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Author Topic: Futurama changed throughout its run  (Read 5251 times)
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fryfanSpyOrama

Urban Legend
***
« on: 02-16-2004 00:48 »
« Last Edit on: 08-27-2004 00:00 »
The first two/three seasons, most of the episodes had Fry, Leela and Bender visit foreign planets and having crazy and funny adventures. But as the seasons went by, they had more down to Earth episodes.  Five Season

COTH- They just use the space to fly to the islands
JB- they don't use the space ship
TROAE- They only use the space ship to go to the edge of the universe, but we don't get to see it.  Professor and Hermes end up using the spaceship
ATOF- they don't use the ship
KGKUAN- The first real outer space adventure of the season and their first delivery
LTH- No ship
TMLH- The Professor just pilots the ship and this episode mostly takes place on Earth
TWOF- Fry only gets to go in outer space
TS- Their last mission collect bee honey
TFP- Hermes pilots the ship only
THBB- no ship
SF- the last time we see Bender, Leela and Fry use the ship on the show
BH- No ship use
OF- The ship gets damaged, but it is only a dream sequence
BSNBAOT- Only Bender and F.A.R.T. use the ship
TDHAIP- Leela just works on the ship even though they hardly had used it.  She did say she made a delivery to Space Earth, but we don't even she her get off the ship.

I like these episodes, but it seems as though instead of going in outer space a lot in previous seasons, they mostly stayed on Earth to watch TV, which is cool, but I wish they had more adventures  on other planets just like in past seasons.  Even Leela seemed less interested in going on deliveries in a few episodes.  It made my wonder why did they keep going to Planet Express if they weren't making deliveries?  they just watched TV and sat on the couch.  Hey I wish I had a job like that, but I wish they did more than that in season five.

Maybe if the show wasn't cancelled we would've seen them go more on space adventures in the sixth season, but we'll never know.
David A

Space Pope
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« Reply #1 on: 02-16-2004 01:03 »
There were plenty of early episodes where they didn't go on deliveries and/or mostly stayed on earth.

Anyway, sci-fi doesn't have to be about flying around in a spaceship and visiting another weird planet every week.
fryfanSpyOrama

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #2 on: 02-16-2004 01:08 »
« Last Edit on: 02-16-2004 01:08 »
 
Quote
Originally posted by David A:
There were plenty of early episodes where they didn't go on deliveries and/or mostly stayed on earth.

Anyway, sci-fi doesn't have to be about flying around in a spaceship and visiting another weird planet every week.


Hey I, Roomate was the first down to earth episode.  But the episodes in the fifth season the scale tipped in favor of more down to earth episodes than in previous episodes.  I just wish they had met more weird aliens. If season five was the opposite, if it mostly showed them going out in space every week, then I be saying, I wish they had a little more down to earth episodes.  I wish there was a balance in the terms of them going to outer space and staying on earth.  I didn't see a balance in the fifth season.
ooy

Professor
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« Reply #3 on: 02-16-2004 01:32 »
futurama also changed as i explain:
season 1: for the whole family, exeption is love labors lost in space
season 2: a bit adult like
season 3:as season 2 but a bit more
season 4: adultish and weird stuff happening.
PCC Fred

Space Pope
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« Reply #4 on: 02-16-2004 08:06 »
 
Quote
Originally posted by David A:
Anyway, sci-fi doesn't have to be about flying around in a spaceship and visiting another weird planet every week.

Too right.  That format's been done to death over the last decade.  Thank God Futurama broke out of it relatively early on.
davierocks

Professor
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« Reply #5 on: 02-16-2004 11:04 »
I agree with Fred.  Did you really want a completely predictable, formulaic show?
fryfanSpyOrama

Urban Legend
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« Reply #6 on: 02-16-2004 11:37 »
 
Quote
Originally posted by davierocks:
I agree with Fred.  Did you really want a completely predictable, formulaic show?

I did want to see the same thing I've seen thousands of times before   :) (Fry from WAA), but when Futurama does an outer space thing you forget that they do and that is what I liked.  The fact that they stayed on Earth most of the time made in sort of formulatic.  They'd sit watching TV something happens and they solve it and just go back to watching TV or drinking beer.  It was funny but all the time?  In the first four seasons they'd get to blast off and see foreign planets, funny aliens and it didn't feel like formulatic. Maybe it would on another show, but Futurama is an exception. If you read the comic book series then you have an understanding as to what I mean when I wish season five was more balanced just like the previous seasons.  But season five is still just as good as previous seasons.   :)
Teral

Helpy McHelphelp
DOOP Secretary
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« Reply #7 on: 02-16-2004 12:43 »
 
Quote
Originally posted by fryfanSpyOrama:
The first two/three seasons, most of the episodes had Fry, Leela and Bender visit foreign planets and having crazy and funny adventures. But as the seasons went by, they had more down to Earth episodes.  Five Season

COTH- They just use the space to fly to the islands
JB- they don't use the space ship
TROAE- They only use the space ship to go to the edge of the universe, but we don't get to see it.  Professor and Hermes end up using the spaceship
ATOF- they don't use the ship
KGKUAN- The first real outer space adventure of the season and their first delivery
LTH- No ship
TMLH- The Professor just pilots the ship and this episode mostly takes place on Earth
TWOF- Fry only gets to go in outer space
TS- Their last mission collect bee honey
TFP- Hermes pilots the ship only
THBB- no ship
SF- the last time we see Bender, Leela and Fry use the ship on the show
BH- No ship use
OF- The ship gets damaged, but it is only a dream sequence
BSNBAOT- Only Bender and F.A.R.T. use the ship
TDHAIP- Leela just works on the ship even though they hardly had used it.  She did say she made a delivery to Space Earth, but we don't even she her get off the ship.

I like these episodes, but it seems as though instead of going in outer space a lot in previous seasons, they mostly stayed on Earth to watch TV, which is cool, but I wish they had more adventures  on other planets just like in past seasons.  Even Leela seemed less interested in doing on deliveries in a few episodes.  It made my wonder why did they keep going to Planet Express if they weren't making deliveries?  they just watched TV and sat on the couch.  Hey I wish I had a job like that, but I wish they did more than that in season five.

Maybe if the show wasn't cancelled we would've seen them go more on space adventures in the sixth season, but we'll never know.

Just one correction, there were only 4 seasons, FOX stretched those into 5 McSeasons (and thus horribly mangled the balance).

But let's lok at the 4ACV episodes:

Kif Gets Knocked Up A Notch: Making a delivery to the Hive Mind, visiting Kif's homeworld

Leela's Homeworld: No new planets visited (although the Mutant City is pretty alien looking)

Love & Rocket: Lots of flying in the PE ship, heck the ship have a lead role in the episode

Less Than Hero: No space travel

A Taste Of Freedom: No space travel, but plenty of spaceships and an alien race invades Earth

Bender Should Not Be Allowed On TV: No space travel

Jurassic Bark: No space travel

Crimes of the Hot: No space travel, but they use the PE ship and a space mirror is used

Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles: Farnsworth's "joyride", blowing up DS9, visiting the Fountain of Aging on a dead star

The Why Of Fry: Travel to Planet Eternium, the Infosphere

Where No Fan Has Gone Before: Lot's of space travel and use of the PE ship

The Sting: Going to the space hive, Leela going to get Fry's coffin, the funeral

Bend Her: No space travel

Obsoletely Fabulous: No space teavel, but it was mostly a dream

The Farnsworth Parabox: Hermes use the PE ship

Three Hundred Big Boys: No space travel

Spanish Fry: Lots of space travel, Omicron Persei 8, the bazar, etc.

The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings: No space travel

So that makes it 7 with lots of space travel/use of the ship, 4 with some minor scenes and 7 with no space content. I'd say that's a pretty even spread. Compared to season 2: 5 with lots of space/ship, 6 with some minor scenes and 8 with no space content.

The major change in my opinion was a shift in focus, were the first two seasons was more aimed at general fun and jokes, the last two introduced the concept of relationships, emotions and other mushy stuff. Or as Maurice Lamarche said "the show got a heart", starting with "Parasites Lost".

Besides sci-fi is about exploring new concepts and ideas, not just space-opera. Sometimes an episode dedicated to moral dilemmas are more captivating thn meeting a new Alien Of The Week. See also: "DS9  vs V'Ger".
fryfanSpyOrama

Urban Legend
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« Reply #8 on: 02-16-2004 13:00 »
All I'm saying is that it seemed Futurama was following the path of the Simpsons.  When the Simpsons first started the focus was mostly on Bart and how his family lives and they tackled issues that other TV families handled in which poked fun of those issues.  However, as the show continued it seems Homer became the star and thus the plots became more wacky in which it seemed the plot was least focus on and more focused on just making wacky stories.  In the mid-1990's you had some out of the ordinary episodes balanced with the same type of down to episodes as the first few seasons.  However, by the end of the ninth season it seemed every episode was weird situation after weird situation.  I know it is a cartoon, but it seemed the Simpsons had changed from what it used to be in the early seasons.  Many simpson fans say the series should have ended in the nine season.  They seemed to notice the change.  I feared that Futurama was beginning to make that change, though it wouldn't have been as bad as the Simpsons, since with Futurama you can get away with a lot more things.  Keep in mind, I wouldn't like Futurama any less than I do now if that was going to happen, because it is my favorite show of all time.
ActionLaPointe

Starship Captain
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« Reply #9 on: 02-16-2004 13:06 »
maybe slightly, but all seasons seem to have a good balance of down to earth vs. commet avoiding action.
fryfanSpyOrama

Urban Legend
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« Reply #10 on: 02-16-2004 13:35 »
« Last Edit on: 02-16-2004 13:35 »
Here's an example, when Homer fell off the gorge in the early season, it was a unexpected landmark and back then he was dumb but with common sense.  Now, Homer is a complete idiot and he's always getting hurt to a point where you expect him to get hurt.  It took away what Homer was or was supposed to be.  The Homer of today would jump the gorge, but not by accident like the Homer of the past. Mr. Burns was this dark evil force early on, now he's dumb enough to cover for Homer when Homer left to help that old lady.  The old Mr. Burns wouldn't have tolerated that, now he's just as foolish.  Bart went from troublemaker to just doing any to get attention.
The Simpsons has reached a point where it is no longer a landmark, but just a regular wacky cartoon.  Matt even said that on his top ten favorite Simpsons episodes, most of them are from the first and second season.  Isn't that convenient. My hope was that if Futurama continued, we wouldn't see the characters change to a certain degree that it takes away what made us like the characters in the first place.
VoVat

Bending Unit
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« Reply #11 on: 02-16-2004 20:19 »
 
Quote
Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles: Farnsworth's "joyride", blowing up DS9, visiting the Fountain of Aging on a dead star

And the youth mud was on an asteroid or something, wasn't it?

I don't think lack of space travel necessarily means an episode is "down to Earth."  Well, it does if you want to get literal about it, but the show can get pretty weird without leaving Earth.  The more important distinction seems to me not whether there's space travel as whether the episode relies on sci-fi gimmicks and ideas, or it could pretty much be set in the present day with a few minor adjustments.
DotheBartman

Liquid Emperor
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« Reply #12 on: 02-16-2004 20:42 »
 
Quote
Originally posted by Teral:
  Or as Maurice Lamarche said "the show got a heart", starting with "Parasites Lost".


That's an interesting quote actually.  I already agreed with it, but its interesting to hear it from someone involved with the show.  I don't have seasons three and four on dvd yet, so which commentary (assuming it was a commentary) did LaMarche say that in?

But yeah, personally I find seasons three and four to be significantly better then the first two.  Seasons one and two basically just tried to parody sci-fi a lot and almost didn't bother to develop the characters beyond charicuatures of themselves.  Just gag seasons.  Plus, they even sometimes failed in the sci-fi parody criteria ("I, Roommate", "How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back", and "A Fishful of Dollars" are examples that spring to mind).

But in season three the show became much more ambitious.  Not only did it do the sci-fi parodying much better and more consistantly, but it also started doing great serious stuff with the sci-fi concepts as well.  There was some great, sometimes even deep, ambitious stuff like "Parasites Lost", "Godfellas", "The Why of Fry", etc that really utilized the sci-fi element incredibly well.  Plus the characters developed into more then parodies of themselves, with episodes like "Luck of the Fryrish", "Jurassic Bark", and "Leela's Homeworld" showing some real depth that was simply unheard of in the first two seasons with their weekly keraaaazy fun.
Teral

Helpy McHelphelp
DOOP Secretary
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« Reply #13 on: 02-17-2004 10:34 »
Yeah, I pretty much agree with that. I always saw "Parasites Lost" as the turning point where Futurama made the leap from "great comedy/sci-fi show" into legend. Not that the episodes before wasn't great and all, but adding emotions and heart was what made it so good.


 
Quote
Originally posted by DotheBartman:
 That's an interesting quote actually.  I already agreed with it, but its interesting to hear it from someone involved with the show.  I don't have seasons three and four on dvd yet, so which commentary (assuming it was a commentary) did LaMarche say that in?

It was on the "The Why Of Fry" commentary. Although now that I listen to it again, I think it was directer Wes Archer.

We join the episode just as Leela kiss Fry in the end.

Billy West: "Awww, another sweet ending. There's a lot of heart. (mimicking Fry) "yes!"."
Wes Archer?: "Season 4: The Season With Heart."
Laughter
Wes Archer?: "On all new..."
Maurice Lamarche: "That's were we went wrong! The show started to get a heart!"
More laughter
fryfanSpyOrama

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #14 on: 02-17-2004 10:51 »
« Last Edit on: 08-27-2004 00:00 »
Have I'm down with drama, and emotion on Futurama, but Futurama was sci-fi action comedy drama, and I would've liked to have seen all these things balanced and the last season.  Season five was a good season, don't get me wrong.
boingo2000

Liquid Emperor
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« Reply #15 on: 02-17-2004 11:44 »
 
Quote
Originally posted by Teral:
Bender Should Not Be Allowed On TV: No space travel

Technically true, but there was spaceship travel, from New New York to the All My Circuts set.
Gorky

DOOP Secretary
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« Reply #16 on: 02-17-2004 20:50 »
As Teral pointed out, "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings" had no space travel. But, it was mentioned by Leela that, while at Fry's holophoner recital, Fry and Bender missed "...a great delivery to Space Earth."
Anyway, I don't think TDHAIP would have benefited from a space scene. This was really a more down-to-Earth episode.
krokerjoker

Delivery Boy
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« Reply #17 on: 02-18-2004 07:39 »
 
Quote
Originally posted by ooy:
futurama also changed as i explain:
season 1: for the whole family, exeption is love labors lost in space
season 2: a bit adult like
season 3:as season 2 but a bit more
season 4: adultish and weird stuff happening.

- Good analysis, couldnt have put it better myself!!!
Gleno

Liquid Emperor
**
« Reply #18 on: 02-18-2004 11:22 »
 
Quote
Originally posted by krokerjoker:
 - Good analysis, couldnt have put it better myself!!!


I could have....by using English.... :)
fryfanSpyOrama

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #19 on: 02-20-2004 17:27 »
Another thing that I wanted to add is that Leela changed a little bit.  In the beginning she was strict, but in episode all The Route of All Evil and Obsolutely Fabulous she showed a little more sign of laziness.  I'm just pointing that out, I'm not saying it is or is not a problem
Gorky

DOOP Secretary
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« Reply #20 on: 02-20-2004 18:41 »
That may just be a one-shot joke. Personally, I think that it's okay for her to act lazy as a gag, but not throughout an entire episode.
Woodbot 2.0

Starship Captain
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« Reply #21 on: 02-20-2004 19:00 »
Bender and Farsworth's voices changed in A Flight to Remember and in When Aliens Attack.

Also in Season 1,Zoidberg was just a bad doctoor,but in the Season 2 episode Put Your Head on My Shoulder, it was revealed that he was lonely and miserably poor
M0le

Space Pope
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« Reply #22 on: 02-20-2004 20:35 »
Frys voice changed a little bit about that point as well.
David A

Space Pope
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« Reply #23 on: 02-20-2004 23:41 »
 
Quote
Originally posted by fryfanSpyOrama:
Another thing that I wanted to add is that Leela changed a little bit.  In the beginning she was strict, but in episode all The Route of All Evil and Obsolutely Fabulous she showed a little more sign of laziness.  I'm just pointing that out, I'm not saying it is or is not a problem

Well, after being around Fry, Bender, and Amy for a few years, Leela learned to loosen up a little.
Woodbot 2.0

Starship Captain
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« Reply #24 on: 02-21-2004 02:42 »
Hermeas became more exprecive after HHRGHGB.
Teral

Helpy McHelphelp
DOOP Secretary
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« Reply #25 on: 02-21-2004 10:29 »
 
Quote
Originally posted by M0le:
Frys voice changed a little bit about that point as well.


That's probably just a matter of the voice actors getting more acostumed to the characters. The easier it is for them to do the more natural the voice sound.
ooy

Professor
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« Reply #26 on: 02-25-2004 00:48 »
« Last Edit on: 02-25-2004 00:48 »
translation, it was the first time.
-----------------------------------------------

costanza falcon rulez! http://nivan.net/cartoon/toons.html
who knew stick charactors could be so damn funny!!!
fryfanSpyOrama

Urban Legend
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« Reply #27 on: 02-26-2004 22:25 »
If you notice, Zoidberg changed in the first season.  In A Flight to Remember, he had money to afford first class, but in A Big Piece of Garbage, two episodes prior, he eats a fish bone that fell from the sky.  In When Aliens Attack, I think it is one of the first times people started blaming Zoidberg for nothing.

Fry: Way to overact, Zoidberg.

By the second season. we knew what type of character Zoidberg was and we grew to love him. 
Spineless

Delivery Boy
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« Reply #28 on: 02-26-2004 23:24 »
Yeah there was a lot of changes between the first and last episodes, but I attribute that to both the natural evolution of a TV show and the fact that not a lot of people were watching, given the crappy timeslot, so they decided to spice things up further and go the extra mile with the philosophy and all that great stuff.

I think it was a great change.
VoVat

Bending Unit
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« Reply #29 on: 02-27-2004 15:51 »
 
Quote
If you notice, Zoidberg changed in the first season. In A Flight to Remember, he had money to afford first class, but in A Big Piece of Garbage, two episodes prior, he eats a fish bone that fell from the sky.

Didn't the company pay for the trip in AFTR?  I guess the employees who had been there longer got better accomodations.  (But where was Scruffy? <g> )
Dr. Morberg

Professor
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« Reply #30 on: 02-27-2004 16:35 »
 
Quote
Originally posted by fryfanSpyOrama:
If you notice, Zoidberg changed in the first season.  In A Flight to Remember, he had money to afford first class, but in A Big Piece of Garbage, two episodes prior, he eats a fish bone that fell from the sky.  In When Aliens Attack, I think it is one of the first times people started blaming Zoidberg for nothing.

As they say in the commentaries, in the first season, Zoidberg's main joke was that he was a bad docter, but in WMIBACIL, he becomes a loser, and in PYHOMS he becomes desperately poor. When he ate the fish bones that fell from the sky, I think it was just a joke about how Zoidberg loves to eat fish. Also, the first time someone blamed Zoidberg for something he didn't do was in HIOR:

Hermes: Our electric bill's climbing faster than a green snake up a sugarcane. Obviously someone round here's been wastin' a whole heap a juice! Probably you!

Zoidberg: Me?
Mouse On Venus

Liquid Emperor
**
« Reply #31 on: 02-27-2004 18:56 »
 
Quote
Originally posted by Woodbot 2.0:
Hermeas became more exprecive after HHRGHGB.

In the 4th season, they started making jokes about Hermes being some sort of cold hearted killer. Like in Less Than Hero, when he wants a license to kill with a piano wire, or in Farnsworth Parabox:

Hermes: Here Leela, take this gun and use it to shoot those guys.
Leela: Right, if they try to look in the box.
Hermes: Whatever.

 And speaking of Hermes:

 
Quote
Originally posted by Teral:
 That's probably just a matter of the voice actors getting more acostumed to the characters. The easier it is for them to do the more natural the voice sound.

 I have to say I thought Hermes' voice was often atrocious in Season 4. He sounded like a big ape half the time!  :eek: Season 2 and 3 Hermes had a much nicer voice.
M0le

Space Pope
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« Reply #32 on: 02-28-2004 04:36 »
Basically all of the PE employees voices changed to some degree by the beggining of the second season. Except for Leela.   :)
VoVat

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #33 on: 02-28-2004 11:22 »
 
Quote
In the 4th season, they started making jokes about Hermes being some sort of cold hearted killer. Like in Less Than Hero, when he wants a license to kill with a piano wire, or in Farnsworth Parabox:

Hermes: Here Leela, take this gun and use it to shoot those guys.
Leela: Right, if they try to look in the box.
Hermes: Whatever.

The same episode has him mentally debating whether or not to eject the entire crew into the Sun.
Teral

Helpy McHelphelp
DOOP Secretary
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« Reply #34 on: 02-28-2004 13:29 »
That was one of the best jokes in "The Farnsworth Parabox" (although that's not saying much). "Hermes, don't do it!" ...... .... .... .... ..... .. "...okay."  :laff:

 
Quote
Originally posted by Mouse On Venus:
  I have to say I thought Hermes' voice was often atrocious in Season 4. He sounded like a big ape half the time!   :eek: Season 2 and 3 Hermes had a much nicer voice.

I noticed some of that too. The scene in "Leela's Homeworld" with the toxic waste has his voice off too. At least it sounded like that to me.
VoVat

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #35 on: 02-29-2004 13:15 »
Well, wouldn't YOUR voice be off after tasting toxic waste?  (Or was it off even before he did that?)
Hedonism Bot

Bending Unit
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« Reply #36 on: 02-29-2004 13:28 »
 
Quote
Originally posted by VoVat:
 Didn't the company pay for the trip in AFTR?  I guess the employees who had been there longer got better accomodations.  (But where was Scruffy? <g> )

Maybe it cost less for a tank than a room - even if it was marble.
Teral

Helpy McHelphelp
DOOP Secretary
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« Reply #37 on: 02-29-2004 13:32 »
 
Quote
Originally posted by VoVat:
Well, wouldn't YOUR voice be off after tasting toxic waste?  (Or was it off even before he did that?)

Both, there wsn't any change from between the tasting.
canīt_read

Delivery Boy
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« Reply #38 on: 03-06-2004 13:05 »
« Last Edit on: 03-06-2004 13:05 »
The whole personality change of Hermes might have something to do with him just getting absolutely sick of them all. Time does pass in this show.
rule brittannia

Bending Unit
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« Reply #39 on: 03-06-2004 14:06 »
« Last Edit on: 03-06-2004 14:06 »
oh, bull crap!- billy west
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