MeanJoePhaser
Admiral
Forgot that episode.
Reminds me of Groening's commentary on the Mars college episode "why would anyone build a fat robot?"
FUTURAMA: Rebirth
- Thread starter tharpdevenport
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Forgot that episode.
Reminds me of Groening's commentary on the Mars college episode "why would anyone build a fat robot?"
"Sir, she is as the factory made her."
Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman
Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman
The writers love to joke along these lines. Why would anyone build robotic gangsters or robotic hobos with built-in bindles?
MeanJoePhaser
Admiral
"Well, they should've stopped making her about half-way through."
Labor saving devices for real gangsters and hobos. The future is awesome.
Yeah, the way it was presented almost made you think you were watching a zany cartoon set in the future with robots and spaceships.
Yes, ha ha. I just thought it was one bridge too far.
And particularly so, because it wasn't in service of a joke, but a dramatic and poignant reveal.
And particularly so, because it wasn't in service of a joke, but a dramatic and poignant reveal.
Well, that's exactly it. They needed to convey the impression of Bender as a loveable, vulnerable infant in a single, quick visual image. Just showing the full-sized Bender sucking on a booze bottle with a nipple wouldn't have been successful at conveying that impression, certainly not in a single image; the cognitive dissonance would've taken more time and explanation for the audience to parse. Depicting him as a baby in size as well as appearance is effective, efficient visual shorthand. It instantly and clearly conveys the desired emotional subtext: that this is Bender at his most innocent and vulnerable, an infant worthy of love. It's not so different from telling a joke, because that also requires conveying an emotional or conceptual point as quickly and efficiently as possible, something that will instantly reach the audience on a visceral level rather than requiring them to think about it to figure out what it means.
MeanJoePhaser
Admiral
Of course, there's the obvious question that would've nullified the plot. What's so hard about installing a back-up unit, anyway? Steal Flexo's...is Flexo, last seen in a recycling bin, still functioning or did he get recycled on that toxic planet?
MeanJoePhaser
Admiral
"The Late Philip J. Fry" was pretty darn good high concept wackiness.
I like they pushed the Planet of the Apes bit to its absurd point.
Giraffes rule.
I thought the knight on the ostrich was gonna be a Joust (80's video game) reference.
Cubert appears, too.
I like they pushed the Planet of the Apes bit to its absurd point.
Giraffes rule.
I thought the knight on the ostrich was gonna be a Joust (80's video game) reference.
Cubert appears, too.
Excellent episode. I predicted the solution to the one-way time travel well in advance, but the second loop 'round was a great twist.
The most quotable story since Bender's Big Score, too.
"Everywhere I looked, there were piles of bodies. Then the explosion struck."
"Time? I can't go back there!"
"Fetch me my drinking teeth!"
"Oh, the emptiness!"
"Yeah, I can take a hint."
The most quotable story since Bender's Big Score, too.
"Everywhere I looked, there were piles of bodies. Then the explosion struck."
"Time? I can't go back there!"
"Fetch me my drinking teeth!"
"Oh, the emptiness!"
"Yeah, I can take a hint."
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It was entertaining, but didn't live up to the "This is our Emmy shot" hype. It was a clever high-concept romp and had a number of good gags, but it didn't have the kind of emotional depth that makes a great Futurama episode. What could've been a moving story about Fry and Leela losing each other came off as kind of half-hearted, perhaps because the episode seemed more focused on the time-travel gimmicks with the character story as a sidebar. And none of the future societies became anything more than a brief gag. They tried to do too much at once. This is a story they should've done as a movie, or at least a 2-parter. Maybe do it so that Leela discovers what's happening to Fry sooner and spends lifetimes going to great lengths to catch up to him and be reunited with him. That would've been really poignant and I'm getting a little misty-eyed just thinking about it. It's a bad sign when the only thing that really moves you about an episode is your own fan rewrite of it.
Also, some of the gags fell flat. The Planet of the Apes statue gag was overdone and labored. And Leela's "I don't know if I should be angry or sad" reaction when she thought Fry was dead was just awkward. You can't just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!
Also, some of the gags fell flat. The Planet of the Apes statue gag was overdone and labored. And Leela's "I don't know if I should be angry or sad" reaction when she thought Fry was dead was just awkward. You can't just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!
MeanJoePhaser
Admiral
I liked the Apes bit being overdone, as I feel that was the point. It's so oft parodied that you have to overdo it otherwise it seems uninspired.
Yeah, Leela's reaction seemed off.
It's funny they went through the cycle again rather than stopping at the hot women era where they had back moving time machines.
"Late Fry" was an instant classic. I loved seeing the ultimate future of the world. And they even threw in a romantic angle as well. Plus it was actually chock full of real science! I was pretty disturbed that from now on they're going to be in Universe C... it's a throw away joke but basically all the characters are dead and now copies except for Fry, Prof, and Bender! 
I think the amount of Leela drama was just enough. I wouldn't them to go on endlessly with that.
I think the amount of Leela drama was just enough. I wouldn't them to go on endlessly with that.
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