Thoughts on 7ACV07 - The Six Million Dollar Mon - SPOILERS!

[#200 :]

Helper isn't really dead, he just thought we'd all enjoy that for a moment.

Zing!  I'm gonna go outside now.

[#201 :]

He was clamped to death in 6ACV14.

Huh, I always thought those robots were just retconned back to life afterward.  Wasn't iZac in with that group?

Yes IZac was in that group.

And he appeared in 7ACV03... Dun dun duuuun.

[#202 :]

Check this thread out. Seriously, it could use more of the discussion that's going on here before this thread gets buried when the new episode airs.

[#203 :]

I hope the next half of this season will be better than what we've seen so far, so I know which disc to always watch when the DVD/Bluray comes out. After "Decision 3012", the eps got kinda.......dull and boring, but they also had interesting plots and funny one-liners. But still.......  So for this season, I liked this episode, TBATB, AFTA, D3012, and Zapp Dingbat (little bit).

[#204 :]

Every ep has been pretty much awesome for me... 7ACV06 was the only downer.

[#205 :]

Since it's been said a couple of times that people would rather discuss this episode than "Futurama isn't as good as it used to be" in this thread, I'll respond to your long post earlier in a more appropriate thread when I get a chance. Expect red dancing text.

And Lo! An answer was given unto him. He was blessed, although he knew it not.

Also, this thread. It exists.

[#206 :]

Decent episode. Not a fan of Hermes, so an episode being about him becoming a robot was not something that would thrill me all that much. The execution however was pretty good. Good use of Zoidberg. Him and his Hermes puppet were the bright spot of this episode. The rest wasn't particularly great, but it wasn't awful either. Some of the twists were genuinely surprising. I saw the Roberto thing coming though. Once again it is sad to see that the writers aren't hesitant to suddenly introduce new or kill off classic characters just for a (supposed) laugh. Then again, Roberto is a figure I wouldn't miss at all. He's so one-dimensional and has actually become less interesting ever since he was first introduced. Still, I'm pretty certain he'll be back.
Also, thumbs up for bringing back the "crazy scientist" Farnsworth. The Frankenstein scene was pretty awesome.

I gave it an 8, which is on the upper limit of what I usually grant new Futurama episodes. This one's worse than Zapp Dingbat, but except for that better than every other episode of this season.

[#207 :]

This was actually one of Roberto's best appearances, IMO.

[#208 :]

One more thing ...

In the future Planet Express, Hermes is a head in a jar (hopping on a pogo stick). It would have been neat if Hermes had ended up as a head in a jar in this episode. That conceptual continuity thing, you know ...

[#209 :]

But that was a universe where Fry, Bender and the Professor never existed. Different effects and whatnot.

[#210 :]

But that was a universe where Fry, Bender and the Professor never existed.

A playthrough of the universe in which they disappeared at the point where TLPJF kicks off. Not what you said. There's an important difference.

[#211 :]

I mean never existed after they "died". Jesus, calm down.

[#212 :]

To say that somebody "never existed" means that they weren't even born. Use the right words and I won't have to throw dancing red text at you.

[#213 :]

Let's hear it for sort-of-not-really Doctor Who references!

[#214 :]

I haven't made it past a couple sentences yet, but the irony of TNUK referring to literally anyone else here as a "nitpicker" is rather amusing to me.

[#215 :]

This was a decent episode.  I rated it a 7/10.  I liked seeing Hermes pile on more and more upgraded body parts.  I especially liked the cylon parts! 

I didn't have any problem with the ending like many people seem to have.  It made Futurama "sense" to me.  Anything remotely coherent would have been better than the piece of crap ending of last week's episode though.

[#216 :]

Pompeii Jose's Island Hot Sauce

Quality right there

[#217 :]

Pompeii Jose's Island Hot Sauce

Quality right there

Let me add:

Lady Chatterly's Janitor.

No show does background jokes as good as the 'Rama.

[#218 :]

This thing:

is your friend.

[#219 :]

He probably meant to use the Edit button and instead hit quote.

Let's all point and laugh.

* TMC  points and laughs

[#220 :]

* Inquisitor Hein calls Nelson Muntz to do the poiting and laughing. Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, Nelson will not have time to do so before tomorrow.

[#221 :]

[#222 :]

Lol. I did indeed mean to hit the edit button. If i wasnt on an iPhone, this wouldn't have happened. My point about the background jokes still stands, though.

I also still found this episode to be the weakest of the season, as well.

[#223 :]

Fair enough. Using phones can be a pain. On multiple occasions I've accidentally marked all messages as read.

Funny, this one was my favourite of the Season, but I think Fun on a Bun edged it out by a little. I personally value the structure and pacing of and episode over most other things, which this episode nailed.

[#224 :]

"The Six Million Dollar Mon"


Zoidberg using Hermes remains to perform standup


Although Hermes isn't one of my favorite characters, his episodes always seem to be really good. Just like this one. This episode explored two main characters really well, had fun while doing it and didn't feel like a retread of any other episode. It was funny from the word go with many great parts and many great gags. With Zoidberg limited to a subplot he was fantastic in this. Zoidberg is my favorite character but when he has an episode centered around him it doesn't always turn out too great, but he was perfect here.

Pacing was spot on also and they sure did fit a lot into the first act without it feeling rushed which I have to applaud. I also liked that, although they could have, they kept the amount of gore to an absolute minimum which I felt was just the right amount. I'd also like to give recognition to Phil LaMarr, he was fantastic as Hermes (and later the voice he used for Mecha Hermes) he defiantly deserves some kind of award for this. My favorite things from this one are as follows...


* Like most episodes this season, the opening few scenes were hilarious
* "My job? Boilers and toilets, toilets and boilers ... plus that one boilin' toilet - Fire me if you'n dare..."

Zoidberg: "You don't understand, he was the only one who cared enough to insult me..."
Leela: "I insult you ya fat sack!"
Zoidberg: "Sure ... when it's convenient, but Hermes was always there for me"

* I didn't mind the falling sauce gag and I didn't think it went on for too long (Maybe I'm just used to gags being extremely stretched out on other shows that this didn't bother me)

URL: "You're going straight to the electromagnetic chair..."
Roberto: "And then ... i'mma stab it!"

* Dying Unit 44 


To sum up I'd say that this was a huge step up from the last, weak episode (but that's to be expected with a Keeler episode) it was funny, well paced and had a good plot to boost so it just really worked. It's up there with my favorites of the season and it's probably the best Hermes episode to date.


15/20 (B+)    

[#225 :]

To say that somebody "never existed" means that they weren't even born. Use the right words and I won't have to throw dancing red text at you.

Unless you're a time traveler, in which case you can remember them because you are outside of events now.

[#226 :]

To say that somebody "never existed" means that they weren't even born. Use the right words and I won't have to throw dancing red text at you.

Unless you're a time traveler, in which case you can remember them because you are outside of events now.

Depends on your method of time travel, and the rules that apply depending on whether you're in a particular literary, cinematic, televised or other form of reality - which may be affected by the degree to which you are genre-savvy, the degree to which you understand time travel, the effect that this will have on any narrative, and whether you are protected from paradox by internal logic, handwavium, applied phlebotinum or the inherant badassery of your archetype.

[#227 :]

... or the Multiverse ...

[#228 :]

It's sad that I knew those links were going to tvtropes before I even finished reading you post tnuk.  Still clicked anyway.

[#229 :]

Just for you, I've expanded the number of link words. Now, not all of them are TVtropes. I hope that this has increased your overall happiness.

[#230 :]

Somehow episode didn't feel so good, although there wasn't anything wrong with it.

Also, Amy seemed to be drawn strangely one time.

[#231 :]

IGN's review for this episode says something like "Hermes-centric episodes usually aren't that great".

This amuses me, because they gave Lethal Inspection a 9/10.

[#232 :]

All three Hermes-centric eps are among my favorites (three, right? LI, this one, and HRHGB--anything else?).

[#233 :]

No, that's them all.

Although you could argue that Neutopia is a Hermes episode, but that doesn't help IGN's case because they stupidly gave that a 9/10 as well.

[#234 :]

Just for you, I've expanded the number of link words. Now, not all of them are TVtropes. I hope that this has increased your overall happiness.

Aw shucks, you shouldn't have.  It's for the best, as the majority of those links were already purple for me.

[#235 :]

On the other hand, Labarbara was used well in this episode.  "My mahogany splendour?"

[#236 :]

On the other hand, Labarbara was used well in this episode.  "My mahogany splendour?"

Hehe. I agree, by the way. This was probably the episode in which her character came off best. (I've always liked her, but I can understand why others would find her cheating with Barbados Slim annoying. This episode probably gave us the most solid Labarbara / Hermes interaction since Neutopia.)

[#237 :]

LaBarbara has always been suited better as a naggy but devoted wife, rather than some bitch who will cheat on Hermes at the drop of a hat.

[#238 :]

LaBarbara has always been suited better as a naggy but devoted wife, rather than some bitch who will cheat on Hermes at the drop of a hat.

Agreed. I always found it sweet that despite being a statuesque beauty who could probably have just about any man she wanted, she chose pudgy little Hermes over a mahogany adonis.  It's find them referring to eachother as "Hus-bunndd!" and "Wife" both charming and funny.  Even though I no longer like Neutopia, it did a good job of making her likable, considering how much of her personality got derailed during the movies. 

By the way, does the show ever explain why LaBarbs towers over just about every other human character, male and female?  I'm pretty sure she's the tallest human character on the show by a wide (tall) margin, so I always wondered if she has some Amazonian blood in her or something.  It might be an interesting idea for a future episode, as long as they don't ruin a trip to Amazonia, the way the space bees and Chapek 9 were used for some dire callbacks.

[#239 :]

"HUS-BUNNNDDD!"

I love that.

With regard to LaBarbara's height . . . I think she's just tall.

Hmm. . . I liked the callback to Chapek 9, but the space bees . . . oh god, that was last year's Xmas episode, wasn't it? That's the only episode of Futurama I categorically don't like. Not even sure why (and I could never bring myself to attempt a rewatch) but it just didn't work somehow. I was hoping for an Anthology of Interest type thing and it ended up more latter-day Treehouse of Horror. Such a shame.