhere in between)

Konstantinos

So the reviewer sucker punches Orville for not being the great series that will change sci-fi history forever or something. Like sheesh, it is not supposed to be a great series. It is just a funny McFarlane vehicle aiming at goofiness and its purpose is to entertain the audience for an hour. And that is completely acceptable. If you are looking for the next rare gem that will change your life, please look somewhere else. Or stick around and be utterly disappointed.

He gave it 3 stars. What more do you want? And may I remind you that Jammer is a *reviewer* and that listing what works and what doesn't work in the episodes he is watching is his f***-ing job? Really, what do you expect from a review site? Two lines saying "that was fun" (or "that was terrible")? As for "it's not supposed to be a great series that will change sci-fi history forever or something."... too bad, because I think the Orville is close to being that. It may not be great in the way that classic Trek was great, but it *is* groundbreaking in other ways. Don't let the McFarlane name (or his humor) fool you. He created a real gem here (and I'm saying this as a guy who hates all his other works with passion).

Again, I am not expecting anything. That would be bias against the reviewer. I want to see some logical arguments. The Orville is no more groundbreaking than, I dunno "Dark matter"? It basically takes the same TGN/Voyager recipe and adds some humor in it. The ideas of space Vampires and hot time travelling women have been worked out to death already let alone the humor segments. I am not saying this is a bad show on the contrary it is tons of fun. The review is saying it may never become a classic. You are free to nitpick any show same way I am free to nitpick these reviews. Putting the bar ridiculously high and then stating that the show doesn't reach it is foul play.

If we are going to dwell on whether or not this show is groundbreaking, I guess it is doomed to be a failure. The underlying premise of being a love-letter to 90's Trek prevents that from being a possibility. It doesn't prevent the show from being important in its time and place. What was the last sci-fi product that proposed the idea that we will be better people in the future than we are today? When I watch things like Bladerunner, ST:D or the Expanse, I can appreciate the stories they are trying to tell, but I am not presented with a future I would want to achieve. The Orville actually is. These are regular people you might work with or meet in a pub, who happen to be living in a Roddenberry-utopian future. They drink, make dirty jokes, play practical jokes, and have sex, but they are trying to be good people. They stand up for what they believe in, but don't use their own personal beliefs as a litmus test for determining whether or not they treat people with respect. It's refreshing. This show isn't a revelation, it's a reminder that it's OK to imagine a world that is better than our own. It's kinda retro. I guess optimism is retro now. Maybe if it wasn't, this show would feel cliche and repetitive instead of fresh.

William what you describe is paradoxical. You can't have people just like us living in a utopian future free of war, prejudice and hate - because then they wouldn't be just like us. Star Trek's ideal is not just about new technology but new people. I am not just talking about the anachronism of guys cracking jokes about 20th century car rentals either. My point is if you accept that the Orville takes place in some bright Star Trek like future then that vision is fraudulent.

@Konstantinos "I am not saying this is a bad show on the contrary it is tons of fun. The review is saying it may never become a classic. Putting the bar ridiculously high and then stating that the show doesn't reach it is foul play. " I'm not sure what's the point you're trying make here. Basically Jammer is saying "It's good but not great" (he even used various versions of this specific phrase in his review). And basically, that's what you're saying too. So what's the problem? How is Jammer "bashing" the show? His review wasn't negative it all! Here's a thing to consider: Everything you said about Jammer's review, I could have said about your own statements on the Orville. I could say: "Why are you saying that the show isn't groundbreaking? Why are you saying that it's just a TNG/VOY clone with some humor thrown in? And then you write things like 'the ideas of space Vampires and hot time travelling women have been worked out to death already let alone the humor segments'. Why are you bashing the show?" Sounds ridiculous, right? Right. But how is this any different from your own critique of Jammer's review? @Jason R. "William what you describe is paradoxical. You can't have people just like us living in a utopian future free of war, prejudice and hate - because then they wouldn't be just like us. Star Trek's ideal is not just about new technology but new people." Well, obviously, they're not *exactly* like us. They've grown up in a world were people no longer do things like racism and human-vs-human warfare. They've also have the tech to cure diseases like cancer. Why would cracking dick-jokes be an obstacle to any of this? It's like we, today, no longer do human sacrfices. Nor do we torture people and burn them at the stake for being of the wrong religion. How did humanity (or at least: western civilization) come to stop doing those things? Simple: our society has outgrown the need for these practices. They gradually became socially unacceptable and people stopped doing them. It's definitely *not* because we, as individual human beings, are somehow less petty and vengeful than our ancestors. BTW the Orville-verse was never presented as an "utopia". It's just a better world than we have today. I actually find this to be a more believable and honest take than the Trekkian claim of a perfect humanity (which somehow still has place for all those hat-ass admirals that behave exactly like 20th century bereaucracts).

By the way, am I the only one here who is frustrated by the fact that there's no new episode this week? Dammit, Fox! I need my fix! ;)

@ Omicron, "It's like we, today, no longer do human sacrfices. Nor do we torture people and burn them at the stake for being of the wrong religion. How did humanity (or at least: western civilization) come to stop doing those things? Simple: our society has outgrown the need for these practices. They gradually became socially unacceptable and people stopped doing them. It's definitely *not* because we, as individual human beings, are somehow less petty and vengeful than our ancestors. " You're up s**t's creek without a paddle on this one. If you think the docile contented people of today are anything like how people used to be then I think you're really taking modern life for granted. As a Trek fan I'm surprised that you'd take supposed advances in culture so much in stride and not consider that people have changed. Some of the changes are arguably not entirely for the better, but that's a matter of perspective perhaps. The Trekkian utopia is predicated on the notion that people can and do progress. The idea that technology improves but we stay the same is more likely a dystopia setting than anything else.

@OTDP I don’t think English isn’t Konstantinos’ first language, at least he was posting like this in other threads and I was having trouble parsing his sentences. Anyway, yeah, 3 stars is a good score so obviously Jammer liked this one.

@Peter G. I don't get what you're trying to say. The Orville *does* show an improved society. No racism or prejudice or discrimination... that's not big enough an improvement in your eyes? And I don't see any reason why the everyman behavior of the crew should be an obstacle to the believability of such a society. If you think the two things don't mesh together, you'll need to explain specifically why.

English is not my first language indeed , actually it is the third language I learned after learning Greek and French (I also speak Spanish and Turkish). I thought my name makes that point really obvious anyway. I am sorry for any grammatical or structural gaffes. And yeah I am aware of the irony of my post. I think that the show has a limit that is pretty much clear, I don't take it into consideration though as far as my ratings go. For me so far, it is a stellar 4 stars regarding its scope and performance.

@peter G "If you think the docile contented people of today are anything like how people used to be then I think you're really taking modern life for granted." The thing is, we aren't fundamentally different than those that lived in the brutal periods in our past. Heck, the brutal periods of our past still exist in the world today. Even in places where there isn't famine and endless civil wars stripping the goodness out of people, there are people still living who remember those experiences. The blessing of our modern world is that technological advances and legal reforms in certain regions have created societies where poverty is greatly reduced, and the impacts of being impoverished are also greatly reduced. I'm pretty sure Quark put it better than I can: "Let me tell you something about Hew-mons, Nephew. They're a wonderful, friendly people, as long as their bellies are full and their holosuites are working. But take away their creature comforts, deprive them of food, sleep, sonic showers, put their lives in jeopardy over an extended period of time and those same friendly, intelligent, wonderful people... will become as nasty and as violent as the most bloodthirsty Klingon. You don't believe me? Look at those faces. Look in their eyes." This show IS a utopian view on the future. So far, we have seen no signs of bigotry, crime, or intraspecies war. The presence of replicators implies there is no scarcity of basic necessities. Humans have broken the FTL barrier, and formed peaceful alliances with other races, despite cultural differences, and have embarked on exploration both physical and scientific. Sounds pretty much like a Roddenberry style utopia to me. What makes me personally like this series so much, beyond the fact that I enjoy TNG and its been off the air longer now than the original series had been before its premiere, is that these characters are more like us. They drink, have sex, crack jokes at each other's expense, play stupid video games, flirt, etc. They are obviously different from us, since without the threat of disease, poverty, and homelessness, you remove a lot of the causes for the darker parts of our society. Still, I can very much picture my friends and co-workers from the better periods of my life living in this future, and that's fun to watch. Thought I might end with something that's been bugging me lately from some other shows. The Orville is fiction, it's a fantasy world basically, but it is also one of the only fictional worlds I can think of that is being created today which thinks we might be able to overcome cynicism and prejudice. If we can't even fantasize about a world where people get along, how can we hope to make progress towards that kind of world in reality?

@ William & Omicron, I was specifically replying to Omicron's statement that "They gradually became socially unacceptable and people stopped doing them. It's definitely *not* because we, as individual human beings, are somehow less petty and vengeful than our ancestors." Perhaps you meant that we'd be genetically no different, and so if 'nurture' isn't taken into account we'd be approximately just as petty and vengeful than our ancestors. If that's what you meant then I guess no contest, since it's basically a truism. But it seemed to me that you meant that our behavior and instincts are basically the same and the only difference is that we have more stuff or whatever. But that's really not true. The effect of culture, upbringing, social mores, and the intellectual ecosystem is massive on which instincts are molded and which softened. There was a time not too long ago when if you insulted someone there was a good chance you would end up in a duel to the death, or perhaps you'd just be attacked and killed on the spot. The law not only forbids this, but it would also horrify most people in civilized cultures. That's not just 'we have more stuff.' People are different; not genetically, but in all other important respects. 2,000 years ago people took glee in seeing their fellow man ripped apart by lions. Now if you showed someone that they'd vomit and never sleep again. Genetics: the same. The people: not the same. Trek is, to whit, specifically about how people really do change, and can change so much that they'd be unrecognizable to us (whether for good or ill). In a way Mirror, Mirror gives us the juxtapose of the two extremes. The suggestion that people in the future would perhaps have the same comportment as we do while nevertheless having a superior moral and cultural ecosystem sounds to me like self-congratulatory fantasy. What's more validating then saying that people who act just like us are superior? Not that you're saying this, necessarily, but I think that would be the theoretical position. In MacFarlane's future while I do agree we're supposed to 'accept' that people are more advanced, the reality we're being shown seems to me to suggest what I've seen in other MacFarlane material, which is that when it comes down to it people are scummy and that will never change. Jason R in another episode thread said it rightly, that it's about imputing low standards onto everyone and projecting that into the future. That's how I see it, anyhow.

If they can dial the dick-jokes down a bit, they might be on to something. The last scene between Captain Ed and the Krill woman was TNG at its best, implying dark things ahead.

@Peter G I think we simply have a difference of opinion on cultural development, which is perfectly fine. I do agree that people in the past were less squeamish about seeing visceral violence in person. That makes sense when you are confronted with death and physical injury more often. Children dying used to be common. Women dying in childbirth were common. Death and disfigurement by disease were common. Odds are you worked in a profession where you would regularly kill and clean animals, or witness accidents that would maim or kill co-workers. Children shown public executions would unsurprisingly grow up to not be horrified by witnessing those executions as adults. I just disagree that we have changed anything but the conditioning. Modern medicine is vastly superior. Industrialisation and automation have allowed people to work in far safer environments, and most people have no direct experience with butchering animals or soldiering. Instead of public executions and gladiatorial arenas, we have film, video games, and team sports. Let's not pretend we don't revel in gore, though. Just because it's simulated, doesn't mean it's not there. Creating more and more realistic blood and gore is a billion dollar industry in both film and video games. I'm not trying to suggest that modern people could easily stomach shooting people in the head chainsawing zombies, but there is definitely an interest in seeing these things. Two quick caveats to this discussion. Obviously we are being very ethnocentric in this conversation, as we are not addressing the areas of our world that are afflicted with poverty, famine, disease, civil war, etc. Those regions do exist, and speak to what humans are capable of when they live in fear and desperation. Secondly, even in the peaceful areas of our world, there seems to be ample willingness to accept violence in the abstract. Police profiling, imprisonment, torture, and air strikes are all part of polite discussion, as long as they only affect someone else, preferably far away.

@Peter G. What you're saying doesn't really contradict what I'm saying. These are just two different sides of the same coin. The important question here, though, is how this discussion applies to the Orville. Are the people in the Orvilleverse scummy (using you're own word)? Are they behaving in a way that is unbelievable for people who grew up in a world without prejudice and racism and war and disease? Sorry, but I don't see it. We're already 6 episodes in, and we've never seen characters discriminating one another in any way (even Isaac the supposedly "racist robot" doesn't do that). We haven't seen any dirty office politics. We've never seen anybody fudging a job s/he was given for selfish reasons. Right there, already, are three ways in which these guys are better-behaved than your typical 21st century person. They're not perfect, but that's irrelevant. What matters is whether we can imagine these people as being the product of the Orville's enlightened 25th century. And I think the show does a reasonably good job here. Also, remember that the crew of the Orville isn't supposed to represent the best of 25th century humanity. This isn't the flagship Enterprise, and these aren't supposed to be greater-than-life people. They're just everyday joes, who happened to grow up in a more enlightened era.

Looking for the David E. Sluss takes on STAR TREK: DISCOVERY and THE ORVILLE. Anyone know if his Site will go live again with his takes on them? And 51 years after TOS we are getting the public chance https://dpo.tothestarsacademy.com/ …now that Musk/Bezos/Branson have laid a ground work in the zeitgeist that has so wildly taken root! APPLE II FOREVER!

Good news, everyone: “Orville” is (proportionately) the most DVRed show on TV: tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/dvr-ratings/week-2-broadcast-live-7-ratings-oct-2-8-2017/

"If The Orville can balance the scales and execute as well as "Krill" does, it might be a good, fun series. But it may never be a great one." +++++ And I think that's fine. Six episodes in, I will repeat my comment ont the pilot episode: "Watchable and entertaining enough....even if a little groan worthy. The best description of--and hope for--The Orville is not TNG, but rather a serialized Galaxy Quest. Galaxy Quest wasn't great or earth-shattering, but it was good and watchable (and importantly, re-watchable)." GQ wasn't "The Godfather" or even "Airplane!" but it was enjoyable, funny, and had some decent dramatic points. Orville isn't going to be "The Sopranos" or "Seinfeld." I neither need it to be nor expect it to be. But it can be an enjoyable way to spend an hour, with some fairly interesting stories. Irreverant TV shows can produce really interesting and clever stories. Some of my favorite thought-provoking TV episodes are from comedic shows like Futurama or South Park Ironically, I think the Orville stories are fine, it's mostly the humor that is poorly written. The Orville can be a gold mine full of workplace humor. Move past the uptight behaviors of past Trek crews and have the Orville crew interact more like real people who are actual co-workers on a transport vessel. And to an extent they do this. Like the crew egging Bortus on to eat everything, which is a funny social interaction that is totally realistic. But 500-year old car rental commercial jokes? If they can clean that part up and figure out how to do better situational/character humor and drop the direct 20th/21st century pop culture references, it can be a really good series. And that's good enough, I think.

@OmicronThetaDektaPhi- "Fortunately for me, no Star Trek series ever got that bad in my opinion. Voyager may have had long stretches of "meh" episodes, but I don't recall stretches of really bad ones." The first and second seasons of Enterprise, the first and second seasons of TNG, and the third season of Voyager are all extremely rough. Especially Enterprise.

I haven't watched this show since the (good) episode with them wanting to change the baby girl into a boy. This was a pretty good one too! The jokes at the beginning were all good and fit naturally, though I'll echo the sentiment that they sort of went way overboard on the 'trying to fit in' jokes while on the Krill ship. And the second "THEY WILL BE...." was corny and took away from the first 'they will be'. Don't do Yoda hahaha. I'll go back and watch another episode I missed likely tonight. It's definitely gotten much better since the pilot.

@Iceman YMMV. Personally, I actually enjoyed Enterprise very much from the get-go. I think it is a very underrated series.

@OTDP: I agree. Other than the horrible theme music, I found it solidly enjoyable from the beginning. @Iceman: You don’t think Voyager S3 finished strong, at least? I thought five of the final six episodes of that season (with the exception being “Displaced”) were quite good, and one of those (“Distant Origin”) was REALLY good, maybe even great.

@SlackerInc I actually liked the theme song of Enterprise. Personally I thought it was perfect for a show about space exploration. I can see why some Trekkies hate it, though.

Every so often we disagree completely. :) I thought it sounded sort of like Richard Marx or something, and I hate that kind of sappy music.

@OmicronThetaDeltaPhi I really liked it too, but at the same time totally see what people meant. I mean once we had that alternate opening, it was easy to see what could've been. Specially since the voyager/DS9 openings gives me chills, the Enterprise doesn't. But that's just a personal thing.

Liam Thibodaux

Shouldn't the interior of a nocturnal species be darker? Like moonlight-level tops? It seemed awfully bright on that ship for creatures with eyes that should presumably be similar to an owl's.

This was the first episode where the humor felt organic to me, even though I wish they would've toned down the 20th century pop culture references and the slapstick wackiness on the Krill ship. The show is dealing exactly with the kind of issues I want to see on a sci-fi program. One thing about the episode's resolution bothers me though: Mercer and Malloy killing the Krill seemed forced. Couldn't they have just turned up the lights for a short period in order to incapacitate the Krill, destroy the rocket, smash the ship's controls and escpape in the shuttle? Granted, it would have been riskier, but it would've seemed more in line with what he have thus seen of Mercer's and the Union's moral code than just brutally killing all the adult men on the ship. Of course, then there would not have been an oppurtiny for the "violence begets violence" message the episode finished on.

I’ve been watching Voyager for the last couple of months (just started season 6), coming here after each episode to read up Jammer’s review and the comments. The last week I finally started with the Orville as well. I am amazed by the amount of criticism Voyager had on its plot holes (some actual issues and some imho nitpicking) while the Orville seems to get a pass by a lot of people due to its attempts to mix in some comedy. Then again , it’s been twenty years since Voyager aired and perhaps the audience has changed these days.

RandomThoughts

Hello Everyone! @MarkG I think some might be giving it a small pass, just because it's new. I'm much more into a "let it slide" mode than I would normally be, since they are just finding their feet. If this was a Star Trek Comedy (I just read about a official ST comedy(ish) cartoon... we'll see), then I might pick it apart because canon had been violated or something. But this... there have been moments that made me cringe, but I just decided to watch and see where it was headed... Mostly, I enjoyed it, and that is what counts. Now, 20 years from now, when we have the Orville-D, I might not be so forgiving... :D Regards... RT

This episode could work without the stupid humor. Sure, this whole mission seems like a cheaper way to kill them than a firing squad but seriously they should be discovered after the first stupid comment by redbeard. There were a few moments when it drew me in. When they fly to the Krill ship and the music that sounds like from movie aliens plays or when they find the children but then Seth or redbeard say something stupid and I roll my eyes. The story has of course lots of plot holes but the idea isn't bad and so is the execution apart from the jokes. I hope at some point they understand that a serious situation doesn't have to be undercut with a joke. The is not a marvel movie. Sidenote: Who would have thought that Seth would play a character that is a better fighter in close combat than an entire special forces unit... so much for the shlubby loser. Rating: 2 1/2 amounts of unused potential.

full disclosure. I laughed twice both times because of redbeard (still not sure about the names). Katniss Everdeen and oh that's ma new leg. Still out of place but at least it made me laugh.

The character names are listed in the title sequence of every episode.

Well, I always skip the opening credits.

I liked About a Girl better, largely because for its weirdness the ep does a better job with Bortus' people than this one does with the Krill, and Bortus is so far the series' best character. But this one is pretty good too, silly of course but engaging and entertaining, with something like an actual moral dilemma with the suggestion of consequences at the end, a betrayal with the suggestion of another generation radicalized. As Jammer says, we don't learn much about the Krill really, but there are still some bits of information we get. And it's a better vehicle for Gordon than we've seen before. 2.5 from me.

This episode's ending - with the discussion about the hate the surviving Krill will feel towards The Union - is when I really began to get high hopes for this show. About a Girl was about gender and sex. We are left with some consequences from that episode - primarily the biological sex of Bortus and Klyden's kid. This episode also touches on modern day issues - primarily how our handling of religious extremism can feed into the cycle. But moreso than About A Girl I found this episode really hit home with the dark ending. The consequences for Ed's actions go beyond more than just the gender identity and genitals of one person but are fostering hate in all those Krill children. I also like that the Krill are being developed more. The female Krill was somewhat likeable as a person, her beliefs notwithstanding. I didn't want Krill to be just the random bad guys for Union shootouts and this episode starts us on that path.

Bitter/sweet episode. The plot was good but as spies, those two were just annoying. The age old Hitler morality question was addressed. If you could travel back in time and kill Hitler as a child, would you? That would be a big no for these guys. Kind of selfish in a way. They fried all the adult Krill save one, but saved the little ones so thy could grow up and slaughter future generations. Only one problem. They showed one kid where we live and put a present day target on the earth.

I think the Krill use bright lights in their ships like how Starfleet ships have knockout gas and life support override switches for individual decks (including the bridge). The Krill are more brutal and probably kill mutineers without a single thought, unlike humans?

This was the first episode I did not really like ---- almost. I must admit I am not found of these tension filled infiltration episodes. But that could have been forgiven. It started fair but the infiltration with the annoying conversation between Mercer and Mallo until they fond the weapon was really disturbing and almos made me skip to the next episode. The solution was quite good but what if the had not used so much UV light? Not killing the Crew. It would have been more correct but we then would have missed the very magnificent final words from Thelea. That truth in that scene beats most of what I have seen in trek. Probably Quark / Shimerman could have done this. MacFarlane starts the scene quite serious but when he get the question regarding the children first sentence ist serious then he switches to a lighter almost comedy mode but is abrubtly silenced by the response. Did I say that it was good?

Proud Capitalist Pig

I enjoyed the simple infiltration plot, and the notion of the Union giving hapless oddballs Mercer and Malloy this highly dangerous, sensitive assignment is amusing all by itself. I agree that there was a nice balance between urgency and levity. “Krill” was engaging and well-produced with some nice moments peppered throughout it--and yes, I guess I’m damning it with faint praise. I feel spoiled by Star Trek lately. Star Trek, for me, has recently been just as engaging and well-produced, with some nice moments peppered throughout its episodes--but damn it sticks with you and makes you Think Big Thoughts. This show? With a couple of exceptions, not so much. But as others have mentioned above, I can think of worse ways to spend an hour. Lots of highlights: -- “What about the fire suppression system?” “That’s the panel that caught on fire.” -- Malloy’s constant jokes and feelings of incredulity about the name of the Krill God being “Avis.” -- Attending a church service as a Krill means you might just get to see the minister parading around a severed head of one of your enemies. -- “I want you to eat my weapon.” Genius. I’m with Mercer--sometimes you need gallows humor to keep yourself sane. -- Speaking of which, I too loved the opening scene with Bortus. I’ll always say this for The Orville -- its cast is outstanding. -- The poke about exotic alien names, particularly on shows like Star Trek. “No, not ‘Stein.’” -- The Krill Kids were strangely adorable, and the message at the end (about how children will grow up to be your enemy) was trite but well handled. I did like the central crisis about stopping the bomb, and Seth MacFarlane and Michaela McManus (as the Krill teacher) had some nice chemistry. I can’t speak to any implausibility about how powerfully they could ever really get those light bulbs to radiate, but it’s all made up anyway and it was a nice, simple idea. Best Line: Malloy -- “Oh, wise and powerful Avis, cover the loss of our vehicle.” My Grade: B

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'The Orville' Season 3 episode 4 takes its world building to a new level

Is Ed Mercer fulfilling a prophecy role to bring peace between the Planetary Union and the Krill..?

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "The Orville" season 3, episode 4

Following last week's shock revelation that the episode "Mortality Paradox" was worthy of a perfect 10 out of 10 , we were obviously extremely excited to see this week's offering.

We mentioned last week how, when "The Orville" plays to its strengths, it excels. It's all about context; it shouldn't be compared to " Star Trek " — not really — or any other current sci-fi IP. Given it's unique blend of drama, action, comedy, music and nods — both large and small — to all of science fiction and even contemporary pop culture, it should instead perhaps be thought of as the "Galaxy Quest" TV show that tragically we never got. And while this point has been made in the past, it's definitely worth mentioning it again.

And while this week's installment of the Hulu series, entitled "Gently Falling Rain" — for reasons we shall come to shortly — is extremely entertaining, there are a couple of reasons why it's not quite as good as last week's episode. Almost, but not quite. And we'll come to those reasons too, shortly.

Related: 'The Orville' Season 3 Episode 3 scores a perfect 10 from us  

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It seems "The Orville" is going back to events past to further develop them and why not. Last week we saw a throwback to the Season 1 finale "Mad Idolatry: and this week the beautiful world building in "The Orville" universe continues by taking the story back to a character called Teleya (Michaela McManus). 

You may, or may not, recall in the amusing Season 1 episode "Krill" (S01, E06) Captain Ed Mercer ( Seth MacFarlane ) and Lt. Gordon Malloy (Scott Grimes) are sent on an undercover mission to infiltrate a Krill ship and obtain a copy of their equivalent to a bible, called the Anhkana, to better understand the Krill culture.

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This treasured book is the basis of their extreme, unrelenting worship of their god Avis and it gives them a sense of divinely ordained superiority, rendering peaceful coexistence with other species pointless. Or at the very least, extremely challenging. In this episode, Mercer and Malloy are forced to kill quite a few Krill in order to escape, but they go out of their way to save Teleya and her class of young Krill children. 

Following their rescue, Teleya is taken by the Planetary Union and apparently tortured. We learn this in the Season 2 episode " Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes " (S02, E04) when Mercer begins dating a young lieutenant named Janel Tyler. While en route to a romantic getaway, their shuttlecraft is attacked and captured by a Krill destroyer and during his unfortunate incarceration, Mercer discovers that Tyler is Teleya. 

Related:   'The Orville' season 3 episode 2 tips its hat to classic sci-fi horror

Following her escape back to Krill territory, she willingly volunteered to undergo an extremely painful trans-cellular, micro-grafting surgical procedure to make her look human and fool the Orville's bio-scanners, since a holographic disguise would naturally be detected, all of which was for a covert Krill mission to infiltrate a Planetary Union vessel, specifically the USS Orville. 

The impersonation trope is familiar in TV sci-fi: in " Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ," Dukat was a Bajoran in much of Season 7; " Star Trek: Voyager " had Seeska and even in "The Original Series" the Klingon Arne Darvin was surgically altered to appear human — a forerunner to the events of "Star Trek: Discovery" where the Klingon Voq was also altered to appear human and then assumed the identity of a captured Starfleet officer, Lt. Ash Tyler.

However, when that Krill warship itself is attacked, by a race called the Chak'tal — who look like a cross between the Remens from "Star Trek: Nemesis" and the Mondoshawans from "The Fifth Element" and curiously who we haven't heard a peep from since — Mercer and Tyler/Teleya are able to evacuate in an escape pod. They land on a nearby Earth-like planet and face a race against time to contact the Orville before their alien attackers find them. Having to work together naturally presents certain obstacles and once they're rescued, Mercer allows a Krill cruiser to come and collect her in the hope that this gesture will go some way to one day establishing peace. So, clearly that didn't work.

Related:   'The Orville' season 3 premiere shows this sci-fi series is a tour de force

We open on the planet Krill, which itself is an indication that the world building is being taken up a gear in this third season of "The Orville." Turns out that Teleya is leading a breakaway political movement on the Krill homeworld that's vehemently opposed to the peace treaty talks currently in progress between the Planetary Union and the Krill government, following their  — temporary at least — unification after the Battle of Earth against the Kaylon fleet.

The Orville meanwhile is bringing a number of delegates, including President Alcuzan (played by the legendary Bruce Boxleitner), Admiral Halsey (Victor Garber) and Speria Balask (played by Lisa Banes, the actor that the episode is dedicated to) to Krill for the treating signing ceremony. Unfortunately, this historic event happens to be taking place during an important political election on Krill. Despite the Krill Ambassador's (John Fleck) confidence, Teleya wins and immediately imposes martial law. Consequently, the landing team is imprisoned and Cmdr. Kelly Grayson (Adrianne Palicki) is forced to leave orbit and take the Orville to neutral space.

With the whole delegation facing execution, Teleya sends for Mercer who appeals to her to not to continue with any of this. Unwavering in her determination, he is ordered to return to his cell, only to be secretly sprung from the streets of the city by several unknown Krill. He is carefully and quickly taken to a mundane apartment where he's introduced to an unnamed Krill (Tara Buck) who then introduces Mercer to his… daughter . Yes indeed, turns out that during the time he was courting Janel Tyler, they had hanky-panky and little Anaya, whose name means "gently falling rain" is the human-Krill hybrid result.

Related: Inside That Spectacular Space Battle in Season Two of 'The Orville'

Meanwhile, the Planetary Union fleet has amassed an impressive armada and we are going to be treated to a space fight of a scale not seen since said Battle of Earth. Knowing that he has to confront Teleya Mercer surreptitiously sneaks back into the Krill Chancellery. This episode is more of a reflection of the modern day socio-political climate than we've seen before in Season 3 and there's no way that Seth MacFarlane could've ever predicated that one of the main issues focused on here, this week — the issues surrounding unwanted pregnancies — would be dominating the headlines of every international newspaper around the world … but by a staggering and very sad coincidence, it is.

As the Planetary Union fleet emerges from Quantum space the tension is beautifully built by the accompanying score, as we have come to both love and expect from MacFarlane. There's a even an orchestral nod to the "Return of the Jedi" score by John Williams, specifically, the "The Battle of Endor part I" arguably the only music to have playing when you're part of a huge fleet of starships emerging from hyperspace only moments before a massive battle against seemingly overwhelming odds.

We've talked before about how the in-universe laws of physics can affect the immersive experience, in particular when a starship the size of the Orville suddenly starts doing handbrake turns, which is exactly what we see in this episode. While it's fun, what might have helped would've been either just a throwaway line about having to divert all available power to the inertia dampening fields would've helped, or a quick cut to crewmembers doing faceplants on the walls and windows inside the ship. Or both.

President Alcuzan is wounded during the attempted execution, but Lt. Cmdr. John LaMarr (J Lee) and Dr. Claire Finn (Penny Johnson Jerald) have undergone a newly developed emergency microdermal makeover known as Directive 21. It's basically achieves the same effect as the holographic disguises Mercer and Malloy used the first time they were aboard a Krill vessel in the episode "Krill" (S01, E06) but this is considerably more reliable. Using stun grenades to disable the enemy, they disable the Krill and get to a shuttle. What follows is a gorgeous chase almost at street level, through the Krill capital city, before finally reaching the Orville, which in turn gets the hell out of there, sharpish.

While it might not rate quite as highly as last week's installment, "The Orville" is still very much at the top of its game. The twists and turns in the plot keep you enthralled and wondering might in the name of Avis, or Hertz, for that matter, is going to come next. The dialogue is solid and the performances are perfect. Moreover, now that the show has invested into some serious world building, the only limitations are those of your own imagination. 

Rating: 8½/10

The first and second seasons of "The Orville" are available to watch on  Hulu and  Disney Plus  in most countries, and packages in the US start at $6.99 per month. New episodes of season 3 will drop every Thursday. Viewers in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan and the UK can watch on  Disney Plus  with accessibility coming soon for Japan and South Korea. Viewers in Latin American can watch on Star Plus.

Follow Scott Snowden on  Twitter . Follow us on Twitter  @Spacedotcom  and on  Facebook . 

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

When Scott's application to the NASA astronaut training program was turned down, he was naturally upset...as any 6-year-old boy would be. He chose instead to write as much as he possibly could about science, technology and space exploration. He graduated from The University of Coventry and received his training on Fleet Street in London. He still hopes to be the first journalist in space.

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Published Apr 15, 2024

Star Trek 101: Trill History

Learn everything you can about the Trill after Discovery's latest episode with this curated watch list.

StarTrek.com

While there are a number of fan favorite species in the Star Trek universe, perhaps one of the most beloved is the Trill.

Made popular with the character of Jadzia Dax on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , the Trill have always been a fascinating part of the Star Trek universe, and their culture has been the source of many fan discussions.

With the planet Trill and an important ritual making a reappearance in the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery , we’re counting down the most important legacy Trill centric episodes to watch to best understand who the Trill are, what a symbiont is, and much, much more.

" The Host ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 4, Episode 23)

Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Host

The Trill were first introduced in this episode, where Dr. Crusher falls in love with a Trill ambassador.

However, when the ambassador is injured, he confides in Crusher that he's carrying a symbiont and explains that while a Trill host can die, the symbiont must be protected and transferred to a new Trill host as soon as possible. Riker plays host to the symbiont until it is transferred into a new Trill. This episode plays with the idea of the symbiont being part of a host's personality and shows how the symbiont carries the memories of each past life before it.

" Dax ," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 1, Episode 8)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Dax

Can you be blamed for something done in a past life?

This first Dax-centric episode in Deep Space Nine ’s seven-season run establishes that Jadzia remembers all things that Dax has done in the past, but questions if she can be blamed for those actions.

Delving deep into the ethical quandaries of being a host, this classic episode written by Star Trek scribe D.C. Fontana is one that's key to revisit to understand the history of the Trill, and what their culture represents. After all, as Sisko argues, Jadzia is a different person than Curzon Dax, or any of Dax's previous lives. A current host shouldn’t have to take the fall for something done in a past life that could have happened before they were even born.

" Invasive Procedures ," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 2, Episode 4)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Invasive Procedures

A Trill named Verad attacks the station and tries to take the Dax symbiont from Jadzia in this Season 2 episode.

While mostly centering on the crew's attempts to save Jadzia and her symbiont from the invaders and take back the station, this episode still reveals some key points about the Trill. Namely, they don’t give symbionts to any Trill who applies and the process for application is grueling. Jadzia insists that a Trill can live a good life without being a host, but Verad is insistent that he be joined, even going so far as to force Dr. Bashir to transfer the Dax symbiont to him. Ultimately, Dax is returned to Jadzia and she is able to be joined once more with the symbiont that has become such a part of her.

" Equilibrium ," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 3, Episode 4)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Equilibrium

When Jadzia starts having hallucinations and begins playing the same musical motif over and over, she journeys back to the Trill homeworld to understand what’s happening to her.

Ultimately, it is revealed that Dax had a host she never knew about — a murderer named Joran. Joran Dax was considered to be unsuitable, and yet he was able to host the Dax symbiont without being rejected. This revealed that the process for choosing the host unfairly shut out most Trill from being able to be joined, due to the smaller number of symbionts compared to the Trill population. Sisko uses this knowledge to save Jadzia’s life, and in the end, Jadzia reconciles with Dax's missing memories and Joran.

" Facets ," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 3, Episode 25)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Facets

"Facets" centered on a ceremony in which the previous Dax hosts were able to inhabit another's body so that Jadzia could converse with them and learn from their experiences.

This establishes that while a host can die, their memories and experiences live on within the symbiont itself, and as a result, Jadzia can learn from them, even if they’re technically gone. She can also summon them to the forefront of her mind or even have them sent to others, who can then be, well, a host to the former host. The episode also features a delightfully comedic turn as Odo shares his consciousness with Curzon Dax, who’s far more relaxed than the usually stoic and buttoned up constable.

" Rejoined ," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 4, Episode 6)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Rejoined

Perhaps Star Trek ’s most famous episode centered on LGBTQIA+ themes, "Rejoined" sees Jadzia reunited with fellow Trill Lenara Kahn — both the Dax symbiont and the Kahn symbiont had been paired with married hosts.

Jadzia and Lenara realize they have more in common now than they ever did in the past, and slowly begin to fall in love again. The episode features the first same sex kiss in Star Trek history, establishes that Jadzia is not straight, and that the Trill are a fluid species that don’t judge based on sexuality. However, due to Trill culture and taboo, Lenara and Jadzia are not allowed to be together, which makes their doomed romance all the more heartbreaking.

" Afterimage ," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 7, Episode 3)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Afterimage

After Jadzia’s untimely death at the hands of Gul Dukat in the Season 6 finale, the Dax host is passed on to a new Trill, Ezri.

Ezri faces uncertainty from those on Deep Space 9 who knew Jadzia, ranging from discomfort to outright hostility. This episode makes it clear that it's difficult for a new host to pick up where their old life left off, as Ezri tries to forge her own identity in a world that's so used to Jadzia and who she was.

" Field of Fire ," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 7, Episode 13)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Field of Fire

It’s up to Ezri to solve a murder, with the help of past host Joran Dax.

Ezri is able to summon Joran to the forefront of her subconscious and has visions of him helping her as she works to solve the murder of a Deep Space 9 crewmember. At the end of the episode, a counter-ritual sends Joran back into her subconscious, where he remains with the other Dax lives. This episode serves to show how Trill can access past lives and even interact with them, though to an outside observer, they only see the current host.

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This article was originally published on November 8, 2020.

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For generations, my people struggled to survive on a desolate world. It was only our culture, our traditions that sustained us. It is who we are. — Bortus [1]

Moclans were a humanoid species native to the planet Moclus .

Moclans were former members of the Planetary Union , represented through a single government, at the time were one of the Union's most controversial members. They were known for their highly industrialized military complex, the sole supplier of weaponry for many races, but other Union species, most vocally the humans, saw its government's aggressive treatment of its female citizens as abusive.

The species was nearly entirely both male homosexual-oriented, as the female sex was heavily discriminated against and surgical procedures were applied to any female at birth to convert them to male. The Moclan government claimed only one female was born every 75 years, [2] but the actual number was much higher. Bortus stated that a few were born every generation, [3] and Heveena suggested the number was even higher. [4]

Moclans aged far faster than other Union species such as humans . By eight months, a Moclan child could speak and attend school. [5] Gordon Malloy stated in 2421 that Bortus in 2414 was in the middle of puberty. [6]

• 1.1 Reproduction and development
• 2.1 Sexuality
• 2.2 Relationships
• 2.4 Language
• 2.5 Religion
• 4.1 Relations with the Union
• 5.1 Moclan Fleet
• 6 Notable Moclans
• 7.1 Moclan language
• 7.2 Moclan ship
• 9 Appearances
• 11 References

Biology [ ]

I never cease to be impressed by the resilience of the Moclan body. — Doctor Claire Finn [7]

Damage to the Moclan vascular system is displayed on this Mass Tissue Regenerator .

Moclans possessed light brown skin. Their most distinct feature were the cranial ridges and skin spots that ran along the sides and top of their head. Male Moclans sported skin spots only along the sides of their heads while those born females had them on their center ridge as well - even after a sex change. [n 1] Moclans are naturally hairless, but can be made to grow hair through the use of a follicle stimulator . [8]

Based on an internal image of Bortus' chest, Moclans seem to have had smaller hearts than humans . [9] A healthy heart rate was between 50 and 70 beats per minute. [10]

Moclan physiology was remarkably hardy. They could eat nearly anything due to the species having evolved to draw nourishment from a large variety of organic and inorganic matter, from a whole piece of wasabi to cactus plants, glass, napkins, [11] and forks. [12] Their bodies could withstand doses of radiation that would instantly kill any other species. [9]

The Moclan digestive system was very water-efficient, and adult Moclans urinated only once per year. [13]

Reproduction and development [ ]

Heveena is one of a minority of female Moclans.

Moclans reproduced by laying eggs. Bortus commented that laying eggs was "much easier" than Regorian and human childbirth. [14] Their gestation period was remarkably brief for such an advanced life form, only 21 days, and required the parent to sit on the egg until it hatched. [15]

Females were extremely rare in Moclan society, with it being claimed that one was born roughly every 75 years. [2] However, the true number was much higher: Bortus stated a few were born every generation, [3] and Heveena suggested the number was even greater. [4] The Moclan government almost always forcibly changed the sex of a female to male shortly after birth.

Young Moclans matured quickly, reaching the level of a human eight-year-old after about one year. [16]

Culture [ ]

A traditional Moclan divorce in progress.

Why the hell is dealing with Moclan culture always this difficult? — Captain Ed Mercer [17]

Moclan society was built around a highly developed military industry, which had led to a polluted atmosphere and near-constant weapons testing. The majority of the population lived in cities, though some - such as the author Heveena - dotted the mountains. [2]

Sexuality [ ]

Moclans are also shown to be all homosexual-oriented species, with most of the males being gay.

The female Moclan sex was regarded with "disgust" and "shame" by a majority of other Moclans who believed women were physically and mentally incapable of fully participating in the species' warrior culture. [n 2]

Heterosexuality was uncommon in Moclan males, and attraction to females was criminalized with "a lifetime of imprisonment." [18] Heterosexual males, such as Locar , closely guarded their sexual proclivity from public knowledge. Locar noted that the "shame" of heterosexuality was borne by the family as well. [12]

Relationships [ ]

Two Moclans romantically interested in each other could go on a gomaskah , a 'first date.' If the two continued to date, they became each other's kodashik , or 'boyfriend.' As the relationship deepened, the two could mate and create an egg. However, if the two broke up during the kodashik period, each kodashik extracted a tooth and gave it to the former mate. The former boyfriend then gave the tooth to his next kodashik who ate it. [12]

If a Moclan wished to divorce his mate, it was customary "to terminate the life of his mate." [19]

Moclans go through a rite known as the Commencement Rite of the Kazh-gal , which renews the relationship of two mated Moclans.

Moclans held a high appreciation of writers and their works, such as Gondus Elden . When they departed on a journey of great importance, it was customary for parties to quote a fitting passage from notable literary works. [2]

According to Locar, dancing was "much less restrained" than among humans. [12]

Language [ ]

The Moclan language and writing script could be found throughout the planet Moclus or spoken by native Moclans. Several words of the Moclan language are known:

• Da'klaya - a Moclan astrological system [14]
• gomaskah - 'first date'
• ja'loja - literally 'great release,' a Moclan's annual urination ceremony
• kodashik - 'boyfriend' [12]
• latchkum - a popular party game
• n'kafas - site of the ja'loja
• kla'fash - possibly "penis"

A long, untranslated sentence in Moclus is known as well, galashkah me'mek-gadlas fekto roshas... bam val... ja'loja! , [20] which was uttered by Bortus at his ja'loja .

In Future Unknown , Mercer spoke the following sentences at Bortus and Klyden 's Rite of the Kazh-gahl: " Ah'narok eldash macah. ... Ja'vok uvet! ... Ja'vok uvosh! "

Names tended to be single, without a second name. The lone exception was author Gondus Elden .

Religion [ ]

Little is known of any historical Moclan religious belief, although evidently some Moclans believed in a soul. [21]

Bortus stated that some on Moclus believed in Da'klaya: "that one's fate is determined by the alignment of the stars on the day of his birth." [14] For believers, "some Da'klaya moons are more desirable than others." [14]

It was Moclan custom to hang their dead in pods in a morgue for nine days in order to give them a chance to resolve any unfinished affairs they might have on Moclus before moving onward. [22]

Upon seeing a simulation of Dolly Parton , Heveena declared "by the gods!", suggesting the Moclans worshiped multiple deities. [23]

• Suicide was "an unforgivable crime." [19] The shame of suicide passed to the entire family who were then banished from Moclus. [12]
• Moclans only urinated once per year in a ritual known as ja'loja . [24]
• Locar noted that "on Moclus, mediocrity is the only behavior above suspicion." [12]

Cuisine [ ]

Moclans are known for oppsada [25] , a type of drink that contains a parasite that creates a pleasurable feeling in the host. They also eat kolp , a type of seaweed. A dessert of theirs is kimbok , a type of cake made with oppsada . A breakfast food known as plokta [9] resembles oatmeal. Teepok soup is another known dish. In Midnight Blue , Moclans were shown to have some version of hot sauce.

Government [ ]

Justice was administered by tribunal , an arbitral method of dispute resolution or punishment. The head of a tribunal was a minister, and either side could be represented by advocates. [2]

The Moclan Science Division maintained a cadre of engineers , such as Toren . [26]

Relations with the Union [ ]

In the early 25th century , the Moclans had become the primary suppliers of weaponry to most Union member worlds. [26] Moclan engineers had a key part in creating and regulating Union deflector screen technology, a s the regulations governing their use were written by Locar , a renowned Moclan engineer. [12] After the Kaylon declared war on the Planetary Union in February 2421 , the Union increasingly depended on the Moclans for systems upgrades.

Moclus' treatment of their own females aggravated relations between the Moclans and the other Union species. When Bortus and Klyden disputed whether to change Topa 's sex from female to male in November 2419 , Captain Vorak hinted that he might have attacked the USS Orville had Captain Ed Mercer refused to allow Topa to go to Moclus. [2]

In 2421 , a secret colony of Moclan girls and women was discovered. The Moclan government aggressively attempted to take the women back to their planet for sex reassignment surgery, and told the Planetary Union Council that if they were not allowed to take the females, they would leave the Union and ally with the Krill . [26]

In 2422 , relations between the two governments finally came to a head. Both organizations sent parties to the sanctuary world for an annual inspection. The terms of this agreement stated that the Moclans were allowed to inspect to make sure that Heveena was not smuggling additional females off Moclus, while the Union was there to ensure that the Moclan authorities were not interfering with the colony's operations through threats, harassment, surveillance or acts of aggression of any kind.

The Orville sent a landing party consisting of Kelly Grayson , Bortus and Bortus's daughter, Topa , who had recently undergone surgery to transition back to female, much to the displeasure of the Moclans. During the visit, Topa met with the sanctuary's leader, Heveena, who secretly revealed to her that she had resumed her underground network of smuggling females. She entrusted Topa with a contact, hoping that Topa could use the Orville's advanced communications to speed the process. The Moclan landing party, however, having caught wind of Heveena's activities, kidnapped Topa in the hopes of getting her to reveal the secret contact on Moclus that Heveena had provided.

Upon the discovery of Topa's kidnapping, the crew of the Orville launched a full investigation, while Bortus and Kelly Grayson attempted to personally pursue the kidnappers. Heveena was forced to reveal the truth before the Planetary Union Council in the hopes of making the Moclans cooperate with an investigation. The Moclans, however, refused, demanding that Heveena be punished for her actions. Before the Council could take action, however, Kelly and Bortus arrived with a badly injured Topa. They revealed that she had been escorted to a secret black site by the Moclans and tortured for information. She had chosen not to have her injuries healed for the moment in order to provide visible proof of the ordeal that she had undergone. They further stated that the torturers had intended to kill her after extracting the information.

Bortus personally addressed the Moclans, declaring that members of the Union had planned to murder his child. He called them liars and butchers, demanding that they answer for their crimes. Hearing this, the members of the Council all stood in solidarity. Not long afterwards, the Union Council voted unanimously to expel Moclus from the Planetary Union. This was despite the fact that the Moclans were considered a key ally in the conflict against the Kaylon, but the Council could no longer turn a blind eye to their actions. Additionally, they chose to recognize the Sanctuary as an independent state, placed under their protection. [23]

The Moclans quickly sought out an alliance with the Krill . When Admiral Perry provided the alliance with an anti- Kaylon superweapon, the Moclan weapons specialist Dr. Kalba was tasked to modify it to work on a galactic scale. Discovering the alliance, the Union sought an alliance with the Kaylon to retrieve or destroy the weapon. By the sacrifice of ensign Charly Burke , the resulting Battle of Draconis 427 saw the destruction of the superweapon with the shockwave destroying several Moclan ships. After the ensign's sacrifice had led the Kaylon to call off their war and become provisional members of the Union, one of the conditions was to offer aid in defending their worlds against the Moclans. [27]

Military [ ]

The Moclan dockyard.

Moclus seems to have operated a fleet independent of the Planetary Union.

Moclan soldiers wore special body armor. [28]

Moclan Fleet [ ]

The Moclan fleet boasted at least three types of Moclan Ships: cruiser, transport, and battlecruiser. The fleet also maintained a unique shuttlecraft .

A dockyard or space station orbits Moclus. On March 2420 , The Moclan government upgraded all Union Exploratory -class vessels and above with enhanced weaponry at the dockyard. [26]

Following their expulsion from the Union and alliance with the Krill, the Moclan fleet was deployed to protect Draconis 427 where the anti-Kaylon weapon was to be detonated. The fleet took heavy losses from the Union-Kaylon alliance, even moreso when the device overloaded and its destructive shockwave reached orbit. [27]

Notable Moclans [ ]

• Bortus - Second Officer of the Orville .
• Dojin - Ambassador to the Union
• Garkahl - An interrogator in the underground prison
• Heveena (Gondus Elden) - Famous Novelist; one of the few female Moclans never to undergo gender reassignment surgery.
• Jakohn - Captain of a Moclan Battlecruiser.
• Kagus - Tribunal advocate.
• Kalba - A renowned weapons engineer.
• Kaybrak - Minister of Internal Affairs.
• Klyden - Bortus' mate on board the Orville .
• Kodon - A commander
• Korick - Toren's mate. In March 2420 , Korick and Toren secretly took their daughter to a sanctuary for Moclan females , rather than see her forcibly changed to male. [26]
• Locar - Prodigious engineer specializing in Deflector Screens ; also notable as a rare heterosexual male.
• Mersa - A female Moclan taken by Korick and Toren to the sanctuary.
• Osaia - A female Moclan living at the sanctuary
• Rechik - A captain in the Moclan fleet
• Topa - The child of Bortus and Klyden. Possibly the only Moclan to undergo surgery to transition back to female after having been previously reassigned to male.
• Toren - Engineer in the Moclan Science Division.
• Vorak - A captain in the Moclan fleet

Production [ ]

The physical appearance of Moclans was designed by special make-up effects artist Garrett Immel , based on a rough sculpture of Bortus made by Howard Berger , then the make-up department head. [29]

Moclan clothing was designed by wardrobe designer Joseph Porro . When Porro learned that the Moclan skin would be similar to burnt hombre and that planet Moclus's surface was ruddy and red, he shifted the clothing color palette to blacks, grays, and reds to "flatter" the make-up. [30]

The first information about the Moclan species came in July 22, 2017 at the San Diego Comic-Con when Peter Macon (Bortus) revealed that Moclans are an all-male species who urinate once per year. [31] Building up to the series premiere, the Moclan species became a favorite topic of the cast in interviews.

Moclan language [ ]

The Moclan "Rosetta stone" published in The World of the Orville .

The Moclan language, including its writing system, was created by the show's futurist Taylor Faulkinberry . [32]

The Moclan writing system was reprinted with an English transcription by Jeff Bond in the book The World of the Orville . [33] The consonants more or less correspond with English's, with two added letters; however, their phonological values are undetermined: a, b, c, ç, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, ñ, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z. The vowels have plain and umlauted versions (except for the unusual letter ǽ), and are undetermined phonologically as well: a, ä, ǽ, e, ë, i, o, ö, u, ü. Additionally, there are characters for ? and . as well.

According to Faulkinberry, the language is written starting in the top left in a spiral (resembling a snail shell). A bold or thick line tells the reader the direction of the script. [34]

Some Moclan texts were "written" by graphic designer Michelle Peters for display on the walls, [35] such as in Doctor Gulnar 's office in the Environmental Simulator program Bortus 931 . [36] The inscriptions read Moclus .

Moclan ship [ ]

A Moclan starship.

According to visual effects supervisor Brandon Fayette , the Moclan fleet is designed around "triple-split, bifurcated rings" (rings referring to a ship's quantum drive , which encompasses a ship to fold space around it). [37]

According to the supervising sound editor Jon Greasley, the sounds of Moclan ships were updated for Season 2 , receiving a "more muscular" feel. [38]

• In the original script, the name of the species was Moclin and later Moclam .
• In Old Wounds , it is revealed that Moclans only urinate once per year.
• The Moclans are quite similiar to the Asari , an all-female species from the Mass Effect Universe. The only difference is Moclans settle on a military society while Asari settle on a Religious Council, another noticeable difference is Moclans are only known to mate with each other of their own kind but Asari are able to mate among their kin and members of other species.
• According to artist David Cabeza , who inked the official Season 1.5 comic books, the Moclans are the most difficult species to draw. [39]
• After Doctor Claire Finn diagnoses Bortus with porn addiction, he asks if there is an injection he can take. Klyden quips, "You have had enough injections lately." [9]
• The Moclan biological system is extremely susceptible to nicotine addiction. [40]
• Chief Engineer John LaMarr made a special, protective costume of the folk hero Xandia out of Moclan body armor. [28]
• Actor Peter Macon (Bortus) says he is often asked by fans what Moclan sex is like. His go-to answer is to imagine football-sized rocks tumbling around in an a dryer. [41]

Appearances [ ]

A Moclan shuttlecraft .

• Episode 1x01: Old Wounds
• Episode 1x02: Command Performance
• Episode 1x03: About a Girl
• Episode 1x04: If the Stars Should Appear
• Episode 1x05: Pria
• Episode 1x06: Krill
• Episode 1x07: Majority Rule
• Episode 1x08: Into the Fold
• Episode 1x09: Cupid's Dagger
• Episode 1x10: Firestorm
• Episode 1x11: New Dimensions
• Episode 1x12: Mad Idolatry
• Episode 1.5x01: New Beginnings, Pt. 1
• Episode 1.5x02: New Beginnings, Pt. 2
• Episode 1.5x03: The Word of Avis, Pt. 1
• Episode 1.5x04: The Word of Avis, Pt. 2
• Episode 2x01: Ja'loja
• Episode 2x02: Primal Urges
• Episode 2x03: Home
• Episode 2x04: Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes
• Episode 2x05: All the World is Birthday Cake
• Episode 2x06: A Happy Refrain
• Episode 2x07: Identity, Pt. 1
• Episode 2x08: Identity, Pt. 2
• Episode 2x10: Blood of Patriots
• Episode 2x11: Lasting Impressions
• Episode 2x12: Sanctuary
• Episode 2x13: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
• Episode 2x14: The Road Not Taken
• Episode 2.5x01: Launch Day, Pt. 1
• Episode 2.5x02: Launch Day, Pt. 2
• Episode 2.5x03: Heroes, Pt. 1
• Episode 2.5x05: Digressions, Pt. 1
• Episode 2.5x06: Digressions, Pt. 2
• Episode 2.5x07: Artifacts, Pt. 1
• Episode 2.5x08: Artifacts, Pt. 2
• Episode 3x01: Electric Sheep
• Episode 3x02: Shadow Realms
• Episode 3x03: Mortality Paradox
• Episode 3x04: Gently Falling Rain
• Episode 3x05: A Tale of Two Topas
• Episode 3x06: Twice in a Lifetime
• Episode 3x07: From Unknown Graves
• Episode 3x08: Midnight Blue
• Sympathy for the Devil
• Episode 3x09: Domino
• ↑ Topa, Heveena, and Klyden all host centered spots. All born-male Moclans have spots only along the sides.
• ↑ Advocate Kagus in Episode 1x03: About a Girl

References [ ]

• ↑ Episode 2x07: Deflectors
• ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Episode 1x03: About a Girl
• ↑ 3.0 3.1 Episode 2x12: Sanctuary
• ↑ 4.0 4.1 Heveena : "Commander Bortus , what I am about to say will come as a shock to you. There are many more females born on Moclus than the government has ever publicly admitted." Episode 2x12: Sanctuary
• ↑ Episode 1.5x01: New Beginnings, Pt. 1
• ↑ Episode 2x13: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
• ↑ Episode 2x02: Primal Urges
• ↑ Episode 2x06: A Happy Refrain
• ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Episode 2x02: Primal Urges
• ↑ Based on the fact that the Mass Tissue Regenerator goes 'green' once Bortus' heart rate exceeds 50.
• ↑ Episode 1x06: Krill
• ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 Episode 2x07: Deflectors
• ↑ Episode 1x01: Old Wounds
• ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Episode 2x05: All the World is Birthday Cake
• ↑ Episode 1x02: Command Performance
• ↑ Topel, Fred. " SETH MACFARLANE ADDRESSES CRITICS’ HARSH TAKE ON THE ORVILLE STORY LINE ". Rotten Tomatoes. March 19, 2018.
• ↑ Locar . Episode 2x07: Deflectors
• ↑ 19.0 19.1 Bortus . Episode 2x02: Primal Urges
• ↑ Listed in subtitles as kalaskacha mech-gadlas fekto roschas bam val . However, this is hardly what Bortus says when listening to the audio. Episode 2x01: Ja'loja
• ↑ Klyden : "I swear on the soul of my child." Episode 2x02: Primal Urges
• ↑ Episode 3x03: Mortality Paradox
• ↑ 23.0 23.1 Episode 3x08: Midnight Blue
• ↑ Episode 2x01: Ja'loja
• ↑ Episode 1x12: Mad Idolatry
• ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 Episode 2x12: Sanctuary
• ↑ 27.0 27.1 Domino
• ↑ 28.0 28.1 Episode 2.5x04: Heroes, Pt. 2
• ↑ Berger, Howard & Maxine Morris. " Space and Beyond ". The Artisan . 2018.
• ↑ Wyckoff, Anna. " The Orville ". Costume Designers Guild. Oct. 10, 2017.
• ↑ " SDCC 2017: The Orville - Peter Macon, Mark Jackson, Chad L Coleman ". Whedonopolis Video . July 26, 2017.
• ↑ Faulkinberry, Taylor. The Orville . www.myportfolio.com. Last accessed Oct. 10, 2020.
• ↑ Bond, Jeff. The World of the Orville . Titan Books. 2018. Pg. 141.
• ↑ The Orville - Season 1 & 2 . Michelle Peters. Last accessed May 18, 2019.
• ↑ Oullette, Jennifer. " Go behind the scenes of The Orville as series embarks on a new season ". Ars Technica . March 26, 2020.
• ↑ Dilip, Mangala. "' The Orville' sound designers on breaking sci-fi conventions and bringing 'new flavors' to season 2 ". Dec. 17, 2018.
• ↑ " The Redenbacher Ep 12- David Cabeza Interview ". The Redenbacher. June 26, 2019.
• ↑ Episode 2x11: Lasting Impressions
• ↑ " The Nerdcast (238): The Orville's Peter Macon ". Project-Nerd. Aug. 18, 2021.
• The Orville
• 1 Kelly Grayson
• 2 Ed Mercer
• 3 Alara Kitan

Den of Geek

The Orville: New Horizons Season 3 Episode 2 Review – Shadow Realms

In the second episode of season 3, The Orville: New Horizons is perhaps already getting a little too comfortable.

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This review of The Orville: New Horizons contains spoilers.

The Orville: New Horizons Season 3 Episode 2

The season 3 premiere of The Orville: New Horizons reinforced why this show picked up in popularity in its second season. It was poignant and character-driven, but not without the trademark Seth MacFarlane humor and sense of adventure. It accomplished so much, as well, introducing new characters, new dynamics, story threads that will undoubtedly be revisited and gave audience members the sense that this new era on Hulu is in fact a shinier “new horizon.”

It’s often the case that when someone is pitching an idea or presenting something to an audience, that they should start with a bang, and grab the attention of said audience. What is also common practice is that one of your weakest ideas should be sandwiched somewhere early on, often in the second spot. The writing team of The Orville seemed to have followed this pattern perfectly in this season’s first two episodes. Granted, it’s only been two installments, but after last week’s dynamic return, episode 2, “Shadow Realms” certainly fizzles.

When Den of Geek spoke to the cast and crew of The Orville to discover what to expect from this season, Executive Producers and Writers David A. Goodman and Brannon Braga (who also co-wrote this episode) specifically spoke about the darker tone. Braga wrote the brilliant Star Trek:  First Contact which is one of the seminal stories in the Next Generation lore. It crafted a rich, dark tapestry that was part time-travel adventure and part zombie film. 

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While “Shadow Realms” has its share of darkness, it is a slow character burn for the entirety of the first act. The crew are rednevouzing with Admiral Paul Christie (Guest star James Read) who is to serve as chief negotiator with the ‘frenemy’ alien species, the Krill. The Union wants to use a path of Krill space on a regular basis, but the crew of the Orville are most excited that this means it will open vast light years of unexplored space. As Captain Mercer (Seth MacFarlane) briefs the bridge crew, Lieutenant Keyali (Jessica Szohr) notices that Doctor Finn (Penny Johnson Jerald) is visibly deep in thought and distracted. Keyali asks Finn if she’s ok, but the doctor merely shrugs it off as being overtired. 

As soon as Admiral Christie comes aboard, he immediately visits Claire in sickbay. We quickly discover that the two not only know each other, but quite intimately, at that. At first we can only glean that Claire was once Paul’s student while at University, but it’s glaringly obvious there is more to their relationship. Christie tries to turn on the charm and ask Claire to dinner, but his advances are shot down fairly quickly. Claire’s purposefully open with the fact she’s spending the night with her sons, which surprises Paul as it had been some time since they last spoke, and he wasn’t even aware she had children. Their exchange ends with Claire telling Paul outright that it’s best they don’t complicate the mission with anything but a working relationship. 

As the night continues, there is a diplomatic reception where the crew of The Orville and two Krill delegates converse. The Krill, not accustomed to human niceties, make the evening as humorously awkward as they can. Things become even more awkward when Christie, ever the charmer, toasts the new alliance between the Krill and the Union, while staring directly at Claire while toasting to “a better future.” Claire, feeling that once again Paul has crossed the line, asks Commander Grayson (Adrianne Palicki) to come to her quarters to finish off a bottle of wine she took from the reception, as she just needs to get out of that situation.

As Claire and Grayson share the bottle, Claire shares an idiom with Kelly about memory being either “a prison or a gallows.” It is a great moment between Finn and Grayson, as the two women begin to bond over their past mistakes in love. The pair rarely get a chance to interact, so it was refreshing to see the friendship develop a little. Eventually, Claire reveals to Kelly that she was once married, and sure enough, it was to Paul. 

Paul is used at a nauseum for this episode, to the point where Read, a guest star, actually has to carry it. That was a bold choice, to say the least. Rarely is it that a one-off guest character, who was never mentioned prior to this episode, becomes the one to lead the story along its path. It wasn’t even as if he was accompanied by one of the regulars in the show, the audience for the majority of the first half of the show went where Christie went. With such a long delay in between season 2 and 3 of production, The Orville was sipping from unfamiliar waters while it arguably should have been quenching the thirst of fans. That drink should have come from the pool of regular characters we’ve missed so much. 

Christie, Mercer and Grayson meet with the Krill one last time, where the Union is granted permission to cross into Krill space, but there are several conditions. Two of the more strict provisions are that they are equipped with a tracking device so the Krill can monitor their movements, and that they adhere to a very specific path. The Admiral agrees to almost anything, but tells them they wanted to explore a region called the Kilar Expanse.

The Krill show more fear than ever before on the show, saying that is basically forbidden space. The Expanse is a place of pure evil, inhabited by demons and that even the most righteous are possessed by this evil and commit heinous acts. The three Union officers take it in stride, and weigh their options before making the decision to venture on. Before the Krill leave the ship, they offer a prayer to “those who are about to die,” and ominously inform Mercer and his people that they won’t stop the Orville from heading into the Expanse, but they also will not come to their rescue, should our heroes need it. 

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The Admiral joins Claire at dinner to tell her he’s staying aboard, and coming on the mission. The two begin to reminisce a bit and Christie shows Claire he’s kept his wedding band all these years. Claire asks him to respect the boundaries of professionalism, that she had to spend a long time to get over him, and doesn’t want to go through that again. Before they venture off into the expanse, Christie even speaks with Isaac and asks what it was like to date Claire. Once again, we find ourselves following the story of a character who has not earned it. It was a nice moment for Isaac, but the show dwelled far too long on Christie and his hang up on Claire. 

The episode finally gets moving both literally and in terms of the story when The Orville ventures into the Expanse. Bringing in more and more elements from the horror genre, the Expanse is complete darkness. There are no stars, no suns, and the only light comes from The Orville . Keyali informs Mercer she’s detected a distress call, and so they venture deeper into the Expanse. As they trek further and further, they come across an ominous, organic-looking monolith, which they deduce is some sort of space station. Mercer, Grayson, Keyali, Finn, LaMarr, and Admiral Christie all take a shuttle to board the station and get to the bottom of the mystery.

Thus begins a long thread of poor writing choices for this episode, as suspension of belief becomes as dark as the starless Expanse. It’s easy to question the story beats used to set up the horror half of this episode, and how quickly the characters fall into horror movie tropes. Why were so many high ranking officers on this particular, dangerous away mission? Why were they going in without hazmat suits or weapons? As soon as they board the station, Mercer unwittingly embraces another trope, telling the crew to split up, which simply initiates a series of character decisions that would have regular film fans screaming at the characters on screen, desperately reminding them of their stupidity. After praising the writing of the previous episode, ‘Shadow Realms’ seemed lazy, utilizing frustrating, overused story beats. 

Needless to say, Admiral Christie gets too close to one “energy node” in the station; a glowing almost fungal-looking node which expands as he gets close and gives him a bit of a jump scare. When they all return to the ship, The Admiral, to no audience members’ surprise, collapses, and begins to mutate almost immediately. Dr. Finn, after examining the Admiral, informs the Captain that something is rewriting Christie’s DNA. 

The rest of the episode devolves into a fairly pedestrian “monster of the week” story. Christie mutates into an arachnid looking and aggressive creature, and he somehow manages to cripple The Orville and shuts down the power. This leads to characters venturing off on their own, children being left in scary hallways, things that go ‘bump in the night’ and inevitable jump scares when an unnamed crew member suddenly realizes something is behind them. All these moments create tons of atmosphere, but lack real enjoyable logic. You simply have to go along with it, because it is a horror episode. The Christie Alien can also mutate others by excreting a green sputum in the face of its victim, which is supposed to add an extra threat, but we never even get a sense of how many crew are being hunted or who have turned.  

For a lot of the episode, it was somewhat reminiscent of “Genesis,” an underrated yet quirky episode of The Next Generation in its final season. In that, the Captain returns to a crippled ship, a float in darkness, while the crew has devolved into monsters and animal-like creatures. An episode, coincidentally, also written by one Brannon Braga. 

What is interesting to note, is that in only two episodes so far, season 3 has been very Claire-heavy. Two episodes in a row now, have specifically been about her interpersonal relationships, her family, and her innermost emotions. Granted, if every show had a veteran like Penny Johnson Jerald on their cast, it would be very safe to fall back on her talents, but this reiterates the theory that this is probably one of the weaker episodes this season, even without knowing what’s to come. It’s easy to see how originally the writing team didn’t plan on having two Claire centric episodes back to back, but thought they could slip this one in at the second slot and eventually hope it becomes forgettable. 

“Safe” is also an extremely apt adjective when describing this episode overall. Braga and co writer André Bormanis simply wrote a lesser version of a teleplay Braga already wrote. This new alien species solidified itself as a possible future threat, especially when the Christie Alien spoke with Claire (yes, he can speak in monosyllabic monstrous-sounding responses) and said they would return and that all those aboard The Orville would be “one” with them. Yet even that was reminiscent of the Borg from the Trek renaissance of the 1990’s it has simply been done before. 

Yes, there were some moments of character development for Claire, and yes we discovered a little more about her past, but that seemed to be a side note at best. In an episode that is immersed in the horror-genre, nothing truly felt like a threat. The Orville crew that were lost to this mutation were widely unnamed, and despite Christie being a central player in this particular episode, losing him had no emotional impact. As mentioned, the show will undoubtedly revisit this hostile species, but the real danger here was creating a second episode that may lose more audience members than random-unnamed crewmen. 

Michael Winn Johnson | @ReelSchool

Teacher and entertainment journalist based out of Toronto. Michael can talk forever about film, television and animation, and how often Toronto sports teams have made him…

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What are the Trill in Star Trek? Explained

In many ways, it’s easy to explain the Trill of Star Trek . They are a humanoid species from the planet Trill located in the Alpha Quadrant. They look just like Humans except for the cluster of dark spots running along the sides of their heads and – though it’s often unseen for censorship purposes – along their bodies. There’s an aspect of Trill culture that’s a little more difficult to explain, though, but I’ll give it a try anyway.

What is a Trill?

The Trill are as scientifically advanced as most alien races throughout the galaxy of Star Trek . They, too, love to put things under a microscope and study them in official research capacities. It’s potentially in their pursuit of knowledge that they discovered a long, long time ago that some of them had the ability to link with a Trill symbiont.

Related : The Best Star Trek TV Shows, Ranked

They undergo surgery during which a big worm is placed in their abdomen. This process forms an immediate connection between the host and the symbiont. The two then embark on a lifelong journey of sharing memories and life experiences after they are joined. It’s not such an easy concept to explain to anyone new to fandom.

The Trill were first introduced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and have been a have since become staple of the franchise. We even got to see the ancient underground pools where Trill went to better understand, or sometimes heal, the symbiont within them.

Notable Trill in Star Trek

However, Deep Space Nine didn’t just introduce the Trill or their cultural practices. The series gave us the most famous Trill of all: Jadzia Dax. She was the First Officer and BFF of Captain Sisko. She was also the closest that many transgender Star Trek fans had ever gotten to complex representation in a popular sci-fi series.

As much as we love (and miss) her, though, Jadzia was not the only Trill to get into space shenanigans like time travel and facing one’s own insecurities. She came from a long line of Trill who’d joined with the Dax symbiont. Some of whom we met in Deep Space Nine , like the incorrigible Curzon or the emphasis Ezri.

Then, of course, there’s Barnes in Lower Decks and Gray Tal in Discovery . Technically, there’s also Adira Tal but that complicated history is for another time. Just know that explaining the Trill of Star Trek just got a little easier. You’re welcome!

Exploring the Evolution of Star Trek’s Trill Species in Deep Space Nine

F ans of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” may be curious about the transformation that the Trill species underwent in the show, notably the character Dax and her distinctive spots. Through Terry Farrell’s early makeup tests, it was revealed that initially, the creators planned a more restrained version of Trill features, using Odan’s forehead ridges as a starting point but in a less conspicuous manner. Reasons for the subtle approach included cost-saving measures due to the extensive makeup requirements for other alien characters, and the desire to keep Farrell’s face unobscured, given studio preference to maintain her attractiveness with minimal alien features.

Makeup artist Michael Westmore drew inspiration from an earlier “Star Trek: The Next Generation” episode titled “The Perfect Mate,” where Kamala, played by Famke Janssen, is portrayed with an intriguing array of small red spots. Westmore found Kamala’s alluring appearance ideal for transitioning to Dax’s look, extending the spot pattern from her temples down her neck. This adaptation not only conveyed Dax’s alien nature but did so in a manner that was less intrusive than the more prominent features of other species like the Changelings and Ferengis.

Ultimately, the spot design became a successful and iconic element of the Trill race in the series, striking the perfect balance between alien and accessible, highlighted by the character’s playful response about her spots to a curious admirer.

FAQs about Trill Transformation in Deep Space Nine

Why were the Trill’s forehead ridges removed for Deep Space Nine?

The design intention was to simplify the makeup and to emphasize the attractiveness of actor Terry Farrell without the distraction of pronounced forehead ridges.

What inspired the new design for the Trill spots?

Michael Westmore was inspired by the makeup used for the character Kamala in “The Next Generation,” incorporating a similar spotted design for Dax.

Was Terry Farrell the first actor to portray a Trill with spots?

Yes, Terry Farrell’s character, Dax, was the first to feature the redesigned spotted appearance of the Trill species.

How was the new appearance of Trill received by the audience?

The new Trill look with spots was well-received by audiences, becoming an iconic aspect of the character Dax and the Trill species in the “Star Trek” universe.

The makeover of the Trill race in “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” marked by the introduction of the character Dax’s spotted appearance, represents a thoughtful and impactful design choice by the series’ creators. This decision not only facilitated a more efficient makeup process but also succeeded in presenting a visually distinctive and appealing alien species. As a result, the Trill became one of the memorable species in the “Star Trek” lore, effortlessly blending exotic features with relatable human aesthetic qualities. Dax’s elegance and the understated nature of her spots captivated both her on-screen companions and the franchise’s dedicated audience.

Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery's efrosian: bringing back a movie alien in a historic way, explained by writer.

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Star trek: discovery’s neelix reference reveals what happened after voyager, star trek: discovery season 5 episode 8 ending explained.

Warning: This Article Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 8 - "Labyrinths"

• Star Trek: Discovery's "Labyrinths" introduces Hy'Rell, the first Efrosian with a name and female identity in franchise history.
• Writers Lauren Wilkinson and Eric J. Robbins discussed the creation of Hy'Rell in detail on The 7th Rule podcast.
• Hy'Rell's role in the power struggle for the Progenitors' treasure map adds depth to the intergalactic library storyline in season 5.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths", introduced Hy'Rell (Elena Juatco), and writer Eric J. Robbins explains how Hy'Rell is a history-making member of her alien race, the Efrosians. Hy'Rell is an archivist at the Eternal Gallery and Archive , a fantastic intergalactic library where the final clue to the Progenitors' ancient treasure is hidden. Hy'Rell and the Eternal Gallery are caught in the power struggle between Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery and the Breen for the completed Progenitors' treasure map.

Before Hy'Rell, only two Efrosians have been seen in Star Trek canon: Nick Ramus appeared as the USS Saratoga's helmsman in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and Kurtwood Smith played the Federation President in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

Writers Lauren Wilkinson and Eric J. Robbins appeared on The 7th Rule podcast to discuss Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths ". Hosts Cirroc Lofton and Ryan T. Husk brought up fan debate about Hy'Rell being a Klingon, despite Robbins confirming online that she's an Efrosian. Robbins then explained how and why Star Trek: Discovery created Hy'Rell, who makes history as the first Efrosian with a name and a female gender identity . Read Robbins' quote and watch The 7th Rul e video below:

I’ve always loved Star Trek VI… Everybody loves Wrath of Khan, and it is rightfully lauded as probably the pinnacle for Star Trek features, but for me, Star Trek VI is woefully overlooked. I think it’s great… I’ve always thought that [Efrosian] species was interesting… We see two Efrosians in previous movies… I always forget the Saragota helmsman in Star Trek IV is Efrosian (fans, don’t come at me)... and the other is Kurtwood Smith’s President. But what blows my mind is the President of the Federation in [Star Trek VI] doesn’t have a name. And we don’t know anything about the species other than he has those little glasses, which I learned later… it’s supposed to imply that Efrosians have limited eyesight and they need additional viewing aids… I just realized we’ve never seen one with a name. I really like the design [of Efrosians]... [and] we’ve never seen one that has a female gender identity. So, when we were looking for a fun species, I said, ‘Can we do an Efrosian?’ And everyone was like, ‘What’s an Efrosian?’ Because, again, they’ve never had a named character, and they’re only in these two movies. So I was excited just to show one and dig into it. The implication for this… and none of it is canon… But my thought is the [Eternal Gallery and] Archive is not run by the Efrosians. It’s run by its own not-so-secret society. It’s a faction-neutral organization that’s just trying to preserve culture and the history of, specifically our galaxy, but really, the Alpha and Beta Quadrants at the time.

As Burnham seeks the universe's greatest treasure in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, she'll need help from a host of new and returning characters.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Makes History With Classic Aliens

Discovery adds new dimensions to the efrosians and the breen.

Star Trek: Discovery 's Hy'Rell is indeed the first female Efrosian in the Star Trek franchise and the first Efrosian with a name. Further, Hy'Rell doesn't seem to need additional aid to her vision, unlike Kurtwood Smith's Federation President in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . Hy'Rell also has charm and wit; the Efrosian archivist likes to tell jokes, and she is a friendly and enthusiastic conversationalist. Hy'Rell instantly deepens what little Star Trek fans have been exposed to about Efrosians.

Some fans insisting Hy'Rell is a Klingon may be because the 32nd-century Klingons have yet to be seen in Star Trek: Discovery , and no Klingons have appeared in the series since Star Trek: Discovery season 2.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is also the deepest dive into the Breen in franchise history. The mysterious enemy aliens from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine have now seen their culture more thoroughly explored by Discovery , with L'ak (Elias Toufexis) making history as the first Breen to remove his helmet. L'ak is also the first Breen to fall in love with and marry a human, Moll (Eve Harlow) . Star Trek: Discovery season 5 also wove in Trills, Denobulans, Betazoids, and Terrans, as well as Efrosians, into its treasure hunt storyline, and will leave the franchise richer for it.

Source: The 7th Rule

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+

• View history

A species or race was any class of lifeform that had common attributes and were designated by a common name .

• 1 Observations
• 2.1.1 By location
• 2.1.2 By evolution
• 2.1.3 By association
• 2.2 Noncorporeal
• 2.3 Artificial
• 2.4 Trans-dimensional
• 4 External links

Observations [ ]

According to Data , " in the game of military brinksmanship , individual physical prowess is less important than the perception of a species as a whole. " However, according to Worf , if " no one is willing to test that perception in combat [..] then the reputation means nothing. " ( TNG : " Peak Performance ")

Data also " observed that in most species, there is a primal instinct to perpetuate themselves. " ( TNG : " The Offspring ")

Classifications [ ]

Corporeal [ ].

Corporeal lifeforms have a physical body , usually composed of carbon- - or silicon-based cellular structures . Most corporeal species metabolize energy by consuming food or by photosynthesis , and have a finite life cycle consisting of distinct periods of growth, maturity, and senescence. Intelligent corporeal species frequently enhance their capabilities with technology .

By location [ ]

• Alpha and Beta Quadrant species
• Gamma Quadrant species
• Delta Quadrant species
• Extra-galactic species
• Spaceborne species

By evolution [ ]

• Anthropomorphic species
• Humanoid species
• Non-humanoid species
• Omnicordial lifeform

By association [ ]

• Borg species
• Dominion species
• Starfleet species

Noncorporeal [ ]

Non-corporeal species were composed of various forms of coherent gas or energy . Most noncorporeal species absorb and utilize energy directly from their environment. Generally, noncorporeal species do not utilize technology, compensating with intrinsic physiological capabilities. Some noncorporeal species have evolved beyond the need for sustenance, and wield substantial control over space and time .

Artificial [ ]

Artificial lifeforms were usually created by another species, and can be sentient by design or have attained sentience spontaneously. There are two general types of artificial life: The first is a machine constructed from mechanical components. The second is a software program, which is reliant on a suitable computer in which to exist. These programs may manifest themselves physically in the form of holograms , which sometimes developed self-awareness .

Trans-dimensional [ ]

Trans-dimensional beings were lifeforms originating from a reality outside the normal space-time continuum. They can take a variety of forms which may or may not be comparable to those in this universe, depending on the nature of their native realm. Some trans-dimensional species are unable to survive in this universe without assistance.

See also [ ]

• Civilization
• Joined species
• Master race
• Race (species subclassification)
• Shapeshifting species
• Species reassignment protocol
• Telepathic species

External links [ ]

• Species at Wikipedia
• Race at Wikipedia