The best storyline

[on:]

Which Futurama episode do you think has the most clever storyline and why?  One that you really have to admire the writers for, and it doesn't have to be your favourite episode, just one that you think is really imaginative and well done.

Mine is Roswell that Ends Well, because I think the idea that the alien space ship in 1947 in roswell turned out to be the planet express ship is pure genius and they pulled it off brilliantly. I also love AOI2 with the Wizard of Oz take off because I loved how they were able to match the characters to the ones in the movie, it really stood out for me and i always enjoy watching it!

Your thoughts??

[Reply #1 on:]

This'll probably get moved...maybe even lockinated, thought to be honest I haven't seen a thread with this exact topic.  To answer the question though, I've gotta go with either Leela's story form AOI 1 ("I REALLY like it" ) or The Farnsworth Parabox.  I generally like eps that feature every character, and TFP slightly edges out Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles because it makes more sense.

[Reply #2 on:]

Like N-o-r said, I really like The Farnsworth Parabox and Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles, and I also liked My Three Suns and Brannigan, Begin Again. MTS really showed how dumb Fry can be and how his stupidity can somehow get him ahead and BBA showed Fry and Bender's laziness and how far they'd go to take the easy way out.

[Reply #3 on:]

I think that The Why of Fry is a really clever episode. It finds a way to put about five totally unrelated episodes together into a coherent story. Brilliant...

[Reply #4 on:]

'Roswell that Ends Well' and 'The Birdbot of Ice-catraz' both had excellent writing, I'd go as far as to say the best.
And it's also likely this thread will be closed, too.

[Reply #5 on:]

My favourite story line? 'Time Keeps on Slipping.'
I always loved it whenever the show went nuts with some sci-fi concept, and I feel that this one was the most original, and used the best.

Runners up:
Why of Fry
Roswell that Ends Well
The Farnsworth Parabox

[Reply #6 on:]

"Roswell that ends well", and "The why of fry"

[Reply #7 on:]

Yes, Roswell has a great storyline, and so does Parabox. What about The Sting? I was astonished by that episode since the first time I saw it. Letting one important character die, making it look real the whole episode and then revealing that it happened conversely... I don't know, I'm not experienced enough to tell if it's original or not, but I liked it a lot.

[Reply #8 on:]

 

Originally posted by Xerxes:
Yes, Roswell has a great storyline, and so does Parabox. What about The Sting? I was astonished by that episode since the first time I saw it. Letting one important character die, making it look real the whole episode and then revealing that it happened conversely... I don't know, I'm not experienced enough to tell if it's original or not, but I liked it a lot.

That one to

[Reply #9 on:]

Me: Thread, you're alive?
Thread: N-o-r, you're awake?

Xerxes: The Sting is my favorite episode.  However, it's not quite original as far as television goes.  For that matter, neither is RTEW (Back to the Future and Red Dwarf, among others, had similar situations.)  I will say that it was the best coma episode I've ever seen, because the ending wasn't an utter cop-out and they give you plenty of red herrings (the royal jelly being the best one.)

Basically: best writing, best dramatic moments, best acting by Katey Sagal, most gratuitous musical number, Top 5 storyline, Top 5 ending.

[Reply #10 on:]

I think the day the Earth Stood Stupid. The way that Fry defeats the big brain is ingenious, incredibly funny and just completely unexpected with some great voice acting from Billy West (the gurgles). The rest of the episode is also incredibly funny wat with Zoidberg's "Zoidbee want balloon, want Balloon now, Zoidbee want go outside."

also the introduction of the Nibblonians function is amazingly well done. not to mention the explanation of fry's stupidity being vital to the survival of earth

[Reply #11 on:]

     

What about The Sting?

I'll never praise any show or movie that ends up with someone waking up as the last scene.
Especially in a thread about originality, and wit.

I'd be willing to put money on the fact that people only like that episode, because it's boring. And as it seems to turn out, boring things on TV are "Deep" and "Meaningful" to people who don't understand it. As long as the episode comes with a complimentary wad of sap.
There were so many holes and inconsistancies in The Sting, there is no way it could be classified as 'clever'
For shame.

Ranting aside, i'll put my bid in for A Flight to Remember. Lots of neat intertwined story, plenty of good laughs, and a good spoof episode.
Originality might be an issue though.
Keep in mind that this just sprung to mind, there's probably better episodes, moreso worthy of mention, but they would require effort to talk about.

[Reply #12 on:]

Both of the AOI episodes and of course Farnsworth Parabox. Those episodes were funny and original.

[Reply #13 on:]

30% more iron Chef, Xmas Story and also both the Antholoy of I Interest part 1 and Part 2

[Reply #14 on:]

 

Originally posted by Rage Dump:
     I'd be willing to put money on the fact that people only like that episode, because it's boring.

You lose. You owe me money. And your 'wad of sap' comment leads me to believe you dislike anything that has emotional content which is exactly what i loved so much about The Sting. I don't need exploding spaceships or an action sequence or whatever. Give me emotion.

[Reply #15 on:]

 

And your 'wad of sap' comment leads me to believe you dislike anything that has emotional content

When it comes to Futurama, pretty much, because nearly all of the shippy episodes aren't funny, with the prime exception of "Time keeps on slippin'" Which happens to be my favourite episode.
Brilliant mix of story, humour, shippiness and interest.

"Devil's hands" and the last 14 minutes of "The sting" Had next to no humourous elements in it. And when there was, it was so forced you felt like you weren't there watching it.

[Reply #16 on:]

Any man who doesn't laugh at 'Your music is bad and you should feel bad' just ain't got IT man. 

[Reply #17 on:]

come on! Devil's hands was BRILLIANTLY written... I hate musicals, but I loved that episode because the songs were both telling the story, funny, and catchy at the same time, how could:- "these hands keep TOUCHING me in... places.." not be funny??

maybe it's just me...

[Reply #18 on:]

Devil's hands has some good Beelzebot parts, i've been saying that ever since i saw it, but other than that, the characters really shit me.

• Bender's character isn't there, he's just an extra.
• Fry's character changes completely, to suit the episode.
• Leela all of a sudden actually gives a crap about Fry, now that she realises she can get rich off him.

Seriously, how many drum players like operas? Not me.

• The professor is just another extra.
• Same with Zoidberg, incidentally, that line, SJM, a like a lot of the one-liners in season "5" is too 'put on' and predictable. Bender really fell into this later in the series.

I mean who couldn't see a 'Bite my shiney metal ass' joke when he lost his crotchplate?

 

...because the songs were both telling the story, funny...

Point me into the direction of one funny part during the opera, i challenge thee!

[Reply #19 on:]

I can't think of a sensible reply... so: Bah!     

Here's a slightly more sensible one: I love the absurd. I love it when stereotypes are changed in a surreal way. That Zoidy line is a good example of this (being the set up for a sweet Disney style 'Fry plays well on his own and everything is groovy', only Fry fails miserably. Not that the actual ending wasn't sacharrine, but it wasn't exactly 'happily ever after' either. Though that's got nothing to do with the joke...). I've also got a taste for wanton cruelty.

Hell, if I found merely being unpredicitable funny I'd laugh at Family Guy a lot more than I do.

   

Point me into the direction of one funny part during the opera, i challenge thee!

"Funny" being a subjective thing, I think I'm going to lose this challenge, but anyway:

1."Deception's the curse of my whimsical gender!" - Great play on tradtional Opera/musical-style lyrics.

2."It can't be real!" "Not if Leela is engaged!" - The brief return of bitchy Amy! Not an outstanding line, but worth a giggle.

3."You should have checked the wording in the fine! ...Print!" - Yes, I laughed because he cheated the line. Don't judge me, love me!

4."The use of words expressing something other than their literal intention! Now -that- is - irony!" Not absolutely hilarious, but a nice capper on a running gag.

5.The Robot Devil shoving Preacherbot around, and Preacher just going along with it. Not a line, but amusing.

6."But if I keep them/ and she marries him/ then he probably won't/ won't me dating her."
- I love the 'probably won't.' Fry still doesn't quite get it.

7."Arrrooooo!' - Go Nixon.

8."Brave-o! En-core!" - Go Zapp.

9."I can't believe everybody's just adliiiiiiibing!" - Characters pointing out the surrounding surrealities, while being a part of them? Awesome.

10.Preacherbot gets knocked around again. Awesome. Too bad he forgot his knife.

And that's why I found the Opera funny. So there.

[Reply #20 on:]

 

Originally posted by Rage Dump:

• Leela all of a sudden actually gives a crap about Fry, now that she realises she can get rich off him.

Wow. Now there's a plot point i missed completely. What episode were you watching? Because in the episode i was watching she saw interested in the creative soul not the monetary gain. Money isn't mentioned once by either of them. And just because you're not a drummer who likes opera doesn't mean no-one in the world who is a drummer can't like opera. I love the violin but that doesn't mean i can't enjoy a good solo on the electric guitar.

[Reply #21 on:]

OK, so that was an exagguration, but still, there's no other reason for Leela to start being that interested in him, that abruptly.
"Creative soul"? That's exactly what i mean about Fry completely changing to suit the episode, unless, of course these robot hands not only gave him the dexterity to play the holophoner, but also made him smarter, wiser, less lazy, nicer, braver and apparently more charismatic to Leela.

The reason i pointed out the money thoery, exaggurated, though it is; is because Leela wouldn't care about Fry or his opera. Again, personality changes, this time it's Leela, Wisdom, compassion, and a care for opera all come out of no-where, not as badly or as blatent as Fry's changes, but still worthy of note.

Now, about the drummer thing, i'm not saying that all drummers wouldn't like opera, i mean, come on,  operas have drummers in them, after all. But what i am saying that very few people with violent minds would like it, and, let's face it, Leela shows next to no real compassion for anyone except nibbler until the 5th season. (With a few rare exceptions of course, but it's definatly never a direct plot element until late in the series.)
Besides, Leela made it abundantly clear that she wasn't some slow, opera or time keeping drummer when she said, "Time for the drum solo!"
I'd question whether there are any drum solos in operas or similar music-fare, what, with the other 120 instuments having to pause because of it.

Anyway, i'm straying right off the point here.
In summary : Leela and Fry both change to suit the episode.
Leela instantly takes an interest in Fry again, she becomes less arrogant, and more accepting than usual.
Fry may as well be a different person, he's no longer stupid, unwise, inconciderate, lazy or cowardly, all of which he has shown in many different episodes, and all of which he breaks in this episode, and few and in some cases, no other episodes.

That's the thing that really makes me hate this episode with such a passion.

Now if you'll excuse me, i've been complaining for too long, it's late, and i'm tired.

[Reply #22 on:]

Alright, Rage Dump.  I'm not even going to try to persuade you on The Sting, as you seem to automatically assume that cliche=bad, no matter how well it is presented.

Devil's Hands, however...
 

Originally posted by Rage Dump
Leela and Fry both change to suit the episode.

Been watching the show lately?  Because I see  them changing long before this ep.  There is a lot of character development throughout PS 4

• Fry gets more mature (on and off, admittedly, but we see a general trend)
• Leela opens up more emotionally (thanks mostly to the events of Leela's Homeworld)
• Bender gets in touch with his sensitive side (especially after BSNBAOTV)
• Other unrelated things...Amy gets less slutty (in Season 3, actually,) Hermes gets more homicidal (The Farnsworth Parabox,) The Prof actually gets slightly more senile.

The point is, character development had been going on for a long time.

 

Orignally posted by Rage Dump
Leela shows next to no real compassion for anyone except nibbler until the 5th season

Are you serious?  I mean, how many times has she gone out of her way to save Fry, Bender, complete strangers, helpless animals, infant aliens...seriously, where did you get this idea?  Personally, I just think she's passive-agressive.

As for Leela's adoration of music...well, your "favorite ep" (Time Keeps on Slipping) and Parasites Lost both show that she's an utter sucker for over-the-top artistic displays, especially public ones like the stars or the opera.  It's less the quality of the art (though that still has to be there in some way) and more that it's for her.

Great, now I missed lunch because I was sitting in my dorm writing this rambling, off-topic argument.  I'll stop now. 
Oh, and Bender's funnier when he's not in the spotlight (see...well, any Bendercentric ep with two or three exceptions.)

[Reply #23 on:]

Yep, I'm going to have to go with Time Keeps On Slipping or The Why Of Fry (for reasons already mentioned).

[Reply #24 on:]

Well, I agree with N-o-r, Venus, and SJM.  It seems that someone is afraid to admit to liking something other than funny, or just too pretentious to allow himself to like something other than the funny.  Futurama's ability to use emotions and tug on heartstrings is precisely why I like it more than other shows like the Simpsons or Family Guy.  Because the characters are prone to powerful emotions, most of the audience begins to care about the characters.  It brings a certain depth to the show that lacks in others.  But, unlike serious dramas, it manages to remain funny throughout.  I thought "The Sting" was funny (granted, the first third was funnier) throughout, but the emotional role played by Leela was much more important. 

As for "The Devil's Hands", I also found it to be quite funny, and there were important character appearances.  You may feel Bender took the role of "extra" because they intentionally wrote in as many characters as possible.  But, I can prove Bender wasn't merely an extra - his role was pivotal to the plot.  Remember, he was the one who deafened Leela, helping the Robot Devil complete his plan. 

This may be beating a dead horse, but as the others said, Leela was interested in the soul of a man, not his attractiveness or monetary value (picture Sean, if you will).  And all Beelzebot's hands did was give Fry the dexterity to properly play the holophoner (remember, he told Bender he could hear beautiful music in his head, but his stupid hands couldn't keep up).  Yes, Leela was being shallow by not paying attention to Fry before he was able to play, but she realized he did have that beautiful soul that she was seeking.  And if she was really after him for the money, would she have stuck around at the end, or left, like everyone else? 

Remember, the characters of Futurama have much more to them than what outwardly seems: Leela is really a compassionate, caring individual, while Fry has much more intelligence and depth than he lets on. 

I dunno ... maybe we're just emphasizing the key differences here between a shipper and an anti-shipper. 

[Reply #25 on:]

What dya' mean 'liking somthing other than funny?' I like "Devil's Hands" because I find it funny, not because of any overally sappy element. An episode that rely's too much on sap and sacrifices all humour would be "Leela's Homeworld". I never claimed to like the shippy elements of Devil's Hands.

[Reply #26 on:]

Best storyline Time keeps on slippin'

Runners up

Why of Fry
The Devils Hands Are Idol Playthings
The Sting

[Reply #27 on:]

There's the difference between you and me, SJM...when someone agrees wth me, I don't argue, I just bask in the recognition.

Anyway, this is for best storyline not best ep, so my vote's still for The Farnsworth Parabox.  It's the most creative paralell universe I've ever seen, and it only has one cliche (main characters married, which I've actually only ever seen on one other show) so even Rage Dump should like it.

Yeah, slightly pointles post, I'm just trying to get everyone back on topic before RD comes back and flames my last post.

EDIT: RD and I SimulPostedTM so I'll put this up here

 

Originally posted by Rage Dump
TDHAIP was just a short-cut episode

Well, yeah, the show got canceled and they wanted to end with this thing.  That's also why so much more character development takes place in PS 4 than the previous seasons: they wanted to get everyone to the end of their personal stories, or at least to a good stopping point.

 

Originally posted by Rage Dump:
But it cheeses me off when people like these things just because everyone else does, or it makes them feel smarter. Venus is obviously on the ball, but i guarentee you, there at least 10 active PEELers who only like them episodes because everyone else does.

Just wanted to let you know, RD, that I'm not a trendy shipper.  I loved The Sting, etc, and the whole Fry/Leela relationship before I'd even heard of this board or met any other Futurama fans.  Not only does it separate the show from the rest of the sitcom drivel, it also reminds me of my experiences in high school.  Yes, I know it was like a year ago.  Shut up.

[Reply #28 on:]

 

Been watching the show lately? Because I see them changing long before this ep. There is a lot of character development throughout PS 4

Yes, but it's all too late. If there was a gradual change through the earlier seasons, then fine, i'll acknowledge that, and i wouldn't be complaining about this now.
I can think of no more than two times outside of the 4th PS where the relevant character changes, come into play as a major plot element.
Besides them, there's like three episodes in PS 4, where all the major changes happen.

 

I dunno ... maybe we're just emphasizing the key differences here between a shipper and an anti-shipper.

Yes, well, since i usually hate shippy episodes, i probably should be keeping out of this.
But it cheeses me off when people like these things just because everyone else does, or it makes them feel smarter. Venus is obviously on the ball, but i guarentee you, there at least 10 active PEELers who only like them episodes because everyone else does.

 

not his attractiveness or monetary value (picture Sean, if you will)

Again, i will point out, that this scene/description of Sean only showed up in the last episode.
He'd rarely and only vaguely been mentioned before.

 

Fry gets more mature...

Maybe so, i mean, you'd have to be an idiot not to notice it. But he only starts to make the effort, He hasn't changed that much over the past episodes, TDHAIP was just a short-cut episode.

 

As for "The Devil's Hands", I also found it to be quite funny, and there were important character appearances. You may feel Bender took the role of "extra" because they intentionally wrote in as many characters as possible. But, I can prove Bender wasn't merely an extra - his role was pivotal to the plot. Remember, he was the one who deafened Leela, helping the Robot Devil complete his plan.

Pivotal or not, he didn't do anything... Bender-y...
Anyone could've had that air-horn.

 

Are you serious? I mean, how many times has she gone out of her way to save Fry, Bender, complete strangers

I might have been a bit off the ball here, i'll admit, but keep in mind, that it is pretty much her job, on most occasions.
And most of the time, when she's saving these people, i'd say she's being more 'kind' than 'compassionate'

 

"Funny" being a subjective thing, I think I'm going to lose this challenge, but anyway:

OK, you win, there's couple there.
1. Meh
2. Not bad
3. Can't turn down Beelzebot...
4. It's not a bender-y line, so it sounds stupid
5. Meh
6. Worst. Line. Ever.
7. Good, but not exactly original 
8. Meh-ish
9. Meh
10. Meh

I'm no doubt going to get labelled as biased now, which i am, i suppose, but not when it comes to the humour, the acting and the lines were really rushed and forced.

 

Great, now I missed lunch because I was sitting in my dorm writing this rambling, off-topic argument. I'll stop now.

I missed sleep, and now i'm missing work. 

[Reply #29 on:]

 

There's the difference between you and me, SJM...when someone agrees wth me, I don't argue, I just bask in the recognition.

What's the point of an alliance built on a presumption? 

Eh, let Rage dislike the episode, you all know your love for the it is genuine. Unless... he's been raising doubts in your mind? 

[Reply #30 on:]

Pivotal or not, he didn't do anything... Bender-y...
Anyone could've had that air-horn.

I can't imagine anyone else doing that just for the sole purpose of annoying a their co-workers. Bender did do a lot in that episode. Even at the very last moment of the series, they still squeezed him in too much. He squashed over every other characters role's into breif cameo's.

EDIT: edited for clarity.

[Reply #31 on:]

Who said it had to be for the purpose of annoying thier co-workers?
Fry or Zoidberg might have accidentally set one off, for example.
EDIT : Edited because of the above edit 
But that now comes back to my first point, Bender changed, to suit the episode... Bah, i give up...
*Sobs in the corner*

Besides, Bender usually doesn't do evil stuff for the sole purpose of annoying people, unless there's something in it for him.

[Reply #32 on:]

 

Originally posted by Rage Dump:
  Venus is obviously on the ball,

Woohoo! I'm on a ball!

[Reply #33 on:]

I gotta go with 'The Sting'.

That entire episode was a fucking rollercoaster.

[Reply #34 on:]

People, I have a confession to make.I have never seen "The sting". I have seen the last 7 minutes or so of it twice, though.

So it would be kinda hypocritical of me to say it was good, but since I just got volume four of the DVD, I'll watch it tonight.

[Reply #35 on:]

Nasty, are you just saying that because everyone else ... well, never mind. 

@RD: I became a shipper before I became a member of PEEL, and shippiness isn't usually a big topic of discussion on the Adult Swim boards, so I didn't get that way from there.  I promise you that I have a genuine like for the emotional episodes. 

@SJM: I never said you had extra like for Futurama because it doesn't always rely on funny stuff.  I just said I did.  And if I have to force it, all of you will. 

I think it's totally valid to debate whether an episode is clever or not (and, if you haven't guessed, I think "The Sting" and "The Devil's Hands" are very clever), but I'll have to say the most clever is probably either "The Farnsworth Parabox" or maybe "The Why of Fry", because it brings together the whole main storyline.  It's really hard to say, because I think a lot of them are really clever, and the series as a whole is pretty clever.

[Reply #36 on:]

Captain Ambivalent here, weighing in on The Sting argument (I agree with about 3/4 of the pro-TDHAIP talk here and don't have much to add). I remember when I first saw it, I went all Newton's third law of motion on its ass, and had two equal but opposite reactions. Tongue Luck A sniffled as a single tear rolled down her cheek (and bitch don't cry much, 'specially not at TV) like in some bad self-discovery movie. Tongue Luck B fumed silently about how trite and soap opera-esque the "it was all a dreeeaaaaam" ending was. For about a week, I argued with myself until Tongue Luck C broke in and said, "Okay. Dudes. You're making our head hurt. Yes. It's been done to death. But you like it anyway. Why? Suck on that for a while."

So, I looked at it from that angle and came to the conclusion that it rose above its gimmick in just about every way possible. I thought it was really neat how they played with the themes of dreams and reality throughout, how they had a couple of lines that worked as hospital lines and crazy dream sequence lines, and how you can look at taking the third spoonful of honey as giving up and sinking into a perma coma. I think it's the mark of a good twisty episode or movie, even if the twist itself is hackneyed, to have elements that are able to coast by (maybe with you furrowing your brow a little) when you're first watching and then have a big "ohhh" moment when they have added significance at the moment of the big reveal or on your second viewing. So, a point to Mr. Verrone. Speaking of second viewings, I laughed really hard at a few parts once I saw it without being distracted by the nagging "how the hell are they going to write themselves out of this one?" voice that would later become Tongue Luck B. The whole "in France, they call it a guillotine" scene, the radiator woman callback, the tearing the tissue in half gag (until the damn commentary ruined it), Semitic Miss, Bender on fire for no reason, "That'll prove I'm not insane!", "You could really use a shower," the completely gratuitous flashy musical number... All gold. I enjoy the sap, but I would've hated the episode if it didn't get some good laughs out of me. A point to the whole writers room. Katey Sagal and Billy West were amazing. A plot like this really relies on the cast to throw themselves into their roles. If they phone in the emotion, everything falls apart. I totally bought into Leela's fear, sorrow, relief, and disappointment, and Billy West's reading of, "Just wake up. Please. Just wake up, Leela," when the scene switched to the hospital was what dragged that tear out of me. A point to the actors. There was some really great subtle face acting that they didn't need to put in there, but was almost as useful as the voice acting when it came to making the dramatic aspects work. A point to Rough Draft.

As someone who is logical to a fault when it comes to justifying my opinions (though I do have an unfortunate tendency to let my point get lost in my rhetoric once I try to put these justifications into words. sorry, anyone who's still reading!), I think I've nailed down several of the reasons people have for loving this episode. I won't deny that a couple of people might be following the crowd or trying to look smart by pretending to like the episode. There are going to be folks like that for just about every popular opinion. But I think it's unfair to dismiss all the good qualities of the episode and imply that most people only convince themselves to like the episode because they think it's deep.

To say at least one on topic thing, I definitely wouldn't give The Sting a "best storyline" nod. It would, however, win my nomination for the "making lemonade: best execution of a weak storyline" award. Sorry this post was so bloated. I hope there was something useful in there.

[Reply #37 on:]

i think the best episode was the "TITANIC " one, ya know? the one  where they imitate the titanic story (sry, cant remember the name of that episode right now). But of course, 10 times better than the actual  Titanic movie, and 1000 times funnier!!!!!  i just love it when the episodes come from something real and in the end it's completely mixed around! anyways LONG LIVE FUTURAMA  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  oh btw,  when bender was the werecar or something, now that was hilarious too!!!!!!!!!

[Reply #38 on:]

 

Originally posted by hoppingfool:
anyways LONG LIVE FUTURAMA  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

ahhh, whos going to break it to him?

[Reply #39 on:]

Yeah I thought thought the Sting was the best story line, deceptive....