Futurama Returned!

[GA!]

Finally up to date with Futurama, so quick reviews:

Rebirth - In reference to the 'whiny Fry' stuff, I liked those episodes back from the first four series because it gave the show an emotional weight other animated comedies have never had. This episode was pretty pointless and overly complex though; and wouldn't exist if the writers of The Wild Green Yonder hadn't gone with an open ending. A thirty-second explanation of "they got back safely" would've done. Dancing Bender was awful.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela - Very funny episode, quite sitcom-esque in nature. Could've done without the exposition dump of how Leela/Zapp were still on Earth as it made the episode more complex than it was. Definitely needs more Zapp B-Film goodness.

Attack of the Killer App - Absolutely amazing episode, one that will go down as one of the better episodes of Futurama overall if the references don't age quickly. Everything about it, including diving in a pool full of vomit and shit, and Susan the boil, sums up the Internet and Apple craze perfectly. The satire is as cutting as some of the best episodes of The Simpsons.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Dancing Bender was awful.

You shut your filthy whore mouth and do the Bender.

[Lint]

Dancing Bender was awful.

You shut your filthy whore mouth and do the Bender.

[Lowerdeck]

Rebirth: I didn't have too much expeectation since it was the return episode anyway. Wasn't high on it. Dancing Bender was pretty good though.

Gadda-de-Leela: Much better than the first one. Not bad overall.

EyePhone: Good episode overall. GA covered much of what's to be said.

[Lord Nibbler]

Attack of the Killer App - Absolutely amazing episode, one that will go down as one of the better episodes of Futurama overall if the references don't age quickly. Everything about it, including diving in a pool full of vomit and shit, and Susan the boil, sums up the Internet and Apple craze perfectly. The satire is as cutting as some of the best episodes of The Simpsons.

I think the references are already pretty dated. South Park, The Simpsons and 30 Rock all parodied Susan Boyle last year, and I doubt there's a comedy show on TV that hasn't made the same "iPhone users are sheep"/"Twitter is pointless" observations. I found it all a bit obvious, and not at all "cutting".

It was better than the first two, but I'm still underwhelmed so far.

[jrhodes]

Is there anyone Amy hasn't slept with at this point?

[MalaCloudy Black]

Too much "HURRRR FRY ARE DUMB". I feel like they went waaaaaayyy overboard with it, but I liked the episode for the most part. I did like Fry hammering a nail with a nail, and WHO DARES TO BE A MILLIONAIRE?

[GoGo Yubari]

I actually just watched the other "wow Fry is dumb" episode in The Day the Earth Stood Stupid, and it's so much better. That being said, the third act with Leonardo da Vinci being the dumbest alien on his own planet was clever enough to make me less annoyed with how weak the first two acts were. Still, there hasn't been a single episode of this season that's made me go "oh man, I'm so glad Futurama's back." Last week's came very close, but it felt like it was trying too hard to be topical.

[TKz]

It feels a lot like these are all like, special episodes or extras or something rather than actually a part of the Futurama collection. If anyone understands that? It's like everything that's happening now is happening outside of continuity. Which sucks, because while it's not a story heavy show at all, Futurama was always great about adding things to their own personal world.

[Sousa]

I actually just watched the other "wow Fry is dumb" episode in The Day the Earth Stood Stupid, and it's so much better.

"I am the greetest! I must now leave Earth for no raisin!"

I liked the send-ups to Da Vinci's contraptions because I'm into that sort of thing, but they really slathered on the stupid there. Yes, ha ha, he thinks you hammer in a nail with a nail, we got it the last three times.

[GoGo Yubari]

Chester A. Arthur fall down

[Sousa]

"Is there... Mrs. Queequeg?"

[MalaCloudy Black]

SO much better than last week's episode. So so much. What was that song that played during the flashback at the end?

EDIT:

[TKz]

;_; What a great episode.

That was Futurama in top form. Has there been any word on if it's been renewed?

[Sousa]

Now that's more like it. Didn't we already see a young Bender being created, though? Did Futurama break its own continuity?

[tenaciousg]

;_; What a great episode.

That was Futurama in top form. Has there been any word on if it's been renewed?

There's at least one full season after the current one's finished.

[Benji]

I don't get what everyone's been criticising, barring the initial return episode (which suffered more from jumping off of the movie than actually being a bad episode) I've found all of them thoroughly enjoyable. I'm not looking to compare them to previous episodes, I just want to enjoy them by themselves and I think anyone trying to compare is probably just looking for an excuse to complain about "this isn't as good as it used to be" if I'm totally honest.

[GA!]

Now that's more likely. Didn't we already see a young Bender being created, though? Did Futurama break its own continuity?

I *think* we saw Bender being created further down the conveyor belt than where Hermes was previously.

And Lethal Inspection was the best episode of the series so far. The one before it suffered from hammering Fry's dumbness to Fry's dumbness.

[GoGo Yubari]

Someone over at The AV Club pointed out that Bender's origin has already been repeatedly changed continuity-wise, so it doesn't really matter. Easily the best episode of Futurama since its return; this was the one that finally made me go "okay, I'm really happy they brought Futurama back." The ending kind of tasted like diabetes, but it still worked. Plus, any time we get to enter the world of bureaucratic intrigue that is Hermes' job I'm happy.

[Kaney]

I'd agree with GoGo there, this is the first one that feels like a proper Futurama episode. I really disliked the first few, seemed like they were trying to hard to become a parody type show, "one week we'll take the piss out of ipads and Susan Boyle (of all people!), then we'll get to Dan Brown and the Da Vinci Code, no one is safe from our mocking!" Pop culture references are all well and good but theres a line where Futurama was always good with making a reference without going overboard with it. I thought this one was going to suffer as well, with the Star Wars bits at the start, but it turned out well. It was obvious a mile off it would end up being Hermes, and the ending seemed like they were trying to make it one of those sickly sweet endings like The Sting or Jurassic Bark, but the difference is those episodes were genuinely emotional. The only good thing about this ending was d'aww Baby Bender was too cute.