Overlooked Episode?

[on:]

I frequently hear people say that all of the Bender-centered episodes are sub-par, (like comments on 30% Iron Chef, it was good for a Bender episode.)

However I recently re-watched "Bender Gets Made," and found it to be an extremely entertaining episode.  I'm afraid it may have gotten lumped together with other Bender episodes such as Bendless Love and Bendin' in the wind.  On the reviews it got an 83%, mostly because there were 6 reviews and one of them was a 1, and the rest were 5's and one 4.  The review that gave it a 1: "FRY,I FEEL SORRY FOR THIS EPISODE.  THIS MAFIA EPISODE STINKS MORE THAN DOG POO."  Very insightful synopsis.   

Anyway, the jokes, gags, and slapstick had me laughing the whole way through, and the plot was interesting as well.  I really liked how the mafia decide to steal from the PE ship, so Bender turns his accent to British, then beats himself up while reading a magazine.

Some other funny parts:

Bender: Wow, I'm finally going to see my favorite chef, TV's Elzar!  Aww, this is the greatest nanosecond of my life!  No, this one is!  No, this one!  Wait!  That one was slightly worse.  So far so good on this one. (lights turn off) Eeep!

Zoidberg: I don't like the looks of this doctor.  I bet I've lost more patients than he's even treated!
Doctor: What does this look like to you?
Leela: A greyish blob?
Doctor: Right, and this one?
Leela: Umm, a greyish blob?
Doctor: Not.. as right that time.  It looks like you might have some mild corneal irritation.
Zoidberg: Nice try, little boy!  You may have your textbook knowledge, and your real diploma, but I have more skill in my little claw than you have in your whole carapace!  (Makes menacing warbling noise and snaps his claws at the doctor)
Doctor: You seem a bit tense.  Here, try these.
Zoidberg: Sure, butter me up with candy.  Well it won't work sonny!  (scarfs up pills, eyes dilate, then in a serene voice)  Why always the fighting?

Bender: Oh my god!  I'm so excited I wish I could wet myself!

Hermes: (*gasp*) It's the biggest Jamaican platter I've ever seen!  Jerk chicken, jerk beef, jerk pork; is there any meat this man can't jerk?
Zoidberg: The king crab is to die for!  Look, a tiny edible crown!
Amy: What's it made of?
Zoidberg: (takes a bite of it, then proclaims happily) Wood!

Officer: He's making a break for it!  Get 'im!
Fry: No, no, I was just picking my nose!
Officer: He's pickin his nose, get 'im!

Leela: (with nibbler leading her) I'm here and I'm getting along just fine thank you.  My to work just took a little bit longer than usual.  Nibbler took me through the Zoo for some reason.  (Nibbler then burps up a 4-foot long rack of antlers)

Professor: Better yet, I'll build someone to fill in for you!  Some kind of gamma-powered mechanical monster, with freeway onramps for arms, and a heart as black as coal...
Bender: Well if that new guy can't handle things, give me a call.

Tinny Tim: You flatter me, kind goon, but I'm only programmed to sell oil-ade, and write in cute backwards letters like on the sign here.

Robot: Donbot, I beg you!  I can't make this week's loan payment!  Look into your hard drive and open your mercy file!
Donbot: File not found.  (His goons reach inside their compartments, pull out tommyguns, and perforate the robot for a full 10 seconds.  The robot falls to the ground)
Donbot: Let that be a warning to ya.
Robot: (getting up) Thank you, Donbot.

Then there's Bender eating the money he got...

What do you think?

[Reply #1 on:]

Meh, it was ok.  Nothing spectacular, nothing horrible.

[Reply #2 on:]

I have to agree that this episode is severely underrated. It's my second favorite Bender episode after "Hell Is Other Robots". The Robot Mafia are really great, and I loved it when Elzar reluctantly knocked it up another notch for Bender. It was very decent, solid beginning, middle and end. Not one of the classics though.

[Reply #3 on:]

Funny, funny episode. I loved Bender's accent-selector dial and the Donbot's "mercy".

[Reply #4 on:]

I liked it, Bender pulling the tablecloth away, when he wanted to get rid of those diners was great 

I've enjoyed most Bender centred episodes 

[Reply #5 on:]

I thought it was okay and it had his good jokes. Bender is a cool character and his episodes are great but I hate Bendin' In The Wind.

[Reply #6 on:]

 

Originally posted by Mr. Potter:
...but I hate Bendin' In The Wind.

I loved it, I was laughing out loud at it 

[Reply #7 on:]

Meh, "Bendin' In The Wind" was OK, though it's way below "Bender Gets Made" in my opinion.

[Reply #8 on:]

Bendin' In The Wind had his good jokes but maybe I didn't like it because I don't like Beck.

[Reply #9 on:]

I prefered "Bending in the Wind", not knowing who Beck was might have been an advantage, for me he was just another character rather than a guest star 

[Reply #10 on:]

Personally my 2 underrated episodes are When Aliens Attack (82%) and I Second That Emotion (76%). The Omicronians were hilarious, Zapp had some great comments and the whole thing was great and unexpected (but thats not why people watch TV...).

In ISTE the realtionship between Bender and Leela was fantastic. The way Bender kept making himself cry, and attacking Fry for getting all the guys. Nibbler also got a decent role (he's so cute), the mutants were introduced and Bender was at his greatest.

[Reply #11 on:]

[offtopic]Ever notice how newbies have very long posts?[/ot]

Anywho, i liked that episode, especially with URL and his illegal searches. Ha! Good stuff!

[Reply #12 on:]

Well, I've been lurking a few days and havn't really noticed that.  I like to put emphasis on quality, not quantaty, of posts.

[Reply #13 on:]

I think that 'Bender Gets Made' is good, but not great.  I laughed so much at the Professor's 'where am I now?' line, though. 

I think that 'A Fishful Of Dollars' is underrated - it's one of my favourite season one episodes.  I don't know why Mom is so unpopular here. 'The Honking' is great, too.

[Reply #14 on:]

I've never disliked Bender episodes, though none of them have made my top ten list.  Bender seems to be just enough over-the-top to be annoying when otherwise the episode could be great.  Oh well.

[Reply #15 on:]

I think the most underrated episode is A Head in the Polls

[Reply #16 on:]

"A Head In The Polls" was an amazingly good episode. Second only to "Xmas Story" in the 2ACV batch.

Straight from CGEF's review thingy:

"Leela's Homeworld" 76%  One of the best episodes of the entire show rated so low. Shame, shame.

"A Leela of Her Own" 66%  Okay, a love it or hate it episode apparently. But I still think it was a hillarious episode.

[Reply #17 on:]

 

Originally posted by Teral:
...snip...
"Leela's Homeworld" 76%    One of the best episodes of the entire show rated so low. Shame, shame.

"A Leela of Her Own" 66%    Okay, a love it or hate it episode apparently. But I still think it was a hillarious episode.

No kidding! both those episodes were great! I just don't understand it   

[Reply #18 on:]

I haven't seen Leela's Homeworld, but A Leela of Her Own is one of my favourite episodes, it is hilarious 

[Reply #19 on:]

Wow, "Leela of Her Own" got a 66%. I thought it would do better than that. So does it tie "That's Lobstertainment" for the worst-rated episode? I forgot whether that one got 56% or 66%.

[Reply #20 on:]

"A Pharaoh To Remember" is the lowest rated episode, although I think "That's Lobstertainment" is far worse.

[Reply #21 on:]

It's interesting that CGEF's ratings are often different from what the general fan consensus seems to be.  Lots of people list "Space Pilot" as one of their all-time favorites, but at CGEF it has a score of just 86%.  "The Series has Landed," an episode that I thought was underrated by fans, has a score of 90%.  And "Leela's Homeworld" still has a rating of 76%.

Currently the highest rated episodes are "An Xmas Story," "Parasites Lost," and "Amazon Women in the Mood," all of which have 95%.

Anyway, I think "The Honking" and "I Dated a Robot" are underrated, though there are some episodes, such as "Insane in the Mainframe," that aren't generally disliked but I think are better than they're given credit for.  There are also some episodes that I don't like so much, but don't think are as bad as most people say they are.

I thought of starting a thread about the most overrated episodes, but that could get nasty.

[Reply #22 on:]

 

Originally posted by Otis P Jivefunk:
"A Pharaoh To Remember" is the lowest rated episode, although I think "That's Lobstertainment" is far worse.

What!? This is not good news at all.

Bender's statue: "Remember Me!"

[Reply #23 on:]

I agree 'Bender Gets Made' was a great episode.

I think 'A Clone Of My Own' was pretty underrated. It was a excellent episode with good jokes and probably had the most special FX of any Futurama episode.

[Reply #24 on:]

I loved the episode. Was it the first time we saw the mafia types, cause I like them.

[Reply #25 on:]

And "Leela's Homeworld" and "A Leela Of Her Own" still hover around 76% and 66% repsectively. 

I know ALOHO is love it/hate it, but only 6% better than "A Pharaoh to Remember"? "A Leela Of Her Own" is definetely the most underrated episode of the entire show.

[Reply #26 on:]

Underrated episodes:

A Big Piece of Garbage (82%) - It doesn't deserve to be listed lower than those below.  With gusto.
A Head in the Polls (80%) - The best political satire since Sideshow Bob Roberts.  NIXON'S BACK!!!
How Hermes Recquisitioned His Groove Back (82%) - Do a flip!
Birdbot of Ice-catraz (83%) - Doesn't deserve to be listed lower than those listed below.
I Dated a Robot (65%) - There's a wave of destruction that's easy on the eyes!  Pick me up, before you go go!
The Route of All Evil (78%) - Deserves better.  It's a cheekseeker!

All lower than:
A Taste of Freedom (85%) - I didn't realize anti-american feelings were this strong.
Mother's Day (83%) - Good, but not better than those listed above.
A Bicyclops Built for Two (87%) - Al Bundy is not that funny
A Fishful of Dollars (88%) - Good, but not this good.

[Reply #27 on:]

Bender gets made is pretty god i thought.
And a Head in the Polls is one of my favs!!!

[Reply #28 on:]

 

Originally posted by Nixorbo:
Underrated episodes:

A Head in the Polls (80%) - The best political satire since Sideshow Bob Roberts.  NIXON'S BACK!!!
How Hermes Recquisitioned His Groove Back (82%) - Do a flip!
I Dated a Robot (65%) - There's a wave of destruction that's easy on the eyes!  Pick me up, before you go go!

No question!!
A head in the polls is also one of my favourites.....

I think Jurassic Bark is underrated.
Man, that episode is Futurama at its best!
Although 86% is not that bad it easyly deserves a 90%......

[Reply #29 on:]

   

Originally posted by Bad Mojo:
I think 'A Clone Of My Own' was pretty underrated. It was a excellent episode with good jokes and probably had the most special FX of any Futurama episode.

That episode has a score of 94% at CGEF, just one point below the highest score.  But still, it isn't one you see very often when people list their all-time favorites.

[Reply #30 on:]

Is there a spot where I can simply get a Freakin' Bender Gets Made transcript?    Not mad at you guys LOL

[Reply #31 on:]

Actually some of the lower rated eps are my right up there with my favs.

...I actually quite like lobstertainment...

[Reply #32 on:]

None of that now

[Reply #33 on:]

"None of that now"   

LOL...sorry Nix, didn't know you were watching.  I've only made blunt references like that about 5 times now. :P

[Reply #34 on:]

I give no real significance to the ratings.  Just look at the long "Best Episode" and "Worst Episode" threads here and you will see the same episodes listed in both.  Futurama's strength (and in some people's eyes it's weakness) is that unlike other TV comedies, every episode covers different ground rather than playing it safe by re-doing the same basic episode over and over.  "Fraizer" for example has done 150 episodes based on just four plot lines.

Futurama writers are a smart and very well versed crew.  Someone who enjoys politics will give "A Head in the Polls" very high marks while someone who is as bored with politics as Fry at the beginning of the episode will give it low marks.

Fans of silent movies will enjoy "That's Lobstertainment", sports fans will enjoy "A Leela of Her Own" and those with an understanding of the whole Woodstock era will enjoy "Bendin' in the Wind".  People who don't, won't - because they will not "get" as many of the jokes.  (That's why "Amazon Women" is so highly rated - everyone likes and understands snoo-snoo.)

So - as many have said before - the "worst" Futurama is far better than the "best" (fill in the blank) episode because even if you never watched an episode of Star Trek, you will laugh at "Where No Fan"'s Melllvar anyway.  And - if you loved Star Trek, you won't even hear half the jokes because you were laughing so hard at all the other jokes.

[Reply #35 on:]

 

Originally posted by Mr. Potter:
Bendin' In The Wind had his good jokes but maybe I didn't like it because I don't like Beck.

I agree with Mr. Potter.

I liked "Bender gets made" ep, altough I dont think it was really great.

[Reply #36 on:]

@chalic

was the blunt reference aimed at me per chance?

[Reply #37 on:]

Uhhh,no...It was a reference to...ummm, I'm not allowed to say. :P

[Reply #38 on:]

 

Originally posted by Action Jacktion:
   

Originally posted by Bad Mojo:
I think 'A Clone Of My Own' was pretty underrated. It was a excellent episode with good jokes and probably had the most special FX of any Futurama episode.

That episode has a score of 94% at CGEF, just one point below the highest score.  But still, it isn't one you see very often when people list their all-time favorites.

I never looked at the score, but I've seen this episode on a few people's worst episode list and never on their favourite. It is among my top 5 episodes though.

[Reply #39 on:]

Why do people hate "Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch" so much? I loved it, but it only got a 76% rating at CGEF. That's as bad as "Bendless Love" and "Bending in the Wind", both episodes I dislike quite a bit. I thought "Kif Gets Knocked Up" was hilarious.

"If anyone needs me, I'll be in the Angry Dome!"