As an actor, [Seth] MacFarlane displays basic competence, but
he does not have the charisma or chops to carry an entire season of an
hourlong drama, nor is he able to set the right tone for the show. Of
course, that would be difficult for anyone, given “The Orville’s”
inconsistency about what it wants to be. It tries to be light and
comedic, except when it’s a morality play or an action hour or a hangout
comedy set in space. It doesn’t help that most of the jokes don’t
display the liveliness of a batch of Tribbles.
-- Maureen Ryan, "TV Review: Seth MacFarlane’s ‘The Orville’ on Fox" (VARIETY).