ItWGY Reviews (Spoilers aplenty)

[Reply #520 on:]

Not to knock anyone's pre-viewing ideas of what ItWGY would be about, but weren't the Brainspawn technically defeated in "The Why of Fry"? I say this because I watched TWoF the other day, and it suddenly occured to me that the Brainspawn are defected to another universe, which makes them sort of a non-threat. I expected them to play a part in ItWGY, too, but now I feel kind of stupid, since they've already been taken care of.

I do think ItWGY should've involved the Nibblonians in some way. But maybe the writers thought that aspect of the Fry-as-savior thing was already well-explored.

[Reply #521 on:]

Not to knock anyone's pre-viewing ideas of what ItWGY would be about, but weren't the Brainspawn technically defeated in "The Why of Fry"? I say this because I watched TWoF the other day, and it suddenly occured to me that the Brainspawn are defected to another universe, which makes them sort of a non-threat. I expected them to play a part in ItWGY, too, but now I feel kind of stupid, since they've already been taken care of.

I do think ItWGY should've involved the Nibblonians in some way. But maybe the writers thought that aspect of the Fry-as-savior thing was already well-explored.

A couple points:

1.  I thought the (unstated) assumption was that once the Dark One ensured that the Encyclopod was destroyed, it would get on with wiping out the rest of the biological species in the universe.

2.  If you want to be a stickler for continuity, the Nibblonians must somehow have informed the Mad Fellows about Fry's brain.  Only Fry and the Nibblonians have any recollection of the Brainspawn invasion of earth, and only the Nibblonians have any recollection of the destruction of the Infosphere.

[Reply #522 on:]

If you want to be a stickler for continuity, the Nibblonians must somehow have informed the Mad Fellows about Fry's brain.

Yeah, that's the thing [well, one of the things] I thought didn't make sense.  In order for them to not think that Fry was the Dark One, in the first place, the tinfoil-wearers would have had to have known about the missing element of his brain structure.  How did they know about Fry lacking the delta brainwave?

[Reply #523 on:]

Hutch figured it out when he couldn't read Fry's mind remember?

[Reply #524 on:]

That's true, but why did the Madfellows automatically assume Fry was the Chosen One (or whatever the parlance is when you're a bunch of cranks with tin-foil on your heads), as opposed to the Dark One? Did they ever even address the possibility that he was the bad guy? (I haven't seen the movie in a week, so I honestly don't remember, but I'm pretty sure the Madfellows never accuse Fry of being the Dark One, even implicitly.)

I guess the proof that Fry can't be the Dark One is that the Madfellows don't meet a fate similar to Frida's. I mean, Fry knows the Madfellows are conspiring against the Dark One--but he doesn't, you know, crush their brains like blood pumpkins. Which makes Fry's later conclusion that he is the Dark One kind of dumb. But it's a pretty dramatic, effective moment, so I can forgive.

[Reply #525 on:]

That's true, but why did the Madfellows automatically assume Fry was the Chosen One (or whatever the parlance is when you're a bunch of cranks with tin-foil on your heads), as opposed to the Dark One? Did they ever even address the possibility that he was the bad guy? (I haven't seen the movie in a week, so I honestly don't remember, but I'm pretty sure the Madfellows never accuse Fry of being the Dark One, even implicitly.)

Yeah, that's basically what I was getting at.

I meant in terms of internal logic, not in terms of what was shown in the movie.

Because.. as for "Hutch figuring it out when he couldn't read Fry's mind" - why would he just assume that?
Just completely jumped to that conclusion.
How and why could he have 'figured out' that Fry didn't have the brainwave?

[Reply #526 on:]

Maybe, from a storytelling perspective, the writers didn't want to waste time establishing something that most fans already know: Fry lacks the delta brainwave. I agree that Hutch is just jumping to conclusions, but maybe the writers didn't see the need to show him figuring it all out. The Madfellows have apparently been in the business of mind-reading for quite some time, so I think it's fair to assume that they know what makes a person's mind unreadable.

I agree with you, km--that part of the story was a bit underdeveloped. I'm just offerin' up a justification for the flimsy writing is all.

[Reply #527 on:]

I mean, Fry knows the Madfellows are conspiring against the Dark One--but he doesn't, you know, crush their brains like blood pumpkins. Which makes Fry's later conclusion that he is the Dark One kind of dumb.

Maybe Fry thought he was like the Cylons in Battlestar Galactica. At any time a switch would turn on in his brain and suddenly he is the Dark One.

That's true, but why did the Madfellows automatically assume Fry was the Chosen One (or whatever the parlance is when you're a bunch of cranks with tin-foil on your heads), as opposed to the Dark One

Is it possible that the Madfellows weren't affected by the Brain-Spawn attack? They do seem to hide in a bunker deep under the surface. Also, no one would have believed them for the same reason no one believed Fry. If that was true then they would have already known for years that Fry lacked the Delta brain wave.

[Reply #528 on:]

They had their crazy caps on so presumably the brainspawn couldn't detect their minds.

[Reply #529 on:]

That's true, Frisco. And, actually, it also explains why the Madfellows' brains are safe (and would be safe, even if Fry was the Dark One). Damn tin-foil hats.

So, uh, yeah--there goes my theory. Carry on.

Edit:

If that was true then they would have already known for years that Fry lacked the Delta brain wave.

That's a possibility. It would explain why Hutch states that Fry lacks the delta brainwave with such confidence. I don't remember if the movie discussed this, but the Madfellows had probably been looking for someone with an unreadable mind for a pretty long time.

[Reply #530 on:]

However they said their crazy caps would be useless at close range....

[Reply #531 on:]

So, wait, now my theory is viable again? Jesus, I really should've paid closer attention to all that talk about the Dark One. Honestly, the Madfellows stuff wasn't too engrossing to me--I found Leela's storyline much more enjoyable. But I digress...

[Reply #532 on:]

Also, thanks to Ralph for sending me these DVD's. I really don't deserve free stuff.

Oh, hush!  I believe in committing random acts of kindness.

Well then, this is a thank-you for my random act, too.

[Reply #533 on:]

While we're on the subject of the Mad Fellows, I was thinking that it could actually have fairly easily turned out that the Number Nine Man was the Dark One. While I'd hate to vilify a cool and seemingly nice character, it would explain how he knew so much about the history of the evolutionary war and would also explain why he did not have a tinfoil hat in his background cameos during the series; sometime before ITWGY he found out about the Legion of Mad Fellows using his telepathic abilities and then infiltrated it, using his own knowledge to gain the title of Grand Curator.
-Since Fry was taken to the old cavern of the Native Martians shortly after Frida's death, it stands to reason that the Number Nine Man was already in the cavern setting up the Mad Fellows' new hideout and, since we later see how close this cavern is to the Honeybun Hideout, it makes sense that the Number Nine Man would have been close enough to read Frida's mind and then kill her.
-He didn't simply kill everyone and destroy the Omega Device because he was favoring a sneakier approach (that would fit in with the infiltration theme of this movie), perhaps assuming that the Omega Device would only work once and hoping that in the end, Fry would indeed believe himself to be the Dark One and waste the Device's blast on himself (while this plan may be initially giving Fry a little too much credit in the figuring things out department, Fry is actually rather perceptive and probably would have come to make the same conclusion he did).
-The only thing that would have to be different here would be that the Number Nine Man didn't think his "get on with it" suggestion to Fry in this scene (and Leela didn't hear a voice in prison).
-After Fry used the Omega Device, the Number Nine Man could reveal his identity as the Dark One, come down to face the crowd, give a brief dramatic monologue cruelly thanking Fry and the Mad Fellows for their assistance, and finishing with something like "I shall now destroy the last Encyclopod, accomplishing the task of all my fallen bretheren of Dark Ones...oh and by the way, Fry...WE WERE THE SNAKES!" He would then start to telepathically attack before Fry discovers that the Omega Device can in fact be activated more than once, thus momentarily disabling the Dark One (who is now within the Device's range) and giving the Encyclopod time to be conceived.

Of course, the leech could also be involved somehow as well; perhaps the Number Nine Man was controlling it. Also, although "We were the snakes" sounds better to me than "We were the frogs," I feel that the frogs were what became the Dark Ones since A) they attacked first and B) the frog's pointy tail looks similar to the leech's pointy tail.

[Reply #534 on:]

Well after I've watched it again and after allowing some time for it's newness to wear off this is my considered verdict.

I liked it. Very much. Probably, heck, no, it is the best of the DVD movies. It was the first movie to actually feel like a movie rather than a series of separate episodes squished together on one DVD and the join was painfully obvious in places. Whereas with the other movies it felt like you had to take a break or two or three this one you could sit right through without losing the plot. They've finally worked out how to write for the movie format, its a shame this was the last one.

As for the story, well it was ok. It didn't suck, but it wasn't up there with the  greats either. Perfectly adequate, as Adlai might have said, apart from the lack of any really laugh out loud jokes, and what there were were starting to sound thoroughly recycled. But what was great about this movie, and the thing thats been lacking in the previous movies (especially BWABB and even the comics of late) was that it had heart. Fry's self sacrifice (again), the fact he and Leela implicitly trust each other, even trusting  everything she believed in to the fate of Fry's clumsy bungling, was great, and pure Futurama. Fry once again showed himself on the surface at least to be slow witted and half baked as usual, but his heart is pure gold and he has a courage and a quiet inner strength that really played dividends at the end.
 
And that ending. Well, if Futurama never returns I'd be happy to leave it at that. After waiting almost 10 years for some resolution to the F/L relationship we finally got there. Maybe it didn't have quite the resounding impact it should have had, but it was... sweet. And more importantly, believable. This bunch of disparate oddballs have forged a bond of friendship and love that won't be broken by anything, not the penal system, not the DOOP, not the Feministas and not by anyone.

References I picked up on:.

1) The Dune sandworm (Mars Vegus)
2) Charley's Angels TV series (the rotating insignia for the Feministas)
3) Robbie the Robot (from Forbidden Planet) at the Wong's place.

Any others anyone else has spotted? I'll add to this post if any more occur to me.

P.S. Oh, and if it does return in some form, I really hope they don't press that damn reset button and actually acknowledge that ending, Nibbler's shadow on the floor has me REALLY worried. Please no wiping of memories for God's sake! I would be THOROUGHLY annoyed!

[Reply #535 on:]

Well said Chug a Bug. I agree with you except that I think the movie has a great plot and is hilarious.

Whereas with the other movies it felt like you had to take a break or two or three this one you could sit right through without losing the plot. They've finally worked out how to write for the movie format, its a shame this was the last one.

Could you imagine how great the other ones could have been if the writing was up to par with ITWGY? Hopefully the series is renewed quickly so the writers don't get rusty again.

P.S. Oh, and if it does return in some form, I really hope they don't press that damn reset button and actually acknowledge that ending, Nibbler's shadow on the floor has me REALLY worried. Please no wiping of memories for God's sake! I would be THOROUGHLY annoyed!

I'm not worried about the reset button. They had an onscreen kiss and a declaration of love from Leela. Even the Futurama writers aren't talented enough to BS their way through that. They may slightly use the reset button for the outlaw stuff though. After all, it would be kind of weird for the crew to go to jail for saving all biological life in universe (including several witnesses to this act including foreign leaders, corporate powerhouses, and The President of Earth (and thus leader of its armed forces). If they don't decide to start a new season with a sequel episode that explains what happened to the PE Crew in the reaches of space I could see the wormhole dropping them off in NNYC (near the billboard)/ or inside Fanny and Nixon simply pardons them.

[Reply #536 on:]

anyone got any clue where i can put the ITWGY transcript as i have felt like i have been slaving over it
if you want it send me your email adress and ill shall send it as an attachment

[Reply #537 on:]

Send it to The Leela Zone/Futurama Madhouse. I'm sure they'd appreciate it.

[Reply #538 on:]

anyone got any clue where i can put the ITWGY transcript as i have felt like i have been slaving over it
if you want it send me your email adress and ill shall send it as an attachment

You could also send it to us; http://theinfosphere.org/Episode_Transcript_Listing.

[Reply #539 on:]

I think this one is reset proof! I don't think they would do that on the next one.
But what do you

P.S. Oh, and if it does return in some form, I really hope they don't press that damn reset button and actually acknowledge that ending, Nibbler's shadow on the floor has me REALLY worried. Please no wiping of memories for God's sake! I would be THOROUGHLY annoyed!

What do you mean about Nibbler's Shadow??? Are you talking about the one from the cryogenic lab? Or is there a new one from ITWGY that I am still unaware of?!?!?

[Reply #540 on:]

I think this one is reset proof! I don't think they would do that on the next one.
But what do you

P.S. Oh, and if it does return in some form, I really hope they don't press that damn reset button and actually acknowledge that ending, Nibbler's shadow on the floor has me REALLY worried. Please no wiping of memories for God's sake! I would be THOROUGHLY annoyed!

What do you mean about Nibbler's Shadow??? Are you talking about the one from the cryogenic lab? Or is there a new one from ITWGY that I am still unaware of?!?!?

During the scene where they begin chanting at the end (just before Fry and Leela kiss) you can see Nibblers shadow towards the bottom right of the shot.

I very much doubt he'll be blanking everyone's memory though, I think the writers know that the reset button isn't an option this time.

[Reply #541 on:]

the infosphere won't take it they said i dont have the proper permissions to upload it to the page.

[Reply #542 on:]

the infosphere won't take it they said i dont have the proper permissions to upload it to the page.

Alternatively, upload it in a temporary article, e.g. User:<you>/ITWGYTranscript

We have a policy that requires members to have been a member for 2 days before being allowed to edit transcript articles.  But outside of the Transcript: namespace, you do want you want (well, within the obvious rules).

[Reply #543 on:]

While we're on the subject of the Mad Fellows, I was thinking that it could actually have fairly easily turned out that the Number Nine Man was the Dark One. While I'd hate to vilify a cool and seemingly nice character, it would explain how he knew so much about the history of the evolutionary war and would also explain why he did not have a tinfoil hat in his background cameos during the series; sometime before ITWGY he found out about the Legion of Mad Fellows using his telepathic abilities and then infiltrated it, using his own knowledge to gain the title of Grand Curator.
-Since Fry was taken to the old cavern of the Native Martians shortly after Frida's death, it stands to reason that the Number Nine Man was already in the cavern setting up the Mad Fellows' new hideout and, since we later see how close this cavern is to the Honeybun Hideout, it makes sense that the Number Nine Man would have been close enough to read Frida's mind and then kill her.
-He didn't simply kill everyone and destroy the Omega Device because he was favoring a sneakier approach (that would fit in with the infiltration theme of this movie), perhaps assuming that the Omega Device would only work once and hoping that in the end, Fry would indeed believe himself to be the Dark One and waste the Device's blast on himself (while this plan may be initially giving Fry a little too much credit in the figuring things out department, Fry is actually rather perceptive and probably would have come to make the same conclusion he did).
-The only thing that would have to be different here would be that the Number Nine Man didn't think his "get on with it" suggestion to Fry in this scene (and Leela didn't hear a voice in prison).
-After Fry used the Omega Device, the Number Nine Man could reveal his identity as the Dark One, come down to face the crowd, give a brief dramatic monologue cruelly thanking Fry and the Mad Fellows for their assistance, and finishing with something like "I shall now destroy the last Encyclopod, accomplishing the task of all my fallen bretheren of Dark Ones...oh and by the way, Fry...WE WERE THE SNAKES!" He would then start to telepathically attack before Fry discovers that the Omega Device can in fact be activated more than once, thus momentarily disabling the Dark One (who is now within the Device's range) and giving the Encyclopod time to be conceived.

Of course, the leech could also be involved somehow as well; perhaps the Number Nine Man was controlling it. Also, although "We were the snakes" sounds better to me than "We were the frogs," I feel that the frogs were what became the Dark Ones since A) they attacked first and B) the frog's pointy tail looks similar to the leech's pointy tail.

u forget that number 9 man's mind can be read by Fry. When he's in the dome in the final scene, he looks across at no9 and he thinks "whatever you're going to do fry, i suggest u do it now!"

if 9 was indeed the dark one, then fry wouldn't have been able to read his mind

[Reply #544 on:]

Am I the ONLY one disappointed with the ending?  They've been building up the Fry/Leela thing for years and it felt really rushed to me.  I'm thinking, "that's it?  NOW she "loves him too?"  Of course it didn't stop me from loving the movie.  I loved all the movies.  Even BWABB, which was crap...but Futurama crap is like a good "anything else" to me. 

[Reply #545 on:]

Am I the ONLY one disappointed with the ending?  They've been building up the Fry/Leela thing for years and it felt really rushed to me.  I'm thinking, "that's it?  NOW she "loves him too?"

I did think that they'd make a bigger thing of it than they did but I wasn't disappointed with it. A lot of the development between them in ITWGY was rather subtle but the "payoff" arguably started before they got in the ship to escape Brannigan. The "you're you, that's all I need to know" line was probably the sweetest thing Fry's ever said to her and to hear her say it back to him later was a huge thing really.

But due to the subtlety an understated but sweet ending was fitting really. Perhaps it felt rushed and "tacked on" to others but it didn't feel like that to me.

[Reply #546 on:]

-The only thing that would have to be different here would be that the Number Nine Man didn't think his "get on with it" suggestion to Fry in this scene (and Leela didn't hear a voice in prison).

u forget that number 9 man's mind can be read by Fry. When he's in the dome in the final scene, he looks across at no9 and he thinks "whatever you're going to do fry, i suggest u do it now!"

if 9 was indeed the dark one, then fry wouldn't have been able to read his mind

Notice that I already mentioned that. Plus, that's so near the end of the movie that changing it wouldn't mess up anything (I think) because the climax itself would also be different.

But thank you for responding! I was hoping someone would (I was getting a bit worried there for a while, since whether or not anyone agreed, one would think that there would be at least something for someone to comment on in there).

[Reply #547 on:]

Pixielust: Like Curious George said, It is built up through the movie. If you add the series to that it is even more built up to. Besides, how else were they going to do it? If they made too big a thing out of it it might have appeared cheesy.

[Reply #548 on:]

Into the wild green yonder would have done better as an individual movie, not for futurama, since it wasn't very funny, but very dramatic.  Except for the first quarter, which was hilarious.

[Reply #549 on:]

I finally had a chance to watch the DVD commentary for ITWGY.  Two impressions I had...

(1) DXC sure kept forgetting to mention important things that were happening along the way!  He seemed a bit more distracted/disorganized than usual.

(2) The overall tone of the banter was not really downbeat, almost as if the group involved didn't really believe this would be the "last ever" Futurama.  Either that, or they were pretty burnt out ;-)

[Reply #550 on:]

It won't be the last of Futurama, especially since Billy West there are more episodes to come in that interview he did.  Maybe it would've been better if it had ended with them going into the wormhole and ending up in some flowery field, or a fun theme park. 

[Reply #551 on:]

Kurt, sorry to burst your balloon, but DXC and Groening have said that Billy West jumped the gun.  There is no guarantee of future Futurama at this point.

It won't be the last of Futurama, especially since Billy West there are more episodes to come in that interview he did.  Maybe it would've been better if it had ended with them going into the wormhole and ending up in some flowery field, or a fun theme park. 

[Reply #552 on:]

Kurt, sorry to burst your balloon, but DXC and Groening have said that Billy West jumped the gun.  There is no guarantee of future Futurama at this point.

Just because he jumped the gun doesn't mean he's wrong.  He jumped the gun about the DVD movies, too.  And he was right about that. 

[Reply #553 on:]

On the PEEL front page, there's a link to the Billy West interview.  The statement he made about the future of Futurama was very tentative.

DXC later gave an interview where he estimated the chances of a Futurama revival at 50/50.

[Reply #554 on:]

I finally had a chance to watch the DVD commentary for ITWGY.  Two impressions I had...

(1) DXC sure kept forgetting to mention important things that were happening along the way!  He seemed a bit more distracted/disorganized than usual.

I think that part of that had to do with the novelty of actually being filmed doing the commentary (for the Blu-Ray version), and not just recorded. They seemed fascinated by the fact that lucky viewers would be able to see their adorable little mugs while they did their commentin'.

Also, I think the commentary might've been more behind-the-scenes-ish if Ken Keeler had been able to make it to the record. With the exception of the BBS commentary (where, despite his fatigue or burn-out of whatever it was, he was still fairly insightful), I think Keeler has always delivered when it comes to explaining how the stories themselves developed in the room. I missed him on this commentary, particularly because it may be the last one ever.

(Yes--I'm bemoaning the line-up for a DVD audio commentary. I have just crossed a dorky line that I probably should not have crossed.)

[Reply #555 on:]

(Yes--I'm bemoaning the line-up for a DVD audio commentary. I have just crossed a dorky line that I probably should not have crossed.)

Only if you watch it with the commentary first.

[Reply #556 on:]

It's okay Gorky, I  too was Disappointed about the absence of Ken Keeler (and of Billy West)

[Reply #557 on:]

Yes, I agree, no Billy West was a let down.

[Reply #558 on:]

Kurt, sorry to burst your balloon, but DXC and Groening have said that Billy West jumped the gun.  There is no guarantee of future Futurama at this point.

Just because he jumped the gun doesn't mean he's wrong.  He jumped the gun about the DVD movies, too.  And he was right about that. 

It's not quite the same, DXC had phoned Billy about the 4 movies deal and he immediately posted it on his forum, it was a done deal. FOX is still talking about it according to DXC and nothing has apparently been decided yet.

I finally had a chance to watch the DVD commentary for ITWGY.  Two impressions I had...

(1) DXC sure kept forgetting to mention important things that were happening along the way!  He seemed a bit more distracted/disorganized than usual.

I think that part of that had to do with the novelty of actually being filmed doing the commentary (for the Blu-Ray version), and not just recorded. They seemed fascinated by the fact that lucky viewers would be able to see their adorable little mugs while they did their commentin'.

It wasn't the first video commentary though - they did it for Bender's Game before and they were a lot more relaxed in that, Tress MacNeile in particular was great fun to watch she's so expressive... I've got to admit though that I loved that moment in ITWGY when DXC says "I'm talking to YOU!" at one point - he points directly at the camera...

[Reply #559 on:]

   Also, I think the commentary might've been more behind-the-scenes-ish if Ken Keeler had been able to make it to the record. With the exception of the BBS commentary (where, despite his fatigue or burn-out of whatever it was, he was still fairly insightful), I think Keeler has always delivered when it comes to explaining how the stories themselves developed in the room. I missed him on this commentary, particularly because it may be the last one ever.

I too had been looking forward to the ItWGY commentary ever since I learned (from the BBS commentary) that Ken Keeler was the principle writer for the last movie (as well as for the first one) and was therefore quite somewhat disappointed when he wasn't on it. I had also hoped that his involvement would guarantee the presence of one or two Ken Keeler-penned songs in the movie. Oh well, there you go.