IR TV Review: THE ORVILLE - NEW HORIZONS - EPISODE 4 (“Gently Falling Rain”) [Hulu]
The interesting aspect that has happened with certain parts of “The Orville” in its new season on Hulu as “New Horizons” is having both enough time to tell a story, a budget that seems unencumbered and a captain (both on screen and creatively) that isn't afraid to move against certain expectations to make something work in a way you weren't expecting. In Episode 4 of “New Horizons” entitled “Gently Falling Rain”, interesting enough, there is a balance between two camps (Star Wars and Star Trek), both of which touch on family. Producer Brannon Braga (who came from “Star Trek”) mentioned to this reviewer in an interviewer before the premiere of this season of what McFarlane calls “comedy frosting” in the show which is meant to almost sweeten the drama. That is the case here with a less standalone episode yet it still speaks to a larger mythos and intimacy of character. It is a very specific use of emotion versus politics (and is not unlike a family dynamic in another big science fiction property). McFarlane treats this approach with the right response, doesn't overplay it, but understands its context (this is the man who also made the most recent iteration of “Cosmos” so there is a love of the human condition in all its faults).
Also being even more precise and timely, McFarlane and his team weaves different aspects of modern society, both when this was made last year but also in its precise connection to this precise moment right now in terms of themes and practical issues. In this episode, The Orville is purely a drama and while it feels heavier than the previous episodes, it is no less poignant. On top of that, the special effects on this episode specifically are simply insane for a TV show with their level of use. One thinks “Attack Of The Clones” in a way which is pretty interesting to say. There are also stakes and a level of brutality which some characters almost cannot come back from (a hark to another legacy character as well). That is always daring to do with characters when there needs to be something left to bridge back with. “Gently Falling Rain” has a real meaning to it because of the irony it presents but also the context it provides to a relationship which in only a few lines brings the gravitas where it needs to be so the show can continue on. B+
By Tim Wassberg
