Gorky
DOOP Secretary
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I know it was a joke, but it hits at a truth about Leela's character. She doesn't have much of an emotional connection to the viewer past Fry, and is thus dispensable.
But can't you make that same argument about a character like Bender? I mean, Fry is supposed to be our lens; we are supposed to relate to him above all other characters because, hey, he's just a loser from our own time. I think it's only natural for our emotional investment in every character to depend, to certain extent, on their relationship to Fry. I mean, you could lose Zapp Brannigan or Leo Wong or the Hyperchicken without feeling too bummed out about it: these are all characters with whom Fry has interacted but for whom he has no particularly warm or fuzzy feelings. Leela and Bender (and any member of the PE crew, really) would come as a bigger blow, both for Fry and for the audience.
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El-Man
Urban Legend
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Leela's become extremely annoying since ITWGY She is in many ways a completely unlikeable character Well, she doesn't have purple hair and one eye, but she has the attitude. She's attractive and knows it, won't settle for dating anything less than a man who makes six figures a year, is kind to other, weaker men when it benefits her.
You all forgot one thing Leela is - damaged. Speaking as someone who got mercilessly bullied at school (small, glasses from an early age, asthma so strenuous physical activity was hard, and smart - bad combination), perhaps I identify with her in that regard. That sort of thing stays with you for life, or at least a very long time. Imagine how difficult it was for her, with her differences, making it in the world - even a futuristic one. Of course, none of that is an excuse for being a bitch - I climbed out of my hole due to a circle of close friends with common interests, and studying martial arts. But Leela's only had one best friend - Fry - and making the leap to something closer with him would be a big leap. Plus, she also has poor self-esteem, despite having a great figure, she thinks her eye negates all of that. So in her eye, she's not worthy. Fry may be the Lovable Loser, but Leela is the Ugly Duckling. Note I haven't seen the 3rd, 4th, & 5th eps yet - c'mon, Mr Postman. I know DXC has said the series will not focus on the F&L relationship, but they still need a Big Moment - where we see Leela realise Fry is for her, tearfully tell him that, and promise to do better. That will shut the shippers up.
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soylentOrange
Urban Legend
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« Reply #602 on: 07-22-2010 04:52 »
« Last Edit on: 07-22-2010 04:54 »
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I know DXC has said the series will not focus on the F&L relationship, but they still need a Big Moment - where we see Leela realise Fry is for her, tearfully tell him that, and promise to do better. I must not be getting the same thing from Rebirth that everyone else is, because I've read a hundred different versions of that statement since the episode aired, and I thought we pretty much got exactly that scene in the episode. Leela gets so distraught by Fry's death that she builds a robot copy of him. Then she tells Fry (granted, its the robot version of Fry, but she doesn't know that at the time) that he was right for thinking that she loved him. We also get little bits in the following episodes that hint that there's a real relationship going on between Fry and Leela. They hold hands several times, Leela kisses him in IAGDL, she tries to defend him when everyone else is sitting around calling him an idiot in TDVC, and she accepts Fry's proposition that they join the "Mile Deep Club". So yeah, I think we've already gotten our big scenes where Leela comes to terms with her emotions for Fry: one in ITWGY, and then the other in Rebirth. We'll probably get more (my money is on The Late Philip J. Fry being the next ep with big, shippy elements). The shipper in me is content with what we've got already, though. I don't want the show to occupy itself too much with the Fry / Leela relationship, and I dont want them to hit the reset button yet again. I feel like the writers have found a decent compromise by keeping the relationship in the background, and only calling attention to it now and then when it adds to the story they're trying to tell.
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Frisco17
DOOP Secretary
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Now I respect SO. I think he's a good man but quite frankly, I agree with everything he just said.
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DotheBartman
Liquid Emperor
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I've always thought Leela's behavior towards Fry is understandable. I don't think she's so bad because, unlike a lot of characters on TV with similar traits/behavior, they do add a fair amount of dimension to it. As others have said she's clearly a "damaged" person in a lot of ways, and clearly has some trouble being close to people. And Fry is genuinely a fairly immature character, though he's matured a bit as the series has gone on (though probably gotten a bit dumber too), so it makes some sense that she would take more of a liking to him after a while. And, like a lot of women below a certain age (no offense to anyone here), she clearly sort of doesn't know exactly what she wants or sort of gets "fooled" easily by asshole-ish men, like Zapp or the Mayor's aide. In other words, she's not just using people....they're using her. Again, like a lot of women (and hey, probably men too) it just takes her a while to realize the good guy(s) standing right in front of her.
I've always thought she was a good character. At least when they've wanted to, the writers have made her pretty dynamic and done a good job with her feelings of alienation and such. Hey, I think I shed a tear or two at "Leela's Homeworld." She's just flawed, just as Fry is. Or any person is.
Also, I agree with SO also, and not just because I'm under a Truth-o-scope.
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CookiesOnTheFloor
Bending Unit
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Well, gee...I like Leela. Of all the "tough broads" out there in Cartoonland - or hell, anywhere else - she's tops. I understand her emotional distance from people, even Fry. She was abandoned, remember? She's a mutant, remember? It's easy to infer that she's been hurt all of her life. Getting close to people, and allowing them to get close to her, has to be difficult for her. And Fry, despite all of his good qualities, is no prize, unfortunately. Leela has at least enough self-esteem to know she could do better. I'm sure there are female viewers who relate to leela's feeling of isolation as the only cyclops, and frustration with the endless unwanted advances of a guy who is, at heart, a bit of a loser. Y'know, the kind of women who've made the guys who relate so much to fry bitter?
Yeah, that's an interesting point. I remember watching "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", and wondering about some of the attitudes in it. Pudgy, pasty, flabby and not exactly well-endowed (hey, he exposed himself, and thus also exposed himself to criticism) Jason Segel is dating this beautiful girl, and he's not only kind of gross physically, he's a loser, a child. She decides to look elsewhere. I really couldn't blame her for that, and I really didn't feel sorry for Segel's character. But the thing is, I was supposed to. Is there something lacking in me that I didn't?
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Ralph Snart
Agent Provocateur
Near Death Star Inhabitant
DOOP Secretary
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I've read that iTunes is carrying the new eps for the American audience.
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Svip
Administrator
DOOP Secretary
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Should we move any discussion of Comic-Con stuff over to the Speculation thread? It seems to me that that's where we traditionally talked about stuff that others might find spoilery.
You are right, my good man! The other thread was 'thoughts on Season 6'. Not really the news or speculation thread, I say. But am I the only one who's not super-psyched for the 26th episode? It sounds kind of gimmicky.
I would not say I am psyched nor the opposite for that episode. In fact, I still know too little to get what it is about. 'Futurama being reborn in 3 different animation styles'. I am having my serious doubts they mean redoing parts of "Rebirth" in different animation styles, and thus I have very little knowledge of what that episode is going to be about.
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i_c_weiner
DOOP Secretary
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Not exactly. 25 or Episode 12 of next season or whatever you call it will be a hybrid season/series finale, à la every other "series finale" we've had. If it is the series finale, then 26 will be an epilogue fun show celebration yay. If it turns out to be just a season finale, then in actuality, 25 won't be a season finale and 26 will be.
In any case, I believe that it's been stated that 26 is out of canon like AOI stories are.
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Aki
Professor
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We still don't know much at all about 26, it could either be non-canon experimental, or it could be some strange parallell-universe-y thing where they actually travel through dimensions with other looks on the world. I may just be way off though.
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Frida Waterfall
Professor
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This actually should be in this thread, so I'm going to post it here too. I'm getting too excited for "The Late Philip J. Fry". I almost think that there's going to be a twist in that episode. The initial impression that I'm getting is that the audience is to believe that Fry, the Professor, and Bender were all "killed" in time when they began to time travel, but the title of the episode just seems to be riveting with shockers. I'm getting the feeling that the future featured in "The Late Philip J. Fry" actually somehow still included Fry, but Fry f*cked up somewhere with his relationship/life, thus when Leela refers to the good old days with Fry, she's referring to Fry before his flub-up.
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Freako
Urban Legend
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Well, regarding the title of the episode...
I read somewhere that part of the plot involves Fry wanting to use the time machine to avoid being late to another date with Leela, but of course ten minutes becomes ten years becomes....etc. So, presumably the title is partially a pun on the idea of him being literally late to something, as well as a play on the usual phrase that the title suggests. Plus, presumably Fry (and the others) will be presumed dead even though we (as the audience) know otherwise. THAT WAS SPECULAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT ION FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU CK
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Svip
Administrator
DOOP Secretary
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I admire your spirit to fight a losing battle, Freako. Keep it up!
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Frylo
Crustacean
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By the way, another preview clip for TLPJF is up on comedycentral.com for all you US residents out there. Just saw it, and I LOVED it!!!!!! Can't wait until tomorrow!!!
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Gorky
DOOP Secretary
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Speaking of birthdays... I liked the callback to the 31st century's version of "Happy Birthday" in the preview clip on CC's website. Have I mentioned enough that I really can't wait to see tomorrow's episode?
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Aki
Professor
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The clip looks really promising, and Fry and Leela dating (sort of) is awesome. Perfect pacing for once (although a one minute clip of a first act doesn't say much).
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Regulator
Crustacean
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^I have a sudden urge to listen to Tom Waits' Children's Story now...
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Svip
Administrator
DOOP Secretary
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They are probably waiting to make that announcement. It's a new show for them, so they are probably a little hesitant. But I am sure the announcement will come either in August or September. It is not unlikely for them to wait till a broadcast season is over before making their decision. They need enough data to value the show.
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