Thoughts on [4ACV10] - The Why of Fry

[Reply #40 on:]

Welp, that was another very good ep.  The last three have been really good.  If they keep on like this, I cant wait for The Devil's Hands...  A very sci-fi plot and the scene in the Nibblonians council chamber was pretty darn funny.  They're so serious yet they're on their backs pawing at toy mice    It was a little inconsistent continuity wise but that's forgivable.  Fry was exstatic when he found out in SP3K his past was long gone, in this one he almost seemed glad to go back, even though he said he loved the future.  Again, the convoluted freezing scene was re-re-revisited.  The ep had alot going on but didn't feel as rushed as the past coupe of eps.  The ending scene was the icing on the cake.  I must rewatch it now to pickup on all the stuff I most likely missed.  But, I'll give it three thumbs up and a 9/10

[Reply #41 on:]

Scooty Puff, Sr. - The Doom-Bringer!  Awesome!

I was hoping the events of "Roswell That Ends Well" would tie in sooner or later.  That was just too cool of a gag/concept not to go back to.

The only thing wrong with this episode?  It should have been a hover-zamboni!  (Oh, and I wasn't crazy about Nibbler blanking Fry's memory, either.)  Other than that, this episode did what it was supposed to.  Loved the kiss at the end.  Nicely done.

There is one aspect that runs through all of these cryo episodes that I have always felt was a missed opportunity: the cyro tube that Fry falls into is number 40.  In recognition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," it should be tube number 42.  Especially now that it has been shown as a uniquely crucial space-time nexus.

[Reply #42 on:]

Great episode. Would've made a wonderful series finale, but the word "Yes!" as a line to end a series...hmmm...the kiss at the end was well waited for, and a nice closure to the pilot...

[Reply #43 on:]

Pretty good episode. It grows on you, after the first watch I was pretty unimpressed.

The mainstory with Fry and the Nibblonians was great. While it did little more than confirming what we'd already guessed ourself it was nice to have them confirm it. Some good jokes thrown in, and a good plot. So cool they planned this 4 years ago! And stuck with it. Probably why David X Cohen wrote this himself, it was too importnat to the overall plot of the show. How many animated comedys does this? 0, that's how many!

The b-story of Leela and Chaz was less satisfying. It's great to further the Fry-Leela relationship (BTW, even though I'm not a shipper, the final scene was incredible cute), but the breakup reminded me too much of "The Cyber House Rules".

And I find it very difficult to believe that Leela finds political corruption a turn-on. Power yes, she has a trait of favoring ambitious men and men with power. But Leela also have a very well-rooted sense of honesty nad can tell right from wrong. Covering up health violations and tweeking the justice system? Leela finds this seaxy? I find it very hard to swallow.

Overall, nothing came as a surprise, but it was all very neatly pulled together, even loose ends from "Roswell That Ends Well". 9/10? Something like that.

[Reply #44 on:]

Very good episode, though I'm a sucker for tying together loose ends.  This reminded me of those plot-heavy episodes of Babylon 5 in which they'd have to take a time out and explain how everything tied together.

       

Originally posted by TomDak123:
How many of you caught the "purple" joke near the end?

From Fry's point of view, he never traveled in time; that part was changed.  Also, he made the "purple" comment after his mind was wiped, not after time traveling.  It's interesting that Fry still doesn't know why he was frozen (or that there was a reason).

       

Originally posted by evan:
I think that the "other" Nibbler referred to is Leela. However, she is the "other" because she is the only other Earthling that will know the truth about the Nibblonians, the Brainspawn, and Fry.

Leela forgot about the Brains like everyone else, and she forgot about the Nibblonians too.  Maybe she was "the other" because she also could have saved the universe, though I don't know how.  I hope the plan isn't for her and Fry to have kids who'll save the universe.  Unfortunately, it seems we might never know.

       

Originally posted by Teral:
...the breakup reminded me too much of "The Cyber House Rules".

And I find it very difficult to believe that Leela finds political corruption a turn-on.

I thought this break-up worked better than "Cyber House."  And I didn't think Chaz was too corrupt, just self-important (I almost missed the bit where he shows his badge at the restaurant even though Elzar was going to seat them anyway).  Anyway, she seems to have a history of dating the wrong men.

So why do we see a Nibblonian eyestalk in "Jurassic Bark?"  Did Nibbler run by the pizzeria to make sure Fry got the pizza?  And didn't someone say we'd find out something Nibbler did during "Hell is Other Robots?"

Why does Nibbler need to keep his cover?  Maybe it has something to do with the other threat he mentioned.

Of course, the best part was at the end.  I figured that in this episode, Leela would realize Fry was special but wouldn't let him know.  But she does, after Fry finally manages to say the right thing.  The "Yes!" over the credits sounded perfect.

[Reply #45 on:]

when it comes to the men she dates she tends to put up with a lot of crap. adlai and al where jerks from the start but it took a while for her to finally figure it out. i don't think she found chaz's political corruption a turn on i think she was just so happy to have someone that she chose to overlook certain faults. i mean, isn't that a normal stage in early romance? the tendency to let things slide at the begining of the relationship but then take issue with them once the novelty of being in a new relationship has worn off?

edit: i agree, the YES! at the end was perfect, i loved how his voice had a bit of a high pitched squeal to it. it was so adorable.

edit edit: according to the production schedule 'Where No Fan Has Gone Before' was supposed to air right after 'The Why Of Fry'. in WNFHGB Leela is seen making out with shatner. even though she was kissing Fry at the end of TWOF!    i wanted that kiss between L/F to be aknowledged! Not forgotten about! i bet it never comes up again! i bet whatever closeness develops between then in the Sting goes un-aknowledged too.       God i hate the 'Reset Rule!

[Reply #46 on:]

I don't know how I feel about this episode.  So much happened in so little time - I need to watch it another couple of times before I can absorb it all.

Incidently, I hate memory-wipe endings.

[Reply #47 on:]

I thought this episode was a little slow at the beginning, but it came together really well.  The ending was great.  This one's going to get some more watches on the old VCR soon.  I wonder how long it will be before we get to see more new episodes?

[Reply #48 on:]

 

Originally posted by Venus:
when it comes to the men she dates she tends to put up with a lot of crap. adlai and al where jerks from the start but it took a while for her to finally figure it out. i don't think she found chaz's political corruption a turn on i think she was just so happy to have someone that she chose to overlook certain faults. i mean, isn't that a normal stage in early romance? the tendency to let things slide at the begining of the relationship but then take issue with them once the novelty of being in a new relationship has worn off?

She had Al figured out pretty early, she just stayed for the good of their species.

She does have a track-record of bad men. But while Adlai and Al where jerks, they never did anything that goes against the law. When Chaz promises to sweep future health inspections under tha rug, and get Fry a reduced sentence (and both those statements are corruption) she is swooned. It would've been nice with a little acknowledgement that Leela was against it. Nothing major like throwing plates or beating him up, just a small line voicing Leela's disapproval.

[Reply #49 on:]

Great episode. Not that funny, but I finally got to learn the deal with those shadows. The one thing I don't really understand is why in AOI1 they didn't have any shadows altogether. Then again, that was fictitious and didn't really happen, so I guess that could explain it. I was glad they tied in the grandpa thing as well. I'd like to watch Space Pilot 3000, Love's Labour's Lost in Space, AOI1, Jurassic Bark, The Day the Earth Stood Stupid, Roswell that Ends Well, and the Why of Fry again in that order to best get the whole plot.

[Reply #50 on:]

   

Originally posted by Venus:
according to the production schedule 'Where No Fan Has Gone Before' was supposed to air right after 'The Why Of Fry'. in WNFHGB Leela is seen making out with shatner. even though she was kissing Fry at the end of TWOF!

Like all women, Leela found Shatner irresistable.  But there really isn't anything else in that episode to indicate that Fry and Leela are or are not in a relationship, so it could have been shown at any time.

[Reply #51 on:]

And it's just not TOS if Shatner doesn't make out with the alien babe, no matter what.

[Reply #52 on:]

 

Originally posted by Action Jacktion:
So why do we see a Nibblonian eyestalk in "Jurassic Bark?"  Did Nibbler run by the pizzeria to make sure Fry got the pizza?  And didn't someone say we'd find out something Nibbler did during "Hell is Other Robots?"

The series finale "The Devil's Hands are Idol Playthings" will most likely solve that. I think you heard that in the commentary on the S1 DVD "Hell is Other Robots". And the whole "Leela is the other" thing could be solved there too. By the way, did anybody get it when the brain said "Oh, it could be a dead weasel or a cartoon viewer". Haha, cartoon viewer?...

[Reply #53 on:]

TWOF deals with a temporal paradox (duh!). I'd like to know what, if anything, is different between Fry & Leela 'after' Fry's time-trip.

This seems slightly out of Leela's character to me:

Leela: "You know what Fry, I don't care if you're not the most important person in the universe. It really makes me happy to see you right now."
Fry: "Then I am the most important person in the universe."
<Leela looks him in the eye for a moment, and kisses him on the lips>

To this point in the series Leela seems to have not even considered Fry as anything more than a friend, and that statement might be too generous.
Suddenly she's glad to see him, and plants a juicy kiss on his lips?

[Rewind!]

What's different here?

<inquiring shippers want to know>

[Reply #54 on:]

One thing i didnt get is, if Fry has that brain thing, why is Nibbler able to wipe his memory but not the Brains?

[Reply #55 on:]

actually it seems to me that shes been more and more receptive to him all through the season 4 production run. starting around Love&Rocket and Leela's homeworld. Go to CGEF and look at the production order for season 4 and count how many of those eps had shippy moments in them. it's a pretty good handful. and that's not counting the eps that we don't know anything about yet.

[Reply #56 on:]

   

Originally posted by Bender5000:
 The series finale "The Devil's Hands are Idol Playthings" will most likely solve that.

Series finale?!  Don't you say that!  But yes, maybe Nibbler did something to set up the deal with the Devil, or arranged a way for Fry to get out of it.  I did wonder when 1999 Nibbler says he would help Fry with Leela, even though we've never seen Nibbler do anything before this episode.  Of course, if he had gotten them together before "Roswell," Fry might not have been willing to have sex with his grandmother.

   

Originally posted by Prowla RX7:
One thing i didnt get is, if Fry has that brain thing, why is Nibbler able to wipe his memory but not the Brains?

I guess there's a difference between memories and thoughts.  The Brains made people stupid but didn't really erase memories (though they apparently prevented people from making new memories).

[Reply #57 on:]

It was a good ep, I was a little disappointed at first because I thought there would be more scenes in the past and stuff. The jokes were good, but there weren't enough of them.

I didn't like the way Fry was so depressed at the beginning. Even when his life was awful in Space Pilot 3000 he wasn't that depressed. And he kept complaining about how his life was changed. I know he didn't like being used, but wouldn't he get over it since he got to live in the future (which he said he liked)? Why would he want to give up his 3000 life for his 1999 life (even if things weren't going well recently)?

The Fry/Leela thing was okay but the ep would have been fine without it.

Like in The Day the Earth Stood Stupid, memories were erased, and it felt like a cheap way to never metion an important series event again.

Overall, this was a good fairly funny ep. I give it 9/10.

[Reply #58 on:]

Umm, did anyone else notice that "Roswell that Ends Well"'s production number is well after "Day the Earth Stood Stupid?" How did Fry have that brain thing if he wasn't his own grandpa yet?

[Reply #59 on:]

Because he time traveled, Fry has always been his own grandfather.

[Reply #60 on:]

Regardless, the only way he's in existance is because he was his own grandpa all the way.  Wasn't it obvious that Enos was gay?  Although, the whole concept of time-traveling confuses the hell out of me, and definitely is not possible for that kind of thing to happen.  Although, time travel itself might be... 

[Reply #61 on:]

 

Originally posted by Jrrr Poppler:The one thing I don't really understand is why in AOI1 they didn't have any shadows altogether.

Well, Fry wanted to know what would happen if he hadn't "fallen in into the freezer-doodle and come to the future-jiggy".  So, the what-if machine showed him: Nibbler was never there to 'help' Fry into the cryogenic tube.  That's the only way Fry wouldn't end up in the future.

Also, I guess I haven't been around long enough, but ... what the hell's a "shipper"??

[Reply #62 on:]

 

Originally posted by UsualNoise:
 Also, I guess I haven't been around long enough, but ... what the hell's a "shipper"??

Wondering the same thing here...

[Reply #63 on:]

Probably something girly.

[Reply #64 on:]

How can you not know what a shipper is!? It's a person who wants characters (i.e. Fry and Leela) to be in a relationship.

[Reply #65 on:]

A "shipper" is short for "relationshipper". Basically they're people who love/adore/are obssessed with relationships. You find them all the time in the ST universe. Here the two key relationships are Fry/Leela and Kif/Amy. The former probably has the most subscribers  .

[Reply #66 on:]

 

Originally posted by Action Jacktion:
And didn't someone say we'd find out something Nibbler did during "Hell is Other Robots?"

I believe we were told we would find out how he got back from the gates of Robot Hell. Didn't they refer in the commentary directly saying we would find out in the future episode, "The Why of Fry"?

[Reply #67 on:]

Nice episode. Great to see the cute Nibblonians again and the end moment with Fry and Leela was so sweet.     

[Reply #68 on:]

Best episode ever.

[Reply #69 on:]

I really liked this episode.  I've always been a fan of Fry-centric episodes, and this explained a lot.

I like the idea that the reason Fry has special powers is that he's the only person in the universe who's his own grandfather.

That scene where the Niblonians give Fry this enormously powerful bomb and then give him a Scooty Puff Junior to outrun the blast on was hilarious.

The memory wipe at the end kinda pissed me off.  Fry remembering what happened would have done more to advance Fry's character than anything else.  Though that was offset somewhat by advancing the Fry-Leela thing instead.

Overall: (9/10)

[Reply #70 on:]

Great episode, though I think they should have spent more time in the past.

One question though, technically, it wouldn't have to be Fry from the past who continued his life in 1999/2000, would it? Past Fry could still fall into the freezer, Future Fry would return and continue where his past self left off. The universe is still saved, and Fry gets to continue his life. I think I would have liked the plot better if Fry was forced back to 1999, and tried to get back to the future to be reunited with Leela.

Still, brilliant episode, and a useful plot device for future adventures (be they Movie/Episodes) - after all, the InfoSphere is still stuck in the alternate universe.

9/10

[Reply #71 on:]

 

Originally posted by Kristi:
How can you not know what a shipper is!? It's a person who wants characters (i.e. Fry and Leela) to be in a relationship.

Huh.  You do learn something new every day.  I have never in my life heard this term before reading this thread.

[Reply #72 on:]

 

Originally posted by SpaceCase:
TWOF deals with a temporal paradox (duh!). I'd like to know what, if anything, is different between Fry & Leela 'after' Fry's time-trip.

This seems slightly out of Leela's character to me:

Leela: "You know what Fry, I don't care if you're not the most important person in the universe. It really makes me happy to see you right now."
Fry: "Then I am the most important person in the universe."
<Leela looks him in the eye for a moment, and kisses him on the lips>

To this point in the series Leela seems to have not even considered Fry as anything more than a friend, and that statement might be too generous.
Suddenly she's glad to see him, and plants a juicy kiss on his lips?

[Rewind!]

What's different here?

<inquiring shippers want to know>

Again, I think shippers put too much into this. I don't see it as a romantic kiss, more an appreciative kiss (did that make sense?)

Leela haven't had the best of luck with guys. She just returned from a disappointing date, with a guy that at first seemed dedicated, powerful and friendly. She thought things went along fine, she might even not make it back to her own apartment.  But ultimately he turned out to be an insensitive, egotistic jerk, just like the rest of them. He demonstrated his power and swooned her for one thing, and one thing only, to get into her pants. Talk about a disappointment.

Then enters this genuinely nice guy, who always cared for her, and liked her for what she was. He spent his Saturday evening walking her pet, simply because she asked him to. And he bring her back a flower! Wouldn't that make Leela feel appreciated, loved and confident? No wonder it makes her happy to see him.

I think the key moment is when she put her head on his shoulder, not so much the kiss itself.

[Reply #73 on:]

Just as a side note, that "Yes!" over the end credits was perfect  . Something even us non-shippers can appreciate.

[Reply #74 on:]

   

Originally posted by CyberKnight:
One question though, technically, it wouldn't have to be Fry from the past who continued his life in 1999/2000, would it? Past Fry could still fall into the freezer, Future Fry would return and continue where his past self left off. The universe is still saved, and Fry gets to continue his life.

That's pretty much what did happen, except future Fry disappeared.  Maybe the nexus point or whatever was unstable.  And Fry decides he doesn't want to continue his life in 1999/2000.

   

Originally posted by Teral:
Again, I think shippers put too much into this. I don't see it as a romantic kiss, more an appreciative kiss (did that make sense?)

I don't think they're going to get married in the next episode or anything, but I think it was a bit more than that.  Leela has kissed him on the cheek plenty of times, but here she kisses him right on the lips.  Isn't that more romantic as kisses go?  (I wouldn't know... sniff....)  And Fry's "Yes!" indicates something special has happened.

[Reply #75 on:]

 

Originally posted by SQFreak:
 I believe we were told we would find out how he got back from the gates of Robot Hell. Didn't they refer in the commentary directly saying we would find out in the future episode, "The Why of Fry"?

I thought they were just referring to how Nibbler was later revealed to be intelligent and able to get home. He's not a dumb animal like we thought, he's a fuzzy little superhero.

[Reply #76 on:]

   

Originally posted by Venus:
edit edit: according to the production schedule 'Where No Fan Has Gone Before' was supposed to air right after 'The Why Of Fry'. in WNFHGB Leela is seen making out with shatner. even though she was kissing Fry at the end of TWOF!      i wanted that kiss between L/F to be aknowledged! Not forgotten about! i bet it never comes up again! i bet whatever closeness develops between then in the Sting goes un-aknowledged too.            God i hate the 'Reset Rule!

Venus - you probably need to give them a pass on this one.  David X. Cohen (from what I've heard) is a huge Star Trek fan, so "Where No Fan" was probably a dream episode for him that they had been working on for a long time.  I'd even bet a treatment had been worked up early in Futurama's history when the characters themselves were still a little sketchy.  Also, "Where No Fan" requried getting several celebrity voices recorded, so it probably had a much longer idea to finished product life span than most episodes.

Take out "Where No Fan" and you have the look Leela gives Fry at the end of "Teenage Leela", the kiss in "Why of Fry", that pencil sketch of Leela holding Fry's picture and crying that supposedly comes from "The Sting" right in a row, and the fabled series concluder "Devil's Hands".  There is a definite shippiness to series 4 episodes overall, and I'll bet that "Where No Fan" was originally planned for series 2 or 3, but getting all of the Star Trek crew together delayed it until series 4.

edit: Ooops - and to stay on topic - 9 out of 10.  I watch Futurama more for the laughs than anything else, but this one has so much to offer in continuity and subtle gags that it will be in my top 10 and re-watched a lot.

Two or three more big laughs would have earned it a perfect 10 (which I gave "Teenage Leela" ), but I loved the episode overall.

[Reply #77 on:]

 

Originally posted by I_HATE_BOTTLES:
Umm, did anyone else notice that "Roswell that Ends Well"'s production number is well after "Day the Earth Stood Stupid?" How did Fry have that brain thing if he wasn't his own grandpa yet?

By "That Brain Thing" he meant some form of mental condition or something, as no-one remembers the flying brains. No-one knows about his lack of the Delta brainwave either (except the Nibblonians).

[Reply #78 on:]

 

Originally posted by Damitol:
   Venus - you probably need to give them a pass on this one.  David X. Cohen (from what I've heard) is a huge Star Trek fan, so "Where No Fan" was probably a dream episode for him that they had been working on for a long time. 

it's not so much the kiss with shatner that irritates me as much as Fry's non expression to witnessing it. They should at least have had him frown. Just for continuities sake.

[Reply #79 on:]

 

Originally posted by I_HATE_BOTTLES:
Umm, did anyone else notice that "Roswell that Ends Well"'s production number is well after "Day the Earth Stood Stupid?" How did Fry have that brain thing if he wasn't his own grandpa yet?

Don't question temporal paradoxes.  They'll only make you go cross-eyed.

Also, I don't like that kiss.  I mean, she spends the entire episode completely ignoring him, and the first thing she does is make out with him?  Really, what the hell?  Why doesn't that work for me?