Was that it?! - Episodes That Let You Down/Did Something Unexpected

[on:]

So, have you ever read the plot synopses for an episode of Futurama and been really excited, but when it comes 'round to watching it it was kind of a let down, or the plot did something silly and unexpected?

Explain why you were excited, why you were let down and (optionally) what you think could have made it better. Also, if you still like the episode or not, even if it was a letdown. This counts for the original run and the movies, too.

For me: Fry Am the Egg Man. Sounded super awesome, but it was kind of "meh". The whole Doohan 6 thing was just kind of lame... It got stale, like the smoke on that planet. In this case, I still love that episode, but the Scottish thing was, well yeah, meh...

[Reply #1 on:]

I was really excited for "All the Presidents' Heads" when we first got information on it, because it seemed like it would be kind of trippy and format-bending and silly and all-around fun (I think I assumed that the head-licking would cause mere hallucinations, and not actual time travel). The episode we wound up getting--though by no means bad--was quite disappointing in that regard. I wanted less education, and more allusions to LSD!

[Reply #2 on:]

I think a lot of episodes in 6B were much different to what I expected, but they are not bad at all. 6B is still waaaay better than 6A.

[Reply #3 on:]

I was pretty excited for 'In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela' - its basic premise of Leela and Zapp being stranded on an Eden-like planet, playing off of those old sci-fi stories that tell the story of Adam and Eve with a spin on it... well yeah. It sounded awesome. But it wasn't.

[Reply #4 on:]

I expected "The Tip of the Zoidberg" to be much better than it actually was. It wasn't really bad or anything, it was just disappointing.

[Reply #5 on:]

I loved TToTZ! I thought the storytelling and humor was right on the ball.

[Reply #6 on:]

I was expecting Neutopia to be more of a gender swap episode where the swap happened at the end of act 1 not act 3  

Edit: Sorry I was to busy to check the spelling of the episode

[Reply #7 on:]

I was expecting Nutopia to be more of a gender swap episode where the swap happened at the end of act 1 not act 3  

I'll second that, except the episode is actually entitled "Neutopia".

With a lot of the preview material for the episode showing the gender-reversed crew, I expected most of its plot to focus around them coping with their genders being reversed. I thought that a plot like that had a lot of potential (I enjoyed "Bend Her") and could end up being a fun episode. Instead, only at the end of the second act did any gender alteration actually happen.

As for the quality of the episode: "Neutopia" didn't seem that bad to me on first view, but after rewatching the episode a good number of times it's sunk down to being the worst episode of 6-B on my list. Even more than "Yo Leela Leela".

[Reply #8 on:]

"Neutopia" didn't seem that bad to me on first view, but after rewatching the episode a good number of times it's sunk down to being the worst episode of 6-B on my list. Even more than "Yo Leela Leela".

Same here. Just replace the words "6-B" with "entire series".

[Reply #9 on:]

I was expecting Nutopia to be more of a gender swap episode where the swap happened at the end of act 1 not act 3 

I'll second that, except the episode is actually entitled "Neutopia".

With a lot of the preview material for the episode showing the gender-reversed crew, I expected most of its plot to focus around them coping with their genders being reversed. I thought that a plot like that had a lot of potential (I enjoyed "Bend Her") and could end up being a fun episode. Instead, only at the end of the second act did any gender alteration actually happen.

As for the quality of the episode: "Neutopia" didn't seem that bad to me on first view, but after rewatching the episode a good number of times it's sunk down to being the worst episode of 6-B on my list. Even more than "Yo Leela Leela".

[Reply #10 on:]

I was expecting Nutopia to be more of a gender swap episode where the swap happened at the end of act 1 not act 3 

That's a valid complaint--but I was still kind of happy to find that the episode didn't devote much time to the gender-switching. Because, like, it was gross. I quite enjoy acts one and two, particularly the interactions between Hermes and LaBarbara (and, like, everything the Rock Monster says); act three is all right, but it turns my stomach a little.

I like "Neutopia" more than many other people do, I think--but, still, it's one of those episodes where, after I watched it, I thought, "Now, did that episode really need to be made?" It was just a rehash of gender stuff that the show's already done (notably in "Bend Her" and "Into the Wild Green Yonder"), and for every good joke there were two or three god-awful ones.

On the topic of episodes that did not disappoint me, per se, but just surprised  me: "Reincarnation" had to be the most pleasant surprise of 6B, to me. And "Lethal Inspection" was it for 6A. I didn't expect much of either episode, but both of them wound up being among my favorites of the new run--and of the series, period.

[Reply #11 on:]

I was also really taken by surprise with 'Neutopia' not being a simple gender-swap episode seeing as that's what we were led to believe. But like Gorky, I was sort of happy about that. Not because the gender-swapping grossed me out, but I actually really quite enjoyed the first two acts with them on the mineral planet. Gender-swapping is such a comedy cliche, especially in the realms of animation - so I was happy that they had a bit more substance in the episode than just that.

[Reply #12 on:]

I still could of made a better episode out of my ass...

This is also my theory on how Eric Horsted wrote YLL...

[Reply #13 on:]

I didn't really look at any of the spoilers about season 6B until I bought the DVD and watched every episode that weekend, so I didn't really have many expectations about the episodes. However, I was disappointed with the way "Neutopia" and "All the Presidents' Heads" panned out. I thought each episode had a really good concept behind it, and both were kind of mediocre. I've only seen each of the episodes once so far because my friend has borrowed the DVD, but I'll watch them all again when I get it back, and some of my views might change

I thought that Neutopia just wasn't that funny, and although there were some slightly funny bits, I was expecting it to be one of the better episodes of the season. It only scored a 6.0 out of 10 on my episode ratings list.

Then AtPH, which had such a clever premise, and then chose to follow some really heavy stereotypes, in addition to the really weak sci-fi idea that the crew arrived wherever and whenever, accurate to the day. Some parts of this episode were still fantastic though, including the Doctor Who reference, so it earned an 8.3 on my list. In addition, it probably contained the best individual line from season 6, with the Professor's:
"Fry, you dope! You've really screwed the granny this time." This was the best thing about the episode.

[Reply #14 on:]

Yeah, ATPH was a disappointment as well.

I can't say that Neutopia disappointed me though, because the premise never really sounded that great to me.

[Reply #15 on:]

I'm pretty sure no one was looking forward to Neutopia...AS many people have previously mentioned, the concept of gender-switching is so overdone! The plot was flying all over the place, and they didn't even switch until the 3rd act! "Ooh, your manwich!" Does anyone see Hypnotoad? I need to get my memory eras---ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD.

[Reply #16 on:]

Because, like, it was gross. I quite enjoy acts one and two, particularly the interactions between Hermes and LaBarbara (and, like, everything the Rock Monster says); act three is all right, but it turns my stomach a little.

THANK YOU! Finally somebody shares my opinion that gross does not equal funny or quality. A bit of gross can be funny, but there is a line.

[Reply #17 on:]

I also liked the challenges presented by the Rock Dude. Besides the unbold and shallow questions, the challenges were sorta entertaining...

But then the episode went KA-BOOM!

[Reply #18 on:]

I was kind of looking forward to Neutopia. I liked the clip they showed in all the previews with them swapping genders. I was expecting an episode in which they were swapped in the first five minutes and spent the next seventeen as alternate genders. What I got was a pile of crap with some really lame gender-stereotype jokes.

[Reply #19 on:]

Yeah, a lot of us got the same exact thing.

[Reply #20 on:]

I think Cold Warriors was also a bit disappointing. It was a very good episode, but I had really been looking forward to it and it was just a bit of a letdown. I can't even nail anything specifically. I liked what they did with the flashbacks, I thought that was clever. I think it was just some of the crew members seemed out of character.

[Reply #21 on:]

I know CW is a great episode, but I can't feel good about it. I don't feel that pride you feel after a great episode! I still would give it a ten out of ten but it just doesn't feel how it should...

[Reply #22 on:]

Yeah, I agree with that. Something's just off, and usually when I get that feeling it's a characterization issue. The show's great, but it lacks its usual heart.

[Reply #23 on:]

Except for the mostly unfunny over the top misogyny and misandry I quite liked Neutopia.

[Reply #24 on:]

* UnrealLegend sees the negative opinions on Cold Warriors

I hate you all! 

* UnrealLegend storms off in tears

[Reply #25 on:]

I think Cold Warriors was also a bit disappointing. It was a very good episode, but I had really been looking forward to it and it was just a bit of a letdown. I can't even nail anything specifically. I liked what they did with the flashbacks, I thought that was clever. I think it was just some of the crew members seemed out of character.

Other way around, it looked pretty lame to me, but it was actually awesome.

[Reply #26 on:]

I think it was an excellent episode. Perfect plot, great jokes, and nice pacing to go along with the storytelling; but something felt off. I just didn't feel that great feeling of pride that you get after you watch a great episode. I know it was great, but something just felt oddly off...

[Reply #27 on:]

You just seem to repeat everything anyone says SGB, and you alter your opinion to match the ones above.

[Reply #28 on:]

You just seem to repeat everything anyone says SGB, and you alter your opinion to match the ones above.

I was only rephrasing it because of this comment here:

* UnrealLegend sees the negative opinions on Cold Warriors

I hate you all! 

* UnrealLegend storms off in tears

I just wanted to clarify it so no one would misunderstand it again...

[Reply #29 on:]

But you do it in all threads.

[Reply #30 on:]

I suppose I'd be of the opinion that 'Cold Warriors' was something of a let down. It wasn't a bad episode by any means, but it annoyed me that they never established what the stakes were. I mean... as far as we could tell, the worst case scenario was that everyone had to put up with getting the sniffles for a few days...

So what if the common cold infects the entire world, again if it's not going to have a more dramatic impact.

[Reply #31 on:]

I thought they were worried about the cold spreading simply because it took along time to eradicate in the first place and it is an annoying disease that just kind of puts a downer on everything... I mean, it's super easy to catch a cold, and having one sucks.

[Reply #32 on:]

The stakes were high because nobody but Fry had the immunities to fight off the cold since none of them had been exposed to it before. I agree that they didn't explore that concept enough in the episode; I think the episode would have been better if they focused more on the concept of the potential pandemic and less on the story of Fry and his father. The story as it is works very well and it is one of my favorite episodes, but I feel like they really missed out on an opportunity by not exploring the pandemic aspect.

[Reply #33 on:]

It never properly established that they couldn't get better just from their natural immune system.

I understand why, in theory, the cold being re-introduced after nobody had seen it generations would be a catastrophe, I just needed the show to establish how it was going to happen within the rules of its own world and it didn't do a good enough job of that in my opinion. It let's the episode down for me.

[Reply #34 on:]

I also figured the human body eventually got rid of the immunity to the cold, since it was extinct, so if they caught it again it could be lethal.

[Reply #35 on:]

Yeah, which meant that there was potential for the episode to have some real tension.

But the crew all catch it and seem to be largely fine other than having a cold. There's no indication that they're going to die - in fact, they pretty much prove that it isn't lethal.

[Reply #36 on:]

Very true, turnip, and I think that contributed to my feeling of "this is weird." In the cold story in the comics, the cold makes everyone lose all their inhibitions or something, no? In the ep they just got colds. I don't know how much more they could have squished in without having pacing issues, but maybe a little less flashback and a little more futuristic drama.

[Reply #37 on:]

Bump
Pretty much all of 'Meanwhile' was surprising for me, as I purposefully didn't read any spoilers or listen to any readings for it. All I had seen for the episode beforehand were the screenshots of Fry jumping off of the Vampire State Building, Fry standing on top of the hovercar, and Fry and Leela on the human swing. After watching the episode, I can easily say that those promo pics were very misleading. Honestly, though, I'm glad I didn't read any of the spoilers, because it made the finale even better by making everything unexpected in some way.
However, I think it's safe to assume that everyone was shocked that they actually showed Fry dead on the concrete, complete with blood and guts.

[Reply #38 on:]

I expected Leela and the Genestalk to be a lot more in depth about the tentacles than it actually was.

[Reply #39 on:]

Neutopia. They had the potential to do so much with a sex change episode and instead they produced the only episode of Futurama I've ever hated. Season 6B was my least favourite season, i thought some of it was fairly disappointing, but still had some great episodes like The Ghost In The Machines and Reincarnation.