Review of 'The Orville' 2.6

That's the way episode 2.6 of The Orville ends—with Gene Kelly's dulcet rendition of "Singin' in the Rain," and rain actually falling over everyone in the command cabin, as Isaac and Claire walk off, a newly reunited couple, with Isaac in human simulation, to a restaurant to have dinner, and likely her bedroom after...

A love story, Orville style, this time with more humor than profundity, but enough serious stuff to make this not only a light but significant episode.

No way a robot and a human can have a satisfying, continuing relationship—that's the initial, obvious premise of this story. And though Claire and Isaac each try their best, they soon discover that this just can't work.

The key turning point occurs when Isaac realizes that his programming, which is always being modified based on his experience, can't operate completely correctly with Claire out of his life—or maybe out of his existence would be a better way of putting it. This means he has come to love her, in his own way. The greater realization for us in the audience is that sentience conquers all—meaning, two sentient beings can fall in love, or begin to fall in love, regardless of whether one is comprised of DNA and the other of some kind of advanced digital or whatever inorganic circuitry.

That's a nice state of affairs, and reminiscent of the android series, Humans, in which love between homo sapiens sapiens and the androids happens all the time. Of course, just as with love between humans, the chemistry has to be there. In this episode of The Orville, even Yaphit gives it a shot, and makes a play for his long longed-for Claire, as his slime (just a physical description, no knock on his character) assumes human form. Alas, for him, that didn't work. But it was good to see Norm Macdonald in the flesh on the ship, in addition to hearing his voice.