Thoughts on The Bots and The Bees [7ACV01] WARNING-Spoilers

[#40 :]

Though was it just me or did Bev seem a little racially charged?

It's not just you. It caused me to cringe a couple of times.

This is the sole reason it gets a seven from me, rather than an eight.

This didn't really occur to me the first time around, but thinking about it now, the fact that Bev also has a kid with the Shaft-like URL has some unfortunate racial implications. But I don't think the writers wrote the character of Bev specifically for a black actress--meaning that all the neglectful mother jokes were presumably in the script before Wanda Sykes was cast--so that makes any of the seemingly stereotypical stuff in her portrayal more forgivable to me, if not more palatable. Also, Bender was initially willing to abandon his child--being drunk and violent at the time, of course--so it's not like she was the only unsympathetic or otherwise reprehensible parent.

On the subject of cringe-worthy things in this episode, though, I will say that the use of the phrase "knocked-up" kind of bothered me; it seemed harsh coming from Leela (whereas it seems, you know, hilarious when it comes from a character like Mom in "A Fishful of Dollars"). I know Bev wasn't Mother of the Year material, but all the slut-shaming Leela tried to pull on her was a little excessive.

[#41 :]

Surprisingly good! I didn't know what to expect, but I kind of thought they would frak the whole son thing up with too much melodrama and not enough real emotions. They did not. The Bender-Ben relationship felt true, and the episode seemed paced well.

I did see the ending a little too early, and I do think they could have been less obvious about it, but it still worked nicely.

[#42 :]

Finally got to see it. And all I can say is that was a dam good start to the season and that was a rather fast growing up for Ben. Hopefully there'll be a callback to this ep in future, but for the moment, that was sweet and funny, although was kinda curious as to where Fry went when they sent him away. I shall now refer to 'work' as the employment cave!
8 for the poll!

[#43 :]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure they said that he grew to his age at the Church of Robotology in seven days.  Did I hear that right?

The Bev race thing doesn't bother me at all.  I mean, they've made many obvious allusions in the past to Bender being Mexican and all of the stereotypes that are associated with that.  Didn't bother me then, why should this?

[#44 :]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure they said that he grew to his age at the Church of Robotology in seven days.  Did I hear that right?

It was thirteen days, which are apparently equivalent to years for robots? Also, the gestation period for robots is seemingly, like, two minutes or something insanely speedy like that. I don't know, I thought Ben's rapid aging was a little silly (though necessary for the episode to make any sense or have any kind of emotional arc, so I guess it gets a pass).

Then again, Bender claimed to only be three years old in "Bendless Love," despite functioning as a twenty- or thirty-something adult, so I guess it's not a cheat or an ass-pull that the writers contrived solely for this episode. Rather, it's always been a cheat.

[#45 :]

"I wish I could remember with my boobs."


Sorry, I meant to post this in the quotes page.

[#46 :]

Was that the first time in the history of the show that the word "boobs" was uttered?

I think it might have been.

edit - nevermind. It's popped up a few times since the movies came out, according to The Infosphere.

[#47 :]

Thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the ep, some real awesome jokes in there. I agree that the ending was just kind of rushed/abrupt.

 

the 1st episode was just boring. the story was weak. it wasn't funny at all. i hated the ending for that episode too.

the 2nd was just chaos & unfunny humor.

my favorite show...making me want to cry right now.

Okay see you later bye bye. Not a fan anymore? Why stay on PEEL?

[#48 :]

Well I know I'm leaving. And to make sure I don't come back, I'm changing my password to jibberish letters.

[#49 :]

Well I know I'm leaving. And to make sure I don't come back, I'm changing my password to jibberish letters.

You've said this like 3 times now.

[#50 :]

Yes, but I won't know my password.

Keep in touch Danny, Beanoz, Pumpkin and others.

Bye biased forum!

[#51 :]

That approach doesn't make much sense to me. Either you don't want to post, so you don't, or you do want to, so you do. Scrambling one's password seems like a silly gesture. And not even permanent. [-mArc-] could still change it if he had the inclination.

On the topic of the poll - I was kinda surprised to see I gave it a lower rating than most people.

Edit - also, "biased forum"? The rating you gave this episode has more votes than any other.

[#52 :]

Well I thoroughly enjoyed it, great season opener, funny gags and actually Bender's sentimentality seemed to work when, dare I say it, usually it doesn't. Made me genuinely care about the relationship, although the sudden return of Bev seemed a bit too contrived, but maybe that was the point. Otherwise I liked Bev. The whole racially charged thing must have been lost on me; I do hope it wasn't intentional though because otherwise it seems a very cheap ploy.

Fry's sub-point was a forgettable though..um..so much so that I forgot all about it when I rated the episode just now.

I gave it a 9/10 though perhaps that's a rounded-up figure after I take off a few decimals (?) for the Fry subplot.

Gives me very high hopes for the rest of the season...only slightly dashed by the following episode...

[#53 :]

Edit - also, "biased forum"? The rating you gave this episode has more votes than any other.

"Biased forum" also seems kind of redundant, no? Like, dude, a forum is by definition a place where ideas are discussed and exchanged; sometimes the discusser-exchangers agree, but more often than not they don't. I just don't understand why the disagreements that arise between posters about an episode's relative quality are such a big deal. All the debatin' makes things more fun, I think.

[#54 :]

Yes, but I won't know my password.

Keep in touch Danny, Beanoz, Pumpkin and others.

Bye biased forum!

The login-page features a "forgot my password" link
So, good bye, see you in 2 weeks

[#55 :]

That was one of the better episodes than what I've seen the last two seasons and the movies. Maybe they're getting back on track.

[#56 :]

Futuramas back baby! This is actually the first time in ages I have cried at Futurama, Bender's such a good dad. It did feel a little rushed and there was plenty of good jokes.

8/10

[#57 :]

Dan Vebber is no longer listed in the credits, but we already know he penned "The Thief Of Baghead" and "Fun On A Bun". Perhaps he is filling the "freelance" role this season, so the producers don't have to look outside the core staff.

[#58 :]

Been waiting a long time for the new Futurama season. It's finally here! And with two great episodes back to back! Bots and the Bees was fantastic! Favorite moments was near the end when Bender said "I'd sacrifice any four of you guys in order for my son to be able to Bend!"

[#59 :]

Though was it just me or did Bev seem a little racially charged?

It's not just you. It caused me to cringe a couple of times.

This is the sole reason it gets a seven from me, rather than an eight.

This didn't really occur to me the first time around, but thinking about it now, the fact that Bev also has a kid with the Shaft-like URL has some unfortunate racial implications. But I don't think the writers wrote the character of Bev specifically for a black actress--meaning that all the neglectful mother jokes were presumably in the script before Wanda Sykes was cast--so that makes any of the seemingly stereotypical stuff in her portrayal more forgivable to me, if not more palatable. Also, Bender was initially willing to abandon his child--being drunk and violent at the time, of course--so it's not like she was the only unsympathetic or otherwise reprehensible parent.

In fact, the Bev representation was a plus for me in that episode.
No one would have bothered if she had been some kind of "White Trash" representation. I think it was "Die Ärzte" (famous German Punk Band), who once said "Even handycapped black women can be assholes".
Bev being a negative Black stereotype is for me as valid as her being a negative White/Asian/Whatever stereotype.
That the writers once broke two PC taboos (ridiculing a not-to-be-ridiculed group as well as making the mother the deadbeat parent) showed me that someone finally grew a pair.

[#60 :]

Bev being a negative Black stereotype is for me as valid as her being a negative White/Asian/Whatever stereotype.

Or as valid as Bender being a mexican stereotype.  Honestly I didn't even notice the race thing until I saw it mentioned on here.

[#61 :]

A representative few of the things I liked:

* the Batman-style opening.  For a first episode of the season it was a good fit.
* that they are beginning to use Randy deliberately, albeit briefly (since the Movies)
* seeing Scruffy's inclusion as part of the staff (but they missed Nibbler who is now officially "part of the crew")
* "wipe my tiny metal ass" - HILARIOUS!
* finding out that Bev is one of them welfare-type moms that have tons of babies and don't care who the baby daddy be.
* URL's "Nah, let's just get out of here" - ROFLMAO
* "Everything your body does is perfectly natural - EXCEPT MASTURBATION!  THAT'S JUST WRONG!" (notice young Tinny Tim is confused and oblivious, unlike everyone else  )

I disliked:

* all the dam*ed commercials!!!!  It makes it hard to stay with the story.

All in all, I give it a 7.5 out of 10 and a good start for the new season.

[#62 :]

Amy's parents also play to a fair amount of Asian stereotypes.

[#63 :]

Shows should not be controlled by the political correctness of the time.  This causes the show to be dated and unable to stand up in the future.  You have to break the rules and be what you need to be.

That said, I doubt that the writers were intending to create a racial stereotype.  Knowing Wanda (who also just recently "came out") she would have told the writers to shove the script up their tuchus if she had thought for one moment that this was a racist story.

[#64 :]

* the Batman-style opening.  For a first episode of the season it was a good fit.

Really? It reminded me of the first Fantastic Four issue because the professor and Reed Richards both has similar roles.

[#65 :]

* the Batman-style opening.  For a first episode of the season it was a good fit.

Really? It reminded me of the first Fantastic Four issue because the professor and Reed Richards both has similar roles.

Well, it was the Planet Express symbol shone up in the sky, and Zoidberg says "to the employment cave", and some of the music was of a similar theme to the old Batman TV show - the one from the 60's I don't mean the movies.

[#66 :]

* the Batman-style opening.  For a first episode of the season it was a good fit.

It was also a call-back to the last episode of the previous season (Reincarnation, 3rd part).

Maaan, I hate Wanda Sykes/Sikes/Whatever...other than that, this was a tremendous episode. Gonna watch it again before rating.

Wanda Sykes is only funny if other people write her material.

[#67 :]

Looking back, I think this episode has the greatest introduction of the entire series.

That fast montage of the crew gathering was superb.

I didn't really like the B-Plot with Fry glowing though. When the Professor told him to piss off, it was obvious that he'd return at just the right moment to save the day. But the actual return was very anti-climatic. Other than that, I enjoyed this episode more than the second one.

[#68 :]

Heeeeeere's PUMPKIN! Good news everyone! I'm back!

[#69 :]

Welcome back.

[#70 :]

I was on travel in a place the internet and tv forgot, so I just got a chance to see this ep.  I can't put my finger on what was different, but this felt much more like classic futurama then any of the episodes in season 6.  It could have come right out of season 3.

I give it a 9/10

[#71 :]

Ehhhhhh.

I haven't gotten a chance to read the above comments...I am just, grr, like Neutopia, very disappointed with how they choose to start out their new seasons, or at least how the airing order is.

I LOVED the opening breaking of the 4th wall and the recongition of the meme. EXCELLENT. After that...not so much. I am just increasingly getting irritated with how plots are messing up with canon, and on top of having to listen to Wanda Sykes as that machine the whole episode. Don't get me wrong, I found her quite entertaining in The New Adventures of Old Christine, but man, was that an annoying role for her to be cast in...The Fry subplot just seemed to be haphazardly thrown in there, and sadly, I enjoyed that plot way more than the main one. That's never a good sign.

SGB, don't kill me. But I give this episode a 4/10.

Oh wait, this caught my eye:

the 1st episode was just boring. the story was weak. it wasn't funny at all. i hated the ending for that episode too.

the 2nd was just chaos & unfunny humor.

my favorite show...making me want to cry right now.

Okay see you later bye bye. Not a fan anymore? Why stay on PEEL?

I'm still a fan. And I clearly did not enjoy this episode. Just because you don't flock to every new episode with enthusiasm like a crazy fanboy/fangirl doesn't mean you're not a fan.

EDIT: Also Hey, pumpkinpie is back! Welcome!!

[#72 :]

I agree…
with everyone.

Actually, I thought this one was pretty good but it did seem a bit disjointed and uneven so I only gave it a 7.

[#73 :]

It was so good, I though the care free Bender we all loved wouldnt work having a son, but it was so fuuny to see how he actually loved his son. I LOL at Earl having a kid.

9/10

This is why Futurama is my fav show ever.

[#74 :]

Good:
- the opening (to the employment cave!)
- Fry's slurm addiction
- the robot sex ed video
- the scenes featuring Bender robbing stuff together with Ben
- the part near the end where Ben's memory card is replaced with a bending card. That was actually touching in an intelligent way (Bender drawing a smiling face on his back, him twitching when Ben says he never had a father) and also had some brilliant comic relief (the professor with the saw)
- the graphics look good

Bad:
- the whole character of Bev. Unfunny, uncreative and probably also a racial stereotype (even though I'm not sensitive about these things). Also her all of a sudden not caring about Ben anymore after the new baby came about is a pretty lame and hard to believe way out.
- the cutsey part with Ben's kidnapping and subsequent return to Bender. Others may view this differently; I just don't like it when I'm supposed to have an emotional connection with a character that has been introduced 10 minutes ago. Generally, this episode seemed rushed. An event like Fry being kicked out of Planet Express - that could have been the main plot in an old school episode - was merely a sidekick. That's an issue I have with lots of the new episodes.
- the ending with Fry and the lightnings was kind of lame, featuring cartoonish Itchy & Scratchy style violence. Not happy with the writers willing to abandon the laws of physics, logic and realistic character behavior for the sake of jokes and plot twists (the arm sequence of the following episode is obviously much worse).

All in all I'd give it a 6.

[#75 :]

After seeing it mentioned several times I must make a distinction between 'being rushed' and pacing.  Newer Futurama have faster pacing than old Futurama.  Just compare an average Season 1 episode to a Season 3 or 4.  As the characters become more established, less time is needed to show basic characterization and more complicated plots can be used.  When something is 'rushed', it doesn't allow time for all of the plot points to conclude and essential details are skipped over.  I was never confused as to what was happening in TBAtB because it wasn't rushed, it just had a fast pace.

[#76 :]

You can't racial stereotype a robot. They could have but a Tress Mcneill or Lauren Tom in that role and it would have had the same result.

[#77 :]

I think I'm the only person on the planet who enjoyed the Fry B-plot...

[#78 :]

You can't racial stereotype a robot. They could have but a Tress Mcneill or Lauren Tom in that role and it would have had the same result.

Sure you can, if you can emphasize a racial stereotype using a Star Wars alien like Jar-Jar, one can do it with a beverage machine, named Bev.  But I don't think it was intentional.  As I said in an earlier comment if Wanda Sykes had thought the story was racist she would not have agreed to participate in the episode.

[#79 :]

I've been waiting new episodes a long time, so this was great relief with excellent beginning of the Bots and the Bees. The educational video -joke works as always and mathematical explanation of reproducing was best part of episode.

Progress of storyline was too fast, there would have been enough story for two episodes.
This was also the problem with a Farewell to Arms. I just hope next episodes would be little easier with the progress of story.

Maybe I just need to watch them again later...