Shipping high into the sun.

[Reply #720 on:]

And with that, the shippy feeling of the thread vanishes like a tiny dust mote in the vast, cruel vacuum of interstellar space.

And I will never be able to watch that scene of A Clockwork Origin again...

[Reply #721 on:]

I don't post that often in this thread, Gorky.

Perhaps she ritually glances at each of your posts here, though, during each visit of her own to this thread. Each one may bring back swoon-inducing memories of the past discussions all conveniently archived here.

And now ruined with the horrible imagery.

[Reply #722 on:]

I don't swoon at Svip's posts so much as I go into fits of ecstasy over them.

[Reply #723 on:]

My favorite shippers episode used to be Parasite Lost, for the longest time. Until I saw Bender's Big Score. Then that one was replaced with The Late Philip J. Fry. That one is definitely my favorite now.

[Reply #724 on:]

For me, the "shippy" episode with the most pathos and emotional resonance would have to be TKOS. Poor Fry. I tend to think it through as follows:

If the Globetrotters plan had succeeded, then he and Leela might just've been happily ever after from that episode.

Sure, it might've ruined their dynamic and led to the failure of the show from that point, but how nice would it have been to see Fry catch a break, and both Fry and Leela resolve their sexual tension once and for all?

Then I realise I'm grateful overall that it ended the way it did, because the UST between Fry and Leela is part of what keeps the show's quality consistently high. I mean, the 'ship would pretty much sink if they ended up as a permenant couple, but after watching TKOS, I do go through a brief chain-of-thought that says perhaps if it was to have gone down, that would've been a perfect place to sink it. Maybe.

I dunno. That episode sends my emotional radar all over the place. I want to laugh at it all, because it's funny. I want to feel happy because the plot is resolved nicely, and there's plenty of Nerd Bonus in the episode. I want to be angry at the Globetrotters for screwing up their algebra, and making Farnsworth screw up time in the first place, but overall I just feel a little sad for Fry, for Leela (even though she doesn't actually know what she lost), and for Bender (but that one's a little easier to laugh at).

So yeah. For me, that's the shippiest episode.

[Reply #725 on:]

Then I realise I'm grateful overall that it ended the way it did, because the UST between Fry and Leela is part of what keeps the show's quality consistently high. I mean, the 'ship would pretty much sink if they ended up as a permenant couple

I disagree with this statement. A lot. I think the writers have more or less maxed out on their will-they-or-won't-they, let's-watch-Fry-pursue-Leela-and-have-it-come-to-nothing episodes. Don't get me wrong: those episodes are brilliant, and among my favorites ("Time Keeps on Slipping" is one of the best, but so are the more subtly shippy episodes, like "The Why of Fry"). But after a certain point, the shippers in the audience (like myself) will become irked by the constant and tedious UST because it's a contrivance meant to keep the characters apart for no good reason; and the non-shippers will be bothered by those episodes that focus on Fry and Leela's protracted mating dance, because of their heavy handedness and sappiness and, generally speaking, lack of laugh-out-loud funny moments.

So, yeah. Choosing to keep Fry and Leela apart (which is confounding at this point, when they've professed their love and have been seen going on dates and sleeping together) is much more damaging to the show than just getting them together would be. I direct you to a post I made in the speculation thread yesterday...

It's just so needlessly confusing, because the writers don't seem to want Fry and Leela in relationships with other people, nor does the ship really get much play in episodes that are not designated shippy episodes (like "Rebirth" and TLPJF). It seems to me that making Fry and Leela a canonical couple would have virtually no effect on the rest of the series, for how easily the writers can just shove the relationship into the background when it does nothing for the story (which is how it should be, anyway; I don't want the ship to overtake the series. I just want it to be consistent).

And, on a completely unrelated note, thanks to whoever stickied this thread (Randi?). Maybe now there will be more actual, you know, activity here.

[Reply #726 on:]

I kinda meant that resolving the sexual tension at that point would've been a bad thing for the show. But you may disagree with that also.

[Reply #727 on:]

Nah, I agree with that (and I'm sorry if I misinterpreted your original post). At that point in the series, the Fry/Leela ship  had only been explored seriously in one other episode ("Parasites Lost"), and that's not nearly enough UST for my liking. It's not that I hate watching the chase; it's just that, at some point, the chase has to come to an end. An appropriate point for Fry and Leela to become a canonical couple was obviously "Rebirth," and for a while I thought the writers were going in that direction, but now I think they've just decided not to address it in any meaningful or concrete way. Even a super-shippy episode like "The Late Philip J. Fry" keeps the whole issue of whether or not Fry and Leela are dating fairly ambiguous: I think we're meant to believe that this is just a one-time, Leela's birthday sort of date...and yet Leela's line about Fry actually being on time for once would imply that he's been late for dates in the past...but it's not so overtly stated in the episode that the writers can't wiggle their way out of any commitment they have made to the status of Fry and Leela's relationship.

For the record, I don't normally analyze the ship like this while I'm actually watching the episode; I kind of just enjoy the ride. But thinking about it now, the writers' wishy-washiness is so damn unnecessary.

[Reply #728 on:]

It's the back and forth yoyoing that bothers me, as you pointed out Gorky. Sometimes they are clearly expressing feelings for each other (like the end of The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings) while a couple movies later in BWABB, Fry's dating Colleen. The episode that annoyed me involving the ship though was The Prisoner of Benda. Maybe this is why I don't regard the episode as highly as others do, but the whole "You're not attracted to me!" thing was weird coming from a standpoint where Leela mostly conceals her feelings for Fry, but now suddenly she cares. It's just very confusing to me.

I thought about mentioning TKOS, TNUK. I also enjoyed that episode. You really feel for Fry at the end of it, I agree, you made some excellent points. Another episode that just came to mind is The Farnsworth Parabox. It's a whole "what could have been" type thing that is sad in a whole 'nother way.

And you're welcome, Gorky

[Reply #729 on:]

The episode that annoyed me involving the ship though was The Prisoner of Benda. Maybe this is why I don't regard the episode as highly as others do, but the whole "You're not attracted to me!" thing was weird coming from a standpoint where Leela mostly conceals her feelings for Fry, but now suddenly she cares. It's just very confusing to me.

That episode, more so than even "The Late Philip J. Fry," really only makes sense if you assume Fry and Leela are dating. Still, I don't think it's so overtly stated that the writers can't hand-wave it with an ever-infuriating "They're just friends" or some such. "Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences" has that subtle Fry/Leela subplot, too, and "Attack of the Killer App" doesn't imply that they're dating per se (Leela calls Fry her good friend, and Fry posts a twit claiming to be "lookin' for love"), but it does end on a cute shippy note (not with the zombies, of course, but with the hug).

My guess is that the writers don't particularly care what the viewers choose to make of Fry and Leela's relationship; they're not really doing episodes that are about the chase, as much as they are about Fry and Leela becoming comfortable in their possibly-but-not-canonically-romantic relationship. And, honestly, I liked how TLPJF and Benda (and even "The Mutants Are Revolting") utilized the ship. Like I said before, though, it would be nice to have some consistency, because by this point it seems that the question of "Are they or aren't they in a relationship?" is pretty arbitrary in terms of how it will affect an episode that is not trying for shippiness.

[Reply #730 on:]

Fry posts a twit claiming to be "lookin' for love"

I always took that as Fry just subtly hitting on gals on the Interwebs, or trying to look cool in his update, nothing more serious than that. I never took it as him actually looking for love. Maybe I misinterpreted it, but that has always been my take on it.

[Reply #731 on:]

Well when Fry left for the Amish Homeworld there was not even a tearful good-bye or even a longing glance of farewell.
This is what I hate about this whole ship thing.



Dammit.

[Reply #732 on:]

However, when everybody visited the Amish Homeworld, the first thing Fry did was give a big hug to Leela. That's gotta count for something for you shippers, right?

And the globvious Fry-Scruffy bromance thickened with Fry asking about how the Scrufster was doing. Awwwww yea.

[Reply #733 on:]

Well when Fry left for the Amish Homeworld there was not even a tearful good-bye or even a longing glance of farewell.
This is what I hate about this whole ship thing.



Dammit.

There was also no kick in the groin or slap across the face, so I consider it a wash. Honestly, I don't care if Fry and Leela's relationship is virtually non-existent in an episode (though, like Weiner points out, there was that hug; Leela also comforted Fry after Bender's death, was right at his bedside when he had his heart attack, and came to see if he was okay after he was almost bulldozed by that barn dealie at the end of the episode); I just don't want them to be openly hostile towards each other (that slap in "Ghost in the Machines" doesn't count, 'cause it was funny, and she only meant to slap him twice). Or, you know, dating other people or anything.

[Reply #734 on:]

I want some Fry and Leela episodes!!!

[Reply #735 on:]

I want some Fry and Leela episodes!!!

Overclockwise looks promising.

[Reply #736 on:]

Ya I know....but that will be shown in September.

[Reply #737 on:]

However, when everybody visited the Amish Homeworld, the first thing Fry did was give a big hug to Leela. That's gotta count for something for you shippers, right?

And the globvious Fry-Scruffy bromance thickened with Fry asking about how the Scrufster was doing. Awwwww yea.

Yes, I'm still not happy about the whole sleeping with the Mayor's wife thing.
But I still have hope....................

[Reply #738 on:]

I'll just leave this here...

[Reply #739 on:]

That mayor line was pretty out of place and made no sense.

[Reply #740 on:]

However, when everybody visited the Amish Homeworld, the first thing Fry did was give a big hug to Leela. That's gotta count for something for you shippers, right?

And the globvious Fry-Scruffy bromance thickened with Fry asking about how the Scrufster was doing. Awwwww yea.

Yes, I'm still not happy about the whole sleeping with the Mayor's wife thing.
But I still have hope....................

Spoiler alert:

Show spoiler

It was a joke that doesn't effect Fry/Leela at all.

[Reply #741 on:]

That mayor line was pretty out of place and made no sense.

Please tell me you're trolling.

[Reply #742 on:]

What? It made no sense. There was no reason for it, and it sure wasn't funny.

[Reply #743 on:]

What? It made no sense. There was no reason for it, and it sure wasn't funny.

Yes but everyone has been arguing about this before the episode even aired, you're a little late.

[Reply #744 on:]

Better late than never.

[Reply #745 on:]

That's what she said?

[Reply #746 on:]

If you're talking about periods, maybe.

[Reply #747 on:]

However, when everybody visited the Amish Homeworld, the first thing Fry did was give a big hug to Leela. That's gotta count for something for you shippers, right?

And the globvious Fry-Scruffy bromance thickened with Fry asking about how the Scrufster was doing. Awwwww yea.

Yes, I'm still not happy about the whole sleeping with the Mayor's wife thing.
But I still have hope....................

Spoiler alert:

Show spoiler

It was a joke that doesn't effect Fry/Leela at all.

Spoiler alert:

Show spoiler

Affect.

Also, I agree with Freako that the mayor's-wife line was totally irrelevant. I didn't take it too seriously in terms of how it affects the ship, but on its own merits it's not a hilarious joke. Methinks the writers could've cut it without losing much humor-wise.

[Reply #748 on:]

I understand the whole joke thingy, but what's with the yellow stuff he brushes off of his jacket?

[Reply #749 on:]

Confetti from the parade.

[Reply #750 on:]

Confetti from the parade.

And that didn't come off while he had sex with the wife... I mean, yeah he probably took it off, but before the taking off too...

[Reply #751 on:]

Maybe they had sex at the parade? It was Fryday, so I'm assuming they'd let him get away with something like that.

Alternately: The mayor's wife has a confetti fetish (a confettish, if you will).

[Reply #752 on:]

I don't see the problem, Danny. Most such holidays generally last pretty late, right? And it was still day when they got back to the headquarters. It's not infeasible that Fry and Mrs. Poopenmeyer walked away from the parade and copulated, only to return. Upon returning, Fry and the rest of the gang went back to the headquarters, and in the process of walking back, he got some confetti on his jacket. Alternately, they never left the parade but instead they took part in a Parade Day sex orgy.

[Reply #753 on:]

So why are none of the others covered in the confetti?

[Reply #754 on:]

They brushed them off before entering.

[Reply #755 on:]

Have we ever seen the mayor's wife before? Like a pic on a desk or something? I was just wondering. Also, that line was both creepy and odd to me heh.

[Reply #756 on:]

Have we ever seen the mayor's wife before? Like a pic on a desk or something? I was just wondering. Also, that line was both creepy and odd to me heh.

[Reply #757 on:]

Eh, I could see the attraction there. I mean, she's got two eyes, Fry's got two eyes...

[Reply #758 on:]

What? Where's that screengrap from? I don't recall her ever being mentioned before...

[Reply #759 on:]

It's from "A Big Piece of Garbage."

"This picture of your wife: pure garbage."