Thoughts on 7ACV05 - Zapp Dingbat - SPOILERS!

[Reply #40 on:]

Definitely the funniest one so far, with the best line being, "Leela, you never told me you had a mother!" I missed the next minute after that I was laughing too hard. Zapp was superb this episode with some of his best one-liners yet ("I have something to tell you, and here, in front of your half naked daughter, seems like the best time.") I also like how they revealed Zapp's jerky-ness to Munda that wasn't as cop-out as "heh, I was only kidding!" like in In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela. My only question is, is Zapp going to continue not being that interested in Leela from now on?

For me, it gets a 9/10

[Reply #41 on:]

This episode was a bit of a curveball for Leela's entire character for most of the first and entire second act. I kinda liked the new, impulsive. The shipping is kept to a nice low, but still feels phoned in. But Morris and Munda's remarriage is heartwarming as all hell.

And I'm pretty sure Leela throwing herself on Zapp is every nerd's dream (by replacing Zapp as themselves).

9/10

[Reply #42 on:]

Are you kidding?  Do you know how popular my fanfiction is when I have a menage a trois with Leela and Zapp?

Very popular, I'll have you know!

[Reply #43 on:]

  POLE-DANCING CYCLOPS CHICK!!!

Craig, where ever you are my friend, I just hope you've seen/will see that!

Wasn't sure what to think when I read the synopsis for the show - given certain previous Leela/Zapp episodes - but I thought this one was really, really good - my favourite of the season so far, in fact. The only downside was I felt the whole the-auxiliary-controls-of-the-Nimbus-are-tailored-to-a-twenty-toed-gentlemen-with a-talent-to-surf-oh-by-the-way-they-are-on-the-outside-of-the-hull-which-is-totally-the-safest-place-for-them-to-be-when-the-ship-is-under-such-a-heavy-attack-that-the-auxiliary-power-unit-is-needed-in-the-first-place was a bit "...really?"

That and maybe the "so how do we halt the wedding and reverse their relationship?" aspect, because it was a bit rushed. Other than that, genuinely fantastic.

9/10

[Reply #44 on:]

My favorite of the new season.  Many laugh out loud moments.  One of which, unfortunately, was during a long swig of a Diet Coke. 

[Reply #45 on:]

Agreed.  The ending was pretty contrived and Deus Ex Machinary, but it was forgivable.  I really wish they hadn't done the whole "Sex with Zapp!" bit because it was a bit... blurgh.

[Reply #46 on:]

VERY strong episode, and far exceeded my expectations. I found it to be a fun, yet very unique episode. The only downfall for me was that professor farnsworth had no lines. Other than that, I thought this was a flawless episode.

So far this season has been VERY consistent - 5 episodes, and all quite strong. I am impressed.

[Reply #47 on:]

I can understand if some think this was a good episode because everyone has different tastes, but to see the majority rate it at a 9 or 10 positively boggles my mind - stuns me.  How many of you who have rated it this have been watching since the first season? (i.e. you were watching it on Fox in the year 2000)  Can't be many.  This episode used very old jokes that have been reused in every comedy show since the 1960s, and the plot is something that could have appeared on Family Guy or the Simpsons.  This was not classic Futurama; not by a long shot.  A 9 is for something like Parasites Lost, and a 10 for The Luck of the Fryrish, etc...  Rating that high requires an imaginative plot, sticking with the sci-fi theme, well-written comedy, and great production.  Zapp Dingbat has none of that and is no 9 and most definitely not a 10.  I rated it a 5.

[Reply #48 on:]

How many of you who have rated it this have been watching since the first season? (i.e. you were watching it on Fox in the year 2000)  Can't be many.

How presumptuous of you.

[Reply #49 on:]

Let people have their opinions, futuRAmaMA. I thought you were a more laid back type of guy/girl?

[Reply #50 on:]

I went into this episode with a healthy amount of skepticism, but it was actually quite good!

Pros:
-The bar's references to Star Wars were great. Lighsaber pool and the trio of Morbo (and presumably two of his buddies) fit extremely well.
-The animation was again excellent.
-Leela's horrified expression when she saw Zapp and Munda making out.
-Munda and Morris' divorce was definitely a bit rushed but it fit with their characters and made sense. Good character development on both their parts.
-Morris' saving everyone.
-The reconciliation between Leela and Munda and the short scene between Fry and Leela were both unexpected and well written.
-Munda had a plot-continuous and strong role as Zapp's translator. Well executed!
-Zapp and Kif were, as they usually are, extremely funny.

Cons:
-Munda's constant repeating of the phrase "Sex with Zapp!" was just annoying.
-Leela's making childish noises. Didn't fit her character at all, that's something Fry would do.
-I find it hard to believe Zapp would completely resist Leela's advances that decisively, artificial as they were. Could Zapp have a good side?
-Morris' change from being heartbroken, to acceptance of Munda's marrying Zapp to going to win her back seemed a bit rushed.

Overall, though, this was a way better episode than I thought it was going to be. 8.7/10.

[Reply #51 on:]

Let people have their opinions, futuRAmaMA. I thought you were a more laid back type of guy/girl?

I am a laid back person (a guy), but am absolutely stunned with the ratings shown and have expressed my opinion as such.  It's not my plan to argue with others, merely to express my opinion which I've done.

How many of you who have rated it this have been watching since the first season? (i.e. you were watching it on Fox in the year 2000)  Can't be many.

How presumptuous of you.

I completely disagree.  Very few long-time fans (watching since the first or second season on Fox) would rate such a hackneyed episode a 10.  Long-time fans are more intelligent than that, and I put you in that category.

[Reply #52 on:]

How many of you who have rated it this have been watching since the first season? (i.e. you were watching it on Fox in the year 2000)

How is that remotely relevant? I've been watching the show in earnest since 2004--which, yes, was post-cancellation. However, I bought the first four seasons on DVD, watched (and rewatched, and rewatched, and rewatched, and rewatched) them in production order, and associate the original run quite strongly with my formative (and thoroughly miserable) teenage years--all of which is to say, the first four seasons hold a special place in my heart. I lived with the original run alone for over four years before the show's initial renewal, and in that time I came to consider it pretty much my favorite thing ever; I was (and still am) obsessed with it in the most unabashedly dorky way possible.

And, yes, I love all the classics that everyone else loves--Fryrish, Roswell, Devil's Hands, etc.; I can certainly appreciate that what made (and still makes) Futurama great is that combination of strong characters and hilarious stories and fun sci-fi elements. And the new run has disappointed me puh-lenty of times, what with the lame pop culture references and the slipshod characterizations and the unfunny storylines. But there have also been some great episodes--ones that have expanded the show's universe, once unjustly contained to a mere 72 episodes--and I think "Zapp Dingbat" is one of them.

ZD taught me more about Morris and Munda, as both individuals and a couple; it did something similar with Leela (I now have a greater appreciation of how she feels about her parents, and about Zapp). So it was a little rushed; so it broke up two characters who, based on their interactions in the three episodes from season four in which they appear, I would have imagined had a strong marriage. The episode did a good job justifying it all to me, and I don't feel like I'm lowering my standards in any way by saying that.

Last night's episode was no "Xmas Story" or "The Sting," no--but it was certainly better than a lot of lesser episodes from the original run, and could hold its own against some of my favorites from the first four seasons. It was  a damn fine episode in my opinion, and I don't think the fact that I haven't been watching the show for the past thirteen years--only a mere eight years--means my notions of what makes a good episode and a bad episode are invalid.

I'm not trying to be a total troll or jerk or anything here; I can appreciate that you didn't much care for last night's episode, futuRAmaMa, and I'm not trying to change your opinion on its quality. By the same token, though, I don't appreciate the implication that your thoughts on Futurama are any more valid than mine (or anyone else's, for that matter) merely because you've been watching the show for longer than me (or anyone else). Something about your presumptuousness (I agree with Louiswuenator that that's how your original post came off) sort of hit a nerve, I guess, and I apologize if you're offended by my (perhaps unwarranted) retaliation.

[Reply #53 on:]

I am also stunned by the how highly this seems to be ranked, I'm not disagreeing with any of you but I cannot see how this deserves all of this praise... (And I've been a big fan of the season so far)

[Reply #54 on:]

I've been watching since the second season or so. I thought it was a solid 8 or 9.

You can't make assumptions about what people like.

[Reply #55 on:]

How many of you who have rated it this have been watching since the first season? (i.e. you were watching it on Fox in the year 2000)

I apologize if you're offended by my (perhaps unwarranted) retaliation.

Nope, I'm not offended at all.  We all have a right to our opinion.

To be called presumptuous is to suggest that one is being arrogant.  Perhaps my opinion looks that way when read in text on a screen, but it is not intended that way.  It is merely my opinion, and is just as valid or invalid as anyone elses.

[Reply #56 on:]

On a completely different note, the Professor had no lines in this episode but appeared throughout, is this the first time that has happened?

[Reply #57 on:]

The Professor also did not appear in The Why of Fry or Where No Fan Has Gone Before.

[Reply #58 on:]

On a completely different note, the Professor had no lines in this episode but appeared throughout, is this the first time that has happened?

Nope, according to the Infosphere:

"While Professor Farnsworth appears in most episodes, films and comics, with the exception of "The Why of Fry", "Where No Fan Has Gone Before", and The Trouble With Trilogies..."

[Reply #59 on:]

On a completely different note, the Professor had no lines in this episode but appeared throughout, is this the first time that has happened?

There are a couple of episodes where Professor Farnsworth doesn't even appear.  I believe that Where No Fan Has Gone Before was one of them.

[Reply #60 on:]

Yeah, I know he didn't appear in those episodes I was just wondering if there was any episodes in which he appeared in a background shot or two but had no lines ... I'm guessing this is the only one

[Reply #61 on:]

One more horribly off-topic post, and then I promise I'll shut up about all this...

To be called presumptuous is to suggest that one is being arrogant.  Perhaps my opinion looks that way when read in text on a screen, but it is not intended that way.

Ah, fair enough. Having your tone misread is one of the pitfalls of communicating via text alone, I suppose. We shall simply have to agree to disagree, it seems.

That said, though, I do have one more point of contention here:

Long-time fans are more intelligent than that

The idea of long-time fans vs. newer fans is kind of irrelevant with a show like Futurama, I think. Since it was shut down completely for four years, a lot of people had time to discover the original run episodes in the interim; if they are as obsessive as me (and, I'd guess, most other PEELers), even fans who came to love the show between August of 2003 and November of 2007 have probably seen the original 72 episodes as many times as someone who's been watching since 1999 has. It all averages out, you know?

[Reply #62 on:]

I'm glad you replied before I could finish my post, Gorky.  It would not have been as civil as yours and this is for the best.

Long-time fans are more intelligent than that, and I put you in that category.

As for you, don't assume you know anything about me, whether it is how long I've been watching Futurama, or your estimate of my intelligence.

[Reply #63 on:]

Mehhh, maybe 9/10 is being generous by some people's estimates, but then I only really seem to rate from about 5-10. 10's exceptional, for ones that really push the boundaries. 9 is brilliant, but not exceptional.

And yes I have been watching near enough from the beginning, so meh.

This episode reminded me strongly of classic Futurama (which is different to saying a Futurama classic). Not every episode had to be the Emmy candidate, redefine the genre, have the crew save the rest of the universe, feature gratuitous amounts of background character genocide or main character mutilation, rely on bullshit science, abandonment of character or suckle on present-day cultural references.
So yeah, I really liked it. But that's just my own opinion and taste.

[Reply #64 on:]

One more horribly off-topic post, and then I promise I'll shut up about all this...

The idea of long-time fans vs. newer fans is kind of irrelevant with a show like Futurama, I think.

Your point is well taken, but I see it a bit differently considering the amount of time that passes and the impact and influence of watching the originals, week after week, year after year, going through the stress of pre-empted episodes, cancellations, etc...  There is certainly the same level of devotion between fans whether one has seen it for the first time this morning or has watched since 1999.  But there are other elements to consider.  You can appreciate a 10 year old if you've just adopted him, but raising a child who is now 10 from babyhood is a different experience.

Long-time fans are more intelligent than that, and I put you in that category.

As for you, don't assume you know anything about me, whether it is how long I've been watching Futurama, or your estimate of my intelligence.

I was trying to be gracious.  Relax.

[Reply #65 on:]

If anything, a recent fan probably has a more balanced perspective, because they're not comparing everything new they see to past episodes that they saw dozens of times in reruns. Not to dismiss all criticism by any means (plenty of shows get really terrible), but this is something I've seen with soooooo many shows. I kind of think that the person with the most balanced, open perspective unencumbered by nostalgia is the one watching the entire show from the beginning after the fact, or just catching up on it.

Case in point: I've been visiting this board since 2001 or 2002, and I remember when fans HATED so many of the classic episodes and thought the show had gone drastically downhill since the second or third season. I myself was underwhelmed by The Sting when I first saw it. Someone who saw it later and didn't know the seasons, etc was able to go into each episode without inflated expectations and lots of ridiculous, self created "rules" for what they think the show should be, as hardcore fans of TV shows tend to develop over time. They could just accept each episode on its own terms. That's not to say there aren't bad episodes, but that person would not go into this episode having invented a ton of things in their head about two minor characters that aren't supported by any actual past episodes.

[Reply #66 on:]

So yeah, I really liked it. But that's just my own opinion and taste.

I can absolutely appreciate your own personal view and opinion while at the same time disagreeing with the results of it just as I can appreciate someone's personal right to vote for a President but I can also at the same time be dismayed with the results.  It seems that some have misunderstood my initial statement.

[Reply #67 on:]

Time to weigh in myself.  I've been a fan of Matt Groening's work since the "Life in Hell" comic strips and the proto-Simpsons videos on the Tracey Ullman show back in the 1980s.  Since I have also been a lifelong SF fan, I made sure to watch the Futurama pilot episode when it first aired.  I liked it so much that I became rather heavily involved in the show's fan movement at the time (I and another person were the ones who solved Alien Language 2).

Okay, now my credentials have been established.  What I want to say is that in my opinion, when I compare "Zapp Dingbat" with the original run episodes, it is not on the highest level but the level just below that, which is still very good.  Recent examples of episodes at the highest level would be "Late Philip J Fry" and "Prisoner of Benda".  "Zapp Dingbat" is not quite that good, but still in the top 30 or so episodes all-time, which is why I rated it a "9".

futuRAmaMA, you are of course entitled to your opinion, but so is everyone else.  If you find yourself in such a small minority about an episode, with massively different opinions than the great majority of people posting here, you might want to consider the possibility that you are mistaken about what "long-time fans" like or dislike about an episode.

[Reply #68 on:]

I was trying to be gracious.  Relax.

Having taken a shower and eaten breakfast, I can say that I am relaxed now and I appreciate the gesture.  My apologies for blowing up, I don't usually do that.  There are few things that get me riled up, but that is one of them.  (Probably from dealing with comic book connoisseurs - they're the worst offenders.)  That's not gonna stop me from poking a hole in your analogy though.

But there are other elements to consider.  You can appreciate a 10 year old if you've just adopted him, but raising a child who is now 10 from babyhood is a different experience.

The adopting parent can't go back and relive all of the memories of the child's first decade.  I can go back and watch all of the seasons of my Futurama child as often as I want, because they are recorded.

[Reply #69 on:]

I liked this episode. Since its inception, Futurama has been a sci-fi sitcom, and that's how this episode felt to me. The episode examined the relationship between two important characters whose histories we didn't know much of. It even helped develop Leela's character in a non-annoying way. It didn't feel terribly rushed. Characters didn't act out of character. The plot felt like it just made sense. I consider this a solid episode, with the proper balance of comedy, drama, action, and special effects that I love from Futurama.

[Reply #70 on:]

I think the issue is not that futuRAmaMA disliked the episode, which of course he's within his right to do, it was more that there was an implication that anybody who liked the episode didn't understand what was great about the original run, or, dare I say it, isn't a real futurama fan. Personally, I rate episodes based on how much I enjoy them, and don't compare them to other episodes at all, unless it's obvious they're trying to replicate an earlier episode. I'm certain he didn't mean to sound arrogant, but it did come out looking a bit like that, and the backlash was kind of expected.

[Reply #71 on:]

I've been a fan since its inauguration. I've also enjoyed a ton of episodes that a lot of folks on here dislike, such as 'that's lobstertainment', 'the cryonic woman', and more recently 'möbius dick' and 'a clockwork origin'. I am a sci fi fan first and formost, and I also grew up as a huge simpsons fan. As long as an episode doesn't fuck up completely like prop infinity(horrid writing and lazy sci fi with cyclone planet), attack of the killer app(Susan Boyle), zoidberg origin episode(horrid mutilations), then I am pretty satisfied.

This episode didn't fuck up. It had a lot of reoccurring aliens, such as the aliens with the lights on their heads from the wrestling episode, as well as newer characters(borax kid! Neutopia is another episode I fucking love that a lot don't).

In conclusion, I love the futurama universe, and I even love episodes without great plots because I love the universe, plain and simple.

[Reply #72 on:]

Are you kidding?  Do you know how popular my fanfiction is when I have a menage a trois with Leela and Zapp?

Very popular, I'll have you know!

You made me Google menage a trois... That's a terrible premise for a fanfiction.

[Reply #73 on:]

In conclusion, I love the futurama universe, and I even love episodes without great plots because I love the universe, plain and simple.

Actually, the lack of an overbearing plot was a bit plus for ZD.  Too often since "Rebirth" it seems as though the plot is the key - the characters try to fit into of it like pieces of a puzzle, and then they come across as OOC when they have to fit a role that must be filled.  I prefer it when the plot is driven by character motives and interaction, which ZD did splendidly.  Then the characters don't act OOC because it's their own traits that dictate how they act, rather than plot contrivance.

[Reply #74 on:]

It's true.  Mobius Dick is a good example of rampant OCC.  Leela has always been a hypocrite, but not that much of a hypocrite.

By the way, did anyone else get the Nineteen Eighty Four reference?  You'd better speak up, because my smug levels are already approaching critical.

[Reply #75 on:]

It's true.  Mobius Dick is a good example of rampant OCC.  Leela has always been a hypocrite, but not that much of a hypocrite.

By the way, did anyone else get the Nineteen Eighty Four reference?  You'd better speak up, because my smug levels are already approaching critical.

No, do share.

I'd also like to mention that nobody thanked me for figuring out the alien language joke last week.

Jerks!

[Reply #76 on:]

Best episode thus far this season.  Lee Lemon makes a cameo, LOL.  It's great how Zapp had some of the most memorable quotes.  Thought the calling off the wedding was a bit of a cop out.  I mean we knew Leela's mom wouldn't marry Zapp, it's the way it was carried out.

[Reply #77 on:]

I'd also like to mention that nobody thanked me for figuring out the alien language joke last week.

The majority of us would be thanking you for telling us something we'd already worked out for ourselves. So go [alien language] yourself, chump.

This episode was pretty okay. It wasn't brilliant, but I did enjoy most of it (and it was better than I thought it would be). The surfer stuff got annoying fast though, and I'm somewhat irritated that Morris exposed his toes to hard vacuum without consequences.

7/10

[Reply #78 on:]

"Lee Lemon" is totally not the best costume to wear when trying to hide from Zapp, surely he would know it's her from last time or has it really been that long that he's forgotten?[/rant]

Zapp isn't the brightest rock in the box, you know.

xD Love the timpani

Spaceballs did it already.

Do you know how popular my fanfiction is when I have a menage a trois with Leela and Zapp?

Zapp: I think you mean a manage-a-three ...

It's true.  Mobius Dick is a good example of rampant OCC.  Leela has always been a hypocrite, but not that much of a hypocrite.

By the way, did anyone else get the Nineteen Eighty Four reference?  You'd better speak up, because my smug levels are already approaching critical.

No, do share.

I'd also like to mention that nobody thanked me for figuring out the alien language joke last week.

Jerks!

One of the tortures that Winston Smith has to endure (in Room 101, IIRIC) is being strapped to a face cage, and a O'Brian threatens to set a rat loose, so that it can eat Smith's face.

***

The animation on Munda's tail was interesting; it was like a real animal's tail. (When Leela is chewing out Munda, Munda's tail is wrapped around her (Munda's) ankles, in a defensive posture. When Munda is yelling at Leela, her tail is pointed straight up.)

Is this Leela at her sexiest? (Yes, we've seen her nude, but nudity is not the same as sexiness.)

Oh yeah, one more thing ...

SEX WITH ZAPP!

(Maybe everyone should change their .sig to this.)

[Reply #79 on:]

I may be the only one, but I thought the wave weapon used by the aliens were rather cool.  They had a science-fiction idea, even if based on waves.  But I like how the small ships together produced one weapon.

Also, I laughed a lot at the leprechauns popping.  Dunno why, but I thought that was hilarious for some reason.

The episode did not include the most well-written plot, but it did include some very funny gags, so I can look past its shortcomings.  Most definitely an episode I intend to watch again.  And don't forget, Gorks!