Posted by Jonathan Klotz | Published
The Orville is an obvious tribute to Star Trek: The Next Generation made with love by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, and right out of the gate, it was supported by a star from a different Star Trek series. Robert Duncan McNeill, famous for playing hotshot himbo Tom Paris in Voyagerjumped into the director’s chair for the show’s second episode, “Command Performance,” which helped the sci-fi homage get off on the right foot. Part old-school adventure episode, and part comedy, McNeill pulled off some amazing balancing act to make the episode pop.
Command Performance Revised Menagerie
“Command Performance” begins normally enough The Orvillewith Captain Ed Mercer (MacFarlane) and First Officer Kelly Grayson (Adrianne Palicki) helping a ship attacked by alien Krill, when it transforms into a ship. Star Trek: The Original Series episode, “The Menagerie.” Mercer and Grayson find themselves hostages in an intergalactic zoo of the Calivons, who bear a striking resemblance to the Talosians, the villains of the classic TOS, while Alara (Halston Sage), the Chief Security Officer, is left in command of the ship. . Considering Spock’s decision to defy the Federation, Alara makes the decision to pursue their missing Captain on the homeworld of Calivon, risking a court battle in the process.
The Orville’s “Command Performance” may be an almost off-beat homage to “The Menagerie,” but the rest of the episode, which revolves around Bortus (Peter Macon) and his egg-hatching spouse, stands out. Star Trek: Voyager’s “Someone Who Will Look After Me.” The Season 5 Voyager episode featured Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) learning about dating, but more importantly, it was also directed by Robert Duncan McNeill, and he wanted to capture the emotions of Seven’s interactions with the team and Bortus. Moclan society, which is dominated by men, is explored in greater depth later in the series, but the seeds of subsequent drama and character development were planted under McNeill’s watch.
The culmination of an engaging “Command Performance”. Real Housewives it feels good to nod The Orville’s the writers of Star Trek’s contemporary pop culture obsession and comedy show that you’ll eventually get away with pushing Trek’s silliness to the extreme. As the show progressed, it became more of a mystery than a comedy, turning into a love letter to the original Trek when it seemed like sci-fi shows were moving away from exploring where no one had gone before.
Not Only a Star Trek Veteran Can Direct
After the Robert Duncan McNeill episode aired, another Star Trek legend entered The Orville’s director’s chair when Jonathan Frakes directed “Pria,” the fifth episode of Season 1, which also featured Charlize Theron as the mysterious blonde woman. McNeill’s time in the “Command Performance” chair proved that the show could hit the shelves of old-school Trek, but Frakes helped push it forward, providing a transition where it could start to stand on its own.
Command Performance” is not a very good episode The Orvilleit was also the only one directed by Robert Duncan McNeill, but it is important to lay the groundwork for future stories that helped move the show away from impersonating Star Trek. That, and there are still some fun moments, from seeing Ed and Kelly’s relationship to Bortus explaining that, yes, he laid an egg.
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