 |
| OK, who didn't say "what could possibly go wrong" when they first watched this episode? |
Synopsis: It seems like Fry, Leela, and Bender have quickly had enough of the Planet Express missions- they only reconsider their resignations upon learning that the crew is going on the maiden voyage of the space cruise ship, Titanic. (This is gonna be a successful trip!) To try and ward off the advances of the ship's captain, Zapp Brannigan, Leela declares her engagement to Fry. At the same time, Amy declares Fry her boyfriend to impress her parents. Bender doesn't even get involved in that brewing love triangle- he's out to rob, and runs into (and falls head over heels over) the Countess de la Roca.
Meanwhile, Zapp decides to deviate from the ship's course- instead flying through a comet field and near a "blackish, hole-ish thing". Three guesses and no prizes for guessing what happens.
Review (SPOILERS): I wasn't old enough to know the true impact of Titanic-mania in the late 90s. Believe me, if it was anything like Avatar-mania in 2010, it probably got all the awards the year after it was released, and is now seen as just an excuse to show tons and tons of special effects through a very standard "romance" plot set during a disaster...
I think. I dunno- I never really watched the movie. (Well, there goes whatever little credibility I had.)
What this episode does do, for those that never watched Titanic, is launch the romantic subplots that would dominate the show over the next few seasons.
So far, we've seen Fry and Leela's relationship stick to a somewhat professional manner, yet with that aura of close friendship not unlike that seen between, say, Lieutenant Spock and Dr McCoy. The two seem at odds with each other, but are more than willing to save each other. That, my friends, is friendship.
This episode poses the big question- could they walk each other down the aisle?
In this episode, Leela uses Fry in an attempt to ward off Zapp Brannigan's harassment. I'll be honest- as much as I can understand her wanting to avoid Zapp Brannigan at all costs, this still comes off as a bit manipulative on her end. Not that it's a bad thing character-wise - it does set in the callous maneuvers that the characters can and will take to preserve their happiness- that Leela is not that much better than Bender in that regard. Plot-wise, it's a bit of a cliche, but it's not too irritating here, given it's to avoid Zapp.
However, Fry also gets pulled into Amy's own troubles. Her parents want her to get a boyfriend and produce children. Amy sees Fry. D'oh. Again, this plot does seem to tread old ground- thankfully, there's no montage of running back and forth between the two for Fry.
It's through Fry's interactions with Amy that Leela begins hinting at jealousy. What makes this brilliant is that it's all through Leela's facial actions and subtleties- there's no hints of exposition, no saying what she feels. Is it really romantic yet? Probably not. Still, you can see the friendship really bloom, and the buds of romance grow.
What I found more interesting was Bender's plot. It was more of a direct send-up to Titanic- poor boy falls for rich chick, star crossed lovers separated by disaster. What I found interesting is that, at first, there's a lot of confusion as to why the Countess would fall for Bender, even after the latter lied about his wealth. At first, it doesn't seem to make sense. However, the end comes, and the Countess sacrifices herself to the unfortunate black hole. Bender not only mourns her, but wants to know how much her bracelet was. Hermes takes a look.
Hell, this is the first time Bender appears to find something close to love. Sure, he's relatively close to Leela and Fry, but we still saw a self-centered robot there. Here, Bender actually lays his life on the line to rescue the Countess. His grief when she dies is at least somewhat genuine. Hell, I'd argue that his tears at the fact that the Countess's bracelet was a fake is partially tragic- that he dated somebody that was not all she was cracked up to be.
The two were meant for each other, flaws and all.
As far as Zapp, this is the first time we get a look at him in power. One word comes to mind- terrifying. I mentioned that he was a parody of Captain Kirk in my review of "Love's Labours Lost in Space". If this episode is anything to be believed, he seems to be more of a parody of Captain Janeway parodies- a nutter who makes stupid decisions and, when they backfire, would be quick to save his own sorry ass.
Amy's parents, I didn't like too much. Sure, I liked the fact that, for this wealthy couple, they're dressed pretty "casual". Still, they seemed a bit too one-note for me- they want Amy to get a boyfriend so that they produce heirs. Thankfully, they manage to come across a certain green alien... which we'll get to in Season 3.
We also get some development of Hermes- he was once a limbo champion who retired after a boy who was inspired by him suffered a crippling injury while trying to imitate him. During the Olympics, no less. It adds a bit of pathos to what had otherwise been a relatively untapped character, and it makes his decisions at the plot's climax that much more epic.
If this episode has any weak spots, again, it's the lack of memorable laugh-out-loud comedy. I'll take the trade off for character development, but the comedy seemed a bit light.
Still, I can't fault this episode too much there. After all, we got some wicked character development, some decent pathos, and an ending that almost made us feel bad for Bender.
Trivia:
Least Favorite Scene: Couldn't get into any scene that involved Amy's parents.
Score: 8.5
I think. I dunno- I never really watched the movie. (Well, there goes whatever little credibility I had.)
What this episode does do, for those that never watched Titanic, is launch the romantic subplots that would dominate the show over the next few seasons.
So far, we've seen Fry and Leela's relationship stick to a somewhat professional manner, yet with that aura of close friendship not unlike that seen between, say, Lieutenant Spock and Dr McCoy. The two seem at odds with each other, but are more than willing to save each other. That, my friends, is friendship.
This episode poses the big question- could they walk each other down the aisle?
In this episode, Leela uses Fry in an attempt to ward off Zapp Brannigan's harassment. I'll be honest- as much as I can understand her wanting to avoid Zapp Brannigan at all costs, this still comes off as a bit manipulative on her end. Not that it's a bad thing character-wise - it does set in the callous maneuvers that the characters can and will take to preserve their happiness- that Leela is not that much better than Bender in that regard. Plot-wise, it's a bit of a cliche, but it's not too irritating here, given it's to avoid Zapp.
However, Fry also gets pulled into Amy's own troubles. Her parents want her to get a boyfriend and produce children. Amy sees Fry. D'oh. Again, this plot does seem to tread old ground- thankfully, there's no montage of running back and forth between the two for Fry.
It's through Fry's interactions with Amy that Leela begins hinting at jealousy. What makes this brilliant is that it's all through Leela's facial actions and subtleties- there's no hints of exposition, no saying what she feels. Is it really romantic yet? Probably not. Still, you can see the friendship really bloom, and the buds of romance grow.
What I found more interesting was Bender's plot. It was more of a direct send-up to Titanic- poor boy falls for rich chick, star crossed lovers separated by disaster. What I found interesting is that, at first, there's a lot of confusion as to why the Countess would fall for Bender, even after the latter lied about his wealth. At first, it doesn't seem to make sense. However, the end comes, and the Countess sacrifices herself to the unfortunate black hole. Bender not only mourns her, but wants to know how much her bracelet was. Hermes takes a look.
"It's fake, man."This one line, delivered at the tail end of the episode, has more impact on the subplot than anything else. It really builds the question for the countess: is she a scammer like Bender? Was she herself a fraud who managed to weasel her way into high society? No matter what, it's implied that the Countess wasn't all she was cracked up to be.
Hell, this is the first time Bender appears to find something close to love. Sure, he's relatively close to Leela and Fry, but we still saw a self-centered robot there. Here, Bender actually lays his life on the line to rescue the Countess. His grief when she dies is at least somewhat genuine. Hell, I'd argue that his tears at the fact that the Countess's bracelet was a fake is partially tragic- that he dated somebody that was not all she was cracked up to be.
The two were meant for each other, flaws and all.
As far as Zapp, this is the first time we get a look at him in power. One word comes to mind- terrifying. I mentioned that he was a parody of Captain Kirk in my review of "Love's Labours Lost in Space". If this episode is anything to be believed, he seems to be more of a parody of Captain Janeway parodies- a nutter who makes stupid decisions and, when they backfire, would be quick to save his own sorry ass.
Amy's parents, I didn't like too much. Sure, I liked the fact that, for this wealthy couple, they're dressed pretty "casual". Still, they seemed a bit too one-note for me- they want Amy to get a boyfriend so that they produce heirs. Thankfully, they manage to come across a certain green alien... which we'll get to in Season 3.
We also get some development of Hermes- he was once a limbo champion who retired after a boy who was inspired by him suffered a crippling injury while trying to imitate him. During the Olympics, no less. It adds a bit of pathos to what had otherwise been a relatively untapped character, and it makes his decisions at the plot's climax that much more epic.
If this episode has any weak spots, again, it's the lack of memorable laugh-out-loud comedy. I'll take the trade off for character development, but the comedy seemed a bit light.
Still, I can't fault this episode too much there. After all, we got some wicked character development, some decent pathos, and an ending that almost made us feel bad for Bender.
Trivia:
- "A Flight to Remember" was technically the first episode of the second broadcast season. While I'm not a fan of the FOX schedule by any means, I actually found this pretty strategic- this was the first episode to really touch on the Freela romance, compared to the previous episodes which showed the relationship in a far more platonic light.
- Bizarrely, the Kif/Amy relationship, if the writers are to be believed, was supposed to be a one-off gag. Cue Season 3, and it becomes one of the tertiary arcs.
- We get a hint at the geopolitical atmosphere later seen in "A Head in the Polls" with the mention of the "Earth" team at the Olympic Games, not any national teams. This could've been just a simple gag to show how many worlds have been met by humans, but I just found that interesting.
Favorite Scene and Memorable Quotes: Once Titanic is forced into the gravity of a black hole, Zapp Brannigan declares that, when the ship is doomed, the captain traditionally goes down with the ship.
Kif: Why, that's surprisingly noble of you, sir.
Zapp: No, it's noble of you, Kif! (Rips off badge and puts it on Kif) As of now, you're in command! Congratulations, Captain! (Bolts from bridge- scoots past front of it in a small escape pod.)Honestly, that one scene is all a new viewer needs to know about Zapp and Kif's relationship. On one hand, it does seem to shift Kif further from a Spock-esque characterization into his own frustrated character. On the other, it cements Zapp as the parody and the inverse of Kirk- just as self-serving as his parody, and far more of a coward.
Least Favorite Scene: Couldn't get into any scene that involved Amy's parents.
Score: 8.5
No comments:
Post a Comment