|
Frida Waterfall

Professor

|
|
I'm actually of the opposite opinion- while the Anthology of Interest episodes were pretty good, they really aren't necessary. All five stories could have been written as full, canonical episodes, and the sixth is already all a dream. We're getting giant Bender sometime in the future, Leela could have become more impulsive because of side effects of a drug, we could have found out the consequences of Fry not going to the future from a time-travel episode, the professor is crazy enough to invent a way to convert robots into animals, and a video game invasion episode could have been fun. In the realms of sci-fi, anything is possible. The non-Anthology of Interest episodes are basically what The Simpsons and Family Guy already do but with the Futurama cast. They're typically fun. Okay, "The Futurama Holiday Spectacular" was crap but "Reincarnation" made up for it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gorky

DOOP Secretary

|
|
Yeah, I found all three of those clips—especially the Employee of the Month one—quite promising! I was skeptical of this episode based on its title and premise, but my hopes are now significantly higher for it. Also, I’m like 85% positive the female DOOP officer in that third clip is voiced by the comedian Kathy Griffin, which would be a great in-joke in light of all the flak she received for that somewhat regrettable Trump’s-bloody-head photo shoot in 2017.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gorky

DOOP Secretary

|
|
^Yeah, I noted the same thing of that character (whose name I did not realize was “Glab”; I always thought of her as “DOOP boss lady”). Zapp is also sounding pretty rough, as he did in “Children of a Lesser Bog.” I suspect there’s something about the original deepness/growl of his voice that Billy West just isn’t quite able to reach anymore. Combined with Zapp’s typically slow/labored line delivery, it makes the character sound pretty old and worn out. Thematically appropriate for an episode where he gets suspended in disgrace, I suppose, but still a bit distracting and disappointing.
|
|
|
|
|
cyber_turnip

Urban Legend
  
|
|
I'm actually of the opposite opinion- while the Anthology of Interest episodes were pretty good, they really aren't necessary. All five stories could have been written as full, canonical episodes, and the sixth is already all a dream. We're getting giant Bender sometime in the future, Leela could have become more impulsive because of side effects of a drug, we could have found out the consequences of Fry not going to the future from a time-travel episode, the professor is crazy enough to invent a way to convert robots into animals, and a video game invasion episode could have been fun. In the realms of sci-fi, anything is possible. The non-Anthology of Interest episodes are basically what The Simpsons and Family Guy already do but with the Futurama cast. They're typically fun. Okay, "The Futurama Holiday Spectacular" was crap but "Reincarnation" made up for it.
Maybe I lack vision, but I don't think they could do "Leela kills everyone in cold-blooded murder" as a normal, canon episode of the show. The video game one and Wizard of Oz ones were also well outside the realms of a typical episode. But sure, they could have probably expanded the rest into normal episodes.
|
|
|
|
|
cyber_turnip

Urban Legend
  
|
|
The first sneak peek for episode 8. I don't like the constant repeating of "I'm going to allow this" as this character's catchphrase now. That appeared in one episode before but now it's just a lazy callback. That said, it made me laugh as the punchline to the clip so maybe I should just shut the hell up. If this clip is anything to go by, the cancel culture stuff in this episode is going to be "Rage Against the Vaccine" levels of lame. And, like... why is Kif only now taking issue with this stuff after decades of it? I hope they actually write a reason for it like Amy pushing him to stand up for himself. That said, the humour around the cancel culture stuff was good. Also some words on potential future movies from Claudia Katz. I'm seeing a lot of "Futurama Producer Teases Movies" headlines and, in the context, that's not even close to what happened here. BUT the fact that she's even thinking about big screen movies at all is amazing news to me. I'd love nothing more than a real Futurama movie. EDIT: ... aaand a second and third clips.
Ooh, that sounds like a guest star as the woman in the final clip. Any ideas who it is?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gorky

DOOP Secretary

|
|
Yeah, I'm hoping it's not horribly self-referential...though I suppose that would make it a nice bookend with "The Impossible Stream." I've been spoiled to expect emotionally potent (often shippy) season finales, so I'll be sort of surprised/disappointed if that's not the case with this one. But DXC is writing it, and as far as I'm concerned he has just one stinker ("Free Will Hunting") to his name, so I'll hold out hope that it's not only a thematically interesting episode but also an emotionally affecting one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gorky

DOOP Secretary

|
|
Somehow those clips raise more questions for me than they answer. It seems the toy parodies (if you could call them that) are rather general, which could work to the episode's advantage or could just make the whole thing feel even more needless. Guess we'll just have to wait and find out.
It is pretty amusing that we've seen more deliveries—or at least heard more talk of deliveries—in those three brief clips than in the preceding eight episodes combined.
|
|
|
|
|
transgender nerd under canada

DOOP Ubersecretary
 
|
|
Guess we'll just have to wait and find out.
Well, you were sort of right. Generic toy parodies that were somehow very specific at the same time. I did get a chuckle from the fact that the wheels for the cars were "sold separately", as it felt like a pretty clever poke at the number of items in a typical Hot Wheels commercial that don't come as part of the actual toy, but the obvious focus on a specific brand makes me wonder if this was simply a stealth job application on the part of the writers for a position somewhere in Mattel's marketing division. And this doesn't give me great hope for what remains of the season. Which will contribute to decreased activity here, which will in turn probably have a negative effect on the PEELies 2023 (nominations are open until October, so hustle your butts over there and nominate, even if it's just a thinly-disgused ruse to up your postcount).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gorky

DOOP Secretary

|
|
That clip intrigues me—I’ll be curious to see if Bender’s warning to the Professor is somehow a subtle (or, knowing how the Hulu run operates, not-so-subtle) callback to his experiences in “Godfellas.”
I truly don’t know what to expect from this episode…but I’m not dreading it, at least, so that’s a plus! (And hell, I was dreading “The Prince and the Product” and I wound up being one of the few people here who actually liked it, so what good are my hunches?)
|
|
|
|
|
Just Fan
Starship Captain
   
|
|
 |
« Reply #625 on: 09-22-2023 17:40 »
« Last Edit on: 09-22-2023 17:42 »
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gorky

DOOP Secretary

|
|
One last preview clip here. This episode is giving me slight “Overclockwise” vibes, just in terms of how Bender-centric and quasi-philosophical it seems to be, all while exploring a science-nerdy concept. Oh, and “They’re goin’ at it like two packs of gum” did make me giggle. I wasn’t overly impressed with that second clip—some of the visual humor felt derivative of the gags in “Reincarnation,” particularly the video game segment—but now I’m just being negative for negativity’s sake. I legitimately think this episode could be a good’n!
|
|
|
|
|
Professor Zoidy

Urban Legend
  
|
|
I did get a chuckle from the fact that the wheels for the cars were "sold separately", as it felt like a pretty clever poke at the number of items in a typical Hot Wheels commercial that don't come as part of the actual toy...
It goes deeper than just all the extras in the commercials. If you're signed up for Mattel's Redline Club (join now so you can pay money to pay money for die cast cars), you can specifically buy wheels separately. As for what's coming up this week, I have my fingers crossed that this will make up for how last week's episode went. The clips seem promising enough; the second clip had me chuckling a little at the pixel art gags if nothing else. And it feels pretty Futurama-y.
|
|
|
|
|
transgender nerd under canada

DOOP Ubersecretary
 
|
|
PEELies news:  Nominations will be closing at the beginning of October. Please, if you have not yet made nominations, click here and make them now.This is likely to be the last PEEL awards ceremony, since PEEL's activity is dwindling again and will drop to potentially nothing after the latest run of Futurama stops airing. So, take your chance to participate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amish
Delivery Boy
 
|
|
I wouldn't say "Free Will Hunting" is a stinker, personally. In fact, while it's nothing remarkable, I'd say it's one of the few good episodes from season 7. Season 8's overall quality has been much higher so far, so I'm hoping that'll hold true here as well.
FWIW (not much) I think "Free Will Hunting" is one of the very few CC episodes that isn't crap. In fact, I think it's a pretty good episode.
|
|
|
|
|
Gorky

DOOP Secretary

|
|
To be fair, I haven't seen the episode in at least seven years, so I could be misremembering it as worse than it is. If memory serves, the philosophical stuff was just too heavy-handed for my taste, and Bender's motivations felt sort of off or unearned to me. (Some of the story beats were also kind of absurd, and not in a good way. The monks? Ugh.) I will say that, after having seen "All the Way Down," I'm willing to concede that "Free Will Hunting" is just a lesser version of it—tepid praise, I know, but I mean it as a compliment. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Box Incorporated

Starship Captain
   
|
|
First 8 writing credits for production Season 9 https://directories.wga.org/project/1239816/futurama-2023-s8-presentThe One Amigo – Eric Horsted Quids Game – Cody Ziglar The Temp – David A. Goodman Beauty and the Bug – Patric M. Verrone One is Silicon and the Other Gold – Maiya Williams Attack of the Clothes – Ariel Ladensohn Planet Espresso – Bill Odenkirk Cuteness Overlord – Kristen Gore Neat seeing Kristen Gore back.
|
|
|
|
|
Gorky

DOOP Secretary

|
|
Ooo, yes, and Bill Odenkirk. Very cool!
|
|
|
|
|