S01.E02: And Then He's Gonna Shoot Off…

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

As Rav and her team meet with a NASA representative to plot a potential rescue mission, Ryan learns that Cyrus an engineer working in a hidden part of the ship, has a surprisingly optimistic theory about the ship’s future. Judd (Josh Gad) donates a lavish personal item to help commemorate a fallen crew member. Karen becomes a vocal advocate for passengers. Mia and Doug receive marital counseling from Matt.

Airing Sunday, January 26, 2020.

[patty1h]

Episode 2.... still didn't laugh and disliked it more than last week.  I'm out.

[ottoDbusdriver]

That was really bad.  Like really, really bad -- didn't laugh either, not even once.

Judd needs to join the fleet of orbiting corpses.

Seriously, Josh Gad needs to get the hell off this show -- and then this show would be only kind of bad.

Is there going to be a gravity-related incident every episode ? 
Because this show will get even more tedious if that's the case.

[themadman]

I thought the pilot was godawful but allowed it the benefit of doubt of pilot jitters. 

But this episode has confirmed my fears. Bye bye.

[Netfoot]

Not good.

I started making a list of people that should be 'spaced'.  Judd, Karen, Matt, Rav... Then I realised I was including people that weren't in space.

I'll give this one more chance, because Hugh Laurie. But I'm not sure even he can save this.

Edited January 27, 2020 by Netfoot

[arachne]

1 hour ago, Netfoot said:

I'll give this one more chance, because Hugh Laurie. But I'm not sure even he can save this.

ITA. Laurie was great in The Night Manager, but I looked forward to seeing him do comedy again. Sadly, between Catch-22 and this mess, he seems to be treading water. 

[iMonrey]

So I'm not alone. I'm sitting watching this waiting for it to be funny and it never quite is, is it? I don't get it. It has an excellent cast and comes from the same guy who wrote Veep. It's a promising enough premise. Why isn't it working? Why isn't it funnier? 

Quote

Seriously, Josh Gad needs to get the hell off this show -- and then this show would be only kind of bad.

Him and Zach Galifianakis are two actors that always play the same irritating idiot-assholes nobody should ever have to tolerate. 

[Bulldog]

I'll join the chorus and say that I'm out.  I actually didn't think the pilot episode was bad, but this second episode was truly awful.  Didn't laugh once.

[Quilt Fairy]

I feel like I'm in Bizarro-world.  Usually it's me that hates something that everyone else thinks is terrific.  But this is the reverse.  

I think it's funny. Very funny, with smart dialog and some visuals that had me laughing out loud.  Hugh Laurie changing between American and English accents from one sentence (and sometimes one word) to the next is amazing. 

Karen: You don't have some magic escape pod that you're going to use, do you?

Capt:  If I had an escape pod, madam, I'd put you in it.  

[Joimiaroxeu]

I really don't understand where they're trying to go with this show. It seems to be mainly a star turn for Hugh Laurie but it's not as if he needs it unless it's just for the money. And I don't get why they're going back and forth with his accent. He does a near-perfect American accent and I can't imagine there's anyone left who doesn't know he's British. What's the joke?

I'm still hanging in though.

Edited January 28, 2020 by Joimiaroxeu

[revbfc]

I’m loving this show, and I’m looking forward to seeing that ring of corpses orbiting the ship become more populated every episode.

[Starchild]

For me, this episode was much less funny than the previous one. Disappointed.

[UnknownK]

One more episode for me and if it doesn't get funny I am done.

[tennisgurl]

I cant say I ever imagined what it would be like if The Orville went through a wormhole and got mushed up with Star Trek: Voyager and somehow the people behind Veep were on the bridge crew, but here we are. 

[Bizabra]

I think it's funny!  So stupid, it's a hoot!

[PentaHookUp]

1 hour ago, Bizabra said:

I think it's funny!  So stupid, it's a hoot!

Funny/stupid/hoot is a good enough description of how I’m starting to feel about the show. 

Can’t really put my finger on what’s the attraction is for me; but, there just enough “something about it” (maybe it’s the “send-ups”) that makes me want to come back and give it another go.

Also, there have been some scenes/lines that made 😊 and 😃.

[CouchTater]

I think the "captain" slips between American and English accents because......it's quirky and random?  I find it amusing.

I find the show amusing, more so than laugh-out-loud funny.  In reading everyone's comments I've tried to think of tv shows that have been very LOL-worthy for me.  There aren't many.  Maybe I'm easier to please than some, but I think this show has some quick dialogue and quirky humor.  It's not setting my funny bone on fire, but it's ok so far.  It normally does take more than 2 episodes to get a true sense of a show.

*I feel like Josh Gad is doing a poor man's Jack Black.  His is probably my least favorite character so far.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Maybe I'm easier to please than some, but I think this show has some quick dialogue and quirky humor. 

That's the thing: I expect the dialogue to be much funnier with Armando Iannucci as writer and director. But it just isn't. I was amazed at the quick and sharp dialogue in Veep from day 1. I'm just not seeing it here. There are moments when it almost gets there, but it's just not up to that level. 

I'm starting to wonder whether the success and humor of Veep was due some other force beyond Iannucci. Like maybe there were assistant writers adding to the dialogue, or maybe the actors were doing a lot of ad-libbing and improvising. Something is truly missing here.

[Netfoot]

5 hours ago, Bizabra said:

I think it's funny!  So stupid, it's a hoot!

I'd say it classifies as farce, a comedy sub-genre that I find very hard to enjoy. Farce can be amusing, on the rare occasion it's done just right. But so far, no sign of them hitting the sweet-spot here.

[PentaHookUp]

22 hours ago, Netfoot said:

I'd say it classifies as farce, a comedy sub-genre that I find very hard to enjoy. Farce can be amusing, on the rare occasion it's done just right. But so far, no sign of them hitting the sweet-spot here.

So far I’m reminded of:

Galaxy Quest

Psych

Community

Fawlty Towers

Especially Psych and Community...Two shows that were very long on cheekiness and very short on doing things by-the-book; the way other shows of their genre were doing them. 

Edited January 30, 2020 by PentaHookUp

[Netfoot]

I'll give you Fawlty Towers. The rest.....

[PentaHookUp]

On 1/29/2020 at 3:53 PM, iMonrey said:

That's the thing: I expect the dialogue to be much funnier with Armando Iannucci as writer and director. But it just isn't. I was amazed at the quick and sharp dialogue in Veep from day 1. I'm just not seeing it here. There are moments when it almost gets there, but it's just not up to that level. 

I'm starting to wonder whether the success and humor of Veep was due some other force beyond Iannucci. Like maybe there were assistant writers adding to the dialogue, or maybe the actors were doing a lot of ad-libbing and improvising. Something is truly missing here.

Doesn’t have to be anything amiss when it comes to what he did or did not write re: "Veep".

Writers aren’t any different than producers, directors, actors, etc. in that they all wish they carried the “Midas” gene. But, alas, they do not; so can’t expect everything they touch to turn to gold.

[DoctorAtomic]

On 1/27/2020 at 5:23 PM, Quilt Fairy said:

Very funny, with smart dialog and some visuals that had me laughing out loud. 

The orbiting coffin was seriously funny. I'm not laughing out loud, but comedy doesn't have to be that for me.

It hasn't been quite 60 minutes of show, and it's a big cast to get enough character building in. The whole not wanting to pay NASA and that entire scene with the password was well done. And then lady just being like, noooope and leaving was funny.

Even though he's not a captain, I'm glad they didn't make Hugh Laurie a bumbling fool. I'm enjoying the chemistry between him and the engineer. I like the flat, droll delivery of the assistant too.

Farce is a good term. I'd probably go with absurd too.

 

[Commando Cody]

It would nice if someone would shoot Karen or shoot Karen into space.  I don't know why anyone from the crew is talking to her. 

I can't stand Judd either.  Aside from Hugh Laurie, I dislike almost everyone in this series. 

I hope the characters on this show change.  If they have five thousand to choose from I think they could introduce some characters that no one wants to shoot. 

[Natalie25]

On 2/23/2020 at 1:31 PM, Commando Cody said:

It would nice if someone would shoot Karen or shoot Karen into space.  I don't know why anyone from the crew is talking to her. 

I can't stand Judd either.  Aside from Hugh Laurie, I dislike almost everyone in this series. 

I hope the characters on this show change.  If they have five thousand to choose from I think they could introduce some characters that no one wants to shoot. 

Yeah I think I dislike most of the characters except Hugh Laurie, Billy, and Iris. But I'm still liking it so far otherwise.