The Orville – “About a Girl” (s1e3)
Warning Spoilers ahead!
When Dr. Finn refuses Bortus and Klyden’s request to have their daughter undergo gender reassignment surgery, which is standard practice for Moclans on the very rare occasions when a female is born, the parents petition Mercer to order the procedure. Mercer refuses, as he (and the rest of the crew) object to performing such a procedure on a healthy infant, so Bortus and Klyden arrange to have the procedure performed on a Moclan vessel. Gordon and John change Bortus’s mind by showing him Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but Klyden still wants to proceed, revealing that he was born female. The case is arbitrated on the Moclan planet, Moclus, where Kelly represents Bortus; she casts doubt on the idea of male superiority by demonstrating that Alara is physically strong and Gordon is stupid. Ed locates a female Moclan of advanced years, Heveena, who testifies that she lived a happy and fulfilling life in seclusion, and reveals that under the pseudonym “Gondus Elden” she has become an esteemed novelist on Moclus. But Klyden and the tribunal are unconvinced, and the baby undergoes the surgery. Despite their disagreement, Bortus and Klyden are committed to one another and to giving their son, Topa, a good life.
Another great episode of The Orville. Ths episode shos us that Seth MacFarlane has no issues being episodes addressing current affairs – naimly gender and identity. With how heated these topics currently are in (American) society there is a ton of ways ths episode have gone wrong, but it addressed with intelect and reason and while I would have prefered a different outcome, we are reminded that not all battles are won, but the need to persevere is most important.
The Orville is ment to be a homage to Star Trek and for this episode I must tip my hat to Seth MacFarlane. One of star Trek’s defining characteristics is to give a voice to topics that need to be address.d and to do it in a way that dosnt’t offent by removing it to a different place. Many of the best episodes in all of Star Trek are thses intelectual episodes that look at real issues. “About a Girl” shows that The Orville can do that same
