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Jarvio

Bending Unit
***
« on: 07-07-2012 16:38 »
« Last Edit on: 07-07-2012 16:56 »

This thread is basically my thoughts on all the “less popular” episodes. And by that, I mean, the episodes that scored lower than 70% on the gotfuturama episode reviews.

There are 14 of them in total. Do all 14 deserve to be unpopular? Or do some deserve better?
These are the 14 episodes (from most popular to least popular):

Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences (69%)
The Route Of All Evil (69%)
All The President’s Heads (69%)
That Darn Katz! (69%)
I Dated A Robot (67%)
Mother’s Day (67%)
A Pharaoh To Remember (66%)
That’s Lobstertainment (61%)
Attack Of The Killer App (60%)
The Cryonic Woman (57%)
In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela (54%)
A Leela Of Her Own (50%)
Futurama Holiday Spectacular (47%)
Yo Leela Leela (43%)

Here are my thoughts on each:

Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences – I didn’t care for it. It’s not exactly a terrible episode, but I just think having an episode centre around Lrrr doesn’t quite work. And for me, the comic book subplot was more annoying than entertaining.

The Route Of All Evil – This one absolutely sucked! The kids were just damn annoying and I thought the episode on a whole was poorly written. Reminiscent of modern Simpsons.

All The President’s Heads – I liked this one, and don’t see what other people’s problems with it are. Interesting and entertaining.

That Darn Katz! – Perhaps the most underrated ever for me. I thought this was a fine episode, with plenty going for it. Interesting story, very funny, and nice character development for Amy.

I Dated A Robot – I’m kind of indifferent to this one. There’s nothing really good or bad about it IMO. It’s just there. I must admit though, it’s one of the episodes I’m never too bothered to re-watch.

Mother’s Day – I don’t know why this is on the list – it’s a classic. It’s a decent episode that further establishes Mom, and her past relationship with the professor. The professor was brilliant, and the sex scene (whilst disgusting) was hilarious.

A Pharaoh To Remember – This one had potential – I like desert stuff. However, the whole episode was ruined by Bender being a complete asshole. I hated how this episode was handled. Why the hell did Fry and Leela quickly forgive Bender after what he did?? That makes me angry. This episode could have been so much more.

That’s Lobstertainment! – Whilst not one of my favourites, I never understood why people hated it so much. To me it is a below-average episode, but at the same time not terrible. At least it stands out with it's unique plot and setting.

Attack Of The Killer App – Hate it. Just stupid, from start to finish. Susan boyle was annoying as hell, and the episode didn’t even end right as there was absolutely no closure. One of the worst ever.

The Cryonic Woman – Not a strong episode, and Michelle was a horrid bitch. However, I still thought it had it’s moments (like the opening scene) and is not as bad as others think.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela – Another episode that had potential but was slightly ruined. But for some reason, I found myself bored throughout this one too. However, overall, not TOO bad.

A Leela Of Her Own – I have no knowledge on baseball. But the worst player ever trying to teach Leela to be terrible was rather funny for me. Not a strong episode, but it had it’s moments.

Futurama Holiday Spectacular – No, just no. THE worst episode ever, and by far too. I can’t even be bothered to explain why tbh, can’t be bothered to waste time on this piece of shit.

Yo Leela Leela – Well it wasn’t a strong episode. But the least popular of the lot? Harsh. It had it’s moments, and the story, whilst crazy, was at least unique and memorable. Not a good episode, but doesn’t deserve to be the lowest rated one.

And now here’s how I personally rank order those 14 episodes:
1 – That Darn Katz!
2 – All The President’s Heads
3 – Mother’s Day
4 - In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela
5 - Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences
6 – That’s Lobstertainment!
7 – A Leela Of Her Own
8 – The Cryonic Woman
9 – Yo Leela Leela
10 – I Dated A Robot
11 – A Pharaoh To Remember
12 – The Route Of All Evil
13 – Attack Of The Killer App
14 – Futurama Holiday Spectacular

Do I think they all deserve to be on this list? Katz, Presidents, and Mothers- NO. But the rest- YES.

What’s other member’s detailed thoughts on these 14 episodes?
Boxy Robot

Starship Captain
****
« Reply #1 on: 07-07-2012 16:58 »
« Last Edit on: 07-07-2012 17:23 »

Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences (69%) NO
The Route Of All Evil (69%) NO
All The President’s Heads (69%) YES
That Darn Katz! (69%) NO
I Dated A Robot (67%) NO
Mother’s Day (67%) NO (I never understood why this was ranked so low...)
A Pharaoh To Remember (66%) NO
That’s Lobstertainment (61%) NO
Attack Of The Killer App (60%) NO
The Cryonic Woman (57%) NO
In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela (54%) NO
A Leela Of Her Own (50%) NO
Futurama Holiday Spectacular (47%) YES
Yo Leela Leela (43%) NO

So basically (imo) those ratings are pretty bad...
Mongo

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #2 on: 07-07-2012 17:22 »

Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences (69%) NO
The Route Of All Evil (69%) NO
All The President’s Heads (69%) YES
That Darn Katz! (69%) NO
I Dated A Robot (67%) NO
Mother’s Day (67%) NO (the best episode on this list, I consider it above average)
A Pharaoh To Remember (66%) NO
That’s Lobstertainment (61%) YES
Attack Of The Killer App (60%) NO
The Cryonic Woman (57%) YES
In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela (54%) YES
A Leela Of Her Own (50%) NO (the Leela-worshipers hate it, but I think it's okay)
Futurama Holiday Spectacular (47%) YES
Yo Leela Leela (43%) NO (it was bad, but not that bad)
Dorsal Axe

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #3 on: 07-07-2012 18:22 »
« Last Edit on: 07-08-2012 12:36 »

My views on the episodes that I don't think should be on this list (or at least, not in the right place on this list):

That Darn Katz! - I've never understood the hate for this one. I'm pretty sure it's because it came right after TLPJF, a top-class episode to which this one obviously couldn't compete. It was always going to drastically pale in comparison. The pacing is unusually slow, which hurts the episode, but it's really not that bad.

Lrreconcilable Ndndifferences - Again, not too bad, but kind of disappointing given how well Lrrr can usually work as a character. He was a bit boring here, but the episode wasn't as bad as the rating implies, I think.

All the Presidents' Heads - Never got the hate for this episode either. Sure, it misses the mark and doesn't live up to its premise at all, but I wouldn't have it down as a "bottom tier" episode.

Mother's Day - What? Since when was this episode so hated? I've always had this one down as a classic. "Elephant skin rugs" is my favourite moment in the entire series. You people sicken me. :p

EDIT: Seems the score for Mother's Day was dragged down by a single troll repeatedly posting a 1 score.  :nono:

I Dated A Robot - I know this one isn't well liked since it has a lot of contemporary references, and a rather crazy ending, but it still manages to be quite funny throughout and has a great plot.

Yo Leela, Leela - I'm shocked this is the lowest ranked episode. It's certainly no classic, but better than some of the episodes on this list. I don't understand how anyone can find this to be worse than Holiday Craptacular.

The Route of All Evil and A Pharoah to Remember are both episodes that I initially didn't care for, but have grown on me over the years. I actually really like them now.

Everything else that's on the list belongs there.
Mr Snrub

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #4 on: 07-07-2012 20:39 »

I think Yo Leela Leela deserves to be in a top 10 worst episodes list, but definately shouldn't be bottom. The only episodes I seriously dislike in that list are The Cryonic Woman and Holiday Spectacular, with Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences and A Pharoah to Remember in particular ones I really liked. I hated the main plot of The Route of All Evil, but it has my favourite sub plot in futurama history, so I just can't hate the episode overall.
Quantum Neutrino Field

Liquid Emperor
**
« Reply #5 on: 07-07-2012 22:26 »

Maybe the worst episodes in my mind are:
I Dated A Robot,
A Leela Of Her Own,
That's Lobstertainment,
Attack Of The Killer App,
Futurama Holiday Spectacular.

A Pharaoh To Remember has good jokes about being slave (by Fry).
The Cryonic Woman has good beginning and ending.
Jarvio

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #6 on: 07-08-2012 00:15 »
« Last Edit on: 07-08-2012 00:17 »

The thing about A Pharoah To Remember is that it has some of the best lines. "I've never seen him so down... or ever before", "I know who's funeral we'll be attending next", "the pharaoh suddenly died"... and the story was good too. That episode had potential. But as I said, I HATED Bender in it. This is the most annoying Bender we've ever seen. He was just too much of a tyrant. I know he's like that sometimes, but he was just ridiculous in this episode, and was basically evil. And how Fry and Leela forgave him instantly at the end?? WTF?! One of the most infuriating moments for me in futurama history. Bender can be a jerk yes, but he's not/shouldn't be evil. He was in this episode. I mean, this is Bender we're talking about - not Richard Nixon. That's why I think "Pharaoh" was a potentially good episode that was completely ruined.
SpaceGoldfish fromWazn

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #7 on: 07-08-2012 00:32 »
« Last Edit on: 07-08-2012 00:33 »

When I saw Mother's Day and I Dated  A Robot on this list, I really stopped being able to take this list seriously.  They're both classics.  Mother's Day is hilarious, and IDAR is both hysterical but manages to be sweet and touching as well.   I genuinely felt sad when I saw Fry blank out Liu-bot.  It turns out it isn't just Fry who can love a computerized image of a woman projected onto a blank robot.

That Darn Katz! is a pretty underrated episode.  It's not the best, but it does get a lot of undeserved hate.  LN was also one of my favourite episodes of the second run.   Most of the other episodes on this list aren't genuinely bad like AotK and TFHS, they are just generally forgettable, like APTR.  I can never think of a time when I actually felt like watching that episode. 
Svip

Administrator
DOOP Secretary
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« Reply #8 on: 07-08-2012 00:48 »
« Last Edit on: 07-08-2012 00:52 »

There has always been criticism of the gotfuturama rating systems, which is why I created an alternative review site years ago.  As you can tell, it has fallen in usage.  If you are interested, you may PM me.

The idea was to force the reviewer to make some consideration before submitting their review.
Spacedal11

Space Pope
****
« Reply #9 on: 07-08-2012 04:29 »

The following are the episodes that I never intend on watching again.

Futurama Holiday Spectacular
Yo Leela Leela

The rest of them I probably wouldn't jump to watch in syndication or on the DVDs but they aren't awful. Actually the only reason I would watch Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences again is because I love Fry's subplot.
SpaceGoldfish fromWazn

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #10 on: 07-08-2012 04:35 »

I certainly won't be taking GotFuturama's seriously, considering how many great episodes and good episodes are in that list.  I think I'll type up some reviews, and see if they're good enough to go on your site.
UnrealLegend

Space Pope
****
« Reply #11 on: 07-08-2012 08:39 »
« Last Edit on: 07-08-2012 08:41 »

It's seriously depressing that episodes like I Dated A Robot are there, but not Neutopia.

Other than that, I agree. Those are the weakest episodes (Except for "I Dated a Robot" and "That Darn Katz!" The Holiday Spectactular and YLL are godawful, but the others are merely average.

But seriously, come on. If people want to hate on Season 6, then they could at least do it on the episodes that actually suck.

On a somewhat unrelated note, I half-expected this to be a thread bashing 14 unlucky PEELers.  :p
Svip

Administrator
DOOP Secretary
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« Reply #12 on: 07-08-2012 11:01 »

I certainly won't be taking GotFuturama's seriously, considering how many great episodes and good episodes are in that list.  I think I'll type up some reviews, and see if they're good enough to go on your site.

Please do.  You need to register an account first, though.

It's seriously depressing that episodes like I Dated A Robot are there, but not Neutopia.

Other than that, I agree. Those are the weakest episodes (Except for "I Dated a Robot" and "That Darn Katz!" The Holiday Spectactular and YLL are godawful, but the others are merely average.

But seriously, come on. If people want to hate on Season 6, then they could at least do it on the episodes that actually suck.

I concur, but so far no one has reviewed 6B on my site, and only one has reviewed the Holiday Spectacular and it stands at 60%!

On a somewhat unrelated note, I half-expected this to be a thread bashing 14 unlucky PEELers.  :p

As did I, until I saw it in the General Disscussion forum.
transgender nerd under canada

DOOP Ubersecretary
**
« Reply #13 on: 07-08-2012 11:43 »
« Last Edit on: 07-08-2012 11:45 by totalnerduk »

Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences (69%) - Yes. This deserves to be on the "loser's list". I didn't care for it much. Sure, it's not as bad as others. But it's not as good as the vast majority of episodes.

The Route Of All Evil (69%) - No. This doesn't deserve hate. It's one of the better episodes to feature Cubert and Dwight. It also gave us a lot of funny, and has some incredibly sweet shots of the PX ship in flight. Isn't that why we watch sci-fi? Spaceships?

All The President’s Heads (69%) - Yes. Oh dear God, this deserves to be on the list, despite amazing visuals and some pretty good jokes. It's a continuity train wreck and the closest that Futurama has come to using some kind of random magic rather than anything approaching a sci-fi macguffin. It's also the biggest waste that Futurama has made of a great overall premise. So, despite good points, it belongs here.

That Darn Katz! (69%) - No. I don't care for this episode too much. But it's better (and would be preferable for me to re-watch) than the others that do belong on the list.

I Dated A Robot (67%) - No. This episode has some failings, like the whole "shoehorn in a guest star and make jokes about contemporary issues" thing, but it still fits in reasonably well with the rest of the Futuramaverse. I think that the only unforgivable sin it committed, overall, was in setting up the premise of PI, several seasons later. PI belongs on this list. It has the same failings (minus the guest star) and is lower on redeeming qualities.

Mother’s Day (67%) - No. Are you kidding me? This was a pretty decent episode. I'm rather surprised to find it in CGEF's "dumpster", as it were. I mean, it's got some pretty dumb jokes. It's got a couple of goofs. But overall, it's very funny and totally worthy of the genre. Get it out of here, and onto your Futurama playlist.

A Pharaoh To Remember (66%) - Absolutely. It's a real stinker of an episode, due to (I feel) the over-the-top characterisation of Bender, a bunch of flat jokes, and the unsatisfied feeling I get from watching it. There's a lot I can't explain adequately about what I feel is wrong with it. So I won't bother.

That’s Lobstertainment (61%) - A thousand times YES. Utterly awful in terms of plot, characterisation, dialogue, jokes, and to some extent, animation. It's more Family Guy than Futurama.

Attack Of The Killer App (60%)
The Cryonic Woman (57%)
In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela (54%)
A Leela Of Her Own (50%)
Futurama Holiday Spectacular (47%)
Yo Leela Leela (43%)


These are all pretty craptacular espisodes. I mean, ALoHO is probably the best of the bunch, and that's not saying much. Between them, they have one or two good moments, but nothing that can save them from their own overall stench of mediocrity. These episodes, I wouldn't re-watch unless there were some purpose other than simply being entertained behind it. Like, maybe, reviewing them. Which would simply turn into me counting off things that annoyed me.

There has always been criticism of the gotfuturama rating systems, which is why I created an alternative review site years ago.  As you can tell, it has fallen in usage.  If you are interested, you may PM me.

The idea was to force the reviewer to make some consideration before submitting their review.

I got lazy. Now that Futurama is back on the air again, I might head back over and have another crack at it. Unfortunately, I don't remember the password I used. That might prove a problem.  :hmpf:
Dorsal Axe

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #14 on: 07-08-2012 12:55 »

There has always been criticism of the gotfuturama rating systems, which is why I created an alternative review site years ago.  As you can tell, it has fallen in usage.  If you are interested, you may PM me.

The idea was to force the reviewer to make some consideration before submitting their review.
Never even knew this existed. Thank you. This looks much more qualitative than gotfuturama's system. I'll try and contribute something.

At least it doesn't let people post more than one review for an episode!
Svip

Administrator
DOOP Secretary
*
« Reply #15 on: 07-08-2012 15:50 »

Good.  I have made your account capable of reviewing.

Remember, you can always edit a review you have written earlier.  But when you edit your text, any disapproval or approval count will be lost for the review.  Since it is too difficult to write an algorithm to detect significant changes to a review, I merely erase that score.  However, it is not an important score.
transgender nerd under canada

DOOP Ubersecretary
**
« Reply #16 on: 07-08-2012 16:16 »
« Last Edit on: 07-08-2012 16:59 by totalnerduk »

Password remembered! I've added several reviews, and rated a few more. I remember when you started this up, but I have no idea why I ever forgot about it. It's certainly a much more comprehensive system than CGEF's.
Jarvio

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #17 on: 07-08-2012 17:08 »

Interesting thoughts on the episodes and I enjoyed reading them. I noticed a couple of people said that "Proposition Infinity" and "Neutopia" belong on the list - those 2 episodes scored 70% each, so very nearly made the list - just thought I'd point that out.

I'm glad everyone agrees with me that the holiday spectacular is god damn awful.

Interesting site Svip, thanks for the link. I may join and contribute whenever I get a moment.
Jarvio

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #18 on: 07-08-2012 17:11 »

On a somewhat unrelated note, I half-expected this to be a thread bashing 14 unlucky PEELers.  :p

Haha this made me laugh
Gorky

DOOP Secretary
*
« Reply #19 on: 07-08-2012 21:53 »

Neat thread idea, Jarvio; lord knows I love me any excuse to make a list. Also: "Yes" means it belongs in the Bottom Fourteen; "No" means it does not.

Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences - No. I don't know, I find this one kind of charming. I agree with others that such a Lrrr-centric outing wasn't really necessary, but this is a fairly inoffensive episode (dare I say it, even a cute episode. And I don't just mean the Fry/Leela story; there's something sort of pleasingly dorky about an episode that deals with comic book conventions, contains a reference to Mork and Mindy, and pokes fun at cheesy '50s sitcom wife stereotypes (Bender handing out frying pans? Good stuff!). By no means is this the best the series--or even season six, for that matter--has to offer, but I don't think it's on my personal Worst Episodes Ever list. It's no lower than a 6/10 for me...which, yes, translates to a 60%, but there are still probably fourteen other episodes that rank in the 30-50% range on my list.

The Route of All Evil - No. Cubert and Dwight are by no means my favorite characters (though the former was utilized quite well in season six; I genuinely liked him at certain points), and the A-story of this episode kind of drags at points. But the B-story, with Fry and Leela and Bender brewing beer, is easily one of my favorite things the show's every done. I love the dynamic between those three; when they're just hanging out, acting like a trio of slightly goofy friends (see also: "Less Than Hero"), I eat that stuff up. This episode's a 7/10 for me, which makes it at least average, and by no means one of the series' worst episodes.

All the Presidents' Heads - No. There are things about this episode that bug me (the pacing is a biggie. The first act is way too long, and act three is terribly rushed), but act two is so damn enjoyable to me that I can forgive a lot of the episode's flaws. I'd say this is another 6/10, which still makes it a fairly respectable episode by my standards (for the show's standards).

That Darn Katz! - Yes. To be fair, there are a number of things about this episode that I like: Amy's character is fleshed out (it's nice to see her as a serious scientist, not just some endearingly slutty ditz), the exploration of Nibbler and Leela's altered relationship is interesting enough, and some of the banter between the members of the the PhD committee amuses me (particularly everyone's reaction to Professor Fisherprice Shpeekenshpell). But the storyline itself is lame, and too pseudo-scientific even by Futurama's standards. I also don't buy that cats are SO DAMN CUTE that they will be the world's undoing--which may just be because I don't care much for cats m'self, but still. This is probably a 5/10 for me, which would certainly earn it a spot on my personal list of Fourteen Losers.

I Dated a Robot - Yes. To be honest, with the exception of the first couple of minutes of the episode (where the crew's trying to give Fry the Best Day Ever and such), and the Don't Date Robots! filmstrip, this one is just so damn forgettable. Simply being forgettable doesn't necessarily render an episode godawful or something, but seeing as how there are tons of episodes of Futurama that are incredibly memorable, it's certainly not a good sign that I don't remember much about this one. I'd say it's another 5/10, or maybe even a 4/10.

Mother's Day - No. This is probably one of season two's strongest episodes. I'm a sucker for episodes that touch on Mom and Farnsworth's history, and this one is probably the most in-depth (and disturbing) of them all. A solid 8/10, definitely.

A Pharaoh to Remember - Yes. The first act is great (I love the mock funeral), and I find Leela particularly amusing as the One Sane Man on Osiris 4--but I agree with tnuk that Bender is such a wank in this episode. The whole facing-your-mortality angle is done much, much better in "Lethal Inspection," making this one example of a concept that the new run of the show handled more masterfully than did the old run. This one's another 5/10, at best.

That's Lobstertainment! - No. Before season 6B, this would have been included on my list of less-than-wonderful episodes, for sure. However, there are a number of episodes from the new run that I find much more offensive (both in terms of having more annoying pop culture references, and of the stories themselves being boring and unnecessary). Also, I think this one's kind of underrated to begin with; it's not the funniest episode of the series or anything, but I don't know what's so awful about it. I'd say it's a 6/10.

Attack of the Killer App - No. I'm in the minority here, I know, but I actually really enjoy this episode. The Susan Boyle thing is admittedly cringe-worthy, but it doesn't take up too much of the episode. Also, I like the resolution of the main Fry/Leela conflict; it's quite sweet (and, you know, smelly). It's at least a 7/10.

The Cryonic Woman - Yes. I love the first act of this episode; if they had ditched the stupid Michelle story and just focused on the trio trying to get rehired at Planet Express--or if they had taken the Michelle story in a different direction come act three--then this could have been a classic. As-is, though, I'd say it's a 4/10. (Also: Pauly fucking Shore? Are you kidding me?)

In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela - No. Another season six episode that I think gets a lot of unwarranted flak. It's one of the funnier offerings of 6A, and even though I think it's a little farfetched that Leela would give in to Zapp's advances before V-GINY demands it, it actually doesn't bug Big Ol' Shipper me. Some of the raunchier jokes annoy me, sure (that Pubic Library joke is just...ugh), but overall I think this is another 6/10.

A Leela of Her Own - No. I will never understand why people hate so hard on this episode, but no matter. Admittedly, I'm probably more susceptible to its questionable charms because Leela is my favorite character (also, this is one of the first episodes I have any memory of seeing during Futurama's original run on Fox, so it's a sentimental favorite of sorts). I'd say it's a 7/10, even though I know I'm in the minority for rating it so highly.

The Futurama Holiday Spectacular - Yes. The second segment is the only remotely entertaining part of this episode (and, actually, I enjoy it quite a bit); the first segment is heavy-handed, and the third segment comes thisclose to ruining "The Sting" for me. This is a 3/10, if that.

Yo Leela Leela - No. Again, I'm in the minority, but this episode works for me, for whatever reason. Act one in particular is very well-done. I don't much care for the reveal that the Rumbledy Hump characters are real, but I think the episode does a decent enough job convincing me that such a thing might be feasible. Dare I say this episode is a 7/10? Indeed I do dare!

So, yeah, I'd say that CGEF's ratings are kind of wonky, and not at all representative of my own personal least favorites. For what it's worth, here's what my Bottom Fourteen would look like (in production order, not order of derision; that would take too much effort):

The Lesser of Two Evils
Raging Bender
The Cryonic Woman
Bendless Love
Where the Buggalo Roam
I Dated a Robot
A Pharaoh to Remember
Bender's Game
Proposition Infinity
That Darn Katz!
The Futurama Holiday Spectacular
Ghost in the Machines
The Silence of the Clamps
The Tip of the Zoidberg

Oh, and I guess it's worth noting that the old run and new run are pretty evenly-represented on that list.
DotheBartman

Liquid Emperor
**
« Reply #20 on: 07-08-2012 23:13 »

Wow, people really don't like That Darn Katz! or Mother's Day?! Those are both, like, top 30 or so! Great, great episodes.

The rest I would mostly probably accept as being somewhat low on the total Futurama totem pole, though I still like most of them. I think Attack of the Killer App and Cryonic Woman in particular are rather underrated.

My bottom ten would probably look something like this (not in order except for the first two, which are the only episodes I find to be unwatchable):

300 Big Boys
A Pharaoh to Remember
Obsolutely Fabulous
A Leela All Her Own
The Futurama Holiday Spectacular
All the President's Heads (weakest episode since the show came back)
A Fishful of Dollars
Decision 3012
The Route of All Evil
That's Lobstertainment!

I still would gladly watch most of those again. It's all pretty relative, especially with what a great show Futurama is overall. Including now.
winna

Avatar Czar
DOOP Ubersecretary
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« Reply #21 on: 07-08-2012 23:22 »

I was going to write a really long post, but I saw you posted and now that I've read that, I kind of want to respond to that. :(

I really don't like Cryonic Woman, but it's watchable and funny in parts.  That Darn Katz is an odd episode, but I don't hate it.... Attack of the Killer App would be a great episode minus Susan Boil.

Then on your hated list you've got 300 Big Boys, A Pharaoh to Remember, and Obsolutely Fabulous.  The last one I think was rather good; 300 Big Boys was kind of weird I guess, but it was nice that they played with multiple stories and the pay off at the end was grand (almost makes me want to pick up drinking coffee), and you hate A Pharaoh to Remember? :gasp!:  I mean, it's a Bender heavy episode, but it was still pretty funny, they went to another planet, and it kept my interest the whole way through.  Plus Bender doesn't lick butts, he does the opposite of that! 

The rest of what you said is pretty okay.  The one I'm most disappointed with is All the President's Heads.  It has a solid second act, and the third act could've been fantastic if it had been drawn out (and that crazy looking queen wasn't in it).  The first act is unforgiveable though; it's neat that for no reason Fry still had his job at the head museum, but the whole time travel head fluid was so unreasonable I could not suspend disbelief over it for even a moment.  Something like that from the same show where the writers spent 3 hours determining how a vine-rope and log contraption would physically work with gummi bears (Mars University)?  That's just very very disappointing. :(
Spacedal11

Space Pope
****
« Reply #22 on: 07-09-2012 01:53 »

The Sting was on Comedy Central today, and while watching my mind wandered to the Holiday Spectacular. The Sting is my favorite episode, I think it's in almost everyone's top ten if not top five, and I was just reminded of how good of an episode it is when I watched it again. Gorky is totally right though that the Holiday Spectacular just nearly ruined The Sting because of it's completely unnecessary return to the space hive. It's just like they were poking us saying obnoxiously, "Hey! Hey! Remember this?".

I do want to say that I would add Proposition Infinity to my personal list of "losers", because it was an incredibly frustrating episode. I know sitcoms often need to round out a plot that pretty much concludes the same way it started, refreshing the status quo. But sometimes what happens in an episode is so stupid and drastic and to completely negate it by the end just seems pointless to me.

Looking at some of the episodes here I also want to point out that sometimes if an episode isn't very good I'll give it a pass if the audio commentary is entertaining. If you don't like That's Lobstertainment or A Pharoh to Remember, listen to the commentaries, they are freaking hilarious. And yet even then some episodes can't be saved, like The Cryonic Woman. I can't speak for the commentaries of the movies or season 6 even because I don't own them. (I just need to get on eBay and see if I can find them cheaper. Otherwise it's gonna be like 150 dollars to buy 6 sets of DVDs). But yeah if the commentary of an episode is good, I can usually forgive the episode for not being so great.

And looking back I actually have no problem with watching the 'lesser' episodes when they're on TV. I've grown attached to Classic Futurama.
DotheBartman

Liquid Emperor
**
« Reply #23 on: 07-09-2012 20:38 »


I really don't like Cryonic Woman, but it's watchable and funny in parts.  That Darn Katz is an odd episode, but I don't hate it.... Attack of the Killer App would be a great episode minus Susan Boil.

Yeah, the boil is the one thing about that episode I don't much like.

Quote
Then on your hated list you've got 300 Big Boys, A Pharaoh to Remember, and Obsolutely Fabulous.  The last one I think was rather good; 300 Big Boys was kind of weird I guess, but it was nice that they played with multiple stories and the pay off at the end was grand (almost makes me want to pick up drinking coffee), and you hate A Pharaoh to Remember? :gasp!:  I mean, it's a Bender heavy episode, but it was still pretty funny, they went to another planet, and it kept my interest the whole way through.  Plus Bender doesn't lick butts, he does the opposite of that!

Trust me, I like Bender episodes and the character in general. I even named my dog after him!

Pharaoh is bad because it makes him so thoroughly nasty and unlikable that it overrules his lovable traits and the humor of his character. David X once observed that Bender is the rare character who could hold a broken glass bottle to his friend's neck and still remain lovable, but this ep just pushed it too far. It has a few moments (free us of all thought and responsibility! We're dumb!) but on the whole it's just way too mean-spirited, and asking us to care about Bender wanting to be remembered while he's so terrible to his friends is just too ridiculous.

300 Big Boys is like 22 Short Films About Springfield without the laughs. I think part of the problem is that Futurama, as a crazy sci-fi show, really doesn't do mundane humor very well, and the stories are too restrained in this case to work. In any case, it's the one ep I can watch without laughing once.

Obsolutely Fabulous isn't so bad, but the story is a total mess.



Quote
The rest of what you said is pretty okay.  The one I'm most disappointed with is All the President's Heads.  It has a solid second act, and the third act could've been fantastic if it had been drawn out (and that crazy looking queen wasn't in it).  The first act is unforgiveable though; it's neat that for no reason Fry still had his job at the head museum, but the whole time travel head fluid was so unreasonable I could not suspend disbelief over it for even a moment.  Something like that from the same show where the writers spent 3 hours determining how a vine-rope and log contraption would physically work with gummi bears (Mars University)?  That's just very very disappointing. :(

The logic of it didn't bother me much, but what I didn't like was the terrible story structure and the way the characters brainlessly follow the Professor around with barely any complaint even. Why do they give a rat's ass whether he clears his family name.

It's still watchable. But probably a bottom five episode.
SpaceGoldfish fromWazn

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #24 on: 07-09-2012 21:28 »

I AM IMPORTANT AND A BIG DEAL.  LISTEN TO MY OPINIONS.

Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences (69%)
No.  I thought this was the funnier episodes of the new run, and I think Lrrr and Ndnd are great characters, and both of them had great lines.  "Lrrr!  I'm in here now!  Not out there!" I know quite a few people like Ndnd in real life, so I find her personality extra amusing for how true to life it is.   My only problem with it is how obvious the teleporter/disintergrater raygun thing was that it completely killed any suspense for the ending. 

The Route Of All Evil (69%) 
Yes and no.  While I don't dislike Cubert and Dwight (I think Dwight is rather d'aww inducing, like a little brother), I thought this episode was pretty forgettable.  My opinions on it is that it feels like a B plot that somehow became its own episode.

All The President’s Heads (69%)
Yes.  The plot was a complete mess, and had way too many deus ex machinas, and despite the fun of seeing a New New London, the attempts at British accents and behaviour were cringe inducing.  It's pretty much every cliche Americans who have no understanding of Britain have, crammed into about eight minutes.  The Queen of England was probably the worst character since Susan Boyle. 

That Darn Katz! (69%)
No.  While it's not the funniest episode, it has a great storyline, and gives Amy and Nibbler a hefty injection of Character Development.  There were a few jokes that fell flat, but there were many more that didn't.  Amy in particular benefitted, showing her hidden depths as a ditzy genius and a plucky girl who kicks ass when she needs to.

I Dated A Robot (67%)
I will never understand the hate for this episode.  It has a few topical jokes, but it did what Futurama does best: gave it a great sci-fi twist to make it unique.  Lucy Liu is also one of the best guest stars Futurama has ever had: she manages to make Liubot both a character who makes you laugh "POETIC REFERENCE 22 NOT FOUND" and care about.  For me, Fry blanking out Liubot was one of the most genuinely sad moments of the series.  Turns out Fry isn't the only one who can end up caring a lot about a computerized image of a woman.  I would say this episode is easily one of the most underrated of the original run, and is a classic.

Mother’s Day (67%)
This one took me by surprise, even more then IDAR did.  Are you freaking kidding me? Seriously? If any of you contributed to the downvote for this episode, I hope Mom sits on your face.

A Pharaoh To Remember (66%)
Yes.  This episode is not only really forgettable, but Bender just becomes so throughly unlikable that it becomes impossible to find him funny.  Probably my most disliked episode of the original run, after the craptastic Mars University.

That’s Lobstertainment (61%)
No.  While it's never been one of my favourite episodes, I have never gotten what all the hate for it is about. It's a solid episode, not a standout.

Attack Of The Killer App (60%)
Yes.  It got off to a great start, because the EyePhone was another great sci-fi twist on something we have today. The apple take thats got a bit much, but were bearable, and I thought it was fun to see Futurama do its own take on meme and viral culture.  However, once Bender and Fry started their stupid little contest, it all went downhill into the crapper into a unfunny fratboy grossout fest, festering like a... boil.  A Susan Boil.  Also Mom was brought back, but was poorly utilized, having her Evil Scheme devolve into a completely anti-climatic fashion.

The Cryonic Woman (57%)
No.  I am in the majority, but I like Michelle: she's a character you just love to hate. I also liked how Michelle went from being a "winner" in the 20th century, to completely failing to adjust to the 31st century.  My only problem with this episode is how she gets off scott free for a thousand years of shitty behavior, and really needed some karmic smackdown for being such a complete harpyshrewbitch to everyone she met.  I also really disliked how Bender snottily replied "Because he destroyed your possessions and business!" at the end, as if he had no involvement in the beginning.  I know it's in Bender's personality, but that line should have gone to Hermes.  I don't know why, but Bender just annoyed me there.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela (54%)
Yes.  Just a generally unfunny episode. 

A Leela Of Her Own (50%)
Not sure.  I haven't watched this episode in years, but it never struck me as a stinker, just an episode I'll watch when it's on, but I'll never really feel like putting it on.

Futurama Holiday Spectacular (47%)
Yes.  The middle segment is a lot of fun, and is miles above the other two in terms of story, having a great premise and ending.  Unfortunately, the other two are pretty lackluster, so the unfortunate middle segment suffers by simply being in the same episode.  The songs are also pretty terrible, even in the middle segment, proving that funny lyrics can only go so far if you put no effort into the melody.  It doesn't help that the lyrics are mildly amusing at best.

Yo Leela Leela (43%)
No.  While there are a few truly stinky aspects of the episode, and it suffers from pacing problems, this episode gets so much more hate then it deserves.  It had some of the funniest lines in the episode, and it featured many well used side characters.  I would say the first half is much, much funnier then the second half, (the first half contains nearly all of the best lines) but still, an episode that gets more hate then it really deserves.  If the quality of the second half was equal to the first half, then it would probably be one of the best episodes ever.   
Mr Snrub

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #25 on: 07-10-2012 00:12 »

The songs are also pretty terrible, even in the middle segment, proving that funny lyrics can only go so far if you put no effort into the melody.  It doesn't help that the lyrics are mildly amusing at best.   
Add to that the fact the first 2 songs have the EXACT SAME MELODY. That's what pissed me off about that episode the most. I mean, if you aren't able to come up with another tune, just don't do the song. No one will feel like they've missed out.
Jarvio

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #26 on: 07-10-2012 01:02 »


Pharaoh is bad because it makes him so thoroughly nasty and unlikable that it overrules his lovable traits and the humor of his character. David X once observed that Bender is the rare character who could hold a broken glass bottle to his friend's neck and still remain lovable, but this ep just pushed it too far.

Completely agree, and this is the problem I have with Pharaoh too. I refuse to feel sorry for Bender in this episode when he's acting like this. As I said earlier, it angers me SO MUCH when Fry and Leela forgive Bender instantly at the end of the episode. A truly stupid moment in futurama.
Mr Snrub

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #27 on: 07-10-2012 02:06 »
« Last Edit on: 07-10-2012 02:07 »

I never had a problem with Bender in APtR because that's his character. And I don't mean loveable asshole character, I mean the spoiled, bratty 8 year old side to him we see occasionally. It's just the classic tale story of the kid who craves attention, hurting others in the process, and he has to be helped to realize his mistakes, and, being futurama, it was exaggerated ten-fold. I don't think Bender taking a beating at the end or whatever it was you all wanted would have meant nearly as much in the story's overall message, as Fry and Leela explain that he is appreciated in a way that isn't superficial.

And Bender IS evil, Fry admitted so in Godfellas (but I realize you hate that episode too Jarvio, so maybe that's a moo point.). While I can understand people thinking it was weird that Leela was fine with the months(?) of slavery, I didn't think it was out of characcter for Fry at all. Hell, Bender's probably done way worse to him in the series.
Tastes Like Fry

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #28 on: 07-10-2012 02:44 »

It's all about a matter of opinion I think - and some of the older stuff (particularly season 1) was about creating the characters personality. I think Bender's personality has changed a lot from the beginning just purely from hanging out with humans, so to say Bender is out of character in older episodes is thinking that a person (or in this case Robot) never changes. This is Futurama, not the Simpsons, we actually get character development!

Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences NO
The Route Of All Evil NO
All The President’s Heads YES
That Darn Katz! NO
I Dated A Robot NO
Mother’s Day Undecided
A Pharaoh To Remember NO wtf is this doing on the list?
That’s Lobstertainment YES
Attack Of The Killer App NO again, wtf is this doing on the list?
The Cryonic Woman UndecidedThere were great parts and then there was Michelle
In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela YES
A Leela Of Her Own YES
Futurama Holiday Spectacular YES
Yo Leela Leela NO
coffeeBot

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #29 on: 07-10-2012 05:25 »

Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences (69%) YES
I like Lrr and Ndnd, but in small doses. This episode was sort of grating, in my opinion.

The Route Of All Evil (69%) YES AND NO
I don't particularly like the main plot, but the side plot about brewing beer in Bender is incredibly hilarious for some reason. I want to brew a beer and call it Benderbrau or Botweiser.

All The President’s Heads (69%) NO
I know that there were continuity issues and they didn't really take advantage of the full potential of the plot. However, there were many jokes in this episode that I absolutely loved. The Franklinator makes me giggle, especially the chipmunk and the tiny shark.

That Darn Katz! (69%) NO
This episode gets points for Amy showing her intelligence for once. Her idea, while obviously not feasible, is one of the least stupid excuses for science that I've heard on a TV series. Also, I was extremely happy for her when she finally got her PhD.

I Dated A Robot (67%) YES
I watch this one every once in a while, and it's not bad. However, it's pretty inescapably mediocre. The best part of the episode is definitely the educational video and the title 'Electrogonorrhea: The Noisy Killer'.

Mother’s Day (67%) NO
This episode gets points for elaborating the Professor/Mom relationship, and for the amazingly hilarious sex scene.

A Pharaoh To Remember (66%) YES
The funeral was the funniest part of the entire episode. Other than that, it was pretty forgettable. That being said- I don't really have an issue with Bender being cruel. It's so over-the-top that I don't take it seriously. Eh.

That’s Lobstertainment (61%) YES
The hate I have for this episode knows no bounds. It's so incredibly dull.

Attack Of The Killer App (60%) YES
I can't stand this episode. It's the perfect example of them trying to cram pop culture into a show set 1,000 years in the future. It does not work.

The Cryonic Woman (57%) YES
My only real reason for hating this episode is Michelle, but she's such an incredible bitch.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela (54%) YES
Zapp was an awful person, and not just in his normal (hilarious) way. Also, I thought the V-Giny joke was really ham-fisted and stupid.

A Leela Of Her Own (50%) YES
This one shouldn't be so far down the list, but it still belongs on it. The only problem with this episode is that it's downright yawn-worthy.

Futurama Holiday Spectacular (47%) YES
This should be the worst-rated episode of all time. No question. The bees made me want to cry tears of bitter sadness. The only redeeming quality was the oil-wrestling robots. However, Ruth and Esther were not awesome enough to recover this incredibly shitty episode.

Yo Leela Leela (43%) NO
I hated this episode when it first came out, and I still don't think it's one of the best. However, after watching it over a few times, it's actually grown on me a little.     

One episode I didn't see that I think should be on this list is The Honking. I absolutely hate that episode. I've probably seen it about twice, and I rewatch my DVDs obsessively.
PumaGirl

Starship Captain
****
« Reply #30 on: 07-11-2012 18:20 »

This thread is a nice idea I think but I do wanna try and keep it short and sweet.

Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences (69%) YES
IMHO a real waste of Katee Sackhoff as guest star. Shame!

The Route Of All Evil (69%) YES
Not a fan of Dwight and Cubert.

All The President’s Heads (69%) NO
Mhm difficult for me, I do like the Brits.

That Darn Katz! (69%)  YES
Cats scare me.

I Dated A Robot (67%) NO
I didn't mind watching it but when rewatching the season I usually skip this one.

Mother’s Day (67%) YES
I guess sex scenes with the Prof just aren't my kind of thing. Also I found the whole "let's control all robots with one device" implausible (Why not use it all the time?)

A Pharaoh To Remember (66%) YES
That’s Lobstertainment (61%)
I found these two rather silly and and Lobstertainment very boring to be honest.

Attack Of The Killer App (60%) YES
I think they meant well with all the references but I think in the end it just didn't work.

The Cryonic Woman (57%) NO
Here I don't agree, I thought some parts were very funny (and Michelle and all) and it was not boring.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela (54%)  YES
One of the few episodes with Zapp that I didn't actually enjoy.

A Leela Of Her Own (50%) YES
This one I would give a double yes. I absolutely didn't like Leela's portrayal in this episode.

Futurama Holiday Spectacular (47%)  YES
I actually think this was one epsiode I didn't bother to watch till the end.

Yo Leela Leela (43%)
Actually somewhat undecided and not the most annoying of the bunch. So I would give it a maybe.


So overall I'd say the rankings are fairly appropriate from my perspective which would imply that my taste is kinda average - a horrible thought.
TheAnvil

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #31 on: 07-11-2012 20:54 »

Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences (69%) - I liked this episode quite a lot, especially with Fry's comic book side story. I really like Lrrr too, so that helps.

The Route Of All Evil (69%) - Seeing Professor and Hermes being beaten within an inch of their lives should be enough to keep this episode off of this list. And when I think of how amazing it was that the Professor and Hermes kicked their sign I can't believe this episode is on here. "And I smell bad hehehehehehe".

All The President’s Heads (69%) - In my opinion, the worst episode of Futurama ever.

That Darn Katz! (69%) - Is this actually on here? It's easily in my favorite episodes from Season 6.

I Dated A Robot (67%) - Even though I hate it when they always put Celebrities in episodes, I thought it was really well done here. I liked the concept of the episode and there are a lot of really funny lines. "Are you Lucy Liu". "Sure".

Mother’s Day (67%) - I was really surprised to see this on here, some of my favorite Professor moments in this episode. Such as when Mom slams the door on his foot repeatedly, and the way he initially collapses on top of Mom.

A Pharaoh To Remember (66%) - Yeah I can see why this is on here, the first act was really cool seeing Bender's funeral and Farnsworth catching the bouquet. But I definitely think the second and third acts make this one of the worse episodes.

That’s Lobstertainment (61%) - I'm not that big a fan of the plot, but I'm a big fan of Hank Azaria, and when you throw in great quotes such as "You can crush me but you can't crush my spirit... OH MY SPIRIT". Aswell as Calculon's "noooooooooooooooooo", and when Bender keeps saying "Hit The Deck", those things should have saved this episode from this list.

Attack Of The Killer App (60%) - Susan Boyle. Enough said.

The Cryonic Woman (57%) - I always loved the first act of this episode, but when they appear to have gone forward in the future, the episode gets predictable.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela (54%) - More of Zapp's infinitely quotable lines in this episode "My instinct is to hide in this barrel, like the wiley fish".


A Leela Of Her Own (50%) - Yeah this episode reminded me of one of the episodes of Simpsons where they always change careers, and I don't really like those episodes.

Futurama Holiday Spectacular (47%) - This episode was just three segments of nothing happening.

Yo Leela Leela (43%) - I knew this would be in here, but I don't understand why people seem to hate it, I love this episode from start to finish.
PumaGirl

Starship Captain
****
« Reply #32 on: 07-11-2012 21:47 »

You must have a thing for cats?
TheAnvil

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #33 on: 07-11-2012 22:13 »

You must have a thing for cats?

Me? I actually prefer dogs and have never owned a cat xD.
PumaGirl

Starship Captain
****
« Reply #34 on: 07-12-2012 08:44 »

Then how come "The Darn Katz!" does not scare you?
Also I find real life cats better than the Futurama kind.
SpaceGoldfish fromWazn

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #35 on: 07-12-2012 18:22 »

I'm a cat person but I don't think cats look especially cute in Groening's style, especially if they are drawn in the Snowball II style.
PumaGirl

Starship Captain
****
« Reply #36 on: 07-13-2012 12:12 »

After re-watching Yo Leela Leela last night I have to admit I really don't understand why this came in last. Fair enough it wasn't brilliant but everyone was in character and I actually found the plot not even that silly. I mean it was clear that Leela didn't write the stories herself. Also I acutally found the ending really funny when she was all like "please someone teach me a lesson" and nothing happened. Much better than the "we have to end every episode with some kind of message".
Jarvio

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #37 on: 07-13-2012 18:56 »

After re-watching Yo Leela Leela last night I have to admit I really don't understand why this came in last. Fair enough it wasn't brilliant but everyone was in character and I actually found the plot not even that silly. I mean it was clear that Leela didn't write the stories herself. Also I acutally found the ending really funny when she was all like "please someone teach me a lesson" and nothing happened. Much better than the "we have to end every episode with some kind of message".

I agree. It's not a favourite of mine, but definitely doesn't deserve last place. At least it had a unique story and stood out (IMO).

The holiday spectacular should be last, period.
DotheBartman

Liquid Emperor
**
« Reply #38 on: 07-13-2012 20:15 »

I'm realizing that I somehow made no mention of 30% Iron Chef. That's another one that's not too great.

Yo Leela Leela is flawed but it has so many good jokes.

Poopoo and peepee and penis and gay! Those are the 98 words we don't say!
Svip

Administrator
DOOP Secretary
*
« Reply #39 on: 07-13-2012 20:33 »
« Last Edit on: 07-13-2012 20:37 »

When you collect too little data, you end up with a situation where "A Taste of Freedom" is regarded as the worst episode.  That amuses me.

I am considering a feature to allow people to comment on reviews, but I fear that might be too much of what PEEL is supposed to do; but I also think that the lack of interest might do to the lack of ability to respond to a review.  Then again, people review on gotfuturama.com, so who knows?
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