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The Orville, ep. 3: I’m a survivor
We currently live in a hostile social environment that celebrates conformity of thought and stifles debate in favor of partisan orthodoxy. In the finest lineage of sci-fi social commentary, The Orville soared right into that toxicity, literally putting on trial some of the most controversial and contradictory issues facing society right now: the agency of the individual; the value of cultural relativity; oppression by patriarchy; celebration of diversity; and ableism.
In my real life I’m a folklorist, which means I study how culture looks to traditions for guidance. Bortas, a Moclan in a human-dominanted environment, is faced by contradictory cultural currents. His native Moclan belief is that being female is a “birth defect” and it’s criminal for parents to not correct the newborn’s condition. There are a few uncomfortable comparisons between gender reassignment surgery and being born with a cleft palate or an extra leg, but it’s stated overtly that Moclan society is built around this fundamental belief that women are incapable of contributing in their hyper-masculine and hyper-industrialized world.
On the other side is the human celebration of diversity and gender equality. Through Alara and Gordon, the point is dramatized that strength and intelligence are not linked to gender. Although the human side is treated as the “correct” position, the episode…
