"I've only been here a day, and already, I'm a Hollywood phony!" - Zoidberg. Ah, the power of Los AngelesAirdate: February 25th, 2001
Written By: Patric M. Verrone.
Plot: Booed off of the stage at a comedy club, Zoidberg is depressed. Apparently, his uncle used to be a comic legend back in the days of "silent holofilms". He writes to one Harold Zoid to get some tips for the trade. Unfortunately, Harold Zoid is destitute, a has-been. He promises to help Zoidberg become a centerpiece of drama if Zoidberg can fund his drama project, The Magnificent Three. With that, Bender goes over to Calculon, and in exchange for a small investment, guarantees him an Oscar for his performance.
It goes poorly.
Review:
Well, shortly after watching one of Futurama's best episodes, we get a look at what many consider one of the original run's weakest episodes. Netting a 61% on GotFuturama.com, the only "original" episodes cited as worse are "The Cryonic Woman" (which I've already mentioned I dislike) and "A Leela Of Her Own" (which I'll get to later.) The question here is, does "That Lobstertainment" deserve it's bad reputation? Or is it a diamond in the rough?
"That's Lobstertainment", of course, is a Zoidberg episode. As mentioned before, the Zoid is a fan favorite, simply for how pathetic he is. For example, in a "What-If" scenario in "Anthology of Interest I", Zoidberg took out some revenge on the Apollo Theater. "Boo me off stage on open mic night, huh?"
I bring that up because, well, this episode revolves around just how pathetic Zoidberg is. Again. And this time, unlike the "slightly-closer-to-normal" Decapodians, this time, he's paired up with his uncle, Harold Zoid. Harold happens to be destitute and pathetic, like his nephew. The difference is that Zoid once had a taste of fame, and is now rotting away. Contrast with Zoidberg, who wants to taste even the second-lowest rung of life for the first time, and you got yourself the potential for an interesting dynamic. They both want each other's success, yet don't recognize that it doesn't exist, whether anymore or before.
The issue lies in the fact that, well, Zoid is a bit too unsympathetic. I get it - he's become poor and disillusioned, wants his comeback to be perfect, yet doesn't get what stunted his career in the first place. However, the episode maybe goes a bit too far in making him obnoxious. When the episode tries to make him sympathetic, meanwhile, it comes off as a bit forced and unearned. I guess the lesson is that he doesn't know how to do anything other than broad comedy, and that he at least deserves to be recognized for his prior achievements, but it all just feels a bit phoned in.
While Zoid might be an annoying has-been, in some regards, Calculon is even less bearable than Harold Zoid. When he realizes that Zoid's script is a bit, well, bad, he threatens the old man's life with a phaser unless he gets an Oscar. Makes sense - he was promised a quality script - but threatening somebody over a botched script still crosses a line of common decency. Of course, he relents upon seeing Zoid's speech, and (eventually) lets him keep the Oscar.
The concept of a conflict between "new Hollywood" and "old Hollywood" is explored a little bit, but I felt like this episode could've chosen a different path in it's execution. It comes off as a tad bit tacky, honestly. I did like the confirmation that Bender's icon is as much of a narcissistic asshat as he himself is - albeit at different ends of the social sphere, so that was a good bit of execution.
Also, his overacting does make some sense. Calculon has spent most of his time in front of a Soap Opera camera. Soap Operas run on melodrama, campy acting, and cheesy plotlines. In a way, Calculon is a natural for the role. Too bad it was intended to win an Oscar, and Calculon was led on to believe that he could win it easily.
Oh, and I did like the comedy during the actual filming of the movie ("Goooood morning, Mr. Vice Prseident!", Zoid demanding tons of pies thrown, etc.) Comedy can make a weak plot more bearable, and it does make this episode a little bit fun to watch.
However, I like to grade these episodes based on the strength of their plot. And this plot? A bit weak, unfortunately.
That's pretty much all I have to say about this episode. A rather mild idea could've been executed well enough to make this episode fun. The execution, though, was rather uninteresting. It doesn't seem like the episode knows what it wants. Is it a farce? A serious analysis of Zoidberg's family, and how pathetic they have become? I dunno. It all seems underdone.
"That's Lobstertainment" is definitely not un-watchable, but I don't see myself returning to this episode on Netflix that often.
The issue lies in the fact that, well, Zoid is a bit too unsympathetic. I get it - he's become poor and disillusioned, wants his comeback to be perfect, yet doesn't get what stunted his career in the first place. However, the episode maybe goes a bit too far in making him obnoxious. When the episode tries to make him sympathetic, meanwhile, it comes off as a bit forced and unearned. I guess the lesson is that he doesn't know how to do anything other than broad comedy, and that he at least deserves to be recognized for his prior achievements, but it all just feels a bit phoned in.
While Zoid might be an annoying has-been, in some regards, Calculon is even less bearable than Harold Zoid. When he realizes that Zoid's script is a bit, well, bad, he threatens the old man's life with a phaser unless he gets an Oscar. Makes sense - he was promised a quality script - but threatening somebody over a botched script still crosses a line of common decency. Of course, he relents upon seeing Zoid's speech, and (eventually) lets him keep the Oscar.
The concept of a conflict between "new Hollywood" and "old Hollywood" is explored a little bit, but I felt like this episode could've chosen a different path in it's execution. It comes off as a tad bit tacky, honestly. I did like the confirmation that Bender's icon is as much of a narcissistic asshat as he himself is - albeit at different ends of the social sphere, so that was a good bit of execution.
Also, his overacting does make some sense. Calculon has spent most of his time in front of a Soap Opera camera. Soap Operas run on melodrama, campy acting, and cheesy plotlines. In a way, Calculon is a natural for the role. Too bad it was intended to win an Oscar, and Calculon was led on to believe that he could win it easily.
Oh, and I did like the comedy during the actual filming of the movie ("Goooood morning, Mr. Vice Prseident!", Zoid demanding tons of pies thrown, etc.) Comedy can make a weak plot more bearable, and it does make this episode a little bit fun to watch.
However, I like to grade these episodes based on the strength of their plot. And this plot? A bit weak, unfortunately.
That's pretty much all I have to say about this episode. A rather mild idea could've been executed well enough to make this episode fun. The execution, though, was rather uninteresting. It doesn't seem like the episode knows what it wants. Is it a farce? A serious analysis of Zoidberg's family, and how pathetic they have become? I dunno. It all seems underdone.
"That's Lobstertainment" is definitely not un-watchable, but I don't see myself returning to this episode on Netflix that often.
Tidbits:
- There's a B-plot where Fry and Leela try and find some sort of parking, have a conflict over it, and get stuck in the tar pits. I did like the idea of taking a Star Trek-esque debate and applying it to the most mundane of situations. I also did like the example of Leela's own sense of pride, contrasting with Fry's suggestion to take a simpler route. This is a trend we've seen since "My Three Suns".
- I also like how they didn't show anybody walking out - they just cut to an empty theater at the end of the movie.
- Also, Zoidberg using his hand as a clapboard. That was rather cute.
- And, also, the laser-disc being used to project holographic images. Again, pretty cool.
Favorite Scene: I guess I'll have to go with the actual filming of The Magnificent Three.
Best Character: Uh, Calculon, I guess. He had quite a few good laughs.
Memorable Quote: "I've seen plagues that have had better openings than this!" - Calculon, frustrated with the falure that is The Magnificent Three.
Score: 6. Not a particularly memorable episode, that could've used better execution. It's cute for what it is, but I expected a bit more. Unfortunately, it's safe to say that it's ranking on gotufutrama.com is rather appropriate.
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