Thoughts on 6ACV04 - Proposition Infinity - SPOILERS

[#240 :]

Amy's a slut. She didn't deserve a nice guy like Kif, glad he woke up and smelled the tea.

Now we just need Fry to realise Leela's a selfish cow and all will be well in the world.

[#241 :]

All women are sluts/selfish cows. Make sure you cheat on them before they cheat on you and break your heart. As best as I can figure it, all feminine emotions are a facade unlike our real man emotions.

[#242 :]

Anybody got any ideas what type of ghost it was married to that horse.

Cant have been human can it?

[#243 :]

The human ghosts in Castle whatsit died, that doesn't mean that there are no more in the rest of the world.

[#244 :]

While PI is probably my least favorite of the new episodes I have to say I loved the tile work graffiti thing at the beginning. That's exactly the kind of nonsensical random and yet still clever joke that I'd expect from the original series.

[#245 :]

It sounded to me like Hermes was being pretty general about the last ghost dying years ago. I'll have to watch it again to be sure though.

Edit: Or was it a Farnsworth line?

Anyway the portrait in that scene looked like this: that's as much as I am sure of right now.

[#246 :]

The human ghosts in Castle whatsit died, that doesn't mean that there are no more in the rest of the world.

Yeah, I still don't agree with this. I'm convinced it was a generalisation, like that Leprechauns going extinct line in The Simpsons. It just makes no sense that they'd know all of this stuff about the castle but not understand things such as the leaked programming until they discover it. Plus it doesn't really work as a joke your way.

And yeah, it was Hermes.

And the ghost didn't really look human. It looked like a horrible gelatinous bob ghost if its any of the species we've seen on the show before. Or a Melllvar-esque energy being ghost. That'd be humourous.

[#247 :]

Think of it this way. Humans die to leave ghosts. Since humans still die in the 31st century, new ghosts must be created all the time. So the last human ghost died, and there have been no more humans dying there to replace it. Of course, this does not mean that there are no more human ghosts anywhere else, as ghosts are still being made by people who die.

It's impossible for the last human ghost *ever* to die without the last human *ever* having died first.

[#248 :]

Watched it again now and Hermes' exact turn of phrase is "Don't be silly, mon. The last ghost died over 200 years ago."

Followed by Bender's line: "The last human ghost, but robot ghosts." *shudder*

If Hermes was being specific about the ghost in the castle he would have phrased it differently, including a "would" or "should have" but the 200 bit is the key - it's exactly in keeping with numerous jokes about the 1000 years of history (well, 990 now) that we are so used to in the show.

Your way is a bit of a non-sequitur.

[#249 :]

Nah. I stand by my interpretation, even if it would be considered a retcon to fix a writing goof. I mean, there are still people dying, so new ghosts are still being created.

If the last ghost died over 200 years ago, that would imply that nobody has died for even longer than that, which is the only scenario in which there would be more ghosts.

Applied to the castle, in which it is possible no human has lived and died for over 200 years, the statement makes sense.

There's also the fact that The Honking is of uncertain canonicity, since David Duchovny's head is in a jar in SP3K, and Calculon claims to have been David Duchovny, and the episode is a Halloween Special. I mean, The Simpsons' Halloween Specials are not canon, and everything that happens in the AOI's is within the What-If-Machine.

It makes sense that The Honking not be considered canon.

[#250 :]

Ghosts are only created if they need to haunt something.  Apparently all humans today (i.e. the future) die without a bad conscience.

[#251 :]

I think the fact that ghosts couldn't die out because more ghosts would get created all the time is part of the joke. Along with the concept of a ghost being able to die in the first place.

[#252 :]

I think the joke is, Ghosts = funny. Without all those tricky explanations.

[#253 :]

Why the high ratings? Is is it just me, woman with facade emotions (c) winna, who did not get the whole Kif/Amy/Bender story line?

Maybe, they should do more spaceship-travels-universe story lines like in the beginning. I mean the prop 8 jokes are kind of fun but outside the US who would be interested/understand? Seems to me they desparatley tried to fit this political point in and, thus, came up with this ludicrous Bender/Amy relationship.

[#254 :]

Maybe, they should do more spaceship-travels-universe story lines like in the beginning. I mean the prop 8 jokes are kind of fun but outside the US who would be interested/understand?

Homosexual marriage is also an issue outside of the US.  We may or may not have gotten the Prop 8 reference, but that is hardly that required for this episode to work.

Seems to me they desparatley tried to fit this political point in and, thus, came up with this ludicrous Bender/Amy relationship.

I agree, the episode seemed too preachy.  I can get that some tried to argued that Bender did the whole legalising robosexual marriage because it was presented to him like a challenge (and you know how Bender like challenges), but it never really seemed that way in the episode.  My point is they should have emphasised Bender's lust for winning more than his actual interest in Amy.

[#255 :]

Definitely, I neither mean to imply that it isn't an issue outside the US, nor that it is not important. I just think the joke itself is kind of very local (considering that Prop 8 wasn't even a US thing but a Californian thing as far as I'm aware).

Plus, for a serious issue, it was too easily/quickly resolved. As in, oh the Prof actually had a thing for a robot once, so as soon as he admits this everything is well, and all other people suddenly accept it as-well. If I compare this with the environmental episodes, the resolution at least always centered around some science idea (ok, usually useless science such as creating rubbish  to stop global warming). I guess I prefer the nerdy episodes .

[#256 :]

I suppose the joke is to mirror that generally those who oppose homosexual marriage either have no real position other than what 'they don't like' and appealling to feelings among their voters.  That they are being traditionalists for the sake of being so.  Rather than consider the opposition's arguments.

[#257 :]

Back to older discussion, briefly.

Ghosts are only created if they need to haunt something.  Apparently all humans today (i.e. the future) die without a bad conscience.

And those who do probably get their heads put in jars, so the need to linger in this world after death as a ghost has disappeared.

[#258 :]

Ghosts are only created if they need to haunt something.  Apparently all humans today (i.e. the future) die without a bad conscience.

And those who do probably get their heads put in jars, so the need to linger in this world after death as a ghost has disappeared.

That would make sense.  Especially considering the choices of people whom have been made into heads in jars.  Perhaps, they can only live on because of their soul?  It would be a decent explanation of mumbo jumbo science by the Professor.

[#259 :]

If I compare this with the environmental episodes, the resolution at least always centered around some science idea (ok, usually useless science such as creating rubbish  to stop global warming).

Yeah, because the environmental episodes are about a scientific issue, whereas legalising gay marriage isn't really a scientific issue so of course it's not going to be centred around some science idea.

And as for people not knowing about Proposition 8, I live in Australia and I knew about Proposition 8 long before the story of Proposition Infinity was even announced.

[#260 :]

Yeah, because the environmental episodes are about a scientific issue, whereas legalising gay marriage isn't really a scientific issue so of course it's not going to be centred around some science idea.

Good point I guess, but then wouldn't you wanna make it more about religious issues? At least that's, as far as I understand, the Republican/conservative argument generally put forward (procreation nonsense, Bible et.al.).

And as for people not knowing about Proposition 8, I live in Australia and I knew about Proposition 8 long before the story of Proposition Infinity was even announced.

Well, I'm European for that matter, and am for various reasons fairly well familiar with the American debate but I guess I wouldn't consider myself a representative sample.

[#261 :]

Nothing above average. That is all I can say really. Not a strong episode and this was the one I was looking forward to the most.

[#262 :]

Sorry to chime in again, but I just watched this episode again and I am so happy I did. I appreciated so much more watching it the second time and I found so much more subtle humour in it. I retract my last statement and say that it my fave episode of this season, (which is not to say much yet, but still and 8/10).

[#263 :]

I'm surprised no one noticed this:

Wednesday, January 20, 2010
British Girl Weds Her Laptop

Believe it or not, 24-year-old Hermione Way from the UK has unofficially wed her laptop, which she named "Alex". One caveat: "Current law does not allow computer to human marriages but Hermione is hoping to change all that."

Link: http://spygad2.blogspot.com/2010/01/british-girl-weds-her-laptop.html

[#264 :]

She's trying to marry something that doesn't have the legal rights (or the limbs and conscience) to sign a marriage certificate? That'll end well...

[#265 :]

Don't Japanese people marry those dating simulation games all the time?

[#266 :]

She's just doing it for the insurance money.

[#267 :]

I'm surprised at how highly this episode is rated on here. I borderline hated it. The Bender/Amy stuff wasn't just so weird (bad-weird) and "New Futurama". It tried way too hard. Amy and Bender. Wow. Hilarious. Give me more.

4/10

[#268 :]

People don't like the Hermes Clown thing? I thought it was the only good thing in this episode..

[#269 :]

I know this is an old thread, but I recently rewatched this episode and now I know why I disliked it so much when I first watched it. Not only was it preachy and annoying, but there was a lot of out-of-character behavior that irked me to no end.

First of all, this episode destroyed any character development Amy had as well as making her a slut just for the sake of the plot. I feel like being with Kif changed her personality in a positive way and I found her more likable. Besides, she was well aware that he is a rather sensitive, nice guy and she admired him for it, yet she randomly got this "thing" for bad boys and called him a wuss. It just pissed me off and it's perfectly understandable why Kif might be frustrated by this to the point where he needed to end the relationship.

  The other character that was off wasn't significantly ruined but still enough to notice was Bender. While it's not too unrealistic for him to hook up with Amy and for them to fuck like rabbits, I found it unbelievable that he would propose to her, and so early at that. Seriously? Since when has Bender wanted to get MARRIED?? It just made no sense to me.

  Then you had the professor, who out of nowhere was against robosexuality. This, too, was done just for the plot, probably following the whole, "Old people are against anything that isn't what they consider normal" cliche. When did the professor start caring about this kind of shit?

  The solution was also really rushed. They pretty much solved the problem by making the professor a robosexual and that somehow negated the rest of the opposition. Surely, there would still be some people against the proposition who are still steadfast and willing to fight against it? But nope. I guess everyone all of a sudden just accepted it with no fight whatsoever because reasons.

  The only good part for me was the ending because I was relieved that Amy and Kif got back together, even though a part of me still thinks that Kif deserves better. Other than that, I didn't think this episode was very funny. I guess I'd rate it a 3/10 because I'm generous like that.

[#270 :]

I definitely share your overall view, though I found it far less obnoxious than some other topical (21st Century) eps.  Amy can certainly be rather spontaneous in terms of sexual partners, but the dumping Kif thing did feel really forced.

If the ep came on in the background, I wouldn't go out of my way to flip the channel.

[#271 :]

I've always thought this episode would be so much better if they introduced a new human character for Bender to have a relationship with. Doing it with Amy just made too many loose ends to try and tie up, and as previously mentioned, remarkably damaged Amy's character.

[#272 :]

The other character that was off wasn't significantly ruined but still enough to notice was Bender. While it's not too unrealistic for him to hook up with Amy and for them to fuck like rabbits, I found it unbelievable that he would propose to her, and so early at that. Seriously? Since when has Bender wanted to get MARRIED?? It just made no sense to me.

After it was legalized, Bender dumped Amy.  He may have only wanted to get married because it was illegal, forbidden, and pissed people off.  Which is perfectly in character for BB Rodriguez. 

[#273 :]

It's probably also worth mentioning that Amy had quite the sexual appetite prior to settling down with Kif, so I don't really see the argument about her acting severely out of character in this episode (other than how rushed her break-up/reconciliation with Kif was, of course, which is more of a structural issue than anything else).