I've decided to watch all of Futurama. I was big on the show when it premiered but I never followed it that regularly. I would see episodes here and there. And then it got cancelled. Years later, I saw it on the cartoon network and started trying to catch up on it again and what I missed but then I kind of stopped because other stuff would catch my eye.
Then there were the 6th and 7th seasons that I never saw but I think it was Plugabugz or Ooohboy who used to review them in the "rate the last TV show" thread (which is sometimes why I wish things could be divided by series instead of everything in one mega thread to look up past comments) and seemed pretty positive about them especially the ending of the series. A good series ending can go a long way to make a series great. I think it's one helps give MASH part of its enduring appeal. Recently, I just wanted to watch a little comedy while eating a meal and thought of Futurama and finally seeing it all. I'm sure there's even episodes in the original 4 season run I've missed.
Why not post the progress here on NWR and make this forum further into my own personal blog? Sure, the reader reviews forum mentions it for being about Nintendo games but that doesn't give this forum much life. I've always felt that just opening it up to reviews in general might better suit it. If the mods don't agree, then you can move this over to General Chat but I say we shake things up a bit. Rattle a few cages. Plus, destroying the Review Forum will at least give the Funhouse time to breath and recover from how much I've been suffocating it in the last couple months so that I can go back and burn it all down again later.
I'm not interested in really getting in depth with things here. I'm sure there are many other sources out there and better reviewers than I who have broken the series down quite well. I'm just going to rate episodes and make a few quick observations about them. My grading system will just be a simple A, B, C, D, F. Here's a breakdown:
A = a top tier episode and one I would watch again and again and recommend to people to make them fans of a show. Using The Simpsons as a reference, an A would be an episode like Last Exit to Springfield.
B = a solid episode but slightly lacking in someway which holds it back. Using The Simpsons as a reference, a B episode would be like Homer the Vigilante
C = an average episode. You get some enjoyment out of it and sometimes you are a bit bored by it. Using the Simpsons as a reference, a C episode would be like Lisa on Ice.
D = a subpar episode. There's a bit of enjoyment but a lot of the episode doesn't work or, worse, annoys you. Using the Simpsons as a reference, a D episode would be like Saturdays of Thunder.
F = a failure. Would not want to watch again. Even if there is one or two good moments, the rest of the episode destroys any desire to see them again. Using the Simpsons as a reference, an F episode would be like All Singing, All Dancing.
As I watch more episodes, I'll add them to this thread. If anyone wishes to join in on this or make their own specific comments about episodes as I cover them, please feel free to join in. I'm always interested to know what other people take away from the same viewing experience.
Let's begin!
Season 1
Space Pilot 3000
Despite having seen this episode a few times, it had been years since I'd last watched it so a lot of it felt fresh again. The characters voices seemed a bit off to me but that is to be expected as the voice actors were only just learning them. It does a good job of introducing the main 3 characters and this world to get you to come back for more even if it feels more like set-up then self-contained story. Rating: B
The Series Has Landed
This episode sold me on Futurama and it still holds up so well. More of the cast is introduced, there are more laughs than the pilot and all kinds of different gags throughout the episode come together in the end. Really well done and Fry's sentiments about the moon echo my some of my own thoughts about it. A perfect blend of sentiment and laughter. Rating: A
I, Roommate
The series is still doing some world building in this episode which is to be expected and establishing the character relationships. It's not as brilliantly plotted as the 2nd episode but it's got a lot of great material especially the whole Bender being sober and told to drink element. I was cracking up at that. A good little twist ending also helps wrap up the episode strong. Rating: B
Love's Labours Lost in Space
The introduction to Zap Brannigan. While the beginning of finding Leela a date is ok, when the episode meets up with Zap Brannigan and starts making some Star Trek jokes is when it really takes off. His willingness to send wave after wave of men to their deaths cracks me up now thinking about it. Long-suffering Kif is the perfect foil. The episode then scales back down on the comedy by the time the crew leaves Zap and land on the planet. Another good ending although it isn't really funny but a bit clever in how it all works out. Rating: C
Fear of a Bot Planet
While Bender is clearly the comedic star of the series right now, it's hard to feel a lot of sympathy for him at the beginning although the casual way Fry dismisses robots as living is a bit humorous. There are a few good gags along the way and yet it feels as though the set up wasn't used to as full a potential as it could have been. The ending is a bit weaker than what had come before as well. The Robot Council admitting their corruption was a problem is the standout joke I take from that episode. Rating: C
A Fishfull of Dollars
I love the premise of this episode of Fry collecting all the interest on his bank account. The opening with ads in dreams and shopping is great. Mom is a so-so character but it is the eldest son who sounds and looks a bit like Vincent Price who is the standout to me of that group. I do feel bad though that Fry loses all his money over nothing which returns things to status quo but it irks me and I feel bad for the guy even if he doesn't seem all that bothered by it. After the strong beginning though, the episode is just hit and miss for me. Rating: C
My Three Suns
A rather forgettable episode. I can detail the plot for you but it's hard to think of any big laughs from this episode aside from Dr. Zoidberg regretting he had seconds and Bender making Amy cry at the end. It's also the third time now where Fry has had to make up with a friend. First its Bender in the third episode, then Bender and Leela in the 6th episode and now Leela in this episode. It's already starting to become tiresome. Rating: D
A Big Piece of Garbage
This is the episode where I realized how different Futurama could be from The Simpsons. If they want to parody a movie like Armageddon, the setting and world is far more flexible to do it than in The Simpsons. Which is funny since it has a sort of Bart Simpson cameo in it. A pretty solid episode with a lot of great gags and a new foil in Wernstrom. I did like the solution to how the problem was solved. Just an overall solid job of making some great jokes around the set-up and material. Of all the episodes I've seen of Futurama, I think I've somehow ended up watching this one the most. This might have been my 5 or 6th viewing. Rating: B
Hell is Other Robots
Ugh. Maybe this is why I stopped following Futurama in its beginning. I remembered not liking it but not why so I was interested to re-watch it. Big mistake! This episode is terrible. While the premise of Bender becoming well mannered seems like it could create some laughs, there were maybe two times I smiled in this episode. For the most part, my expression was probably slack-jawed incredulousness at what the writers were thinking when they wrote this or how it ever made the air. The episode just keeps getting worse and worse until the absolute nadir of when the characters sing a song about robot hell. I was ready to just stop it and walk away but I hung on until the bitter end to get nothing. I know Bender flies out of Hell but I can't recall anything that happens after the hatch closes. Different plot points raise so many questions about why things happen yet the characters just go from one scene to the next just because they happen that way. A complete mishmash. Rating: F
A Flight To Remember
A Titanic parody because everyone in the end of the 90's had to do Titanic jokes and parodies because of that behemoth of a movie. Despite what could be a tired premise, this episode actually holds up pretty well and gives most of the characters some great moments. My most favorite thing of this episode has to be Hermes and the limbo. That has me laughing again already. Even with Titanic now a distant pop culture phenomenon, the episode fits quite well into the Futurama universe and one can almost imagine it being written for this show anyways even if the movie Titanic never existed. Maybe I'm rating it a bit high after the last episode but... Hermes. Rating: B
Topic: The Futurama Review Project (Read 9738 times)
