Pokemon: We will forever churn out cut-rate children's TV that's of "okay" quality while mercilessly teasing you with random shorts and one-offs of the significantly higher visual and storytelling quality that you would rather we focus our attention on.
"To the Undiscovered Country - The future."
I lost track of how much talent is in this episode. I kept getting distracted by Bruce Boxleitner reprising his role as the President of Earth. What a lore-rich and beautiful episode this is. I think there is something for everybody. From the classic humor in the simulator, to getting deeper into Krill lore, to seeing multiple space battles.
To the above quote, this is The Orville's version of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Right down to the Abrahamic leader figure. And this time the subversion is that peace goes to shit and all anyone can do is simply prevent going to open war on multiple fronts. The wildcard, that I'm mad I didn't see coming, is that Ed got Teleya pregnant and she now has a Krill-Human daughter that could upset galactic politics and cause an uprising on Krill. Ed is now sitting on an H-bomb, and he might have to press the trigger.
Overall this episode has such a warmth to it, even on Planet Ibiza. All the vistas we get to see, all the held shots and silent moments. Seth said that every episode would feel like a movie, and so far that holds true. This is best one so far, and also one of the best of the entire series.
I cannot stress how meaningful it is to me that the camera is allowed to be in a fixed position for several seconds at a time! After finishing Obi-wan, I am so tired of free-roaming cameras and additional shaking being purposefully added in post when the scene is just someone talking.
I'm just going to keep saying it until it stops being true. Right now, there are exactly two scifi shows airing that are telling stories of this caliber. Neither of them are called Star Trek, but both of them are being worked on by Star Trek alumni. I'm at least grateful that science fiction that prioritizes smart storytelling is still an option. Gene would be proud of both of them. And I'd like to think he prefers this one. :)
Already out of the gate swinging! This show always goes straight to 10 and stays there as long as possible.
This show has so much heart! You have to be predisposed to hating anything that isn't classic Marvel to not enjoy this. Moon Knight was breathtakingly beautiful and way out there story-wise, but I didn't latch onto it the way I've taken to Ms. Marvel.
This is how you take characters and stories that are new to the Marvel pantheon and get people who grew up with the Silver Age heroes and more traditional storytelling to care about them as much as Captain America or Iron Man. This is the kind if energy the entire MCU needs going forward.
The story is much more cohesive and doesn't waste nearly as much time as it does in the series of the same name. But it's still just an okay story.
The musical number was fantastic, but it had me scared that one or both of them was about to die. (I might still be speaking too soon.)
Also, who else caught the "Prime Analytics" reference? Very smooth, Amazon.
This is one of the best episodes of the series. Not only do they provide a one-of-a-kind perspective, but they still manage to weave a typical M*A*S*H story together within the confines of a single soldier's perspective. A story that would have been a decent episode all on its own. To see the controlled-insanity of the 4077 from an outsider's perspective, rather that just seeing its effects on someone, is both enjoyable and sombering. And even though it's a happy ending, for all parties, the way the episode ends by simply killing the audio and freezing the video forces you to sit there in introspection and process what you just saw. Even watching this for the first time as a young kid, I had to spend some time to quietly process emotions I wasn't expecting to feel. They just don't make TV like this anymore.
That was gross, but hilarious.
If nothing else, that song at the end! Most believable allegiance switch I've ever seen.
I'm literally giggling because this is a real thing that exists. This will either be very bad or it will be amazing.
This episode is nothing like the premier. It doesn't have any gripping and dramatic scenes. But it accomplishes what every writer hopes to accomplish; It fills you with immense satisfaction because of what is happening, and makes you excited for what is to come. Rock on, Ronald Moore & team!
Censorship level: Avatar
(Also, OMG, Rosario Dawson!)
The Orville is finally established enough to start referencing lore created by previous episodes. This episode is an unexpected followup to another very good story from the first season. And in typical Orville fashion, it takes a very old and weathered collection of story tropes and gives them a fresh spin with a unique resolution. A reveal that threw me completely off the scent right up until they out and said what was actually happening and why. I got conned just as hard as everyone else, and it was very satisfying. I'm very interested to see the impact the Valdonis have on the Orville Universe. They seem like a much less antagonistic Q-like race that still might cause trouble with their indifference to less-evolved species.
Bortus' blank stare at the kid talking about TikTok and Instagram was the funniest part of this episode. Kelly clocking a flight attendant being a close second.
I loved the irony of Ed being told he was being deceived... by a fake version of Issac as part of an even larger deception.
The shot of the Kaylon drone staring into the bridge was amazing. I briefly thought it was intentional, very Cylon-like behavior.
The only thing I didn't like about this episode is that it didn't push the overarching story forward, even Shadow Realms involved the growing alliance with the Krill. There are only 10 precious episodes in this season. I'm perfectly fine with episodic content as long as the world of The Orville grows as much as possible... just in case.
This is being rating-bombed because of the Oscars incident, but this is a very good interview.
I grew up watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, hearing how it got shepherded to air is insane.
I feel like this movie can't decide if it wants to be a Kingsman movie or a serious war movie. In the end, it falls just short of being either. I enjoyed the references and the connecting fibers that make it part of the Kingsman universe, I enjoyed the more mature tones and the story arc surrounding Arthur's son, it is beautiful and willing to let colors show through (even in the gloomy trenches of a battlefield), but it was wrong to hype up Rasputin, a man infamous for being un-killable, only to kill him off long before the end of the film.
An impossibly-beautiful and heatbreakingly-emotional follow up to what is already one of the most beautiful and emotional Anime series ever made. While the Violet Evergarden series focused on Violet's exploration and uncovering of her clients' deepest feelings, this time it's Violet's turn to have a therapy session.
No matter how much you help others be true to theirselves, don't forget to be true to your own self.
