What if season 6B had aired its episode in production order

[on:]

I think it is strange that while season 6A aired all its episodes in strict production order, season 6B was aired in a completely random order. As far as I can tell, CC did so simply because it can, not for any logical reason. So what if the episodes had aired in production order, how would our perceptions have changed? Here is my opinion.

June 23 2011 -- The Silence of the Clamps (PEEL 6.783 / CGEF 86%) + Mobius Dick (PEEL 8.314 / CGEF 83%)

While The Silence of the Clamps was not well-liked on PEEL, it was quite popular on CGEF. Mobius Dick, on the other hand, is recognized as one of the great episodes of production season 6 by both PEEL and CGEF.  Overall, this would have been a much better start to the 2011 season than what we ended up with.

June 30 2011 -- Law & Oracle (PEEL 8.309 / CGEF 92%)

A similar situation to The Silence of the Clamps, where the episode was liked more on CGEF than on PEEL.  Another outstanding episode.

July 7 2011 -- Benderama (PEEL 7.386 / CGEF 82%)

Another episode liked more on CGEF than on PEEL. I personally liked it for its SF foundation.

July 14 2011 -- The Tip of the Zoidberg (PEEL 7.654 / CGEF 88%)

And yet another episode liked more on CGEF than on PEEL.

July 21 2011 -- Ghost in the Machines (PEEL 8.224 / CGEF 84%)

Finally, an episode liked equally well on both PEEL and CGEF.  So far in this season, there has not been a single bad episode, it is far ahead of season 6A in episode quality at this point in the season.

July 28 2011 -- Neutopia (PEEL 6.582 / CGEF 69%)

The first clunker of the season.

August 4 2011 -- Yo Leela Leela (PEEL 5.750 / CGEF 40%)

Terrible episode.  Two bad episodes in a row.

August 11 2011 -- Fry Am the Egg Man (PEEL 7.520 / CGEF 81%)

Good but not great episode, comparable to Benderama in its ratings.

August 18 2011 -- All the Presidents' Heads (PEEL 7.940 / 69%)

Unusually, PEEL voters liked this episode a lot more than CGEF voters did.

August 25 2011 -- Cold Warriors (PEEL 9.042 / CGEF 94%)

Outstanding episode, as usual liked more at CGEF than at PEEL, but still the top episode of season 6B so far.

General thoughts:

With few exceptions, CGEF voters tend to like the episodes more than PEEL voters do.

It looks like the 'production order' season mixes the episodes a lot more than the actual as-aired season did.  Somebody would have to make lists of Scruffy appearances, flashbacks, montages, etc. to be sure, though.

I personally agree with the CGEF ratings more than with the PEEL ratings.  I think that PEEL voters are generally too harsh on season 6 episodes, compared to previous seasons.  When I look at episodes from earlier seasons that I personally consider equal to a given season 6 episode in quality, the season 6 episode is invariably much lower in its PEEL rating than the earlier episode.

[Reply #1 on:]

When the DVD comes out this will be an interesting idea to think about.

[Reply #2 on:]

I really wish they aired 6B in production order, as we would have had...

A Bender/Clamps episode
A Leela episode
A Fry episode
A Bender episode
A Zoidberg/Farnsworth episode
A Bender episode
A Hermes episode
A Leela episode
A Fry episode
A Farnsworth episode
A Fry episode
A Bender episode
A format bender

Instead of episodes that feature the same character two weeks running and episodes written by the same writer, so close together (Not to mention episodes with similar plot devices...)

[Reply #3 on:]

Well, the rating graphs of 6B would look quite a bit different if you compare TV with Production order.


For CGEF:


For PEEL:



Only Fry Am the Egg Man has the same number 9th episode both in TV and Production order. As well as the last 3 episodes (which are obviously not yet included).

[Reply #4 on:]

It's certainly an interesting conundrum, and given the evidence I believe that it would have been far better to air these eps in production order rather than some seemingly random order. It beggars belief that they needlessly held back such a fantastic ep as Möbius Dick for so long, I mean what was the point? ...

[Reply #5 on:]

I think that I'm going to start rewatching this season in production order, since they're all on my DVR anyways, and the last episodes are in order. Then I shall compare. :P

[Reply #6 on:]

Great minds think alike.  I had just decided to try the same thing myself, starting as soon as I post this.

[Reply #7 on:]

Hopefully when it's officially released it'll all be in production order too, it damn well better be! All seasons have before though, so I'm sure it will be ...

[Reply #8 on:]

Just finished watching the first two production episodes (The Silence of the Clamps and Mobius Dick), while trying to react as if I had never seen them before.  Wow, they would be a FAR better start to a new season than Neutopia and Benderama were.  

[Reply #9 on:]

I really wish they aired 6B in production order, as we would have had...

A Bender/Clamps episode
A Leela episode
A Fry episode
A Bender episode
A Zoidberg/Farnsworth episode
A Bender episode
A Hermes episode
A Leela episode
A Fry episode
A Farnsworth episode
A Fry episode
A Bender episode
A format bender

True this. Particularly, airing Tip of the Zoidberg and Cold Warriors next to each other was a bad move. And the way they were aired we had how many Bender-centric episodes in a row at the beginning, like three or four?

The only sucky thing about airing them in the rea order would be the Neutopia and Yo Leela Leela combo. But that would be way better than opening with Neutopia, which was a terrible choice in my opinion. Opening with Mobius Dick would have been epic.

[Reply #10 on:]

Just finished watching the first two production episodes (The Silence of the Clamps and Mobius Dick), while trying to react as if I had never seen them before.  Wow, they would be a FAR better start to a new season than Neutopia and Benderama were.  

I haven't tried it yet, but I can certainly imagine it. What were CC thinking? Guest stars are the normal reason for airing out of order, and Benderama had a guest star ...

[Reply #11 on:]

When I think about it, I have to assume that the original production order was set by the makers of Futurama, for a reason.  They must have intended to space out those episodes with a given character as primary focus, those episodes of a given type (emotional emphasis, science fictional emphasis, wacky, etc.) and those episodes using a given plot technique (flashback, montage, etc.).  That certainly is my impression.

But for some reason, CC decided to air the episodes of season 6B in a different order.  I can only assume that they threw darts to determine the new order (unless they wrote the names of the episodes on slips of paper and drew them out of a hat).  I hope that next year, they air the 13 episodes of season 7A in their production order, as they did with season 6A.

Well, at least they are not FOX, who did everything humanly possible to destroy the viewer numbers in the first run (regularly preempting the episodes, random timeslot changes, lack of promotion).

[Reply #12 on:]

Yeah, at least CC is promoting quite nicely. I'll cut them some slack. I just wish there was more available explanation as to why they decided to air the episodes in this, as far as anyone can tell, completely random order that creates more problems than it solves.

I do think that the order in which they aired has led to a general trend towards the better, which is much better than the opposite, at least. If they were aired in production order, we'd get a nice thrill in the beginning, a weird lull in the middle for four or so episodes, and then (hopefully!) a strong ending. The way broadcast order's done it makes it much more fluctuating.

I also hope 7A is done in production order. Obviously they produce the episodes in that order for a reason.

[Reply #13 on:]

I've also been watching all of season six in order - to prepare for Overclockwise, and I agree. CC really dropped the ball on this one.  The episodes just make more sense and the story arcs that started in 6a aren't all flummoxed up when viewed in order.  It certainly helps clear things up a bit on the whole Fry/Leela confusion, for example.  I also hope that CC airs season seven in the correct order too, ffs.

[Reply #14 on:]

It certainly helps clear things up a bit on the whole Fry/Leela confusion, for example.

Explain more! I know I'm really confused at this point in time.

[Reply #15 on:]

Well, the way I see it is that things started off on a high note at the end of ITWGY, and then deteriorated quickly from there.  So they all died, and then were reborn again.  What a mood killer.  Then, Leela sexed up Zapp.  From then on Fry makes a series of moves that publicly humiliate Leela.  First with the butt boil, and then he reveals her big secret.  Granted, both of those resulted in positive outcomes, but if I were Leela I would be seriously questioning Fry's motives at that time.  So then, even though 6b is light on the shippy stuff, it seems to me that they have been growing farther apart as it goes on.  Sure, they're still very close, but the actual relationship seems to be fizzling.  As much as I hate to say it, I think that they are going to end up apart at the conclusion of Overclockwise.  It fits better with the theme of season six as a whole.  Hopefully, after realizing that they are good for each other they can reconcile in season seven.  Hey, I'm a whale biologist.  I calls em as I sees em.

[Reply #16 on:]

I think that I'm going to start rewatching this season in production order, since they're all on my DVR anyways, and the last episodes are in order. Then I shall compare. :P

I plan on doing this, too, after "Reincarnation" airs. It'll take a few more clicks of the up and down buttons on my remote as I scroll through the episodes on my DVR, but I am willing to make that sacrifice.

Well, the way I see it is that things started off on a high note at the end of ITWGY, and then deteriorated quickly from there.  So they all died, and then were reborn again.  What a mood killer.  Then, Leela sexed up Zapp.  From then on Fry makes a series of moves that publicly humiliate Leela.  First with the butt boil, and then he reveals her big secret.  Granted, both of those resulted in positive outcomes, but if I were Leela I would be seriously questioning Fry's motives at that time.

I agree with this completely. At the very least, there's some notable backtracking on Leela and Fry's parts in "Attack of the Killer App," on the heels of Leela getting it on with Zapp in "In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela."   

But then what's the explanation for "The Late Philip J. Fry" and "The Prisoner of Benda" (both of which make it seem like Fry and Leela are in a relationship) and "Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences" and "The Mutants are Revolting" (both of which make more sense if you assume Fry and Leela are dating)? Those four episodes, though they flow logically amongst themselves, make no sense if you assume that Fry and Leela's relationship was put on-hold after the events of the first three episodes of the season.

As much as I hate to say it, I think that they are going to end up apart at the conclusion of Overclockwise.

I don't think the writers will go that route, considering both Devil's Hands and "Into the Wild Green Yonder" ended with Fry and Leela presumably hooking up, and "Overclockwise" was produced under the impression that it would be the series finale. But I suppose it's a possibility, bleak though it may be.

[Reply #17 on:]

I think it is important to always keep in mind the Rule of Funny.  If some interpersonal interaction/situation would generate a big laugh, the writers will often go for it, even if it contravenes established canon, and I think that romantic relationships are not immune.

On the whole, though, I think that Leela and Fry are an established (if underplayed) couple, albeit in a fairly early stage of its development.  Any deviations from this state are written, in my opinion, to comply with the Rule of Funny.

[Reply #18 on:]

That's the thing though, Rule of Funny shouldn't be given overall preference. Just because something's amusing doesn't necessarily mean it's worth breaking continuity to use it.

Leela's "platonic friend" line in Eggman comes to mind.

R.O.F. shouldn't be God to the writers. If it would be funny to have something happen, but it's out of character or breaks continuity, I would much rather they found a different joke to use.

But that's just me. I like a consistant fictional world. If the sky is blue on Monday, I expect it to be blue on Tuesday or for there to be an explanation. If Fry says he masturbates with his right hand and then ends up doing it lefthanded, I expect his right hand to be occupied with something more important. Or injured, I suppose. If the Professor says he has an artificial heart, I don't expect Zoidberg to pull a real one out of his chest during surgery. If Leela gets a birth control implant, I don't expect to see her carrying Zapp's child.

You get the picture. It's not enough for something to be funny. With a show as rich and detailed as Futurama, I've come to expect it also to fit in with canon and continuity.

[Reply #19 on:]

If Leela gets a birth control implant, I don't expect to see her carrying Zapp's child.

I do.  I'm pretty sure the only reason that birth control would even be mentioned on a sitcom is because someone's going to get pregnant.

[Reply #20 on:]

Well, the way I see it is that things started off on a high note at the end of ITWGY, and then deteriorated quickly from there.  So they all died, and then were reborn again.  What a mood killer.  Then, Leela sexed up Zapp.  From then on Fry makes a series of moves that publicly humiliate Leela.  First with the butt boil, and then he reveals her big secret.  Granted, both of those resulted in positive outcomes, but if I were Leela I would be seriously questioning Fry's motives at that time.  So then, even though 6b is light on the shippy stuff, it seems to me that they have been growing farther apart as it goes on.  Sure, they're still very close, but the actual relationship seems to be fizzling.  As much as I hate to say it, I think that they are going to end up apart at the conclusion of Overclockwise.  It fits better with the theme of season six as a whole.  Hopefully, after realizing that they are good for each other they can reconcile in season seven.  Hey, I'm a whale biologist.  I calls em as I sees em.

Exactly, that's why I think they won't get together in Overclockwise.

[Reply #21 on:]

Overclockwise is intended to be open-ended, so whatever happens I'm sure they have a plan for Season 7. Sorry to the shippers, but having them together for the whole of Season 7 is not my idea of good Futurama, but then again neither is Fry being pathetic while Leela be's a bitch the whole time. I dunno, I guess I like that something shippy will happen in Overclockwise, but not something too major of irreversible...

[Reply #22 on:]

I agree Otis.  They shouldn't be together in the beginning of season seven, but I don't think they should wait until the very end either.  And it can't be the same old Fry chases after/tries to impress Leela bit.  Maybe its Leela's turn to chase after Fry for once.  I'm going to stop though because this belongs in the shippy thread.