Thoughts on 7ACV11 - 31st Century Fox - SPOILERS!!!

[on:]

Have at it.

[Reply #1 on:]

I enjoyed this episode alot more than I expected! I will give it a 9/10

AS SOON AS THERE IS A POLL OPENED!

[Reply #2 on:]

Was wondering where this thread was. No poll though? I thought it was pretty good. Nice pacing, entertaining, funny. Everyone was in character. It involved mostly the main three with nice appearances by the supporting cast. 8/10, on par with the rest of the quality of the season. Patrick Stewart was pretty good too!

[Reply #3 on:]

Thoughts on 7ACV13 - 31st Century Fox - SPOLIERS!!!

7ACV13? "31st Century Fox" production code is 7ACV11.

[Reply #4 on:]

Fixed.

[Reply #5 on:]

What the...? I can't vote now! Also, there's already a 1/10 spammer vote...... 

[Reply #6 on:]

And some shit just voted 1 again...

[Reply #7 on:]

I did't like it, Stewart is always a treat though, and Bender getting fucked up is always funny.

5/10

[Reply #8 on:]

Apologies for the error in episode number and the poll. How does one fix the episode title number?

[Reply #9 on:]

How does one fix the episode title number?

It's not critical. Ask moderators to fix that.

[Reply #10 on:]

Here we are!

9/10 I didn't really like the beginning with the robot hunting/uniforms though. I enjoyed the second and third act lots! Leela eating all the ice cream is always a treat...FOR HER! Also, Bender's scream was the best! Some jokes felt hit-or-miss to me though, which brings my vote down to a 9/10. But great episode!

[Reply #11 on:]

Best episode ever.

[Reply #12 on:]

All in all, I thought this was a solid episode. It was by far one of the funniest episodes of this season; a lot of the jokes were kind of punny--and, of those wordplay-based jokes, a few of them were (endearingly) lame--but I laughed a lot more at this one than I have at some others this season. I was particularly taken by how amusing Leela was; I loved her almost childish pride in her Save the Fox sign (that bit about using a ruler and erasing the pencil lines killed me), and (even though I saw it coming) I guffawed at "There was a bear."

A note on Leela: Not only was the writing of her character, in this episode and throughout season seven, way more consistent and likable and entertaining than it was in season six--I also feel like she's become a bit more Fry-like in some of her mannerisms. This is something that's been discussed in the shipping thread in the past, so I won't ramble on about it here, but I think her Fry-ish tendencies are a good thing. I like that she can be serious and committed when the plot demands it, but she's also amenable to Fry and Bender's wacky hijinks. The two most notable examples of Leela's easygoing attitude from this episode are her line about already having given up on Bender's cause, and her request that they get ice cream on the way to the fox hunt. (Which reminds me: Fry and Leela play off one another so well; they really feel like a couple, even in those episodes that have nothing to do, overtly, with their romantic relationship.)

On a related note, I loved the interplay between the trio in this episode--even though I can't help but feel like all three characters were dumbed down a bit (Bender, in particular, had a few moronic lines). That's not a bad thing, necessarily--and, in fact, I kind of like when there's no straight man, when every character acts a little stupidly--but I certainly hope it's not indicative of any larger trend with characterization. In small doses, it's funny; in large doses, it's character assassination.

Since I'm already being a little negative, I'll add that the actual plot progression of this episode left a bit to be desired. I spent much of the second act being bothered by the plot's nonexistent stakes. As Leela sort of lampshades, Bender is mostly fabricating these injustices against robot animals; that tongue-in-cheekness makes the lack of stakes almost forgivable, though. And the twist at the end of act two, with Bender being hunted, was genuinely surprising to me; it made me really excited to see what was done in act three, and for the most part I was not disappointed with the story's resolution. (I wasn't terribly fond of the reveal with the Huntsman at the end, but whatever. It didn't ruin the episode for me or anything.)

In short, I really enjoyed this episode. I'd say it was one of the stronger ones of this season story- and pacing-wise, and among the funniest as well. Definitely an 8/10, at least.

[Reply #13 on:]

Good episode. Not amazing, but the fact that I can't pinpoint any serious plot holes are pacing issues means it was a success.

Although I actually predicted the twist of Patrick Stewart being a robot somehow...

Stuff I liked:

-Amy's Spaceballs uniform

-"I can't shoot you."
"Bender, I found your trigger finger!"
"Ah. Now I can!"

-The scene where it cut to Ron Whitey in court.  

-The Professor's cannon. It showed a cross-section of the tower, and I'm obsessed with the building's layout.  

-"Remember when you told everyone to stay and then turned your head for a moment? He left an hour before that."

-Bender's NNYPD horse.

Stuff I didn't like:

The ice-cream jokes. They felt a bit stupid.

Anyway, this episode felt a lot like "Fry am the Egg Man" for some reason. I guess they're kind of similar, but this one isn't filled with silly Scottish stereotypes. 7/10

[Reply #14 on:]

Anyone want to tell me what Amy and Leela were wearing at the store?

PS: It's kind of bugging me that Leela has been totally fine with animal violence in the past two seasons and then she went back to her "Problem with Popplers" ways.

The ice cream bit is freaking fantastic. Leela is becoming more like Fry, its fantastic.

PPS: Gonna need a robot fox avatar whenever possible.

[Reply #15 on:]

Good episode. Not amazing, but the fact that I can't pinpoint any serious plot holes are pacing issues means it was a success.

Although I actually predicted the twist of Patrick Stewart being a robot somehow...

So that was him doing the voice! I couldn't read the credits, because CC shrunk them down.

As for the foxmaster being a robot, well, when his horse was revealed to be a robot, that's when I guessed it.

(And I knew there was going to be a Decopodian in the garment section scene. The usual 20th Century stereotype is a Jewish tailor.)

Anyone want to tell me what Amy and Leela were wearing at the store?

Try reading the post right before yours ...


Nothing really stands out in this episode for me, though ... "Fox news, everyone"??? (That would have been funnier and more appropriate in the original run.)

[Reply #16 on:]

Anyone want to tell me what Amy and Leela were wearing at the store?

Amy:  Technician/enginner uniform from Spaceballs



Leela:  Dressed like the title character (played by Jane Fonda) from Barbarella.

[Reply #17 on:]

This was... completely and utterly nuts. In a good way. I think that this episode, despite the plot being somewhat forced and the "twist" at the end being dumb, compares well to the original run. It's funny, it's futuristic, it's well voiced, well animated, and well characterised. There are background jokes that function as fantastic nerd bonuses, and the established universe isn't fucked up to hell with all sorts of goofy continuity breaches. The jokes didn't feel lame, and there was no out-of-place pop culture. This definitely merits re-watching.

Well done, Futurama writers.

It loses points for me on the following grounds:

• The twist ending was dumb. Not just goofy or stupid. It was really, really, dumb.
• The plot was iffy at best, a forced premise to string jokes together at worst.
• Missed opportunities abounded. Mom should have been at the hunt. Mom should have had something to say about robot cruelty. Mom had a potential place here, and wasn't used. Since nearly every time she gets involved hilarity ensues (some of the best lines of the whole run come from Mom, afterall), I think that the episode is somewhat lacking for her absence.

Shockingly, I have no minor nitpicks that I want to ramble on about in painstaking detail. 7/10 from me. It would probably have been a 9 if Patrick Stewart hadn't been a robot and Mom had been involved.

[Reply #18 on:]

Alright, I give it a 6/10.

A few inconsistencies: Robots don't need to worry about sunburn. Unless not being built anymore no robot type is endangered, and I know this was a few episodes back (The Six Million Dollar Mon) but why did they even give air to Bender? Robots don't need air, all they need is power, also Robots don't need food only beer, which gives them power.

[Reply #19 on:]

Awesome episode, don't think there's much I can complain about really. Very good. I liked the use of laser guns (modern-day guns and guns that shoot bullets appear too much in new Futurama) and the Professor's cannon was amazing. Superb animation in the forest too. Ooo, ooo, and when the horse flips and lands on Bender, I laughed hard.

9/10

A few inconsistencies: Robots don't need to worry about sunburn. Unless not being built anymore no robot type is endangered, and I know this was a few episodes back (The Six Million Dollar Mon) but why did they even give air to Bender? Robots don't need air, all they need is power,

That's the joke.

[Reply #20 on:]

You seem surprised that Rush doesn't understand the concept of jokes.

[Reply #21 on:]

You seem surprised that Rush doesn't understand the concept of jokes.

That's right. I have no understanding of this concept you Humans call jokes.

[Reply #22 on:]

I really had no expectations for this episode going in, but I'm sure I would have liked it anyway. I though it had a pretty solid plot that had quite a few good jokes (I couldn't stop laughing at the Professor's cannon), and I liked that it was mostly about the main trio. As has been said before, I really liked that Leela just went along with the whole thing and I thought she and Fry had some funny interactions.

7/10

[Reply #23 on:]

Pretty decent, in spite of having a plot that seemed to have been derived completely from the punchline in the title of the episode.

The ice-cream bit was the funniest moment of the season so far.

My main gripe is the under-utilizing the opportunity of having snared Patrick Stewart for a part.  When the Simpsons snared Devito, they made sure he got a role that could always come back if it was needed.  Here, Stewart seems to have been retrofitted into an already written episode in a throw away role that can't possibly be used again.

Just image Stewart doing the part of Zapp's father; all the cockiness but with the achievement to back it up; or any other of a thousand characters with staying power.
But giving the former capain of the Enterprise a throw away role as an arbitrary master of the hunt in an animated  science fiction show ? That just lacks imagination.

[Reply #24 on:]

I thought it was a decent enough episode. Didn't have high expectations for it, but ended up really liking it. Patrick Stewart made it for me. 8/10

[Reply #25 on:]

I'm surprised at how many people liked the ice cream joke. I thought it was really cheesy.

[Reply #26 on:]

I enjoyed it a lot more then I thought I would.  The bear joke a bit too obvious for it to be funny, and it was nice to see Mrs Astor and the Queen of Yonkers again.

[Reply #27 on:]

This was a 6/10 for me. It had a few laughs (loved the ice cream bit) but for some reason this episode just didn't grab me. I liked the premise but by the end I was just kind of bored. I need to watch it again to see if that will help. It wasn't bad by any means but it definitely wasn't a highlight of the season for me.

[Reply #28 on:]

I'm surprised at how many people liked the ice cream joke. I thought it was really cheesy.

I agree actually, I really enjoyed the episode, but seriously don't get why the ice cream joke is getting so much love.

Zoo Station - U2 fan are we?

[Reply #29 on:]

It was okay. It met my expectations of being a pretty average episode. There were some good funny moments, every joke involving Bender's middle finger was funny, as was the beginning with the crew getting new suits. I thought there were quite a few misses, though. The interpretive dance scene in particular was almost cringe worthy. I didn't have a problem with Leela suddenly being all protective of animals again, since she turned on the fox so quickly. Maybe puppies and kittens did her wrong in the past.

I'll give it a 7/10.

I'm surprised at how many people liked the ice cream joke. I thought it was really cheesy.

I agree actually, I really enjoyed the episode, but seriously don't get why the ice cream joke is getting so much love.

Zoo Station - U2 fan are we?

Probably because Leela said it. As far as I can tell. people love when Leela acts dumb in an adorable way, but any other way people hate it and say it's un-characteristic.

[Reply #30 on:]

Honestly, I thought this episode was awful and although I should re-watch season 7 before committing to this opinion, I currently feel as if this is the weakest episode in this run.

It had some great jokes but it's the first episode of the show that's genuinely reminded me of The Simpsons in its decline. I know a lot of people accuse the show of being that way but for me, it's a first and it's pretty much purely down to the gags being whacky for the sake of it.

I loved the gag of Judge Whitey being the judge after they told him they'd see him in court, for example. Brilliant. But then they ruined it by having him on a horse behind his desk. Whacky! Not in a way that's logical within Futurama's universe!

I felt like the plot and the characterisation was messy and frankly, half the jokes felt like they just thought putting "robot" in front of normal words was funny. Robot meat? Robot eggs? Fuck off.

What has happened to my favourite show?


2/10 by Futurama's standards.
7/10 by overall TV standards.

[Reply #31 on:]

"It was a robot." Is now officially futurama's version of "A wizard did it."

[Reply #32 on:]

Am I the only one that loved Patrick Stewart's performance?

[Reply #33 on:]

Am I the only one that loved Patrick Stewart's performance?

Nope. Stewart's performance was stellar, it's just the character he was voicing was utterly forgettable.

For all the Stewart fans out there, here's a subtle and brilliant skit from a british sitcom, just in case you've somehow missed it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg_cwI1Xj4M

It's incredible how an accomplished actor like him can still manage to take himself so utterly unserious, in such a serious way. Well, I guess that's one of the things that make him such a fine actor

[Reply #34 on:]

Episode gets a 6/10

I hated how bender suddenly cares for anything other than himself or the immediate crew.  The whole Idea of robot protection from cruelty and death was just dumb.  And robot eggs and meat WTF is a robo pig??  W-E-A-K

Also I hated "The Most Dangerous Game" reference, it could have had so much more potential perhaps and episode in parody material alone.  I did however enjoy the ice cream gag, and the head on the wall at the end, also Leela's confused idea of what is and isn't OK to kill.  But it was kinda odd how she is suddenly more caring about animals especially after her "It's just like stomping a puppy rotine" in "Fry am the Egg Man".  

Also I had the inclination that fry was a much better shot with a gun.  Maybe its just me though.  

[Reply #35 on:]

Also I had the inclination that fry was a much better shot with a gun.  Maybe its just me though. 

That fox was fast. And he was in a moving spaceship. I'd cut him some slack.

[Reply #36 on:]

it was an okay episode, though the whole robot animal violence protest got played out to much.  Is it me or is Fry's influence rubbing off on Leela.  That whole ice cream scene was hilarious.  "There was a bear."  Lol

[Reply #37 on:]

Also I had the inclination that fry was a much better shot with a gun.  Maybe its just me though. 

It's probably because of the sepia tinted rifle scope.  WTF is up with that?

[Reply #38 on:]

Zoo Station - U2 fan are we?

You know it! They're my favorite band.

It's interesting to hear the different reactions to this episode. It really makes me want t see it again and see if I think it's better than I originally thought.

[Reply #39 on:]

And now to spam with pictures...



“O” For anyone that couldn’t be bothered to look that up.
Panorama: ‘how many references can you cram into a scene’

Fry cleans up nice, but a red shirt? You're asking for trouble!

I would totally buy that -the PE jacket, not the professors getup *donotwant*– seriously, can we ask for them to make this?
I like the ‘hero wind’ gag, not so much the fists sewn to the belt. There’s a few hilarious lines and moments, finding this episode amusing so far.
Fry looks quite dashing in a Fox-hunting outfit, Bender just looks misshapen

‘I saw it coming from a mile away’ kinda obvious and simple gag... although the gravity thing caught me off guard so it was effective in that moment, but the other times... just no. Overdone joke already.
The fox being torn up was slightly disturbing, even though I knew it was a robotic fox.

Where'd the hole go?

Leela’s getting grabby, hope she doesn't become clingy or anything.

Uh, so the chicken gag sort of worked for me, but you’ve lost me on the pig. Especially since the first thing I noticed was that the Robot-butcher is voiced by John Dimaggio and it just sounded too similar to Elzar.
Ducks were funny though xD And more relevant

^ Grab for no raisin... just like the facial expressions



(I’m not giving up yet)
Fry: ‘I am.’
Leela: ‘I already did.’

... that sounds like they’re saying each others lines and I know Gorky mentioned before that Leela’s picking up Frys mannerisms (and Fry used Leelas “Oh Lord” in an earlier ep) but what’s unusual is Leela is following Frys lead when normally it’s the other way around – even when asking for ice-creams:

They’re also strangely in sync when they stand up and walk out.
‘There was a bear’

I’m sorry, but Bender giving Fry money?! Bender never shares! But the ‘no chocolate’ makes me lol. Fry and Leela are a bit like children in a few scenes, which is hilarious.
Lawn darts? Dafuq? xD



Best reference ever.
Nothing much to commentate on other than I’m really enjoying this episode and how the plot has progressed

Love Benders self correction. ‘Whom’


It’s a literal plot twist! Only on Futurama xD
May I also say the background and lighting is fabulous in this scene, really set the tone.
Now please excuse the shipper in me as we view this hug?grab?cling? from many different angles.




This episode was fun, not quite sure if there was a message in there though, and I’m surprised they didn’t have more digs at 20th Century Fox – but they’ve got a fox now, wonder if it’ll make an appearance in a future episode... wonder if we’ll ever see Nibbler again? But anyway, it ended on ice creams and now I’mma going to go make pancakes before I review Naturama. 8/10