Gordon being The Orville's Geordi or barclay is interesting.
No the pilot becoming the chief engineer is Orville's Geordi.
It was dumb when Star Trek did it, and didn't get any more clever.
Geordi is an awkward nerd who is bad with girls whose best friend is an android.
Jay is a charismatic playboy.
The only thing those two have in common is that they're black and chief engineers.
Gordon has far more in common with Geordi and fell in love with a dead girl/hologram, just like Geordi.