Episode Title: Nothing on Earth Excepting Fishes
Original Airdate: January 17, 2019 (Watched via Hulu 2/27)
Grade: A
Notable Guest Stars/Directors:
Yul Brynner (King of Siam) – okay, so its not really him so much as its a clip from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I, but I love that movie so I’m going to point out that Yul Brynner is here.
Patrick Warburton (Lt. Tharl ) – recurring character. I’m not entirely sure, but I think this might be Tharl’s last episode for awhile.
Michaela McManus (Lt. Janel Tyler) – According to IMDB she’s known for being in Aquarius, but I know her from One Tree Hill as Lindsey Strauss, Lucas’ fiance in season 4. She’s also been on the Orville before – both in the season opener for this season and a episode in season one.
Chris Johnson (Cassius) – recurring character.
Notable Quotes:
Well, this scene from The King And I
SPOILERS BELOW
So in this episode, we are introduced to two new ideas – One that Ed has been dating Janel Tayler, the new cartographer. The second is that Gordon has decided that he wants to do take the command test.
So apparently when Ed is dating and happy he feels like giving people breaks on their uniforms. Which I’m surprised that Kelly lets him get away with but that is the night shift. It’s nice to see Ed happy for once. The problem is almost every woman that Ed has shown interest in has been a bit….less then sane and/or normal. I also like that Kelly is okay with Janel and everything. While I still see those two as endgame as a viewer, this is much more healthier then some of the other show-run ships.
On Gordon’s side, I was honestly hoping to see Gordon be serious about the test. Scott Grimes is a great actor with both comedy and drama, and I would have liked to see him in something a little more serious. But instead it seems like Gordon is not unlike his character from ER – more comedic relief then serious character. At least at first, so maybe Archie’s later sucess will carry onto Gordon.
MAJOR SPOILERS
So, Janel is Teleya. I honestly didn’t realise that the actress was the same till she came on the screen as Teleya. It suddenly makes sense why Janel seems to not have much in common with Ed and a lack of cultural connections to the same things as Ed. While that wasn’t completely unheard of – after all my interest in Ancient Egypt doesn’t mean that everyone else is interested. Still, there is a general knowledge that continues on. I would have expected Janel to know some of that. So I wasn’t completely surprised when it turned out Ed’s love interest was not who she said she was at all.
I have to hand it to Seth McFarlene. He really sells his character’s emotions in this episode, and the next.
Pros:
- The King and I (1956)
- Billy Joel. I like your taste, Ed.
- Kelly/Ed friendship
- Seth McFarlane’s acting
- The soundtrack/montage at the end.
Cons
- How did Ed and Janel connect again? Was it just residual interest from season 1?
- I would have liked to see Gordon develop a little bit
Sokorra Lewis 