Thoughts on 6ACV14 - The Silence of the Clamps - SPOILERS

[Reply #280 on:]

I just re-watched this episode and it's just painfully unfunny for an episode of 'Futurama'. It is still funny, but it's so far below the show's usual standard.

Firstly, it has far more awful jokes than a standard episode. These spring to mind:

• Fry's "Quit it Earth!" line after falling off his chair. The joke was reasonably funny up until then but it just felt like they had to hammer it home in case you somehow missed it.
• Clamps' "Aw Jeez, I forgot my Space Pope manners" line followed by his actions. It just isn't funny.
• As I've already complained about in detail, the Space Pope in general. He was effectively ruined by this episode by going from such a hilarious enigma to such a bland bit of characterisation.
• Calculon's "No, no... line... NOOOOOOOOOOO!" bit... come on guys, really? He's an actor, we get it. That doesn't mean he'd forget to scream in pain.
• Bender's attempt to duplicate the Don-Bot's meatball recipe bit. It's just so horribly, horribly laboured. It's feels (and much of the episode is guilty of this) as if someone had a perfect knowledge of how a usual episode of 'Futurama' or 'The Simpsons' is crafted and how it's structured with regards to jokes and such, but they just weren't funny enough to actually place good jokes into all of these points that feel like designated joke-areas. And the fact that the joke is made so glaringly obvious just amplifies how bad it is when it falls flat.
• "And this iPod... I don't want it any more". Ugh.
• When Amy asks Clamps to do the honours and holds up a newborn baby. What?
• Colonel Mustard Gas. I despise this joke. It's not even a joke. It's just a character from a board game's name on a sign.
• The "Billy West, that's a dumb-name" bit which is now my go to "worst joke in the series", although there probably is a worse joke somewhere.
• "My boyfriend and I were going to have sex on a burning flag" - completely out of character and again, absolutely forced.
• "Say your prayers" "Okay, God bless grandpa and grandma" - Horrible forced, again. It's like a traditional American sitcom. The bad kind.

So yeah... the whole episode just feels like it's trying too hard for the vast majority of it.

Most of the jokes aren't bad, but they're not good. They're just filler. 'Futurama' is better than being 90% filler.

The only things that struck me as being particularly worthy of mention were these:

• Bella's basic design including a bell was sort of original.
• Calculon being a "Two-time Oscar-pool winner" was reasonably amusing.
• Agent Robot Stack was a great name.
• Calculon's "I'm a big Hollywood dumb guy what does that sort of thing" line was great - although this is down to Maurice La Marche's performance above all else.
• "You might want to get a black dress for the wedding". This is a great and reasonably subtle gag that's completely ruined by Bella's "That's gonna look hot!" gag that follows it.
• Bender's "Zoidberg, I know it seems like I can't stand you." line was great. And the entire fued between Zoidberg and Clamps was a great concept that's handled reasonably well.
• I love Sheriff Burley (thanks to Billy West's performance above all else) and the doozy of a hanging he had lined up.
• Hermes' "Stop talking like that, you live on the Moon!" line was great.
• And Crushinator crying was funny although it's just an extension of the joke started by her character in previous episodes.
• Also, the twist with Bender working at the pizza place over the street was funny.

This may seem like a long list, but for an entire episode of 'Futurama', it's really short. If I was to write a list of all the things I liked about most episodes, it'd be a list of almost everything that happened in that episode.

Most of 'The Silence of the Clamps' is just bland and forgettable.


And it's not helped by the fact that the story isn't particularly interesting or original and only really retreads familiar characters and locations from the show without giving us anything new. There's nothing particularly wrong with the story from a writing perspective - it's just not innovative or inspired in any way whatsoever like 'Futurama' often is.

[Reply #281 on:]

I'm 50-50 with your points, turnip.

I laughed out loud at Fry's "Quit it Earth!" line.

[Reply #282 on:]

Most of your hatreds for this episode, were my delights.

[Reply #283 on:]

In all honesty, they're probably things I'd have found funny when I was 14, too.

[Reply #284 on:]

Well, the show is more directed towards teenagers. (Mostly)

[Reply #285 on:]

Well, the show is more directed towards teenagers. (Mostly)

[Reply #286 on:]

* Beanoz4 walks over to the wall..

[Reply #287 on:]

I hate being called dumbass and dirty Jew or whatever. I'm a smart kid, but sometimes I lose my common sense! STFU!!!!!!!!!!!

[Reply #288 on:]

Being a "Dirty Jew" has nothing to do with your stupidity.
And I know what you mean I get stupid with my spelling..

[Reply #289 on:]

The only things I didn't like were the "Quit it, Earth!" and the sex on a flag lines. They felt a bit forced to me. I think everything else was fine though. The Billy West joke wasn't amazing, but I still found it rather amusing.

I thought the story was quite good, and Maurice's performance is excellent.

[Reply #290 on:]

The only thing i didn't like about the flag joke, is that Amy has a Fon-Fon-Ru, but besides that it was sorta-funny. 8.5/10

[Reply #291 on:]

Huh. I totally forgot about the whole Fon-Fon Ru thing. Continuity error there.

[Reply #292 on:]

BIG TIME ERROR, but it was sorta funny, but a little cheap. I repeat: cheap, not rushed.

[Reply #293 on:]

Who said it was rushed?

Personally, I'd say being cheap is worse than being rushed.

[Reply #294 on:]

The only things I didn't like were the "Quit it, Earth!" and the sex on a flag lines. They felt a bit forced to me.

[Reply #295 on:]

Forced does not equal rushed. Please, grow a brain cell. Your stupidity is starting to be painful to read.

[Reply #296 on:]

I found the use of swearing a little of a cheap shot for a laugh, it's not really the futurama's thing to do that. But yeah, i admit the end line is funny "you do and ill cut you like a f***ing fish!"

[Reply #297 on:]

It was also funny when Zoidberg yelled out: "John F*cking Zoidberg!" That was probably the best bleeped out line of them all...

[Reply #298 on:]

That line was hilarious. But the one at the end just made me cringe. 

It felt so out of place.

[Reply #299 on:]

I didn't think it felt out of place because Zoidberg was sorta pissed off the whole episode for not being the person who "cuts stuff" in certain situations.

[Reply #300 on:]

A joke is never funny the second time.

The swearing was taken just a little bit too far. 

[Reply #301 on:]

I didn't like when Clamps said: "Fan-f*ckin'-tastic!" That did feel a little overused...

[Reply #302 on:]

Just re-watched this episode, much better than I remembered it being. But a few nitpicks:

Why does Billy quickly speed away when Fry shouts "BENDER?!"? He shouldn't even have looked really.

Why does the Hydroponic farmer not recognise Fry and Leela from TSHL? I thought he would have been pretty pissed. The Crushinator should have at least mentioned Bender to them too.

Why does Fry suddenly think Clamps is WAY better than Bender? He got super upset in Godfellas when Bender went missing, and he gets upset in general when Bender dies/goes missing/is in danger.

Otherwise, solid episode.

[Reply #303 on:]

Just re-watched this episode, much better than I remembered it being. But a few nitpicks:

Why does Fry suddenly think Clamps is WAY better than Bender? He got super upset in Godfellas when Bender went missing, and he gets upset in general when Bender dies/goes missing/is in danger.

Otherwise, solid episode.

He thinks this because Clamps was supposed to cozy up to Fry, globviously. I guess Clamps was sorta acting like his friend, or Fry was just being retarded again...

[Reply #304 on:]

Does Fry actually say he likes Clamps more than Bender?

From what I remember, he just becomes really good friends with Clamps - possibly as something of a rebound friendship. He's not as upset about Bender's absence as he's been in the past when Bender has been lost or has died because, you know, Bender's still alive and well and needs to leave for his own good. It's a different scenario and whilst I bet he'd still be sad, he'd be trying to get over it because dwelling on it would be bad for Bender's wellbeing.

[Reply #305 on:]

No, he didn't once say he liked Clamps more. He actually liked Clamps because clamps reminded him of Bender...

[Reply #306 on:]

"Honestly, Francis is a way better friend than Bender ever was."

That's the closest he gets to saying he likes Clamps more.

[Reply #307 on:]

"Honestly, Francis is a way better friend than Bender ever was."

That's the thing I was talking about.

[Reply #308 on:]

He just means that Francis didn't beat him up, take his money or ever try to steal his blood. That doesn't mean he liked Francis more than Bender.

[Reply #309 on:]

Clamps was missing some really quality lines throughout the episode. Such lines as: "Clamp-Clamp-Ka-Bamp!" and "Ooh, that's gotta Clamp!" really carved out his character...The episode was still pretty good, though...

[Reply #310 on:]

Whenever I'm quoting Clamps (which is surprisingly often), it's usually from this episode.

"We're in space, where no-one can hear ya clamp!"

"Eh, they all kinda broke."

etc.

[Reply #311 on:]

I say "You're a freakin' genius, ya idiot!" a lot, actually, thinking about it.

Nothing from this episode, though.

[Reply #312 on:]

Whenever I'm quoting Clamps (which is surprisingly often), it's usually from this episode.

"We're in space, where no-one can hear ya clamp!"

"Eh, they all kinda broke."

etc.

I guess there were a few good Clamps lines in this episode. Still, they're not nearly as good as the ones from "Bender Gets Made", "ITWGY", and "Bendless Love".

[Reply #313 on:]

BGM is definitely the Robot Mafia's best appearance. The one in ITWGY was alright, but it loses points for irrelevancy.

Personally, I think Joey Mousepad and the Donbot were funnier than Clamps in ITWGY. "Now... I am suspicious" is probably the Donbot's best line.

Also, I love Joey's stupid way of talking: "Ain't that your wife what you had than weddin' with?" and "You see this over here over there?"

[Reply #314 on:]

Yeah, Joey was in top form in Into the Wild Green Yonder - in fact, he's one of my favourite things about the film.

[Reply #315 on:]

"I'm  a big hollywood dumb-guy who does that sorta stuff." (Quoted)
"I don't think we should rely on an accident, lets kill him ourselves..."

And The Donbot's suspicious moments are hilarious, I agree.

[Reply #316 on:]

Joey is just...

Show spoiler

Poifect!

Interestingly, on the commentary for this episode, everyone laughed out loud when Clamps wasn't paying attention to the Donbot. (when looking at the PE ad.)

Rather strange.

[Reply #317 on:]

I like any instance where Donbot is annoyed with his cronies. I think the commentators enjoyed the realness of the moment.

[Reply #318 on:]

A super hilarious moment from this episode that I haven't seen many people talk about:

When The Crushinator makes Fry "mashed chicken". I fucking laughed out loud. Hard.

[Reply #319 on:]

I just made mashed potatoes yesterday, and when I mashed them I couldn't help but think about that moment. My Mom asked me why I laughing so hard...