Thoughts on 6ACV20 - Neutopia - SPOILERS

[Reply #40 on:]

I really can't see your criticism of the episodes. Neutopia in my opinion was beneath the overall standard of an episode, but then again Futurama has an excellent standard. Benderama was quite a lot above the standard. While Neutopia had a somewhat rushed storyline and was somewhat all over the place in the second and third act, I don't see where you're getting "POORLY placed penis/scrotum/sex jokes" from, or for that matter "flat sophomoric gag-type melodramatic punchlines". Neutopia was an especially jokey episode, which maybe didn't have an excellent plot but it did have really good comedy. I'd like to see some examples of the poor lines you're talking about.

That said, I don't think you should judge the season by its premiere. Neutopia was the episode most people had pretty low hopes about, me included. Just like IAGDL in last broadcast season, they wanted to open with something a little dirtier and a little cheaper. I thought Benderama weighed this up excellently, and I definitely don't think the rest of the season will be as focused on genders and so fourth - that was the actual point of _this_ episode.

[Reply #41 on:]

My GONOPORES!!!!...Look it up."

and i disagree with you, Aki. These episodes were some of the best, imo. In a few years, i reckon many will think so too.

[Reply #42 on:]

mods please delete

[Reply #43 on:]

and i disagree with you, Aki. These episodes were some of the best, imo. In a few years, i reckon many will think so too.

Do you have any arguments?

[Reply #44 on:]

How was Neutopia "one of the best"? How do you think it can compare to such 10/10 episodes as Roswell That Ends Well, The Why of Fry, The Sting, The Late Philip J. Fry, and The Prisoner of Benda? I really don't think you can put Neutopia in the same conversation as those at all.

[Reply #45 on:]

To be frank I can understand putting Benderama in such a category. I just saw it for a second time, and it's getting a lot better. Really funny, good animation and good writing in general. I wouldn't classify it in the top myself (I gave it 9/10), but I can understand those who would. But Neutopia... no.

Sure you're not just really psyched Futurama is back, flesheatingbull? I remember how I was when Rebirth came and I thought it was the best thing ever.

[Reply #46 on:]

and i disagree with you, Aki. These episodes were some of the best, imo. In a few years, i reckon many will think so too.

Do you have any arguments?

the only thing i read in your post was this: . Neutopia in my opinion was beneath the overall standard of an episode.

I completely disagree. I thought both were awesome.

Then again, I also loved "The Deep South", "I Dated a Robot(like my boy Matt Groening,"A Pharoh to Remember", "The Beast With A Billion Backs", and "Into the Wild Green Yonder".

Also awesome episodes.

[Reply #47 on:]

i've been a fan since the beginning, aki.

edit: sorry. i'm used to using one forum.
also, THE BEST "The Scary Door" episode to date, imo.

[Reply #48 on:]

I'm so thankful that Futurama is back!

Unfortunately, it was merely an "okay" premiere episode that relied on a clichéd "gender wars" premise.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad episode; it was funny and entertaining, but a lot of the gender commentary was kinda superficial and obvious: the Men refusing to ask for directions; the Women being tricked by a clothes boutique mirage. Come on, Futurama writers, you're better than that!

It only got worse when the men and women were "neutered"; at first, it seemed like an asexual utopia because their society wasn't divided by gender. Then, of course, the married couple on the Planet Express staff realize that life without "love" -- and passion and conflict -- is empty, and they want their genders restored.

There's the predictable switcheroo so we can see what everyone is like as the opposite sex. Then the (former) men get their comeuppence when they're compelled to pose for the Planet Express girlie calender. And finally everyone is restored to normal.

I cannot help but be disappointed by the lack of creativity and originality in this episode. Sure, it had its share of funny parts, but I felt like most of my laughes were tinged with guilt because I knew that the humour in this episode was no better than Family Guy or countless inferior sitcoms. Futurama is better than those shows -- at least it's supposed to be!

I feel like I'm being too generous giving it a 7/10.

I couldn't be happier now that the new season of Futurama has begin; however, I can't help feel disappointed by the season premiere.

[Reply #49 on:]

I'm so thankful that Futurama is back!

Unfortunately, it was merely an "okay" premiere episode that relied on a clichéd "gender wars" premise.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad episode; it was funny and entertaining, but a lot of the gender commentary was kinda superficial and obvious: the Men refusing to ask for directions; the Women being tricked by a clothes boutique mirage. Come on, Futurama writers, you're better than that!

It only got worse when the men and women were "neutered"; at first, it seemed like an asexual utopia because their society wasn't divided by gender. Then, of course, the married couple on the Planet Express staff realize that life without "love" -- and passion and conflict -- is empty, and they want their genders restored.

Then there's the predictable switcheroo so we can see what everyone is like as the opposite sex. Then there the (former) men get their comeuppence when they're compelled to pose for the Planet Express girlie calender. And finally everyone is restored to normal.

I cannot help but be disappointed by the lack of creativity and originality in this episode. Sure, it had its share of funny parts, but I felt like most of my laughes were tinged with guilt because I knew that the humour in this episode was no better than Family Guy or countless inferior sitcoms. Futurama is better than those shows -- at least it's supposed to be!

I feel like I'm being too generous giving it a 7/10.

I couldn't be happier now that the new season of Futurama has begin; however, I can't help feel disappointed by the season premiere.

some of the best futurama episodes base themselves on simple cliche humor.

[Reply #50 on:]

I viewed Neutopia with the consensus that it isn't Futurama's best but I still tried to enjoy it. I vaguely remember (even though I only watched it an hour ago, my mind is occupied by my thoughts on Benderama) I enjoyed it until they crash landed onto that planet.

When they returned to earth (via a Zapp Brannigan rescue, which I find lazy as even the idea of them passing the rock alien's tests to be returned home seems more palatable) it gradually picked up pace and I found the male... I mean "women"... being shot by Leela to be surprisingly amusing (if only in the most nauseating way).  

The... Colonel Sanders(??!) rock man that visited the PE building in the last few minutes to "make things right" in the genital department ruined the episode entirely for me. That was the straw that broke the Zoidberg's back.

Now, to move on to the other thread to praise Benderama. Good day!

[Reply #51 on:]

the only thing i read in your post was this: . Neutopia in my opinion was beneath the overall standard of an episode.

Now that's just a flat-out lie.

This episode definitely exceeded my (quite low) expectations. It had a lot of good laughs, and wasn't too centred on sex jokes, which was my biggest fear. It had some pacing problems, and the second act almost got a little confusing, but overall it was fun. As has already been pointed out, some of the male/female jokes seemed a little too stereotypical and done, but it was alright. I give it 6/10, in other words it's slightly under the average Futurama episode. I have only seen it once though, many episodes grow with time.

I also liked the reappearances of some characters we haven't seen too much of, like Victor, Dr. Goodandsexy (ok, Cahill) and Farnsworth's girlfriend from 300 Big Boys. No major roles, but still nice to see them.

i've been a fan since the beginning, aki.

As have I. I never claimed differently, did I?

[Reply #52 on:]

the only thing i read in your post was this: . Neutopia in my opinion was beneath the overall standard of an episode.

Now that's just a flat-out lie.

nah, it's the truth. the only time i enjoy posting on these forums is in the offseason. you are all so far up your own arses during the season that i can't bear reading. like a bunch of hipster college kids. much like the early simpsons fans that bust on anything past season 5.

[Reply #53 on:]

Don't hate on the hipster kidsssss 

[Reply #54 on:]

Or - and I know this sounds radical - we can discuss the episode and not go into ad hominum attacks?

[Reply #55 on:]

Neutopia greatly exceeded my expectations. The first act was good (Petunia filling the "oxygen mask" with booze was a highlight)I feel they tried to cram too much into it though. Like others, I too found the Neutopia to be the most interesting part of the episode. It's nice to see them pulling off neutral humour without using the neutrals.

About a 6 or 7 for me. Nowhere near as horrifically bad as some of the reviews made it out to be.

[Reply #56 on:]

Dorsal Axe reminded me of all the wonderful lines and jokes Petunia had in Neutopia... I particularly liked the Juicy Couture crack because I just find that so typical of her character, and I can think of quite a few women I know who actually wear that stuff at their age :S

[Reply #57 on:]

some of the best futurama episodes base themselves on simple cliche humor.

Perhaps... but IMO this isn't one of them.

"A Roswell That Ends Well" is my fave Futurama episode. Admittedly, it's based on the sci-fi cliché of an alien ship crash-landing in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. That's fine, because the hilarity that ensued was clever, original, and shocking!

My problem with this episode is that it exploited the gender war cliché, which provided fodder for jokes, but most of those jokes were blatantly obvious and disappointing by Futurama's high standards.

[Reply #58 on:]

Wasn't that bad, I enjoyed it a lot, made me laugh out loud quite a few times, but the overall story was a little rushed and the Borax Kid thing seemed a little weird, overwise, great ep. What's gonna happen wth Scruffy?

7/10

[Reply #59 on:]

I never had high expectations for Neutopia, and after reading the reviews, my expectations went somewhat lower, but I actually really enjoyed it. There were some pretty good jokes in it. I was surprised that the whole gender-switching plot didn't get explored until near the end of the episode, and I felt that some of the modern pop culture references (Desperate Housewives, for example) were a bit off, but overall a good episode.

7.5/10

What's gonna happen wth Scruffy?

He's back to being a man by the next episode.

[Reply #60 on:]

He's back to being a man by the next episode.

Yeah but go check out i_c_weiner's post in the Benderama Thoughts thread...

[Reply #61 on:]

I was quite pleased by this episode.  I was worried based on some initial published information about the episode; both promotional and previews.

Personally, I didn't mind that the sex-switched plot was short, but it did seem to end quite abruptly.  The sudden arrival of Zapp Brannigan and the Borax Kid.  Despite this, I actually find it quite entertaining.  And in the end; isn't that all that matters?

Not the best episode, but none of it made me cringe as other episodes have previously done.

Verdict: Re-watchable

[Reply #62 on:]

Apart from a few good lines I thought this episode was pretty bad. I don't think they were ever very good at doing episodes about "gender comedy" but it was really obvious watching this that the show is written mainly by men in their 40's who like science fiction because it just felt really outdated.

 The professor is someone that can always suddenly be racist/sexist/prejudice in some way to serve the episodes purpose, but it was really over the top here. They just suddenly have the male characters being inexplicably sexist even though they've never really been that bad before.

As I say the series probably always suffered this lack of female perspective, but it shows even more these days now there's more female comedy writers and shows fronted by women.

[Reply #63 on:]

The professor is someone that can always suddenly be racist/sexist/prejudice in some way to serve the episodes purpose, but it was really over the top here. They just suddenly have the male characters being inexplicably sexist even though they've never really been that bad before.

Most of the male characters are sexist...

[Reply #64 on:]

Fry's girly giggle was one of the best parts of this episode!

[Reply #65 on:]

This Futurama thing is getting better and better! Although there has been some episodes that are not too good. Anyway, Neutopia was a great episode! It was with the times, talking about foreclosure, bankruptcy, and mortgages. Maybe the year 3011 is in a recession just like we are! The airline plot was funny, wished there could've been an Airplane spoof. But that's okay. The challanges the creature who didn't understand gender was priceless! The gender swapping was fun, the girls as men and vise versa. This season is coming off to the great start so far! It was funny how Zapp hit on Fry! And a Montley Crue song was played! 5/5!

[Reply #66 on:]

Oh my God! Kurt liked a scene involving Fry!

[Reply #67 on:]

The professor is someone that can always suddenly be racist/sexist/prejudice in some way to serve the episodes purpose, but it was really over the top here. They just suddenly have the male characters being inexplicably sexist even though they've never really been that bad before.

Most of the male characters are sexist...

What, you don't think the female characters are good enough to be sexist, too? How sexist!

Seriously, though: I don't think most of the characters are sexist generally, but there is a bit of precedent for it in "Bend Her" and "Into the Wild Green Yonder," so it doesn't seem like some abrupt shift intended solely for this episode. When things get stressful (Planet Express is going bankrupt; the world's going to be destroyed by the Dark One; uh, Bender dates a TV star), the crew is prone to ragging on one another over their gender.

[Reply #68 on:]

A good time was had.
7/10

I wonder if Scruffy will be male again in later production coded episodes?

[Reply #69 on:]

Alright, at first I wasn't a big fan of this episode, but after watching it again, the jokes are growing on me.

Some noteworthy jokes/gags:
- The professor's slipper contraption at the beginning of the episode
- Hermes: "I think I found a loophole in the mortgage. If we actually pay it...!"
- Zoidberg: "Interesting...C'mon men, let's kill him!"
- The rock creature's initial tests ("Now let's see who can drink the most arsenic." and "How  was your day?" and "That was a test to see who could lie the most.")
- Scruffy's mustache when he's a woman
- LaBarbara: "Now please endure our in-flight entertainment."
- LaBarbara: "That's not back bacon, that's your back bakin'!"
- Fry as a girl (giggle, comment about drinks, and getting called a skank by Leela)
- "You folks watch your genitals now."

Things I didn't like:
- including the Professor's love interest from 300 Big Boys in the episode without even having the two interact
- the somewhat sexually explicit scenes of the girls posing in the beginning (maybe that's just me being a prude :P )
- the fact that the gender groups split off to work on their own after the rock creature disappears, even though they were warned of how dangerous the trip to the cave was and how they would boil if they didn't make it. You would think the PE crew would have realized the importance of ignoring the test and banding together so as to avoid dying. I just don't think they're that hard-headed that they would willfully abandon each other just to prove a point, at least not Leela and Fry.  
- references to the The Desperate Housewives and The Office (and various apparel brands)
- the cliched, stereotypical gender-difference jokes (some of these were pretty cringe-worthy, although the Family Guy lover in me enjoyed the guys rejecting directions to the cave even in the face of death). They were especially bad when everyone was gender-neutral, like when Hermes said: "I enjoy humor where nobody gets hurt."
- the constant fighting between LaBarbara and Hermes. I think it was overdone, and like another poster mentioned, the result was kind of predictable.
- Scruffy as a woman in the end, saying "What did I miss?" Meh, something about that felt cheesy and a poor way of closing off the episode.

Upon my second viewing, I give it a 6.5/10. "Good, not great."

I still have no idea how I feel about the male women posing o_O

[Reply #70 on:]

Well that was a weird weak episode start was very funny though 4/10

i guarantee that i'd hate you in real life.

10/10 for me.

This is real life....good for you I'm sure I would hate you too buddy x

[Reply #71 on:]

- Hermes: "I think I found a loophole in the mortgage. If we actually pay it...!"

That was probably the high point of funny of the episode for me. Which is unfortunate, because the episode had two more acts to go...

[Reply #72 on:]

 

[Reply #73 on:]

The Rock Alien's powers were interesting too.

[Reply #74 on:]

- Hermes: "I think I found a loophole in the mortgage. If we actually pay it...!"

That was probably the high point of funny of the episode for me. Which is unfortunate, because the episode had two more acts to go...

I might agree that joke was among the funniest, if not the funniest, joke in the episode for me, but there were still plenty of less-funny jokes tossed about in the following acts. Have you done your intensive second viewing yet? I was feeling a 4-5 type of rating when I first saw the episode, but after the second viewing, I came to appreciate the humor more.

I also had the benefit of little to no bias coming into the episode, so that might explain some of my positive sentiment.

[Reply #75 on:]

For my review, I'm going to cite my own review for The Duh-Vinci Code, which was my first post, coincidentally. Everything in this episode was overly exaggerated. At least in the first act, none of the characters acted the way they normally would.

[Reply #76 on:]

-I enjoyed the beginning! Rest is on par, a satisfying episode indeed. 8/10 for me.
-Song during 'photo shoot' montage (first photo shoot) ?
* I really like it when they make alterations of the Planet Express Ship, because I really like the ship's design and I'm always interested in their concepts and creativity with space ships.
-Did anyone else notice a hint of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle design in the face of the Rock Alien?
ーアダム

[Reply #77 on:]

not as awesome as Benderama but still a way better episode then the first 6 of last season

8/10!!!!

[Reply #78 on:]

Not bad.  I wasn't expecting this one to be very good, but it surprised me.  I liked the whole Star Trek TOS feel to the planet they crashed on and the rock alien.  Did anyone else notice something wrong with LaBarbara's voice right at the end of the episode though?  Hermes asks her whether she liked being male or female more, and when she replies her Jamaican accent is totally gone. 

[Reply #79 on:]

Apart from a few good lines I thought this episode was pretty bad. I don't think they were ever very good at doing episodes about "gender comedy" but it was really obvious watching this that the show is written mainly by men in their 40's who like science fiction because it just felt really outdated.

 The professor is someone that can always suddenly be racist/sexist/prejudice in some way to serve the episodes purpose, but it was really over the top here. They just suddenly have the male characters being inexplicably sexist even though they've never really been that bad before.

As I say the series probably always suffered this lack of female perspective, but it shows even more these days now there's more female comedy writers and shows fronted by women.

and thank yivo. the show has always had a 1950's homage type feel to it, and it's glad to see that it's not dead.

this twenty something male approves of the writing. if the show started leaving it's roots and going all womanpowerly, i'd stop watching.