Futurama Season 7 Discussion Thread

The episodes didn't really hold my attention. I felt that last season was a bit lack-luster too. I fear that Futurama is falling prey to the Family Guy uncancellation syndrome.

 

A work of fantasy doesn't have to be consistent with the laws of the real world, but it should be consistent with its own internal logic and rules. Most importantly, it should be true to its characters, and as I said, I can't believe a megalomaniac like Mom, who's been explicitly shown using her robots' programmed filial devotion to her as a tool for world conquest, would permit her robots to have any mother figures except her. That's just out of character. But playing fast and loose with the laws of physics is entirely consistent with the previous Futurama universe.

I agree. What was cool about the original series is that it allowed real growth and change for its characters, at least occasionally and incrementally. It felt like it wouldn't be caught in a perpetual present like The Simpsons, and that made it distinctive and appealing to me, since I was starting to find The Simpsons increasingly stale even then.

But now they're pretty much doing as The Simpsons did and as Marvel Comics has generally done -- always keeping pace with the current year (plus 1000), but not aging the characters.

 

Just repeat to yourself, "It's just a show, I should really just relax..."

 

^^ No, I think it's good to have standards.

Unfortunately, I didn't know Futurama was back. I hope it's on On Demand, but it wasn't last year, so I don't have high hopes....

 

ScruffBucket is the only ship for me. Theirs is a forbidden love.

 

7-3: Decision 3012

Liked:
-"Enviro-myte!"

-One Hour Hot Dog

-The ending that followed time travel rules.

Disliked:
-Lazy writing. Unclever, unfunny references to 2008 and the Nixon era. Wow. Seems writer Patric Verrone is more miss that hit (and I liked That's Lobstertainment).

-This one sounds weird, but the lead characters have become to important to their universe/world at least to the point of redundant adventures. Leela, Fry and Bender involved in the presidential election...again (no mention that Nixon once had Bender's body). Sure future Bender conquers Earth, why not, Zoidberg did it once...well, his people did.

All this saving the world/dooming the world/resaving the world. Can't we just go on some wacky delivery adventures?

-The ending...which was right, but also a reset button. Status quo maintained. Nixon still in charge. Meh.

 

Not bad, but a bit too close a parallel to recent events. It probably won't hold up well in years to come. Also, I'm disappointed by the ending -- it would've been nice to have some real change in the premise. I thought that where they were going was that the new guy would turn out to be just more of the same once he actually got into office. After all, there is no real "right" version of time-travel fiction (he could've just created an alternate timeline and lived on in it), just whatever suits the story you want to tell. (According to real physics, time travel is most likely impossible, and if it's not, then it would be self-consistent with no alteration possible.)

The thing that bugged me the most was the way the episode embraced the lazy, ignorant stereotype of Africa = jungle and animals. Africa is the most diverse continent on Earth in geography, climate, culture, and ethnicity. It has plenty of major, modern cities, so there's no reason 31st-century Africa couldn't have looked as high-tech and urbanized as most other locations they visit. At the very least, Kenya's ecosystem is savannah and steppe, not jungle.

I did like the continuity nod to Bender's Big Score -- that they figured out time travel by finding a record of the code Bender used in that film.

 

Crap. Forgot again. I'll have to search the schedule for re-runs.

 

The first half was clunky political parody on topics that have been hashed over way too much already, but then it got into the actual sci fi content and improved a lot.

And I think RJDiogenes needs to invest in a trusty DVR. Set and forget!

 

I had the same thought when they went to Africa. I was expecting some kind of Africa themed city, and all we got was a hospital in the middle of a jungle. I thought the rest of the episode was pretty good, although I do agree that it probably won't hold up real well in years to come due to all of the current events based humor.

 

^
I, too, was hoping that they'd advert the sterotypical view of Africa. I half expected the Planet Express shuttle to clear the leaves and find a fully futuristic city.

On the other hand, I loved the beginning with the "Free Beer" opening gimmick.

 

You're definitely right. More capacity than VHS, too.

 

^Yeah, I expected them to hack their way out to find they'd parked in the only patch of jungle in the middle of a massive cityscape.

Anyway, I thought there weren't any jungles on Earth anymore. Was this one transplanted over from Mars?

 

The Thief of Baghead

Homer gets a new job as a...wrong show. Hard for them not to overuse Bender.

Not too shabby. The part about Bender using a camera that still uses film. Cheap jokes like Selen Go-Bot and Parts Hilton amused me. The mysterious actor was an interesting foil.

Wait, is

Spoiler: Thief of Baghead

Calculon still dead?

 

^ Well, with Futurama's strict adherence to continuity, yes, Calculon must

Spoiler: Calculon

stay dead

 

I wouldn't care if he did, he was never that interesting. Though at least he isn't a one-note, instantly dated creation like Elzar.

Speaking of continuity...
Continuity error: Zoidberg and The Professor were in commando attire, then when the monster had Zoidberg and Farnsworth in its clutches, they were back in their regular clothes.

Spoiler: Upcoming episode

Upcoming episode titled "Viva Mars Vegas"...wasn't Mars just thrown out of its orbit?

 

I found this a mostly mediocre episode that didn't hold together very well. I mean, if the plan was to "help" Calculon win the acting contest, they didn't really do anything to help. All they did was ask him to help them. And then they just stood there and let Cobb's ego get inflated by the audience acclaim -- at least they could've booed him from the side of the stage, or better yet, tried to undermine his performance by sabotaging the lights or curtains or distracting him somehow. Given how much was at stake, the gang made virtually no attempt to turn things in their favor, and that's just lazy writing.

The one thing I really liked was the part where Calculon did Romeo's death scene and they let Maurice LaMarche actually play it straight instead of doing his usual Calculon ham routine. It was a good showcase for LaMarche as an actor, though a questionable fit to the character.

 

"Welcome... to Jurassic Tank."

The writers have hit a stride again. I was starting to think Futurama would never again consistently be what it was in its hey-day; but 3 out of the last 4 episodes have been solid classics!

 

Not horrible not great. I can't really think of any specific comments other than that it was ok.