Good post!
For myself, I just have to let plot accuracy/realism, at least my impression of what is accurate and realistic go as a requirement, take a suspension of disbelief reinforcement pill, and enjoy the crew relationships. However, I do not hold this series in the same regard as something like Star Trek Next Gen, Interstellar, Gravity, or The Arrival, projects where the producers were actually concerned with some level of scientific accuracy. I will place it in the company, although lesser than Galaxy Quest which was an excellent SciFi spoof.
Like you, I don't hold
The Orville in as high regard as
Star Trek. When Gene Roddenberry was developing TOS, which introduced many of the technologies in the
Star Trek universe, he made a concerted effort to follow scientific principles. A book he co-authored with Stephen E. Whitfield,
The Making of Star Trek, chronicles this well. (I first read it in the late 60s or early 70s and highly recommend it. It's available used on Amazon.)
Some of the technology on
The Orville mostly passes the sniff test. The ship's quantum drive is unexplained, but it's essentially equivalent to the warp drive on
Star Trek. Ditto with the food synthesizers, which appear to make something out of nothing. Maybe it's an ultra-fast form of 3D printing.
My biggest complaints about
The Orville are the characters' continual use of idioms and pop-culture references from our time, including by alien beings for whom English surely is a distant second language. I also sometimes cringe when crew members do things that would never pass muster in any functioning military hierarchy. And, speaking of aliens, I find it odd that so many are bipedal, with two arms, eyes, and ears, variations in skin, shape, and other features notwithstanding. I think that's why I like Yaphit so much.
Despite all this, I've become a dedicated fan of the series and look forward to more. To the best of my knowledge, though,
The Orville hasn't yet been picked up for a third season.
As far as the Krylon laser accuracy, we know that accuracy with a laser is as easy as point and shoot. If the target is in your sights, you will hit It. I was expecting Gordon to comment that the Krylon were still working on an upgrade from Windows 3.1, a laughable explanation.
Whether it's
The Orville,
Star Trek, or
Star Wars, I've often found it silly when laser-like weapons are aimed by humans or aliens. Computers would do a much better job by accounting for rapid changes in position and trajectory between shooter and target. But it wouldn't be as much fun, and using
The Force is the way to go if you can.
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My opinion:
I was at a Hollywood Show years ago and the guests were from Battlestar Galactica (Original), they said one of their greatest fears is to be "type-casted", especially when you're part of a successful movie or show.
Sage is young and started getting popular so maybe she wanted other roles before it got too late.
Perhaps, though it doesn't seemed to have harmed Emilia Clarke's career. Still while in retrospect it may seem foolish for any actor not to have stayed with
Game of Thrones, I don't think it was obvious how in-demand it would be until a couple of years after it debuted. Not that I expect
The Orville to ever achieve that level of success, sometimes it's worth waiting, especially if you're a regular.
When I consider actors leaving popular series, I always think of McLean Stevenson. He reportedly left M*A*S*H because he thought he could do better elsewhere, but his career slid after he departed. There were reportedly other issues, as well. Not only was his character replaced, Colonel Blake was killed, making a return impossible.
I'm happy that this hasn't happened to Alara Kitan/Halson Sage. It would be great to have her return for a guest spot every so often.
