Thoughts on 6ACV25 - Overclockwise - SPOILERS!

[Reply #120 on:]

Anyone notice Leela's pants were blue when she visited PE near the end?

Yes, I noticed that.

Anyway, this episode was FANTASTIC!


I'm very happy with the way things went. Gorky is right, the second time around was even better. And the Fry+Leela thing was just wonderful. Music to my shippy ears!


Also, I have to agree that one of Life's greatest unaswered questions is definitely Fry+Leela's ultimate fate.  

I'm looking forward to more Futurama.
And I shall sleep soundly until then.

[Reply #121 on:]

why are so many people giving this 10 out of 10? Dam, I liked yo Leela Leela better than this one. Why don't they use Nibbler like they did in the good old days? Why was Leela the other?

[Reply #122 on:]

Did anyone get screen captures of the books Bender was hyper-reading yet? I caught titles by Ayn Rand and Shakespeare, then something like "Some of the Digits of Pi."

There is a list here:

http://theinfosphere.org/Overclockwise#Bender.27s_reading_list

homerjay, why don't you just leave or shut up? If you don't like them, why stick around to complain?

[Reply #123 on:]

Thanks, DannyJC13. I should have known that the book titles were parodies, and not of actual books. How naive of me.

[Reply #124 on:]

homerjay, why don't you just leave or shut up? If you don't like them, why stick around to complain?

I don't know, Danny. Sometimes it's nice to have a dissenting opinion, if only because it helps other people clarify what they liked so much about something. I definitely understand the criticisms of this episode, but it still worked for me, and that's just how it goes sometimes.

I've found that most episodes I've really loved this season fall to one extreme or the other. Either they're flat-out classic-feel episodes that aren't inspired plot-wise but still make me laugh (so, "Law and Oracle")--or they're episodes that feel different from what was done in the original run but somehow manage to pull it off (like "Overclockwise"). The "average" episodes for me are the ones that help me kill twenty-two minutes and give me a few good laughs, but don't really resonate with me much after they end (say, "Neutopia").

But I digress. Point is, I don't mind the writers trying new things (and, to their credit, I cannot find another episode of the series to which last night's is even remotely comparable), but I respect that some people miss the good ol' days. Nostalgia goggles and whatnot.

[Reply #125 on:]

homerjay, why don't you just leave or shut up? If you don't like them, why stick around to complain?

How dare s/he have a dissenting opinion! Burn him/her!

I was kind of wondering if we would get closure on the comment Nibbler made ages ago about Leela being "the other". I'm sure they will eventually get to that, though.

[Reply #126 on:]

I'm still not 100% on Nibbler being allowed to talk and stuff. I know he's a member of the crew now, but isn't he supposed to be super secret? Why just give everything away?

[Reply #127 on:]

I guess the crew's allowed to know that Nibbler is super-intelligent and comes from a race of likewise super-intelligent guinea pigs. That alone isn't going to compromise his position or jeopardize the universe or anything. The crew doesn't know that Nibbler's at PE because Fry is the Chosen One and Leela's the Other; they just think he's a cute talking pet who hangs around because he's so used to having done so in the past.

And I think coffeeBot's right that that particular plot point won't be resolved for a while...but I can't see the writers forgetting about it completely. Why keep Nibbler around if not for some greater, as-of-now-unknown purpose?

[Reply #128 on:]

How dare s/he have a dissenting opinion! Burn him/her!

Yeah, yeah...already on my way...

[Reply #129 on:]

First, yes, Leela was wearing a skirt:

Did anyone get screen captures of the books Bender was hyper-reading yet? I caught titles by Ayn Rand and Shakespeare, then something like "Some of the Digits of Pi."

There is a list here:

http://theinfosphere.org/Overclockwise#Bender.27s_reading_list

There are many missing.
I got screencaps of 36 of the books. Some are redible titles, some not. Some books were blank too.

01 Calculus

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02 Advanced Calculus

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03 Decline and Fall of the Romulon Empire

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04 The Oxford English Pictionary

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05 Anti Gravity's Rainbow

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06 NNYC Phone Book

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07 Wuthering Gattaca?

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08 The Mathketball Diaries

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09 Advanced Calculus <<< 2nd time

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10 ???

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11 ???

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12 ???

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13 Every Translation of the Ilad?

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14 ???

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15 ???

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16 ???

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17 ???

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18 ???

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19 How to Kill a Mockingbird

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20 Ventriloquism for Dummies

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21 Dante's Life in Hell

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22 Connecticut Tax Law

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23 Google Book

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24 Big Book of Tumbleweeds

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25 Guinness Book of Parallel World Records

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26 VCR Repair

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27 The Collected Wisdom of Braino

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28 How I Conquered Your Planet

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29 Complete Simpson Episode Guide

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30 All the Presidents' Heads

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31 Shakespeare Typed by Monkeys - Volume 78

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32 The Sithal War

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33 Calculon on Calculon

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34 Ayn Rand McNally Atlas Shrugged

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35 Some of the Digits of π

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36 Genome of the Flatworm - Volume 12

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[Reply #130 on:]

Awesome work, booze. By the way, number eight is "The Mathketball Diaries," which is a play on the title of some depressing memoir by a now-dead guy.

[Reply #131 on:]

Aaah, added that, thanks Gorky.

[Reply #132 on:]

Awesome work, booze. By the way, number eight is "The Mathketball Diaries," which is a play on the title of some depressing memoir by a now-dead guy.

BEAT ME. I WAS THIS CLOSE.

Yeah, Ethan Tate gave that book to Dwight as a Kwanzaa gift in TFHS.

And 16 and 17 are the same book.

[Reply #133 on:]

Likely, but he threw #16 away before grabbing #17.

[Reply #134 on:]

14: The Talmud? I dunno. Very hard to make out.

16: Oxford English [[one word]]

17: Oxford English Posh-[[something]] (possibly the same word).

[Reply #135 on:]

Could both be the Oxford English Pictionary again?

[Reply #136 on:]

My opinon regarding Overclockwise:

The best Episode of Season 6B, and -regarding the complete series- one of the better ones. But it cannot dethrone TLPJF, and also TDHAIP is imhO the superior finale.

Had "Overclockwise" been a 2-part Episode, it might have been "Best Episode Ever", but it was a bit too rushed in 1 part.

The plots:
- Farnsworth/Cubert: Well handled and executed, perfect timing. They took their time with the Video Game, nothing was rushed...well written.
- Bender: The reason for his overclocking was also handled well, but I expected him to do some "godlike" stuff in his overclocked ability.
- Leela/Fry: Hrm...Fry was handled halfway properly , but storywriting on Leela was not so good. She left for no reason, and the character appeared to be cold hearted while doing so (maybe just a tear dripping down the eye or some detail that the departure was hurtful would have been appropriate).
The return was also not plot driven, but rather a "We need a Happy End. PRIVATE LEELA...ATTENTION!!!!" After all, the character is a protagonist whose motivations should be shown.

[Reply #137 on:]

Loved this episode. I liked the premise, I liked the jokes, I liked the set up, I liked the conclusion. Not much else to say. I laughed pretty hard at "Cover your nads, things are about to get a little less Newtonian in here." I found Fry and Leela reading their future together charming though I wonder if the knowledge of that future will somehow change it. All in all an excellent episode, the only real downside was the pacing. Felt a little too rushed. I agree with others it would have made better as a movie.

9/10 for that reason.

[Reply #138 on:]

The return was also not plot driven, but rather a "We need a Happy End. PRIVATE LEELA...ATTENTION!!!!" After all, the character is a protagonist whose motivations should be shown.

I agree with that, though it didn't really take away from the episode for me.

[Reply #139 on:]

Hope you liked it a lot because at this rate they'll put a new wrapper on the same idea 10 years from now and call it a new episode. And, for those of you who want Fry and Leela married, watch "Time Keeps on Slipping" again. You'll get to see them get divorced too. Next time Leela goes flakey on Fry he and Bender should go to Mars Vegas.

[Reply #140 on:]

Hope you liked it a lot because at this rate they'll put a new wrapper on the same idea 10 years from now and call it a new episode. And, for those of you who want Fry and Leela married, watch "Time Keeps on Slipping" again. You'll get to see them get divorced too. Next time Leela goes flakey on Fry he and Bender should go to Mars Vegas.

To be fair, Leela is rather flakey when it comes to relationships. This is referenced many times throughout the series with more than just fry.

[Reply #141 on:]

Overclockwise is a weak series finale but a good episode overall, yet it exemplifies a season-long feeling of general sloppiness. The episode is too pulled together from different reigns that work well enough together but would rather split. It doesn't really know what it wants to do and cuts puzzle pieces when it can't figure out how to really make its plot fit.

The whole bit with World of World of War II 3 was a fun way to start the episode and lead into the overclocking of Bender and Mom's involvement to reset him so as to keep her stranglehold on her customers (Mom's always been a great villain because her actions are always motivated by business (with the exception of Mother's Day)). Yet, once the Professor and Cubert are arrested and it leads to a trial the story breaks into 3 distinct parts that don't feel like they really have anything to do with each other. Bender's overclocking is barely explored and isn't closely tied enough to the trial to be the necessary impetus. He could have been sped to modern standards or somewhat higher rather than become a god-like being and had the same trial (and that would have saved the cooler idea (the God-Entity-like Bender) for a proper focus).

Fry and Leela's part in the episode was seriously of little concern to the actual plot. It was merely something extra that was shoved into this other storyline. Leela having hang-ups about her future with Fry is fine, but having her leave just played too much into Schmucks Bait to really be believable. Had she instead "broken-up" with him, only to rescind and go for it, then it might have worked. As it is, it's just too obviously a plot decision rather than a character decision (though I see the side for Leela that was written). That said, I did love the ending with them, as they read their (possible?) future together and practically live it, satisfied that it will be (mostly) joyous.

The main plot of Cubert and The Professor being tried by Mom was really the only one handled well. The gags hit (especially Cubert's line about tampering with something he owns and The Professor signing Bender's release simply to have him bend a straw) and the plot followed logically from beginning to end. Mom's having it out for The Professor was a nice touch of continuity (still bitter about the heartbreak) to add to the already in-character reason of stuffing Bender's upgrade before its effectiveness could go truly public.

This episode's quality lies somewhere in the middle of the season. It's better than other sloppy episodes like Neutopia or Benderama though its humor and heart but its weak writing holds it back from toppling better crafted episodes like LAO or ATPH. It definitely can't hold a candle to previous finales TDHAIP or ITWGY, though it admirably tries (and I still like it a lot despite its faults (My love for this show probably makes me too forgiving)).

[Reply #142 on:]

So, is Leela back then?  I mean, all she said is that her real estate business is going pretty good but that she has been thinking about Planet Express and... things (Fry).  That's pretty vague, and she never said that she is back for good.  Is she just going to leave her real estate business and return to her dead end delivery job?  Perhaps she could keep doing it on the side and still work at PE for Fry's benefit?

Loved the knock knock joke at the end.  "Leela who?"  

Also, "Soon to be a hit television show" was awesome and right in line with "See you on some other channel" and "The humans shall not defeat us."

[Reply #143 on:]

13 Every Translation of the Ilad?

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You mean the Iliad?

[Reply #144 on:]

Yeah, that... typo'd.

[Reply #145 on:]

I think Fry had a fling with Amy in the future (Why Leela slapped Fry) and Leela has another fling with Zapp (Why Fry slapped Leela).

[Reply #146 on:]

Or Fry had a fling with Zapp, and Leela had a fling with Amy. You never know.

[Reply #147 on:]

Here is a moment-by-moment description of Fry and Leela reading Bender's prediction:

FRY AND LEELA'S ULTIMATE FATE by Bender

Leela starts reading
Leela's eyes widen
Fry starts reading
Fry and Leela read for a while with no expression
Fry's and Leela's mouths open in astonishment
Leela smiles, then Fry smiles
Leela scowls, while Fry gets a surprised look
Leela looks up and glares at Fry, then grabs paper and slaps Fry
Leela starts reading again
Fry starts reading again
Leela's mouth opens in shock, while Fry glares at Leela
Fry slaps Leela
Fry and Leela read for a while with no expression
Fry and Leela smile
Fry's and Leela's jaws drop in shocked horror
Fry and Leela stop reading and look at each other

[Bender turns the page]

Fry and Leela continue reading with no expression
First Leela, then Fry smiles
Fry and Leela both form giddy expressions
Leela looks up at Fry, wipes tear from her eye
Fry and Leela look at each other again with loving expressions

[fade out]

[Reply #148 on:]

They must die together...

[Reply #149 on:]

It says "volube 78", not "volume 78" on the "Shakespeare Typed by Monkeys" book. I hope that's a brilliantly subtle gag rather than just a typo.

[Reply #150 on:]

I'm still not 100% on Nibbler being allowed to talk and stuff. I know he's a member of the crew now, but isn't he supposed to be super secret? Why just give everything away?

Leela: Nibbler made a bo-bo.
Nibbler: Yes, but not on my terms. I will not be treated like... Hey, wait, aren't you amazed I can speak?
Fry: Well, actually, no. You forgot to blank our memories after you spoke last time.
Nibbler: You mean you've known I was sentient? Then why did you let me eat Friskies and make bo-bo in a litter box?
Fry: Well, you're cuter that way.
Farnsworth: Cute as a baby's buttocks.

[Reply #151 on:]

I absolutely loved this episode. The main plot was really fun, clever and awesome to watch, and one of the few episodes this season where Bender was written extremely well. Some great visuals when he becomes omnipotent, and I especially loved the double jeopardy twist at the end. The callbacks made this episode even more of a treat.

What I didn't like so much was the Fry/Leela subplot, and I'm not even a shipper. It was sloppy, with Leela's doubt about their relationship literally springing out of nowhere. There was no motivation, rhyme or reason, for her to act like this. Completely random. For this to work, it needed a background... It would have been better if, say, she had berated Fry for sitting on his ass playing video games again, or something, and then expressed her doubts. I also didn't like her Poochie-esque, convenient disappearance as it seemed to suggest that the writers felt they just couldn't fit her into the storyline, until the very end.

But the despite the poor handling of those two, the episode did make great use of Mom, Cubert and even Randy. Some of their best appearances in the entire series here. I'm fairly indifferent to Cubert most of the time, but I actually really liked him here, and for the first time actually wanted to see more from him.

Overall though, this is one of the best episodes, and the conclusion is ultimately satisfying.

[Reply #152 on:]

I also didn't like her Poochie-esque, convenient disappearance

Oh great. Now I have this image of Leela saying "I must go now, my planet needs me" and rising vertically out of frame, rather than catching the Space Bus.

[Reply #153 on:]

And as we've come to expect from Mr. Canning, a review that somewhat opposite of PEEL's general consensus.

[Reply #154 on:]

and Leela has another fling with Zapp (Why Fry slapped Leela).

Well...Cohen announced that Leela will be shocked in one Episode (season 7) to find out Zapp loses interest in her, and begins an affair with her mother. And as probably most people here will have an idea how she might try to "cure" him, it would be fitting

(Of course, fitting to the expressions shown in "Overclockwise", first it'd be Fry's turn to do some cheating.. )

[Reply #155 on:]

I really don't see why people still go to IGN for TV reviews.

[Reply #156 on:]

I really don't see why people still go to IGN for TV reviews.

Or reviews in general.  Or news on games.  Or at all.  Why do people even use IGN anymore?

[Reply #157 on:]

First post! I've been posting reviews since "Rebirth" as TheMagicalDreamer, though.

I can see why Fry tried to kill himself. From his perspective he had lost the love of his life, his best freind, his only living relatives were on the way to the slammer, and he was most likely about to lose his job. Sure, he still had Zoidberg -- you all still have Zoidberg -- but his whole universe had pretty much just come apart. The episode also points out that Fry is short-sighted and isn't that great at looking into the future or planning ahead. 

My only real criticism is that it's a shame we didn't get to play around more with Omni-Bender; I'm sure something awesome could have been done with that. He was obvioiusly lying about being above human emotions -- he more or less gave up his God-hood to put Fry's life back together.

[Reply #158 on:]

Man, IGN can never get a review right.
And oh wow, they called Randy "Rodney" 

[Reply #159 on:]

I do wish we had seen more of omni-Bender - actually, I wish this was a movie - but there were no significant pacing errors in here.

Dorsal Axe, I don't think her doubt about their relationship sprung out of nowhere. I think she's had it festering for a very long time, actually, and finally it was just time for her to get it out into the open and make a decision. Which, of course, she ended up un-making at the end, but that's a woman for you.

Nibbler's been uncloseted for a while now.

Thanks for posting the books, Bend-err. I love the Ayn Rand McNally Atlas Shrugged.