Gorky
DOOP Secretary
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Though was it just me or did Bev seem a little racially charged?
It's not just you. It caused me to cringe a couple of times.
This is the sole reason it gets a seven from me, rather than an eight.
This didn't really occur to me the first time around, but thinking about it now, the fact that Bev also has a kid with the Shaft-like URL has some unfortunate racial implications. But I don't think the writers wrote the character of Bev specifically for a black actress--meaning that all the neglectful mother jokes were presumably in the script before Wanda Sykes was cast--so that makes any of the seemingly stereotypical stuff in her portrayal more forgivable to me, if not more palatable. Also, Bender was initially willing to abandon his child--being drunk and violent at the time, of course--so it's not like she was the only unsympathetic or otherwise reprehensible parent. On the subject of cringe-worthy things in this episode, though, I will say that the use of the phrase "knocked-up" kind of bothered me; it seemed harsh coming from Leela (whereas it seems, you know, hilarious when it comes from a character like Mom in "A Fishful of Dollars"). I know Bev wasn't Mother of the Year material, but all the slut-shaming Leela tried to pull on her was a little excessive.
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Aki
Professor
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Surprisingly good! I didn't know what to expect, but I kind of thought they would frak the whole son thing up with too much melodrama and not enough real emotions. They did not. The Bender-Ben relationship felt true, and the episode seemed paced well.
I did see the ending a little too early, and I do think they could have been less obvious about it, but it still worked nicely.
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Gorky
DOOP Secretary
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Yeah, I'm pretty sure they said that he grew to his age at the Church of Robotology in seven days. Did I hear that right? It was thirteen days, which are apparently equivalent to years for robots? Also, the gestation period for robots is seemingly, like, two minutes or something insanely speedy like that. I don't know, I thought Ben's rapid aging was a little silly (though necessary for the episode to make any sense or have any kind of emotional arc, so I guess it gets a pass). Then again, Bender claimed to only be three years old in "Bendless Love," despite functioning as a twenty- or thirty-something adult, so I guess it's not a cheat or an ass-pull that the writers contrived solely for this episode. Rather, it's always been a cheat.
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DannyJC13
DOOP Secretary
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Thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the ep, some real awesome jokes in there. I agree that the ending was just kind of rushed/abrupt. the 1st episode was just boring. the story was weak. it wasn't funny at all. i hated the ending for that episode too.
the 2nd was just chaos & unfunny humor.
my favorite show...making me want to cry right now.
Okay see you later bye bye. Not a fan anymore? Why stay on PEEL?
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Gorky
DOOP Secretary
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Edit - also, "biased forum"? The rating you gave this episode has more votes than any other.
"Biased forum" also seems kind of redundant, no? Like, dude, a forum is by definition a place where ideas are discussed and exchanged; sometimes the discusser-exchangers agree, but more often than not they don't. I just don't understand why the disagreements that arise between posters about an episode's relative quality are such a big deal. All the debatin' makes things more fun, I think.
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Inquisitor Hein
Liquid Emperor
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« Reply #59 on: 06-21-2012 23:05 »
« Last Edit on: 06-22-2012 07:20 »
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Though was it just me or did Bev seem a little racially charged?
It's not just you. It caused me to cringe a couple of times.
This is the sole reason it gets a seven from me, rather than an eight.
This didn't really occur to me the first time around, but thinking about it now, the fact that Bev also has a kid with the Shaft-like URL has some unfortunate racial implications. But I don't think the writers wrote the character of Bev specifically for a black actress--meaning that all the neglectful mother jokes were presumably in the script before Wanda Sykes was cast--so that makes any of the seemingly stereotypical stuff in her portrayal more forgivable to me, if not more palatable. Also, Bender was initially willing to abandon his child--being drunk and violent at the time, of course--so it's not like she was the only unsympathetic or otherwise reprehensible parent.
In fact, the Bev representation was a plus for me in that episode. No one would have bothered if she had been some kind of "White Trash" representation. I think it was "Die Ärzte" (famous German Punk Band), who once said "Even handycapped black women can be assholes". Bev being a negative Black stereotype is for me as valid as her being a negative White/Asian/Whatever stereotype. That the writers once broke two PC taboos (ridiculing a not-to-be-ridiculed group as well as making the mother the deadbeat parent) showed me that someone finally grew a pair.
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futuRAmaMA
Delivery Boy
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« Reply #61 on: 06-21-2012 23:27 »
« Last Edit on: 06-22-2012 00:04 »
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A representative few of the things I liked: * the Batman-style opening. For a first episode of the season it was a good fit. * that they are beginning to use Randy deliberately, albeit briefly (since the Movies) * seeing Scruffy's inclusion as part of the staff (but they missed Nibbler who is now officially "part of the crew") * "wipe my tiny metal ass" - HILARIOUS! * finding out that Bev is one of them welfare-type moms that have tons of babies and don't care who the baby daddy be. * URL's "Nah, let's just get out of here" - ROFLMAO * "Everything your body does is perfectly natural - EXCEPT MASTURBATION! THAT'S JUST WRONG!" (notice young Tinny Tim is confused and oblivious, unlike everyone else ) I disliked: * all the dam*ed commercials!!!! It makes it hard to stay with the story. All in all, I give it a 7.5 out of 10 and a good start for the new season.
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futurefreak
salutatory committee member
Moderator
DOOP Secretary
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« Reply #71 on: 06-22-2012 08:38 »
« Last Edit on: 06-22-2012 12:09 »
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Ehhhhhh. I haven't gotten a chance to read the above comments...I am just, grr, like Neutopia, very disappointed with how they choose to start out their new seasons, or at least how the airing order is. I LOVED the opening breaking of the 4th wall and the recongition of the meme. EXCELLENT. After that...not so much. I am just increasingly getting irritated with how plots are messing up with canon, and on top of having to listen to Wanda Sykes as that machine the whole episode. Don't get me wrong, I found her quite entertaining in The New Adventures of Old Christine, but man, was that an annoying role for her to be cast in...The Fry subplot just seemed to be haphazardly thrown in there, and sadly, I enjoyed that plot way more than the main one. That's never a good sign. SGB, don't kill me. But I give this episode a 4/10. Oh wait, this caught my eye: the 1st episode was just boring. the story was weak. it wasn't funny at all. i hated the ending for that episode too.
the 2nd was just chaos & unfunny humor.
my favorite show...making me want to cry right now.
Okay see you later bye bye. Not a fan anymore? Why stay on PEEL?
I'm still a fan. And I clearly did not enjoy this episode. Just because you don't flock to every new episode with enthusiasm like a crazy fanboy/fangirl doesn't mean you're not a fan. EDIT: Also Hey, pumpkinpie is back! Welcome!!
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DannyJC13
DOOP Secretary
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I think I'm the only person on the planet who enjoyed the Fry B-plot...
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