Review: "Put Your Head On My Shoulders" (Season 2, Episode 7)

"Love is in the air, everywhere you look around..." - John Paul Young.

Airdate: February 13th, 2000

Synopsis: Amy goes and buys a new car, having passed her university classes. (Yes, Amy still goes to school. Remember that?) While taking Fry out for a spin on Mars, the car runs out of gas. Waiting for a tow truck, the two become enamored with each other. Shortly after they arrive back at Earth, however, Fry begins to feel smothered by Amy. Good timing, though, since just as he's about to break up with her, an accident puts his head on her shoulder. Literally.

Meanwhile, Bender decides to pull a Jerkass Homer, and start his own business. This time, he scams people out of money in a matchmaking scheme.

Review (SPOILERS): Ah, Valentine's Day. The day of love, loss, regrets, yadda yadda yadda. If my updates to this blog were any slower, the timing would be appropriate for this episode!

Instead, this is the blog's... sort-of Christmas Special. So... Merry Christmas, I guess?

Review: "The Lesser of Two Evils" (Season 2, Episode 6)

Airdate: February 20, 2000

Synopsis: While watching TV, the trio catch an advertisement for "Past-o-Rama", a theme park dedicated to celebrating the past in it's own cheesy way. While there, they take an old AMC Pacer type car and run into Flexo, a bending unit. In fact, he looks just like our loveable rascal. For some strange reason, Fry looks askance at him, especially after the quartet are commissioned to deliver a tiara to the "Miss Universe Pageant".

Review (SPOILERS): Season 2 contains yet another Star Trek parody, this time aping from "Mirror, Mirror" with "The Lesser of Two Evils". Don't expect these parallels to let up until the third season. Here, though, was another episode that was quite funny, if not Futurama at it's best.

Review: "Why Must I Be A Crustacean In Love?" (Season 2, Episode 5)

Airdate: February 6th, 2000.

Synopsis: Leela and Amy drag Fry and Bender to a gym. Zoidberg, extra-frisky, comes along, and manages to mess around the place. The reason - it's mating season for the Decapodians. Thus, they have to go back to Decapod 10 so that Zoidberg can join his species in the frenzy. Zoidberg has limited success in attracting a mate, but finds a potential partner in Edna. However, Fry tries to get Zoidberg to engage in a deeper relationship with her. Once Edna learns of Fry's strategies... she tries to seduce him. Zoidberg catches them, and declares that they shall settle this with claw-plach!

Fry: "What's that?"

Zoidberg: "A fight to the death!" 

Review: Another Star Trek: TOS parody here - they are a plenty in the first two seasons. This time, the episode parodied is among the most famous in the history of Star Trek: "Amok Time." The results here are quite funny, if not the best Futurama has to offer.

Review: "XMas Story" (Season 2, Episode 4)

"Lock the door, and hit the floor!
Cause Santa Claus comes tonight!!!"

Airdate: December 19, 1999

Synopsis: It's XMAS! Like Christmas, but with more X! Fry and Leela are the loneliest people in New New York, however. After reminding Leela of her constant loneliness, Fry goes out to buy her a present. This does not end well, especially when Robot Santa arrives... and threatens to blow them all to kingdom come.

Review: Ah, the Christmas special. Started with A Charlie Brown Christmas and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, these specials are just a bundle of heartwarming... or at least cheese. These episodes and specials often have something extra put in them to get the viewer into the Christmas cheer, and makes you enjoy the Winter season... until February, when the third snowstorm comes, and you're tired of classes being cancelled all the damn time!

Sorry.

Normally, these Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanza/insanely-politically-correct-celebration-of-the-winter-solstice episodes are just full of joy and optimism. This episode manages to combine that heartwarming schmaltz we all love with one of the most disturbing environments in Christmas special history.

Review: "A Head in the Polls" (Season 2, Episode 3)

Just hope the silent majority doesn't mind Robot bodies, Richard Nixon.

Airdate: December 12th, 1999

Synopsis: After a mining accident on Titan that trapped over 1000 robots, the price of titanium skyrockets. Seeing profit potential, Bender pawns his body (40% titanium) and begins living life as a "decapitated" head. Despite his initial pleasure, a conversation with the Presidents of the United States - particularly Richard Nixon - makes him realize what he gave up.

Speaking of which, Earth is holding an election to determine who will be the next President of the Planet. The two candidates up for election - Jack Johnson and John Jackson - are not only identical clones, their political positions (despite being members of the Tastycrats and the Fingerlicans, respectively) are completely identical.

Nixon, having listened to Bender's story, decides to buy Bender's body and use it to run in the election (citing a loophole in the Constitution). Disgusted, Bender, Fry, and Leela realize that the only way they're getting the body back is through a break-in at a hotel in Washington.

Review (SPOILER ALERT!): Studying politics is right up there with studying history, watching science fiction dramedies, and eating Taco Bell on my list of "favorite pastimes". It's a world of tragedy, comedy, and backstabbing that shapes the way we live.

There's a Futurama episode about that, and it is hysterical - probably gonna be my favourite of the season.

Review: "Brannigan, Begin Again" (Season 2, Episode 2)

"Whoopsie-daisy!"

Airdate: November 28th, 1999

Synopsis: The Planet Express trio are sent over to the new DOOP HQ in the Neutral Zone - they are to deliver scissors for the ribbon cutting ceremony. While there, however, they come across Zapp Brannigan, who fears Neutrals (yes, there's a planet called the Neutral Planet) because of their lack of stance, and who arrests the crew for carrying scissors, claiming that they're part of "a Neutral plot".

Leela: But they're not even sharp! Who could I possibly hurt with them?

Zapp: The Yarn People of Nylar 4!

While interrogating the crew on the Nimbus, Zapp is informed that he is going to miss the ribbon cutting ceremony. Zapp decides to improvise and use the ship's laser... which he cranks up to hyperdrive and fails to turn off, eventually destroying the new HQ. Forced to stand at a court martial in the Old DOOP HQ in Weehawken, Leela's testimony is just enough evidence to convict Brannigan, and he is dishonorably discharged. Before leaving, Zapp gives a mournful speech on the recent developments.

My friends, you can take away a man's title and his uniform, but you can never take away his integrity or his honour. Plus, it was mostly Kif's fault.

Kif, thrown under the bus, is now forced to roam the streets of New New York with Zapp. The two wind up at Planet Express, and are employed by Professor Farnsworth. Zapp notices the dissatisfaction that Bender and Fry have with Leela's management skills, and after a particularly awkward delivery, Zapp leads a mutiny against Leela, with the intent to hijack the ship and kamikaze it into Neutropolis, the capital of the Neutral Planet.

Review: The Zapper is back! The three previous episodes that featured the comic genius that is Zapp Brannigan were aided by his presence, but he only really had one prior episode really "focused" on him - "Love's Labours Lost In Space". "A Flight to Remember" was focused on Fry and Leela, and "When Aliens Attack" focused on Fry trying to thwart an alien invasion.

This episode actually focuses on his character, and does so in an awesome manner - but also a manner that makes the character much, much darker.

Review: "I Second That Emotion" (Season 2, Episode 1)

Unfortunately, last time I checked, the truth wasn't out there.

Airdate: November 21, 1999

Synopsis: Bender takes a hatred to Nibbler, all because his ego isn't being fed. When Nibbler prematurely eats his extravagant, egocentric birthday cake for the pet, Bender responds by going to therapy... by which I mean, Nibbler is flushed down the toilet. Leela, naturally, isn't too pleased with this development, so Bender has an empathy chip smacked onto his head. This drives Bender into such agony, he flushes himself down the sewer. Fry and Leela find Bender in the sewers, and while trying to recover Nibbler, come across the fabled Sewer Mutants.

Review (SPOILERS): As much as I hate the FOX schedule, I do give them credit for not making this the broadcast premiere. Not that it's an irredeemable episode, but because it's a wonky opening to the second season - the decent first and brilliant third acts bookend a rather weak, maybe somewhat sexist second act.

Season Wrap Up: Season 1

Box for re-release of Volume 1. Found on Internet.

Holy Slurm, Season 1 of Futurama is over. Only took me, what, six months? Curse my lack of discipline when it comes to blog schedules! The question always is - how did the season turn out? The question for first seasons always is... does it still hold up?

In short, season 1 of Futurama holds up well - character is reasonably good, the animation isn't too bad, and the voice acting is still pretty good.

In more detail, however, the season is good, yet there's still that tiny sense that the writers are finding their footing. Which is alright - few shows come out of the gate blazing and maintain that quality for as long as Futurama probably did. The only other show I can recall having a great first season and largely maintaining that quality into it's sophomore season is Gravity Falls, and even then, that's only midway through it's second season.

Character overall is good, even if it seems a bit sitcom-ish at this point. It works, though, since Futurama really did seem to start off more as a comedy than a space opera. Plots often involve Fry doing something stupid, Leela snarking about it, and Bender acting like a more malevolent jokester. Classic comedy trio - it's almost like The Tree Stooges: The Next Generation. Still, a few throwaway lines not only showcase some deeper emotions in the characters, but there is quite a development in their relationships - starting out as mere coworkers and acquaintances, by the end of the season, they at least seem like friends.

Other characters undergo radical change, although whether this is development or finding footing is up to the eye of the viewer. Farnsworth fits both - initially starting off as a bit of a stereotypical senior, by the end of the season, he's a genius with hints of insanity and callousness to his crewmembers.

The rest of the characters largely stay in their initial characterisations, although they are funny enough to carry entire plots. Most notably, there's the Zapp Branigan, who starts out as a Kirk parody and never stops providing the laughs, all with a touch of horror at the power he yields.

In terms of plots, they largely stick to parodying/homages to Star Trek episodes - most notably, "My Three Suns", which parodied TNG's "Reunion", and "Fear of a Bot Planet", which was a homage to "Let This Be Your Last Battlefield" and "The Measure of a Man". Still, the plot did lay out some foundations for future arcs, such as the relationship between Leela and Fry, and the exploration of Bender's psyche.

Overall, not a bad first season of Futurama - not in the slightest. Character development was good, and the plot overall was established pretty well. Animation and voice acting are a bit off, especially early on, but I don't hold it against the show.

Now, to list my favourite episode and least favourite episode of the season. These don't necessarily line up with what got the highest and lowest score - these are just my favourite and least favourites, respectively. I plan to rank the seasons at the end of my retrospective, so these might change by the end of this blog's life.

Favourite Episode: "Love's Labours Lost In Space" - the Zapper is introduced, and is solidified as one of the greatest Kirk parodies ever.

Least Favourite Episode: In hindsight, "My Three Suns" - you could remove the episode from the season, and the impact would barely be noticeable. It has few memorable jokes, not too much character development, and it's political satire is relatively basic.

Average Score: 8.1. With the score system I use, an 8 score is great, albeit with room to improve. This score will not be factored exactly into where I put the season at the end of the retrospective - it's just there for mathematical purposes.

Review: "Fry and the Slurm Factory" (Season 1, Episode 13)

Worth noting, this is the highlight of the tour.

Airdate: November 14th, 1999

Synopsis: Slurm, Fry's favorite soft drink, announces it's brand new marketing scam, and it catches the eyes of Fry and Bender. Whoever finds a golden cap wins the grand prize - a trip to the Slurm Factory on the planet Wormulon. One Bender breakdown, a "f-ray", and a swallowed cap later, the Planet Express crew are on the tour. There, Fry's utter addiction to Slurm drives them to the secret ingredient.

Review (SPOILERS): If I had a trademark favorite drink, it would be Diet Pepsi. Sure, Diet Coke is a decent alternative, but Diet Pepsi - that's the real mccoy of soda drinks. It's one of the reasons why Taco Bell is my favorite fast-food joint. If a restaurant has Diet Pepsi, I will order it. It, to me, is the perfect soft drink - tasty, yet it's structure allows for more, y'know, actual food to be eaten... like Taco Bell.

Alright, it probably has chemicals in it that probably has adverse effects on my health that I don't even know about yet, and every glass I drink may cut my lifespan by a minute, but it still tastes fantastic!

Yet, that has no contest on Fry's addiction to Slurm, the soft drink that dominates Futurama. In it, Slurm provides a tragicomic coda to the first season of this classic sci-fi series - tragic because it showcases the dystopia of the universe and just how messed up addiction is, and comic because it provides a hysterical deconstruction or subversion of Star Trek cliches.

Review: "When Aliens Attack!" (Season 1, Episode 12)

Airdate: November 7th, 1999.

Synopsis: May, 1999. A transmitter controller for WNYW-TV, the FOX affiliate in New York City, orders a pizza and beer. He invites the pizza delivery boy, one Phillip J. Fry, to watch the season finale of Single Female Lawyer, a show that revolves around lawyer Jenny McNeil and her various sexual exploits. While yawning, Fry spills his beverage on the control panel, knocking the station and the program off the air. FOX has to replace it with "eight animated programs in a row".

A thousand years later, the signal arrives at the planet Omnicron Persei 8, home of the Omnicronians. Their king and queen, Lrrr and Ndnd, vow revenge on Earth.

Cut to Earth. One Phillip J Fry is dragged from the TV out for a Labor Day trip to the beach. Hilarity ensues... until a UFO shoots lasers at the beach. Lrrr declares that McNeil must be surrendered immediately. President McNeil retaliates by going to war against the mothership, with 25-Star General Zapp Brannigan at the helm. Doesn't work. Fry realizes what the Omnicronians are talking about, and that he must whip up a script for a show he didn't really watch.

Review: On June 23rd, 1998, Time Magazine released an issue that had three greyed-out faces of feminism - suffragette Susan B Anthony, writer Betty Friedan, and activist Gloria Steinem. Right next to them, sat the non-greyed-out face of Ally McBeal, the main character of Ally McBeal. Time Magazine posed the question... Is Feminism Dead?

To accomplish this review, I decided that it would be best to watch the pilot of Ally McBeal. It was... alright, I guess. The main character was a tad bit irritating, though, which you don't really want in a dramedy - it's acceptable in shows like Red Dwarf, where the main character can be irritating for laughs, or Breaking Bad, where you focus on a fall from grace. Not in McBeal.

This episode, from what I could tell, does a damn good mockery of Ally McBeal - it mocks the reason why shows like McBeal are loved. People like comfort food comedy. Sure, you could have shows like Red Dwarf, where characters are fleshed out with vast brilliance. You could just as easily, however, have a show like The Cleveland Show, where shows are unchallenging to the intellect of people, and thus, are bland comfort food TV.

Review: "Mars University" (Season 1, Episode 11)

Ah, the old stomping grounds.

Airdate: October 3rd, 1999

Synopsis: While on a delivery to Professor Farnsworth's university, Mars University (located, where else, Mars), Fry learns that his college dropout from the 20th Century was useless. Fry has a new resolve- enroll at Mars U, and drop out. However, he feels a sense of jealousy for Farnsworth's "project", Gunther- a monkey with a hyper-intelligence chip in his brain.

Meanwhile, Bender meets up with a chapter of his old Robot Fraternity. Realizing that they're a bunch of geeks, Bender tries to get them to loosen up by pulling pranks - one that gets them in the crosshairs of the Dean.

Review (SPOILERS): It is statistically proven that college/university rocks. What stat am I citing? My brain and various media... truly accurate sources of information.

So what better way to get into sci-fi hijinks than COLLEGE!!!!

Bizarrely enough, though, the end result is probably one of the weaker episodes so far - not a bad episode, by most means, but one that could've been better.

Review: "A Flight to Remember" (Season 1, Episode 10)

OK, who didn't say "what could possibly go wrong" when they first watched this episode?

Airdate: September 26th, 1999

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.

Review: Season 1, Episode 9: "Hell is Other Robots"

Airdate: May 18th, 1999

Synopsis: While at a Beastie Boys concert, Bender's old friend hooks him up to a dose of extra electricity... essentially, a drug for robots. He quickly becomes addicted, and one instance of his desire for extra electricity almost kills Fry and Leela in an electric storm. His friends disappointed in his addiction, Bender turns to the Temple of Robotology- essentially, a robot version of a Baptist church. He tries to lead a clean lifestyle, yet goes too far in the other direction, becoming boring and tedious. Fry and Leela try and bring the old Bender back by taking him to Atlantic City... where he gives into temptation. Unfortunately, the Robot Devil takes notice, and Bender is promptly taken to Robot Hell. For all eternity.

Bender: "Ah, hell! Oh - I mean 'heck!'"

Robot Devil: "S'alright. You can say that here!" 

Review: This is the last episode of the 1st broadcast season, but not the last episode of the production season. (Thanks a bunch, FOX.) Worth noting because I'm doing the reviews in production order, not broadcast order.

Anyway... religion, death, sin, and all that.

Review: "A Big Piece of Garbage" (Season 1, Episode 8)

If only they played pool with the meteor.

Airdate: May 11th, 1999

Synopsis: Farnsworth botches his Academy of Science presentation twofold; first by planning to introduce an invention he presented a year prior- the Death Clock- than sketching something else he made a year prior- the Smell-o-scope. (He loses to former student and rival Ogden Wernstrom, who invents a "reverse scuba suit" for fish.) However, said smell-o-scope detects a mass of garbage headed straight for New New York City.

Thing is, back in 2000, to solve a crisis in pollution, Mayor Giuliani kicked a barge of trash out to sea, hoping other countries would take it. They didn't. Instead, scientists shot it into space. Now, it's back. On impact, Farnsworth fears it will take take out the entire city. Compounding matters is that few in the 20th century know what garbage actually is- everybody recycles now. The mass of garbage too gooey to shoot out with a missile, the Trio are sent up into space to blow the garbage mass up.

It goes as well as you would expect.

Review (SPOILERS): Much like "My Three Suns" and "Fear of a Bot Planet", "A Big Piece of Garbage" follows Futurama's trend of ripping on cliche science-fiction plots- what if a meteor were to begin falling to Earth?

Replace meteor with garbage mass, and you get the answer.

This subtle twist allows Futurama to not only send-up a B-plot, but also send up many "environmental" shows and films produced during the 90s... up to and including Captain Planet and the Planeteers.

Review: Season 1, Episode 7: "My Three Suns"

Airdate: May 4th, 1999

What, Fry usurp the Emperor? You may very well think that. He couldn't possibly comment.

Synopsis: Leela and Fry's professional relationship is rapidly approaching a boil- Fry gets himself in stupid situation after stupid situation (such as replacing his lungs with gills), and Leela has to bail him out. This comes to a head during a delivery to the planet Trisol 9, where Fry, dehydrated from Bender's cooking ("The sodium level was 10% less than a lethal dose!"), grabs a drink of nice, refreshing emperor.

Literally.

He drinks the emperor of Trisol 9. And, under Trisolian tradition, he is immediately crowned as the new emperor. A frustrated Leela points to the rapid succession rate of the emperors (the average reign lasting a week), but Fry dismisses her advice, essentially telling her to buzz off. All seems to be up for Fry... until the setting of the three suns.

Review: Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation might remember the episode "Reunion". In that episode, Picard winds up at the center of a succession scandal in the Klingon Empire- the chancellor was assassinated, and he has to preside over the struggle of power, as well as the swearing-in of the new chancellor. Science fiction TV shows often showcase a series of assassinations in order to obtain power.

So, what if this alien species consisted of a liquid? Assassination should be easy! And it is- you just need somebody unfamiliar with the species, make him/her thirsty, and sweet ascension is theirs for the taking. (Oh, thank god House of Cards wasn't sci-fi!)

"My Three Suns" continues on Futurama's world-building abilities first established in "Fear of a Bot Planet". In less than 15 minutes, we're introduced to a world, examine it's political system, it's beliefs, it's weaknesses. We'll probably never see Trisol 9 again, but it's as well-established (if not more so) than many Star Trek one-off planets.

However, that's not the heart of the story. That belongs to the relationship between Fry and Leela.

Review: "A Fishful of Dollars" (Season 1, Episode 6)

Mmmm... oil. The good-ol American gold!

Airdate: April 27, 1999

Synopsis: A trip to a local department store manages to send Bender to prison. After failing to post the $80 bail ("I'd love to chip in, but Bender stole my wallet"), Fry goes to his old bank, Big Apple Bank, to get the $.93 out from his account. With interest, the account has gained some money... $4.3B worth, in fact. While initially being generous with his money, Fry eventually takes to buying stupid things, eventually regressing to his 1999 lifestyle, low-def TV and all.

Bizarrely, one thing that Fry buys at auction is what is thought to be the last can of anchovies ever. (Thanks a bunch, Decapodians!) This catches the eye of Mom, a capitalist who made her billions in the robot oil industry. Behind the public image of a sweet old lady is a callous robber baron who wants to buy the anchovies to protect her industry.

Review: Since I started my last review with a mention of Star Trek, might as well start this review with a mention of Star Trek, as well.

One of the greater disappointments in the Trek fandom was the TV series, Voyager. It was thought that Voyager would revolve around forming new alliances, developing characters with sketchy backgrounds, and the tensions between the Federation and the Marquis, both of whom were merged onto the Voyager spaceship. However, come the middle of the second season, Voyager largely abandoned this premise with little warning of buildup, and turned more into a TNG-style series- episodes of the week featuring Voyager coming across a problem, solving it, and going on their merry way. Not saying that Voyager was bad- it just ignored it's premise.

Thing is, shows evolve over time- you just have to build up the transition, and not just let the original premise go to the wayside until the last two episodes. Thus, we have the greatest difference between Voyager and Futurama- the latter managed to ease it's way out of the initial premise.

Review: "Fear of a Bot Planet" (Season 1, Episode 5)

Even Judge Judy would call this a kangaroo court.

Airdate: April 20th, 1999

Synopsis: While at a blernsball game (Blernsball being the 31st century version of Baseball), Bender goes on a soapbox on how he feels robots have been mistreated and reduced to second-class citizens on Earth. Ironically, the trio have to go deliver a package to Chapek 9, a planet operated by Robot Separatists that has no tolerance for humans. Having to deliver the package himself, Bender gets carried off, and Fry and Leela have to disguise themselves to enter the planet. They eventually do come across Bender- who's become an anti-human radical, leading human-hunts.

Review: Before I begin, I must warn those that the following review discusses topics which might be considered sensitive.

It's no surprise that Futurama is heavily influenced by Star Trek. To this effect, I felt that, before I typed out a full review of this episode, it was necessary to watch two other episodes of Star Trek: "The Measure of a Man", from The Next Generation, and "Let This Be Your Last Battlefield", from The Original Series. (Ironically, both episodes are outstanding efforts in otherwise weak seasons.) The reason why is that, along with "Bot Planet", "Measure" and "Battlefield" discuss discrimination in a speculative fiction setting. "Measure" connected more to the episode, as in that one, there is actually a trial to analyze if androids are property of Starfleet, or second-class citizens.

A similar discussion develops in this episode- are robots permanently in the lower rungs of a caste system, and is the only way to break it outright separation? Of course, we can't answer that directly- robots aren't the same here than they are in Futurama. (It's fiction, damnit!)

Yet, we can see the effect that radical viewpoints, in either direction, has- irrational decisions that ignore the real problems facing society, leading to a cycle of insanity.

Review: "Love's Labours Lost In Space" (Season 1, Episode 4)

This is not even remotely as romantic as this appears at first glance.

Airdate: April 13th, 1999

Synopsis: Leela's love life is at an all-time low- nobody wants to date her because of her one eye, and her standards are pretty strict. Kind of a bad combination for love. Not even a group trip to a disco is enough to get her a partner. (Even Zoidberg went home with a partner- an actual lobster, but still!)

However, she has to put her ambitions for love behind her, as the Planet Express crew are sent on a charity mission (for the tax breaks). Farnsworth directs the trio to Vergon 6, a "sunny little doomed planet" that's on the verge of collapse after the dark matter within was mined for sweet, sweet starship fuel. The three come across the Nimbus 5, a Democratic Order of Planets starship operated by the eccentric Zapp Branigan and his frustrated assistant, Lieutenant Kif Kroker.

Leela initially holds him in high regard, and requests help on the expedition. However, Zapp not only manages to show the callous he has to his crew members, but throws the trio in prison for violating "Branigans Law", which prevents interference of undeveloped planets. Zapp, however, has another plan- try and seduce Leela away from the mission. After making himself out as a buffoon while trying to seduce her, Zapp breaks down and laments his loneliness. Leela takes pity on the man... and beds him.

Review (SOME SPOILERS): When the internet was in it's early stages (read, the 90s), one of the great battles in science fiction fandom (right alongside B5 v DS9 and Joel v Mike) was who was the better Star Trek protagonist: Jean-Luc Picard, from TNG, or James T Kirk, from TOS. Defenders of the latter tend to colour Picard as being serious and a tad bit aloof to his crew, defending Kirk for his chutzpa and being a father to his men. Defenders of Picard, meanwhile, paint Kirk as a chauvinist cowboy who bedded everybody in sight, and praise Picard for his diplomacy and culture. Of course, these are just broad strokes, and both had elements of the other (just in different quantities), but my point still stands.

A crossover between these two could've shut the fans up for years. Unfortunately, said crossover just had them talk over breakfast, attempt to fight Malcolm McDowell, and climaxed in what is, in my opinion, one of the most underwritten scenes in Trek history. Few were really satisfied with the outcome.

Now, why do I bring this up?

Review: "I, Roommate" (Season 1, Episode 3)

Hey, by NYC standards, that's practically a mansion!

Airdate: April 6th, 1999

Synopsis: After living at Planet Express for the past few weeks, the crew tire of Fry's living accommodations, and literally move him out. Fry contemplates moving in with Bender, but Bender's apartment is a tad bit cozy (read, it's two cubic meters). The two go apartment hunting, but their house hunt turns up problems with every place (underwater, postmodern, and worst of all, technically in New Jersey). They eventually do get lucky- Farnsworth's friend has suffered an accident ("To shreds, you say?"), and Bender and Fry get a rent-free apartment. Unfortunately, there's a problem with the TV and Bender's antenna...

Review: We have a far more domestic episode here. We can thank the nutjobs at FOX HQ for that. Confused by the "out-there" sci-fi content (because FOX is known for their quality upmarket programming, like Dads and Allen Gregory), they wanted a more domestic script. Their reaction to this episode? "Worst episode ever." Groening and Cohen rebelled, and decided to do the show their way. Tellingly, this was the first episode to not follow The Simpsons in the schedule- moving to a Tuesday slot instead of Sunday- and was the first sign that FOX had no love for the show.

Was FOX correct in declaring it the "worst episode ever"? Far from it. Still, compared to the past two episodes, this episode is slightly weaker... possibly due to it's domestic plot.

This episode shows Fry finally "settled" into the year 3000- he really doesn't seem like he ever was from the year 2000, in the first place. It's also a glimpse at a problem that Fry seems to have- he's a bit short-sighted, and like everybody else, can be quite insensitive. None of it is intentionally callous- he's just a typical teenager trapped in the body of a 25-year old, a pure Gen-Xer. It certainly takes a while for him to realize his own insensitivity, and he decides to sacrifice his happiness for his friends happiness.

Speaking of which, this is the first episode to centre on Bender. Remember in "Space Pilot 3000", where Bender claimed that he didn't need to drink? That was a lie- robots in Futurama drink to power themselves. (Boring PSA time: you are not robots. Don't drink unless you are a responsible adult of legal age. Not doing so is a stupid idea.) At the same time, we learn that Fry was really the first person to genuinely befriend Bender. Once Fry seems to slight this relationship, Bender loses his sanity, going to insane lengths to preserve their friendship. Unfortunately, the climax of Bender's insanity was predictable.

Still, before you think that Bender's going to be made up of genuine pathos, we get hints of Bender's misanthropy during his dreams. "Kill all humans." Brilliant.

It's probably not the most memorable episode. The plot is somewhat "domestic", the problems with the antenna are a bit off, and the ending, funny as it is, just seems like it's there to provide a quick resolution. Still, even the best shows need a "light" episode, and this one is certainly alright.

Tidbits:

• The apartment hunt is hysterical. Fry, Bender, and Leela's hunt takes them underwater to a leaking apartment, to an apartment that's an outright send-up to the Escher painting Relativity, culminating in what seems to be the lowpoint of their search... an apartment in New Jersey.
• Fry and Bender literally being moved out of Planet Express is also hysterical. What seals it is Hermes telling Fry that they're sending the couch bill to him. Interestingly, due to an animation error, Hermes doesn't move his lips at all while saying this line.
• Bender's apartment number, translated from binary? $.
• All My Circuts is a brilliant send-up of soap operas- the insanity of the plots, the hammy acting, the cheesy dialogue.

Favorite Scene: Let me repeat- the apartment hunt is hysterical.

Least Favorite Scene: Again, the climax of Bender's descent eventually got boring.

Memorable Quote: Two, one practically after the other.

"Did he at least die painlessly? To shreds, you say... well, how's his wife holding up? To shreds, you say?" -Farnsworth, upon hearing that his friend has died.

Also- "Was his apartment rent controlled?"- Leela, upon hearing the news. Competent she may be, but it makes her comment on Fry's insensitivity a bit ironic. Not that it makes her unsympathetic, but it is a hint at future flaws that might show in her character.

Score: 7.5.

Review: "The Series Has Landed" (Season 1, Episode 2)

Thankfully, there's no dancing to the Vengaboys.

Airdate: April 4th, 1999.

Synopsis: Fry, Leela, and Bender are introduced to the inner workings of Planet Express. After previewing a commercial that will air during the Super Bowl ("Not on the same channel, of course"), they meet the rest of the crew- John Zoidberg, the quirky doctor; Hermes Conrad, the straight-laced bureaucrat; and Amy Wong, the slightly flighty intern.

With Leela chosen as the captain of the ship, the new crew are given their first job- deliver a package to the Moon. While Fry is initially excited to go to the moon, he realizes that the place has become a cheap-o tourist trap akin to Disney Land... and they can't even do that right. Aggravated, he drags Leela out into the "real" moon... and his antics almost kill them, forcing them to work for a "moon farmer" to get some oxygen.

Review: As mentioned in my "Space Pilot 3000" review, Futurama's view of the future is very dystopian. However, it goes about this in a unique way. Unlike Blade Runner, which did a straight-up dystopia, Futurama did so via pretty much taking our society, adding a few spaceships and aliens, and poof! Dystopia. It's done in such a subtle manner that the average viewer probably won't notice.

Review: "Space Pilot 3000" (Season 1, Episode 1)

And it's still slower then the C train!

Airdate: March 28th, 1999

Synopsis (SPOILERS): It's December 31st, 1999, Manhattan. Phillip J Fry's life is in the toilet- he delivers pizzas on holidays, his girlfriend dumps him, and he's placed on a crank call to a cryogenics centre. Ringing in the new year at the cryogenics centre, he winds up falling into one of the freezers. Thankfully, he eventually defrosts.

The date? December 31st, 2999. "My god! A million years!"

Fry is introduced to Leela, the cryogenics counselor/fate officer. After being given a physical examination, he is assigned the career of... delivery boy. He has two options - take the career chip given to him, or be fired... ("Good!" "...out of a cannon, into the sun!") He bolts for it, and runs for his nearest relative, the elderly Professor Hubert Farnsworth. While on the run, he meets Bender, who's queuing for a suicide booth (which Fry mistakes for a phone booth). After escaping with their lives, the two befriend each other, and eventually manage to convince Leela to join them.

They all wind up at Professor Farnsworth's place, and use his spaceship to escape prosecution from the cops. Afterwards, Farnsworth offers the three jobs at his intergalactic delivery company, Planet Express. This thrills Fry, who gets the job of... delivery boy.

Review (SPOILERS FOR THIS EPISODE): Pilot episodes are always hard to nail down- the writers still have doubts on the paths the characters are going, there might be idiosyncrasies relegated to the pilot, and the acting/art might be off until the show gets a full pickup.

Still, even with those elements, "Space Pilot 3000" is a pretty damn good pilot - in fact, it might be one of my favorite pilot episodes.

Welcome to the World of Tomorrow!!!!

Shamelessly stolen from Wikipedia.

"Why do you always have to say it that way?" "Haven't you heard of a little thing called showmanship?"

Let's get down to business - I love watching Futurama. I don't know exactly how it's possible to combine sci-fi, romance, drama, comedy, social commentary, parody, and genuinely-written scripts, and do it all well. But, by god, a crackpot team led by Matt Groening and David X Cohen did it! It worked so well, that it was brought back from the dead. Twice. (As of this writing, at least.)

Again - how, though, did Futurama do it?

Well, here's a great way to find out - go episode by episode.

You see, there are entire blogs out there dedicated to reviewing every episode of a particular series. The Simpsons, Star Trek: Voyager, and others, have all gotten blogs dedicated to going through every single episode, for good and for bad.

I'm sure that there's a blog out there dedicated to reviewing every episode of Futurama, as well. If so, what's another blog?

Before we start, you might have a few questions.

Question 1: What's this show about?

Short answer: it's a show about a delivery company in space!

Longer answer: Futurama follows the exploits of three close friends, all of whom work at an interstellar delivery company in the Year 3000;

• Phillip J Fry, the quirky, albeit mostly kind, delivery boy from the year 1999, who wound up in the year 3000 due to a prank call;
• Turanga Leela, the company's cycloptic starship captain, who comes off as the more "levelheaded" one of the three- although it's shown that she's really not too far above the insanity of the other two;
• Bender Rodriguez; the callous, egocentric, impulsive, misanthropic robot who is Fry's best friend/roommate.

In other words- Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. In the 31st century. With less diplomacy. And with 40% more dysfunction.

However, these are just the show's three central characters. There are many, many other characters in the show's canon- most, if not all, of whom are fantastically developed and contribute to the environment which fuels this show's plotlines.

Why is it so brilliant?

Awesome comedy, awesome plot, awesome characters, awesome drama... take your pick!

Is it perfect?

Nothing is perfect, and neither is this show. Continuity is sometimes a tad bit off, and there have been a few off episodes. Still, there's comparatively little to complain about in this show.

Wait... Matt Groening... that's the guy from The Simpsons, correct?

Yes. Ironically, the quality of The Simpsons began slipping around the time Futurama went into production.

So, how will this blog work?

My goal is to review every episode of Futurama ever made. I am going to get a few things out of the way, though.

First off, I'm not a fan of schedules, though I will try and get at least a review or two out every month.

Second off, the reviews will be in production order, not broadcast order. Why Netflix does the show in broadcast order is beyond me.

Third, there is a scoring system. I run another blog, where I review Red Dwarf and Gravity Falls episodes, amongst other things, and the scoring system there applies here. Basically, 0 goes to the most embarrassing to the show, and 10 goes to the episode that is closest to perfection.

Well... here's to another lousy review blog!

"Have a nice future!"