Thoughts on 7ACV24 - Murder on the Planet Express - SPOILERS

[#40 :]

Guys, I think next time, wait until the episode airs in the USA until deciding to make a Review Thread.

Because 1: Downloading/Piracy is illegal, and isn't allowed to be discussed on this forum, and sometimes could result into a immediate ban.

And 2: I don't wanna be spoiled on what happens before I watch it!

Also 3: I called these next threads. Not a big deal with me, but still, when someone calls it, you can't go against it lol 

I've been hearing rumors on other fourms that PIRACY is actually what really helped killed the shows new run off faster than anticipated by CC's demo. department.

Oh, please. For example 6ACV01 and 6ACV02 were all over the internet 2 days before the premiere. That didn't stop Futurama from having great ratings that year.

[#41 :]

Guuys, it isn't wise to be talking about Piracy/Downloading.

The mods are watching us...... 

[#42 :]

Exactly.
Priracy killed the new run from the start.

Downloading the new episodes for free is bad, and you should feel bad!

[#43 :]

Whatever floats your boat man.

[#44 :]

Guuys, it isn't wise to be talking about Piracy/Downloading.

The mods are watching us...... 

And so is the NSA.

[#45 :]

This one I loved
I'm more for Freela and flashback centered episodes but I LOVED this one
"Sorry I just get really hungry around 11:30" me and Leela are so similar XD

[#46 :]

#9 guy is hung like a whale.  How else was he able to keep standing with both legs in the air?

And another Manwich reference.  WOOOOOOOO!!!!

[#47 :]

Exactly.
Priracy killed the new run from the start.

Downloading the new episodes for free is bad, and you should feel bad!

I'm going to assume that the majority of people who download episodes illegally either
1) already have cable that they pay for that includes Comedy Central, but either aren't able to watch it when it airs or simply want to watch it without commercials,
2) don't live in one of the very few areas where people have Nielsen boxes in which case it doesn't matter whether you have cable or not beyond the cable company and Viacom getting your hard-earned money, or
3) live in an area that doesn't receive Comedy Central or any other station that airs Futurama,
and in none of those situations is it possible for those people to affect the television ratings either positively or negatively. It may have an effect on DVD sales, but that has very little to do with whether a show gets cancelled as opposed to ratings. So to say that piracy was a large factor behind the cancellation of the show is entirely absurd and unfounded. I'd honestly guess that there are far more people who simply aren't interested in watching the show anymore than there are people who have Nielsen boxes and keep up with the show but choose not to support it by downloading instead of watching it when it airs.

Everytime I hear this argument I wonder if people understand the concept of a Nielsen box and that not everybody who has cable is magically recorded and included in ratings...in reality only a very small portion of the population in very specific areas are recorded and actually affect ratings.

[#48 :]

Just now watching the 2nd Act for the first time but this episode gets a 10 just for Hermes saying "My Manwich".

The unmentionable one must be pissed that the creators like me and ignore him.

[#49 :]

Excuse me... what's with that scene you guys saw.
In this scene, there are two Frys.

[#50 :]

"...to survive for weeks. [whuuumm...] We'll be dead within a hour."
This kind of interesting, different plot is great. Cleverly done foolishness tying all the characters together, neat set-up for mystery driven funny-wise plot with obvious charcter-interaction development, but with many twists in dark scenery (by creature). Creature eating characters was so absurd (in a good way).

"Frender, Frender, Frender! Frender, Frender, Frender!"
Even though it seemed cheesy "characters learned trusting each other" first, it was made with Futurama style, not solving anything. It was good that absurd explanations weren't used for deaths, but I'm not sure "it was team building retreat all along" was so great either, except for the two last twists in the end with funny "back to the start" ending. It was great after all.

"Lets solve the problem in old-fashiond way... by shooting it!"
Premise of the episode was great and it also turned out excellently. I liked much of this basically sci-fi detective story, but actually trust issues -themed mysterious overall fun episode. Even though it wasn't epic or impressive, it was very well done, straightforward enjoyable episode. It was nearly perfect, 9.5/10. (Well, maybe not that good, but I liked it.)

Scruffy: "It's on my list."
This might make in to my top ten favorites list, but we'll see after 3rd rewatch.

[#51 :]

Exactly.
Priracy killed the new run from the start.

Downloading the new episodes for free is bad, and you should feel bad!

I download because there's pretty much no other way for me to see them, living in Australia and all. I did, however, buy every single DVD upon its release, and have introduced the show to others who have also purchased DVDs.

But yeah, guess I must be a pretty terrible fan.

[#52 :]

Exactly.
Priracy killed the new run from the start.

Downloading the new episodes for free is bad, and you should feel bad!

I download because there's pretty much no other way for me to see them, living in Australia and all. I did, however, buy every single DVD upon its release, and have introduced the show to others who have also purchased DVDs.
But yeah, guess I must be a pretty terrible fan.

What you do is illegal.
But as long as you buy FUTURAMA stuff, I'll forgive you.
The FBI may not.

Anyway, the new episode was again, just soooo damn funny!

[#53 :]

It was a mix of predictable and less-predictable.  And part of an AOI, and what not.  Not an all-time fave, but I liked it.

[#54 :]

There was an AOI vibe to it, which honestly would have made it better if the crew really did die off one by one (because I'm morbid like that). There was genuine shock moments too which I liked. I also liked Fry's reveal of being the monster.

[#55 :]

I really liked the whole first act of this episode. I always like seeing the crew hanging around the Planet Express building and general office antics. I also enjoy seeing Fry and Bender at home, so I liked that the episode opened with that. Oh, and we got to see the Number 9 Man again, which was fun (hurr, 15-inch floppy disk).

I agree with UrL that they did a good job of establishing a feeling of actual tension once the monster arrived onboard, and I was genuinely confused as to what was actually going to happen. The fact that the Professor said that it was all just a team-building exercise and then turned out to be the monster made the actual reveal that it, in fact, was all just a team-building exercise seem actually surprising, where it might have just felt cheap otherwise.

I liked that the episode continued to be very funny once everything started to get tense and life-threatening. Frender was great, and I laughed a lot at "Hermberg". Also "I've always had ears!" and "I know what's going on here. I'M the monster!"

I thought the ending with Fry and Bender killing someone was a little dark, but it was mostly played for laughs and it didn't ruin the episode for me (although it took me by surprise).

A solid 9/10

[#56 :]

#9 guy is hung like a whale.  How else was he able to keep standing with both legs in the air?

Genetic engineering, baby! 8-)

I'm surprised that the writers didn't make a joke about "kidney pie", though ...

And as for the main act, I think this is the stupidest that the entire Planet Express crew has been, especially after they got guns. Then they split up, so the monster could pick them off one by one? Was there any grey matter operating on the ship!?!?

(Fry and Bender got to resolve their issue of trust, but did anyone else? Were there several scenarios going on at the same time (for Hermes and Zoidberg, and Amy and Leela)? Or were Fry and Bender the just first ones? And if they were, wouldn't that give away what McExpendible was doing?)

And that bit at the end, with the news, involves an unsolvable problem called The Prisoner's Dilemma. I wondered whether that was where the newscast was going.

[#57 :]

Did two Frys meet each other?

[#58 :]

That was great. 7.5/10

Much like everyone else, loved the Frender. Nice lot of callbacks, and I think I even saw a Wreck it Ralph reference at the start. Woo!

[#59 :]

Awesome! This episode made me laugh quite a lot, I loved how Leela came to eat Fry's kidney. Just grose I do wonder where they got that skull... Also loved Frender, it looked so weird but really cool! Wreck-it-ralph reference was great as well, and seeing 9 was a great suprise!

This is a 9.5, but 9/10 for the poll

[#60 :]

9/10 from me, just epic. Had a great sci-fi feel. Dan McMasters was a great character, and the episode was hilarious, made me laugh quite often. Just awesome. Loved seeing more of the PE ship and the characters pairing up.

Priracy killed the new run from the start.

You say everything killed the new run.

[#61 :]

Great episode. The teamwork theme was a nice touch.
Very very funny episode

9/10

[#62 :]

9.5/10, my 2nd fav of 7B... so far

[#63 :]

Why are some people annoyed about Fry and Bender killing Dan McMasters at the end? I wouldn't trust him one bit if I were in that situation. I don't think I'd shoot him as many times as Fry & Bender did, but I'd definitely keep my eye on him and have my gun on him at all times.

[#64 :]

Alright, this episode is just funny, especially since the touching one last week. Im not really impressed for this episode, like how they get bessie back isnt explained. Maybe its not very important to others but its quite important to me. And what?? There were no monsters? I thought the eaten crew will moved to another place (actually, yes) and killing that monster again. And killing McMasters, i dont really like it. I feel sorry for him. But that scene is funny, so i wouldnt give that a minus point. Actually i was going to give this episode 8/10, but since this is really a funny episode and Scruffy wasnt just a cameo in this episode im giving this episode 9/10.

[#65 :]

I love ensemble episodes, and this one is no different. Just brilliant.

The scene in the panic room managed to be both funny yet genuinely surprising and unsettling. This scene combined with all the reversals and twists makes this a very impressively plotted episode.

[#66 :]

That was fantastic. Tightly plotted with no loose ends, cleverly constructed, lots of laughs the whole way through - really, really solid stuff. Act 2 in particular had genuine stakes and a sense of urgency that the show hasn't had in a while, and the plot twists were very well executed. I honestly had no idea where this episode was heading for most of it.

A very well-earned 9/10 from me.

Also, how damn funny was Scruffy in this episode?!

[#67 :]

Was the "monster" not a reference to The Thing ?

[#68 :]

In many ways this episode reminded me of "Prisoner of Benda".  Very tightly plotted, with many twists and turns, and playing with questions of who is who.  10/10

[#69 :]

The fact this whole episode was a parody of John Carpenter's The Thing, made me love it so much.  The jokes were hilarious.  The twists such as who was the shapeshifter did surprise me.  The ending with Fry and Bender not trusting each other, again very much like the end of The Thing.

[#70 :]

I laughed out loud at Zoidberg's instructions to Hermes on how to fend off the creature. Juvenile? Oh, my yes. The pacing in this episode was superb and the jokes outstanding. As Fnord noted, the ending dilemma was an excellent way to tie up the whole theme of the episode. Just, wow. I was already excited about seeing this because of the titular reference to "Murder on the Orient Express," which is novel I fully enjoy because

in that story it turns out every one of the suspects was the murderer

. While this plot didn't follow that story arc, I was not disappointed in any way. I was glad to see our old friend 9 and his visual leg gag was a nice touch. Having the whole crew on the ship interacting together in a closed environment was a great way to draw focus to the writing and characters rather than impressing us visually, and to me that effort paid off. Go team Lamy!

[#71 :]

like how they get bessie back isnt explained.

That's a running joke on the show, no matter what happens to the ship (whether it be stolen, damaged, sold, etc.) they always get it back.

[#72 :]

like how they get bessie back isnt explained.

That's a running joke on the show, no matter what happens to the ship (whether it be stolen, damaged, sold, etc.) they always get it back.

Also the fact that Futurama, like the Simpsons, is not one for episode-by-episode continuity, and tries to appeal to the occasional viewer (also, I'm fine with assuming they bought it back between the two episodes)

[#73 :]

They probably had Bender beat up the guy who bought Bessie. Also Fry.

[#74 :]

like how they get bessie back isnt explained.

I think it would be a problem with Leela and the Genestalk, not with this episode. However, it doesn't bother me, because:

(also, I'm fine with assuming they bought it back between the two episodes)

[#75 :]

Thinking about it, if the entire thing was a pre-planned team-building exercise, why didn't the Professor or Dan McMasters remove any weapons from the ship beforehand to prevent the crew from actually harming anyone?

[#76 :]

Maybe the Professor was unaware of exactly what McMasters had planned, and McMasters was unaware there were weapons aboard?

[#77 :]

Maybe the Professor was unaware of exactly what McMasters had planned, and McMasters was unaware there were weapons aboard?

You'd think McMasters would tell the Professor so he could check for weapons, I mean why risk getting a bunch of people killed in an attempt to hunt down a fake monster for the sake of a trust-building exercise?

[#78 :]

It's not much of a stretch. I mean, we didn't know until this episode that the ship had a panic room and a basement. Who's to know what other wonders lurk in its hull? The Professor has proven his forgetfulness in the past (Smelloscope, for instance) so it's likely he forgot what's aboard the ship, too.

[#79 :]

They probably didn't have enough time to sort out the possibilities, Danny.