In the beginning of season one, our protagonists are trying to find their purpose on the ship, all the while questioning who or what they are, but what do we know about them in the first place? What's their backstory? Well, nothing really. As I said in my first post on "The Orville," the episodes don't spell it out. It's all implied through innuendo and subtext. We have very little history for most of the characters, so we're left with the characters themselves. We don't know where any of them were born, or how they ended up on this ship. All we know is what we see. So, what we've got here is a whole lot of ambiguity, in other words, lack of direction, or maybe it's a sense of freedom. We have no idea who any of the characters are, and they certainly don't know who they are, but at least it's honest. You are quite correct that the characters, as defined by us in this early stage, do not really know who they are or what to make of life on the ship. And, at least for the protagonists, nothing has prepared them for their existence aboard this strange, seemingly uncharted, spaceship with the crew whose faces they can't remember, and the mission they can't fathom. We're left not with answers but questions, and no one can answer them except us. This is a huge problem for me personally. I love the original Star Trek, especially the original series and The Next Generation. There, even though the characters sometimes didn't know what to do, there was a lot of direction and a lot of information. In those episodes, Kirk and his crew knew exactly what the mission was, and exactly who they were. Of course, with the characters not knowing their own histories, we never had to really worry about them. We weren't concerned if they were lost because there was no time to be lost. However, in the original episodes of Star Trek the series, at least, I felt like I knew who Kirk was, or how Spock felt. At least I knew that Kirk was a strong leader and friend, and that Spock would stand beside him. As you stated, it is implied, but it is there. This is one reason why I like Star Trek: Enterprise, and why I like "The Orville." We are left to figure things out ourselves, and the writers, especially for early episodes, allow this to happen. We watch this ship drift into space, not knowing where it came from, nor why the characters are doing what they are doing, and we watch this strange group of characters, learning together as they go. We watch the characters evolve and grow, but we are never told what the goal is. As we watch this ship, we see the crew start to figure it out. With the help of a mystery man from the past, we finally learn a little about how each of these characters came to be on this ship. We see them trying to figure things out as they go, and we see that they have some growing to do before they can reach their full potential. The characters might not even know who they are or what their purpose is, but they begin to answer those questions as they go. For me, that's why I love the episodes so much. I love seeing these characters learn and grow as they go. I want to know where this is going, I want to know who they are, and I want to know what they are trying to figure out. I love the mystery, and I want more. At the end of the first season, I'm left with more questions than answers, but with something that I've never had before. This ship is something new, and we see the characters, as they start the next adventure, with more questions than answers, but that doesn't bother me. I don't care what they are about as long as we keep finding out what they are about. Thanks for your kind words. I'm so glad that you were enjoying the story! And I'm glad you liked the ambiguity and didn't find it frustrating. I don't find it frustrating, either. However, some people do, so if you ever want to feel better about it, I recommend the following two articles. The first is a more in-depth analysis of how the characters and their relationships are being depicted. The second is a much-welcomed review of the show. I'll include some articles about the show itself, to boot. Enjoy! Yes, I get what you're saying. I don't think it's really that frustrating in and of itself, but it can be when you don't know where you're going. And this series has left us with so much ambiguity that we don't really know where it's going. So we sit in anticipation, wondering what's going to happen next. Quote: Originally Posted by Klaatus The second thing that is missing from this show is action. Yes, this show has a lot of characters to keep track of, but the creators also should have spent more time developing each one of them. This may seem minor to some people, but for me, there are scenes in which nothing really happens. I think this show is a "wait and see" show. You might see and enjoy one of these scenes, then see a completely different story from another character. There's nothing quite as frustrating for me, either, but I can see the benefit to it. After all, we watch a show to be entertained. You might not want to sit through a scene of a character drinking coffee and talking about their day. Yet, in the end, we have nothing better to do, so we watch it anyway. You don't need to do this for everything, but I do think it works in the long run. I've noticed that with every episode I've seen of The Orville. That scene always occurs where nothing much is going on. Most of the action is in the background. Of course, I love that approach, because it makes me feel like I'm seeing a different part of the world, instead of watching a completely different scenario. I'm not sure if it's intentional, or if that's the way it's written, but it works. Not that there's anything wrong with it, mind you. I love it when shows explore the characters, their relationships, and their purpose. And there is a lot to explore. Take for example, Dr. Claire Finn, who is the first human to go to Moclus and to get permission to land. She has a past that is left in the fog, and her relationship with her former mother-in-law has some unresolved issues that play out in the story. In just a few episodes we see her get engaged, give birth, give her child up for adoption, and more, and yet we don't know her real name. That mystery that you talk about was one of the reasons I fell in love with this show in the beginning. So many shows and movies take it for granted to know who the main character is, let alone how old they are or what they do for a living, let alone what kind of a relationship they have. We get hints, but not all the time. I've never understood why so many people love the same character in different shows or movies, but hate the same character in different shows. That's just the way it is. I'm one of those people that hates the same character in different movies or shows. I think a lot of people have become jaded with these types of shows. They think that if there's a show that's in the same genre as some other one that they like, they're going to dislike it. I don't understand that point of view. Every show or movie is different. And if you really like a certain series or film, you shouldn't run off and watch something else that has the same type of characters or storyline just because it's in the same genre as the show you like. They're different stories with different characters and different stories, but I think we owe