The Orville - If The Stars Should Appear - Review + Favourite Scene POLL

In 'If the Stars Should Appear' The Orville tells a familiar story in a satisfying and entertaining way.

The plot about a gigantic ship housing a self-sustaining ecosystem was stunning in both concept and how it was depicted. The episodes was very reminiscent of Star Trek, with its simple, but yet touching, human centric story.

The dictatorship part of the episode felt like a bit of an afterthought, though the always devilishly fabulous Robert Knepper made it a passable plotline . And how about that surprise cameo of Liam Neeson? It would have been nice to see him used in a more comedic role ala Ricky Gervais (YouTube his scene, if you haven't seen it already), but having him explain the whole situation was nevertheless amusing just to see him randomly pop up on the screen.

What the Neeson scene led to was the highlight of the episode. The opening of the dome was absolutely awe inspiring and as astounding to the viewers as it was for the ship inhabitants as they looked up, wide eyed at the stars. Also, the Emerson quote Claire used and the basis for the episode title, “If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years, how man would marvel and stare," was a really nice touch to the proceedings.

The humour again was hit or miss. Kelly was the MVP for the second week in a row with her sass and defiant sarcasm. Her bit, while being tortured, about her friends being at Central Park and then referring to the syringe as a "scale model of your penis" were some laugh out moments. Adrianne Palicki continues to be a gem of a casting for this show.

It was great to see Kelly spend most of her screen time away from Captain Mercer in 'If The Stars.' Their bickering, though so far has been hilarious, could get old very quick, and it is important to see them interacting with other characters for a change.

On the flip side, Norm Macdonald would usually be a welcome addition to a show's cast, but his Yaphit, so far, is not working. The running gag of his blob penis as he tries to seduce Claire was not funny at all. So was Mercer spitting the food in the napkin - a bit of awkward humour akin to his elevator scene - the latter of which did work really well (loved the shades of Nick Peralta in this scene).

What made 'If the Stars' especially great was how every character had some time to shine after two very character centric episodes. The Bortus and Klyden scene offered a nice transition from last week into this week - continuity is always a positive - and Klyden eating ice cream while watching The Sound of Music was an amusing moment and a nice nod to McFarlane's love of musicals. Also amusing was the bromance between Gordon and Lamar, and their WTF rant about star mapping.

Isaac's lack of understanding of human intimacy, and how to have a conversation, while inquiring Ed about his relationship with Kelly was also quite hilarious. While Alara, soldiering on through her near death situation, was bad ass.

Overall, The Orville did not break any new ground this past episode, but yet it continues to be thoroughly enjoyable, with just the right balance of heart and humour.

8.5/10

Let me know what you thought of the episode? And vote your favourite moment in the poll below!