Evil Fox Exec
Bending Unit
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I totally agree with Alexvilagosh that 4acv is weak. But for me, the season is a very strange mixed bag. The good episodes are the absolute best in the whole series, and the bad episodes are the absolute worst. The problem is, I find that there are more bad episodes than good. But, as said, we got a number of absolutely terrific episodes, too. I would have liked to see Futurama renewed for another season or two. The really good episodes make it worthwhile. Also, I would like to know if this a temporary or permanent bad streak. And people, don't tell me that 4acv is the absolute best season ever. You're not going to sway my opinion. On the whole, 3acv was my absolute favorite season. I agree that 4acv is already starting to show signs of weakness. By the way, I love the shippyness in the recent episodes. I don't understand how anybody could find it annoying. I absolutely love it!
And one more thing. I would really like to see a movie, and I firmly believe that it could work, as long as it's written and executed right. I mean, take a look at the South Park movie. It was really good, and it really does feel like a movie, and not a very long episode. I'm sure DXC and MG can make a Futurama movie work. So if there were a movie, I'm completely sure that it'd rock.
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evan
Urban Legend
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I've put some thought into it, and I agree with Evil Fox Exec on this one, about the 4acv season. It's a very hard season to judge, because it has been spread out over a year and a half, but I'm coming to his same conclusions. The good 4acv episodes are great ("The Sting," "Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles," "Love and Rocket," "The Why of Fry"...), but the bad are really weak ("Kif Get Knocked Up a Notch," "Less Than Hero," "Three Hundred Big Boys"...)
The question is now this: did "Futurama" actually jump the shark, or is 4acv just an abberation? Perhaps some people are right, and the quality is going down. However, it was never stated that all seasons must be increasingly funnier than the last. Because of Fox's bone-headed decisions, we'll never find out whether this was just an unlucky streak or not.
::crosses fingers for "Devil's Hands...", hoping that it'll be great::
Honestly, I don't see this thread surviving long, but here's hoping.
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alexvilagosh
Goose Patrol
Space Pope
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Originally posted by Evil Fox Exec: ...I totally agree with Alexvilagosh...
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Evil Fox Exec
Bending Unit
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Hm, I don't know if it could be said that Futurama jumped the shark. Certainly, there have been a large number of bad episode in the 4acv block. But, as said, there have been a number of excellent, too. The good ones like The Sting, The Why of Fry, etc. are the only saving factors. If those episodes weren't there, I would most certainly say that Futurama jumped the shark. So, in my eyes it seems that Futurama is teetering at the edge of the aquarium, getting ready to jump the shark, but hasn't quite done it yet. As said, those few good episodes are untimately preventing it from jumping. Evan, do you think that Futurama jumped the shark?
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evan
Urban Legend
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Evil Fox Exec:
Honestly, we can never find out if the show really did jump the shark. Because we're stuck with what we have, we only have an incomplete picture of "Futurama." Maybe, after all, the three remaining Bender episodes and "Devil's Hands..." will all be 5 star classics. Until we see the remaining episodes, then I honestly can't say. Maybe this season is just an abberation, and maybe season 5acv would have been a lot better. We won't know, unfortunately.
This is not going to be a popular opinion, but I agree that "Futurama" is readying for its great big shark jump. We have one of the first signs of shark-jumping straight ahead (two characters falling in love, finally). I hope it veers off and doesn't jump, but I really need to see the rest of the episodes to decide.
Tell you what. I'll come back to this thread August 11th and tell you my opinion.
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Anarchist
Professor
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Why do you people have so little faith in the Futurama writing staff? Yes, a relationship between two main characters did ruin quite a few shows, but honestly, Futurama has the best writing staff EVER. For a cartoon, at least; although I can't think of a live-action sitcom with a better writing staff than this. If anyone can pull off an ongoing relationship between Fry and Leela without ruining the show, it's them, and I believe it's quite possible. As long as it's a running sideplot rather than the centerpoint of the show (as it has been the whole time), it can contribute to the show without dragging it down. Futurama had AT LEAST 2-3 great seasons left in it. Yes, 4ACV had a few weak episodes in it, but you can't expect it all to be perfect, and you can't expect it to please everybody. You say "300 Big Boys was a poor episode" like it's a known fact. There are quite a few people who really enjoyed that episode! Sure, it wasn't one of the best, but the concept of "the best" is that a few episodes stand out and are even better than all the rest. Futurama did not jump the shark, and it wasn't about to.
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Anarchist
Professor
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Now take those "weak" episodes and compare them to another show. Are they still "weak", or were you simply spoiled by Futurama's usual stellar quality, that anything less would be "weak"? The season as a whole didn't suck. Every show has short periods of below-standard episodes; it doesn't mean it's a continuing trend.
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Anarchist
Professor
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What, you mean we don't already have one planned? In that case, we have work to do.
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canned eggs
Space Pope
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This isn't the topic I had originally meant to discuss, but the thread has taken on a life of its own, and I'm glad so many people are interested, despite the occasional warnings of impending closure. But here's my position on the romance/shark jumping issue:
The Fry/Leela romance was the establishing arc of the entire Futurama story. I think it's awfully pessimistic to expect the staff to handle it so lightly as to bring Fry and Leela together in some arbitrary episode and then be left with nothing to do. This is what people expected the X-Files to do, and they never did, they faded for other reasons. Similarly, the most crucial thing to Futurama as a story of Fry & Leela is to continue the tension of Fry trying to get Leela, and Leela not having any of it. If the producers hadn't had specific knowledge that the show was ending, we wouldn't even be talking about this, because there's no way they would just end that tension by bringing Fry and Leela together. Even "Devils's Hands," I guarantee you, will be more or less open-ended in exactly this respect. So the show is no more in a position to jump the shark than it's ever been, despite recent shippiness.
But even those of you who disagree, and think the show has already peaked and begun coasting downhill have probably got to admit that it went out still pretty close to the top. I would be surprised if anyone had the kind of feeling of watching something obsolete and sad that some recent Simpsons episodes inspire. But maybe that's because the Simpsons has been sliding for as long as Futurama has existed.
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Anarchist
Professor
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They already did agree to go out on at least one occasion, although that hasn't really been followed up.
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Anarchist
Professor
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Do I smell sarcasm, denial, or some intricate mix of the two?
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