Thoughts on Episode 6ACV08 - That Darn Katz (SPOILERS)

[Reply #40 on:]

The first 7 minutes and 45 seconds of this episode (everything before the montage where Amy and Nibbler spy on the cat) is absolutely flawless in my opinion. I loved the feel of it and the humor was excellent without a single bad joke in that first 7:45. I loved what they did with Nibbler's character and I loved the whole Amy getting her degree plot. Unfortunately, the whole cat plot took a poopie on itself and the episode suffered severely. 7.5/10

[Reply #41 on:]

Okay, we're doing tops of this season? I guess I better give into the peer pressure.

1. The Late Phillip J. Fry
2. Lethal Inspection
3. The Duh-Vinci Code
4. Rebirth
5. That Darn Katz!
6. Proposition Infinity
7. In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela
8. Attack of the Killer App

[Reply #42 on:]

Oddly enough, I really don't have a whole lot to say about this episode... I can't even really think of a score out of ten to give it. I liked the episode, and I thought it had a lot of good laugh out loud jokes and when I realised halfway through the opening that it was the full one I was filled with some sense of joy/relief for some reason.

I will say this on the subject of the story line: I thought it had a The Day The Earth Stood Stupid etc sort of feel to it with a pretty Crimes of The Hot-type resolution...

Overall, an enjoyable episode with a vibe similar to some of the more unusual episodes from the original run...

Still can't think of a score to give it though... Perhaps I'm just tired.

[Reply #43 on:]

This is the first episode this season that I haven't really enjoyed. I really enjoyed the beginning, and some of the jokes were good, but other than that it wasn't great.

[Reply #44 on:]

Any jokes after Nibbler curled up on Leela's lap?  DVR cut it off.

Agh, same thing happens to me, thankfully, I'm watching the episode anyway

Btw, my thoughts: A solid episode...that's about it.

[Reply #45 on:]

Strictly a filler episode.

I recall saying while watching it that it was a decent Monster of the Week episode.

Also, towards the beginning, leela says "I may not have a man, but [etc]," which caught me by surprise. Just last week they finally seemed to officially confirm there is some romantic relationship between fry and leela, and then this episode opens with that incidental line. I wish they would wake up their minds; I wouldn't want every ep to be a shippy fry/leela thing, but this whole "they're together, except when they're not" thing they've been doing just seems terribly half-assed. In conclusion, make a damned choice, writers; we'll deal with it.

That's the worst part of the episode for me.  Just make them a couple and don't talk about it ALL the time... which was what it seemed they were doing well.  This line, although probably not intended to elicit this response stood out so much because the fry/leela thing has been expounded upon already.  Sitcom rules no longer apply to Futurama though.

[Reply #46 on:]

Strictly a filler episode.

I recall saying while watching it that it was a decent Monster of the Week episode.

Also, towards the beginning, leela says "I may not have a man, but [etc]," which caught me by surprise. Just last week they finally seemed to officially confirm there is some romantic relationship between fry and leela, and then this episode opens with that incidental line. I wish they would wake up their minds; I wouldn't want every ep to be a shippy fry/leela thing, but this whole "they're together, except when they're not" thing they've been doing just seems terribly half-assed. In conclusion, make a damned choice, writers; we'll deal with it.

That's the worst part of the episode for me.  Just make them a couple and don't talk about it ALL the time... which was what it seemed they were doing well.  This line, although probably not intended to elicit this response stood out so much because the fry/leela thing has been expounded upon already.  Sitcom rules no longer apply to Futurama though.

Yeah, I agree with all of the above.

And it was an okay episode. Felt a bit...childish at times. I'm just not a cat person I guess...

[Reply #47 on:]

david: you missed Bender's Game apparently.

Sure did.  I wasn't asking how they found out, though; I was asking how that works.  They know that he can talk, and that he's intelligent, but they still treat him like a housepet, and make him wear a diaper, and he still has to hide his spaceship in the alley behind the building?  Odd.

[Reply #48 on:]

Not bad, and not great.  And very strange.   The cat humor got a few chuckles from me for the first few minutes and then it quickly got old.  The academia jukes were hilarious though, and that was enough to keep the eisode from being downright bad.   I give it an 8/10.  

[Reply #49 on:]

And about that characterization - yeah, the "I may not have a man" line was bizarre, given what happened last week. One also has to wonder why Fry's dancing with Bender instead of Leela in the first place. This back-and-forth stuff from the writers is indeed, as somebody up above described it, "half-assed". I think we've been dealt a total reset, children. There were hints of it before, but now the, um, cat is out of the bag.

You really think so, after TLPJF? I doubt it -- it seems more like what winna, Gopher, and I have postulated. When they're not specifically writing the relationship into the episode, it sometimes feels like it doesn't exist.

A "total reset", though? That's a stretch. I think it's just laziness -- yeah, maybe the writers are trying to weasel out of portraying them as a couple in non-'ship-focused episodes, but if TLPJF is any indicator, the end goal is obviously to have them end up permanently together...eventually. (6ACV25 is supposed to be the big 'ship episode, from what little we've heard...)

I'd really like them to be a couple in all episodes, though, at least in the background. If they can do it for Amy and Kif, they can do it for Fry and Leela. And if we do end up getting a 7ACV season, I hope they finally decide to stop vacillating and write them as a permanent and official couple...

[Reply #50 on:]

The idea of cats taking over, felt like this was an unused script to the Futurama comic book.  What made me enjoy this episode was the development of Amy.  She is now a doctor in physics and it was cool seeing her save the day.  I did like that she now has been in Nibbler's ship.  Leela was in it in THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STUPID.  Fry in THE WHY IN FRY.   Most of the jokes I saw coming, like the Zoidberg getting trapped in the cage for getting the milk, Amy and Nibbler laid out.  It was also interesting to see Nibbler and Leela discuss their relationship, since Nibbler can now talk, but wish they went further with it.

The horse joke was hilarious.  The cat jokes were okay, but I was expecting a garfield joke, though there is a cat in the same color as garfield during that flashback on how the cats came to earth.

I do have a few nitpicks.  Why didn't Nibbler just call his people to eat the cats?  He liked to eat puppies, and a whole bunch of animals.  Also, Fry is immune to the affects of the brain spawn and yet he isn't immune to the affects of the cats?

Despite those plot-holes, I did like this episode very much.  This episode isn't a filler since it made two big changes.  One is Amy now graduating from MARS U and getting her degree and the earth now rotates in the opposite direction.  I'm sure those two things will serve purposes in future episode.

8/10.

[Reply #51 on:]

The first 7 minutes and 45 seconds of this episode (everything before the montage where Amy and Nibbler spy on the cat) is absolutely flawless in my opinion. I loved the feel of it and the humor was excellent without a single bad joke in that first 7:45. I loved what they did with Nibbler's character and I loved the whole Amy getting her degree plot. Unfortunately, the whole cat plot took a poopie on itself and the episode suffered severely. 7.5/10

You nailed it, during those first minutes I thought it was gonna at least be an above-average episode, but it took a bit of a dive after that. During those first minutes, I was sure the episode was going to be an 8...

Oh, and listening to Maurice's voice for the head cat, it actually sounds more like he's doing James Mason. Previously, I said it sounded like his voice for Toucan Sam, but yeah, I'm pretty sure he's doing his best James Mason...

[Reply #52 on:]

Fry is immune to the affects of the brain spawn and yet he isn't immune to the affects of the cats?

The Brain Spawn used their freaky brain powers to mess with the humans brain and make them stupid. All the Cats did was look cute. Entirely different things.

[Reply #53 on:]

david: you missed Bender's Game apparently.

Sure did.  I wasn't asking how they found out, though; I was asking how that works.  They know that he can talk, and that he's intelligent, but they still treat him like a housepet, and make him wear a diaper, and he still has to hide his spaceship in the alley behind the building?  Odd.

I thought my paraphrased quote from the movie covered that, at least as much as one could reasonably expect futurama to ever cover it. It works that way because he's cuter that way.

[Reply #54 on:]

Weinstein also seems to have missed the memo that dark matter is now inert.

Also leela, when she was emptying the litter box.

It might be worthless, but she still has to empty the litter box.

i could care less.

I think you mean you couldn't care less. Saying you could care less means you care, at least a little bit, that your degree of caring is a positive number. See the graphic below.



IMO, this is one of the worst Futurama episodes ever.  (No, I'm not a cat person; this episode gives me one more reason to hate cats.) Probably inspired by the producer's name (Claudia Katz). This episode reminds me of a bit of dialogue from SCTV:

Man: I could only watch a few minutes of your program; then I had to turn off the TV.
Harold Ramis: Prior engagement?
Man: No, my dog threw up.

Show spoiler

At least the writers could have made some reference to the Yarn People of Nylar 4; something like: "Where did you get all of this yarn?" "Short story: Nylar 4 isn't part of DOOP anymore."

Show spoiler

Just remembered: The Magnum, P.I., joke. For those who don't remember, this was a TV show starring Tom Selleck.

[Reply #55 on:]

Also leela, when she was emptying the litter box.

It might be worthless, but she still has to empty the litter box.

Not my point. While emptying it she called it 'volatile dark matter'

[Reply #56 on:]

Also leela, when she was emptying the litter box.

It might be worthless, but she still has to empty the litter box.

Not my point. While emptying it she called it 'volatile dark matter'

Oops, I guess I missed that. (Smack!) Bad brain! No endorphines for you!

[Reply #57 on:]

I really liked this episode! 9/10

It was sort of weird to be reminded that Amy was still a student. I didn't know she was a doctoral student! I thought she was an undergrad (well, ten years have passed, I guess)... also, that she was in engineering.

I thought it was hilarious. I loved the Amy-Nibbler team-up, and I'm interested to see where they'll take the plot now that everyone knows Nibbler can talk (I forgot that he didn't erase their memories at the end of WGY). It was fun to see Amy as more than a slutty ditz this episode. Lots of fun jokes, loved the lolcat reference. Overall a great episode.

EDIT: Like a lot of other people in the thread, I also could have done without the cat can-can. :/ I thought that was pretty dumb.

[Reply #58 on:]

6/10

As someone said in this thread as I read it "the Leela line of" Leela: Well I don't have a man, but at least I have you Nibbler. Was a throwaway line.

One thing I don't get is why Nibbler couldn't call for Nibblonian reinforcements to eat the cats in the basement, or just do it himself. Since Nibbler can easily eat (suck up) animals far bigger than himself.

Also Kif Kroker well he was a pile of liquid on the floor in Amy's Apartment must regenerate his physical form at some point.

[Reply #59 on:]

6/10

As someone said in this thread as I read it "the Leela line of" Leela: Well I don't have a man, but at least I have you Nibbler. Was a throwaway line.

One thing I don't get is why Nibbler couldn't call for Nibblonian reinforcements to eat the cats in the basement, or just do it himself. Since Nibbler can easily eat (suck up) animals far bigger than himself.

Different Universe. Didn't you watch TLPJF?

[Reply #60 on:]

Different Universe. Didn't you watch TLPJF?

Um, yes. But I don't see why that contradicts my argument? Unless some things are different in this universe, which has so far not been stated within the show by these 3 characters; Fry, Bender and Farnsworth, nor by visual view of the show.

Maybe they'll address this issue in later episodes, IF somethings are different from before.

Maybe something like this:

All the PE staff sit around the conference table.

Bender: 'Remember Eleanor Roosevelt?

[Farnsworth shakes his head side to side.]

Leela: 'Yeah, the woman who was blown up by a laser from a time traveler.

[Farnsworth takes off his glasses and shifts his eyes side to side.]

Or one of the three say:

I don't remember that building.

Or even one of three characters; Fry, Bender or Farnsworth tells the story to the rest of the Planet Express staff.

Which makes be beg the question, from Eleanor Roosevel (Infosphere) being killed by Farnsworth what good or bad consequences does it have for the future?

Edit: Maybe less Humans rights, or women not getting as much work? Or from Eleanor Roosevelt (Wikipedia) being killed perhaps nothing at all would change?

[Reply #61 on:]

You know i had my doubts on this episode mainly because i'm not much of a cat person but boy am i glad to be proven wrong on this one, i thought it would be all babyish talk and no jokes, but it was a solid 8.5 but because i love futurama so much i rounded it up 

Sure it wasn't one of the top episodes but a solid one i can see myself watching a second and even a third time  

[Reply #62 on:]

As an actual PhD student in Applied Physics, I wholly approve of this pandering to my demographic

[Reply #63 on:]

You know i had my doubts on this episode mainly because i'm not much of a cat person but boy am i glad to be proven wrong on this one, i thought it would be all babyish talk and no jokes, but it was a solid 8.5 but because i love futurama so much i rounded it up  

Sure it wasn't one of the top episodes but a solid one i can see myself watching a second and even a third time  

You don't watch every episode more than once?

[Reply #64 on:]

I lol'd at the "I Can Has Cheezburger" reference with the: All employees must haz cat to enter!!! -board and the 'we call it blue-blue shiny ball' line.

[Reply #65 on:]

entertaining enough
wonder what Dr. Wong gonna do with her degree now...

"- The committee members will now vote yea or nay. Nay!
-Hells Nay
-the horse says, Doctorate Denied!"

[Reply #66 on:]

My opinion: Perfectly solid episode - not exceptional, like TLPJF, but solid. 8/10.

Generally liked all the jokes, the one I laughed most at was the actually the idea of the planet next to the kitteh one shouting "SHUUUUT UUUUP!"

[Reply #67 on:]

Cash Bones is the best advert they have done.

[Reply #68 on:]

Yes, though Cash Bones is the WORST advert to see if you have had to download the episode and are worried that the file you've opened is in fact virus-ridden spam...
Or so I've been told...

[Reply #69 on:]

Worst. Episode. Ever. None of it made sense and I laughed maybe 3 times.

[Reply #70 on:]

So you're a dog person, Boosh?

As an actual PhD student in Applied Physics, I wholly approve of this pandering to my demographic

Bad news somebody. The line was a jab at applied physics. They gave her a doctorate in that and a sportsmanship award (the universal award for not being good at something). Don't you remember in high school how the "applied" classes just meant it was for dumb people?

[Reply #71 on:]

bah, typical academic propaganda, weiner. People who want to actually dirty their hands doing things are automatically inferior according to the academic. Truely enlightened people only think and talk. Also, there's the money aspect; if you want a degree to get a high-paying job actually doing things, you're clearly inferior. The enlightened people just play at politics and seek tenure.

[Reply #72 on:]

This was quite an unusual episode- Evil hypnotic cats taking over the earth, Amy and nibbler working together and the fact that amy was incredibly smart and managed to earn a PHD diploma in applied physics. There was plenty of humour in there, and I think it's brilliant how, unlike Family Guy, the jokes don't go on for ages.

[Reply #73 on:]

As an actual PhD student in Applied Physics, I wholly approve of this pandering to my demographic

Bad news somebody. The line was a jab at applied physics. They gave her a doctorate in that and a sportsmanship award (the universal award for not being good at something). Don't you remember in high school how the "applied" classes just meant it was for dumb people?

The entire episode was a satire of science departments of every stripe, and I'm pretty sure that even lowly applied physics grad students are bright enough to appreciate it ironically.

[Reply #74 on:]

This is a good ol' 7/10, which would be my standard for a Futurama episode. While not incredible, it had it's hilarious moments (especially the science jokes, flashbacks to Egypt and cat planet and the entire first act) and it had a solid plot and good characters. Throw in some good continuity (finally mentioning Amy's studies!) but also some less funny moments (the cat dance) and you have a standard 7/10.

The first episode of the season, this one also had some awesome pacing. I don't know why the rest all somewhat failed on that, but this one had a clear plot with a goal (defeat the cats), clear main characters and jokes that were performed and then skipped on for the next one, as wilsterdude3000 says. I also loved the Amy-Nibbler pairing, and the subplot of Nibbler wanting to be more than a cute pet. Not to mention that Amy is one of my favorite characters and this gives her a whole new dimension only hinted at before, namely that she's not only a promiscuous cluts but also is interested in (and good at) physics and mechanics.

And Josh Weinstein? AWESOME! I'm sure we can all credit him for the awesome Farnsworth dialogue.

Overall a good episode.

[Reply #75 on:]

I didn't find the cat jokes too entertaining, but I loved the focus on Amy's degree - must have been a topic close to the writers, given that several of them have gone through this themselves. Getting sloshed before your final - now that's something I haven't seen being done, but enough people get so worked up that they're incapacitated for all practical purposes (it was sleep deprivation for me). Nightmares about being late for the exam, yep, had those too.

Nibbler + Amy - didn't see that coming. And it worked too, didn't seem forced or anything.

I give it an 8/10.

[Reply #76 on:]

Compared to last week's episode, this one was still a little below-par in comparison to the ones shown before it this season. The lolcat jokes could only hold the episode's humour for so long (though it did deliver a good poster joke, which made me lol pretty hard). Many of the other jokes on this episode were hit and miss, and that can-can cat one was probably the one that fell hardest on its face the most.

On the positive side, we do see Amy finally getting her degree, and having Nibbler as a focus is always a nice change. Plus, we see most of the crew revisit The Hip Joint, which was a nice touch. On the other hand, the plot was kind of boring after the first act though, as the cat villians were kind of lame in my opinion. So overall, it's one of the weaker episodes of the show, but at least this one had a purpose and a reason. Overall, I'm going to give this one a 7/10, making it on-par with Attack Of The Killer App on the first viewing.

[Reply #77 on:]

I guess I'm the only person here who liked the episode pretty much exactly as much as they expected to then?

I really liked it, definitely one of the season's better episodes as far as I'm concerned. It could easily be part of the original run, although obviously not one of the all-time greats.
It was funny and it was really nice to see them explore how Leela and Nibbler's relationship has changed now that she knows he can talk. I never really found the explanation in Bender's Game all that satisfactory.
It was also nice to see the odd pairing of Amy and Nibbler and her internship being addressed.
My main complaint is (other than the cat can-can moment), the plot just felt a bit messy. Mostly the science behind it. I wasn't really completely sure what was supposed to be going on at times. They were continuing to push the device to get Earth spinning in the opposite direction but then the pyramid things started to reverse polarity? Also, why would being stuck in daytime forever cause the world to be hot to the point of things bursting into flames? I know, I know, it's a cartoon.
I also loved the whole cats being aliens that came to Ancient Egypt centuries ago thing.

On a side note, this is at least the second time Maurice LaMarche has voiced a small furry mammal who planned to stop the Earth's orbit. Pinky and the Brain did it.

[Reply #78 on:]

I might have been unclear, but this was way over my expectations. Ofcourse not among the greatest ever, but a really funny episode.

By the way. So the Egyptians learned pyramid building from the Thubanians, then the Osirisians visited and the Egyptians told them?

[Reply #79 on:]

Lol, this episode reminds me of that movie "Cats & Dogs" for some reason after rewatching it the 2nd go. Anyone remember that movie?