The Mighty Specu-les! Futurama Speculation II

[#400 :]

I don't think this question fits into any other thread so...

Will each season finale from now on continue to be open-ended?

[#401 :]

I'd imagine it would, Boxy, considering the show is always renewed after production has already begun on the last episode of any given season. It happened first with Wild Green Yonder, and now with "Overclockwise," and I see no reason why it wouldn't also happen with the finale of season 7B...unless the show is renewed within the next few months, at which point I assume the writers can still tweak (if they've even yet begun on) the last episode.

[#402 :]

I don't think this question fits into any other thread so...

Will each season finale from now on continue to be open-ended?

Hmmm...what exactly do you mean by "open-ended?" Do you mean ambiguity? As in, the finale not presenting tidy packages of each character's fate tied with ribbons and bows?

I liked the open-endedness of season 4's ending, "The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings." I mean, there were very strong signals that Fry and Leela would be together romantically, but it was subtle and not ham-fisted. We were left with a very rustic but sweet image of Fry and Leela walking off together, conjured from Fry's holophoner. I like it when any work of fiction--movies, books, TV shows, etc--trusts the audience to gather their own interpretations and to wonder.  It's funner that way, and more satisfying.

[#403 :]

Yeah, an open ended finale is an episode of a show that could be continued on in the next season but if it isn't, it still feels like a finale (So episodes like Devils Hands, Into the Wild Green Yonder and Overclockwise)

[#404 :]

But Overclockwise isn't the finale, Reincarnation is.

[#405 :]

But Overclockwise isn't the finale, Reincarnation is.

Overclockwise is the official finale. It's canon.

So will Overclockwise continue into Season 7? Like ITWGY into Rebirth?

[#406 :]

Until any other information is released, I just assume it's like every other episode of the show (except ItWGY) - with a sitcomy status quo ending. I have seen no other information out on da interwebz.

[#407 :]

I really hope they don't do what they did with the last two "then finales" in that they pretty much wrap up Fry and Leela or leave it on a very hopeful note so the series has a happy ending, and then slam the reset button when the show gets picked up again, and continue the "Fry pines after Leela and tries to win her heart" storylines.  It's annoying, and will be even more annoying if done for a third time after all the developments of ITWGY and 6A.

[#408 :]

I'll be angry if they do it this time. I mean... they literally have zero reason not to persue each-other now given that they know how it's going to play out and it seems that it's mostly going to be a good thing. I have faith that the writers will be smart enough to keep them together this time, but I'm not sure... I had faith in how they were going to handle their relationship in season 6 too... although that said, Overclockwise sort of made up for any inconsistencies for me with that one line about things being on-again-off-again from Leela.

Also, what happened to that Scruffy origin episode we were promised? I expected it to be a throw-away gag in The Tip of the Zoidberg but that wasn't the case... so what's the deal? Deleted scene? David X. Cohen trolling the fans?

[#409 :]

That is what Reincarnation is going to be about.  Obviously.  Notice how he has been in NONE of the promotional material for Reincarnation?  That's why.

[#410 :]

I double posted because this image deserves its own post!

[#411 :]

Awesomeness!

[#412 :]

I hope finales continue to be open-ended. I think they're much more powerful that way. Also, they give us much more to analyze the hell out of.

That is an awesome preview, Svip. I am expecting this one to rank really high on the list of non-canon episodes.

[#413 :]

I hope finales continue to be open-ended. I think they're much more powerful that way. Also, they give us much more to analyze the hell out of.

Exactly. We need something to do during the long hiatus.

And that is indeed an awesome image, Svip. The video game segment of "Reincarnation" is easily the one I'm most looking forward to, so here's hoping it doesn't disappoint.

[#414 :]

I just hope season 7A won't be like 6A when it comes to Fry/Leela. That would seriously be... disturbing.

[#415 :]

It would certainly convince me that the writers either don't care about their characters or don't care about their fans, neither of which is a pleasant notion. Consistency is not a bad thing; it's not synonymous with "banality." I will continue to say this until I am blue in the face and the extremities: Fry and Leela can be a couple without it ruining (or even tremendously affecting) the show.

[#416 :]

Also, what happened to that Scruffy origin episode we were promised?

That was never promised or mentioned. Someone on here speculated about it.

[#417 :]

Two new images from the Fleischer segment:

[#418 :]

Possible shippiness at the bottom? Looks great.

[#419 :]

Hmm, just a regular telescope.  No smelloscope.

[#420 :]

David X. Cohen said that the climax of each segment would be something completely unsuited to that animation style, so Zoidberg does a peace-dance in the anime segment for example, mocking the limited animation.

My guess is that the climax of the Fleischer segment is heavily based on colour, hence the rainbow and the regular, visual telescope.

[#421 :]

Is it emo to actually want a monochrome rainbow?

[#422 :]

I love the grey rainbow. That's pretty much hilarious. Spacefish, I say no. Continue wanting such eccentricities.

[#423 :]

*continues to doodle black widow spiders with butterfly wings eating broken candy hearts that have black roses growing out of the cracks*

NotanemonotanemonotanemoNOTAN EMO

[#424 :]

Maybe now they do, but they didn't used to ...

Are you kidding?  There were bad episodes starting right in Season One.  I distinctly remember Mars University being almost universally hated when it first aired (especially Gunther, the talking ape -- I never saw a single positive comment about him at the time).  In Season Two, A Bicyclops Built for Two was much disliked by a lot of people, and I read many, many negative reviews of A Clone of My Own (people HATED Cubert).

If these same episodes are now regarded as good, then we have proof right there that Nostagia Googles are real, since they were quite disliked by most fans when they first aired.

[#425 :]

And that Ladies and Gentlemen, is why Season 6 is just as good as the classic run.

[#426 :]

Maybe now they do, but they didn't used to ...

Are you kidding?  There were bad episodes starting right in Season One.  I distinctly remember Mars University being almost universally hated when it first aired (especially Gunther, the talking ape -- I never saw a single positive comment about him at the time).  In Season Two, A Bicyclops Built for Two was much disliked by a lot of people, and I read many, many negative reviews of A Clone of My Own (people HATED Cubert).

If these same episodes are now regarded as good, then we have proof right there that Nostagia Googles are real, since they were quite disliked by most fans when they first aired.

I actually liked all three of those episodes quite a bit when I first saw them, and I still do...

The "nostalgia goggles" hypothesis could be true, but I feel as if most of the reason why this season has been getting mediocre reviews (in general) is because of the screwed-up order in which Comedy Central is airing them. I do distinctly remember episodes from each season that I didn't like so much, and I remember a few that I absolutely hated. Season 6 had a smattering of both of these, probably in equal proportion to the other seasons. It seems like the effect was just exaggerated (for me, anyway) because my favorite episodes of the season have all occurred near the end.

EDIT (so that this is back on-topic... I seriously stroked out and thought this was the "Has Futurama Gotten Worse? Thread"):

I got the impression from this "finale" that they'll probably pick up next season with Fry and Leela in a similar place in their relationship as they were in season 6, disregarding certain out-of-character moments. While they had the touching moment at the end, I get the feeling that it will only result in Fry and Leela once again considering a relationship, although not necessarily pursuing one.

[#427 :]

The only episode I dislike of the ones Mongo mentioned is "Mars University." "A Bicyclops Built for Two" is actually among my favorites of the series. Oh well.

It seems like the effect was just exaggerated (for me, anyway) because my favorite episodes of the season have all occurred near the end.

Exactly. I feel like the season started off with some decent-to-mediocre episodes, with the only flat-out awesome episode (for me) being "Law and Oracle." I think things started getting really great by the time "Yo Leela Leela"* aired, and since then the only episode I've had mixed feelings about was "The Tip of the Zoidberg." The past two episodes have been 10/10s for me, and can hold their own completely against the original run. So, yeah. Screwy scheduling decision on CC's part, but I'm just glad the second half of the broadcast season didn't offer as many disappointments as the first.

*Yes, I know that's an unpopular opinion. But I really liked that one, damn it!

[#428 :]

Has any information about Production Season 7 been released yet? (Aside from what is on the Infosphere.)  Do we know how many episodes have been written so far, and how many have been voice recorded?  (I don't expect any episodes to have been animated and ready to air until next year.)

I saw a link somewhere here to an interview where some new information about Season 7 was given, I had intended to read it, but I cannot find it now.

What I do know from the Infosphere:

Known titles:

The Bots and the Bees (Bender impregnates the new Planet Express soda machine) -- probably to be the season opener.  By the way, how does this work? Aren't robots (and vending machines, I assume) manufactured in factories, not gestated and born?

Farewell to Arms (Hermes, in a quest for greater efficiency, has his appendages surgically removed and becomes a cyborg)

Other episode plot lines:

An episode about the 3012 presidential election.

Somebody predicting doomsday in 3012

Calculon competing in the World Acting Championship -- to the death!

Zapp Brannigan losing interest in Leela and starting a romance with her mother Munda

Prof. Farnsworth's parents are still alive and living in the Near-Death Star

[#429 :]

Zapp Brannigan losing interest in Leela and starting a romance with her mother Munda

Whaa? I thought it was just Zapp losing interest in Leela that was revealed, I didn't know he was starting a romance with her mom. Either way, I'm pretty excited for that plot line!

[#430 :]

I'm excited to see Calculon act it out to the death haha.

[#431 :]

Whaa? I thought it was just Zapp losing interest in Leela that was revealed, I didn't know he was starting a romance with her mom. Either way, I'm pretty excited for that plot line!

I don't know if I'm too excited for that plot line. It just sounds a little weird to me. I don't see Munda as one to have affairs, and Zapp one to have affairs with mutants. But I'll have to see it to make my judgment.

But I wouldn't be surprised if Zapp just made it seem that he was having an affair as a way to get Leela's attention.

[#432 :]

Whaa? I thought it was just Zapp losing interest in Leela that was revealed, I didn't know he was starting a romance with her mom. Either way, I'm pretty excited for that plot line!

I don't know if I'm too excited for that plot line. It just sounds a little weird to me. I don't see Munda as one to have affairs, and Zapp one to have affairs with mutants. But I'll have to see it to make my judgment.

But I wouldn't be surprised if Zapp just made it seem that he was having an affair as a way to get Leela's attention.

"Now remember, Kif, the quickest way to a girl's bed is through her parents. Have sex with them and you're in".....I think that just about sums it up  

[#433 :]

Whaa? I thought it was just Zapp losing interest in Leela that was revealed, I didn't know he was starting a romance with her mom. Either way, I'm pretty excited for that plot line!

I don't know if I'm too excited for that plot line. It just sounds a little weird to me. I don't see Munda as one to have affairs, and Zapp one to have affairs with mutants. But I'll have to see it to make my judgment.

But I wouldn't be surprised if Zapp just made it seem that he was having an affair as a way to get Leela's attention.

This. Munda definitely doesn't seem like an adulterer to me.

[#434 :]

I might be misremembering, but I'm pretty sure that all we were told was that Zapp would lose interest in Leela and move on to her mum, not that her mum would actually act on Zapp's advances.

[#435 :]

I might be misremembering, but I'm pretty sure that all we were told was that Zapp would lose interest in Leela and move on to her mum, not that her mum would actually act on Zapp's advances.

This. There's nothing in the tiny description that states that they start having an affair or even that Munda starts to fall for Zapp...

[#436 :]

Zapp Brannigan losing interest in Leela and starting a romance with her mother Munda

Whaa? I thought it was just Zapp losing interest in Leela that was revealed, I didn't know he was starting a romance with her mom. Either way, I'm pretty excited for that plot line!

I highly doubt Munda is going to return his affections. I think this episode has the potential to be either really funny or really cringe-worthy, and I hope it is the former.

[#437 :]

Zapp Brannigan losing interest in Leela and starting a romance with her mother Munda

Whaa? I thought it was just Zapp losing interest in Leela that was revealed, I didn't know he was starting a romance with her mom. Either way, I'm pretty excited for that plot line!

I highly doubt Munda is going to return his affections. I think this episode has the potential to be either really funny or really cringe-worthy, and I hope it is the former.

[#438 :]

Shouldn't Calculon have 100% acting talent if the Robot Devil gave it to him? Fry had 100% skill with the Holophoner when he had the RD's hands...

[#439 :]

Shouldn't Calculon have 100% acting talent if the Robot Devil gave it to him? Fry had 100% skill with the Holophoner when he had the RD's hands...

Can you trust the devil?