Thoughts on [4ACV15] - The Farnsworth Parabox

[Reply #40 on:]

I said it after The Sting and I'll say it again: This season has some of the best eps of the series. Throughout the show I was thinking of quotes to post here and I stuffed my head with so many of them that I can't remember. I loved Zoidberg 1 (or blue Zoidberg for those who can't remember details) keeping the box away from Zoidberg A. Overall: 5/5.

And as far as being disappointed that Leela rejects Fry again at the beginning, I didn't really care about it. Think of it this way: the woman you love just woke up from a coma and you're both very happy to see each other. The next day, I think you would feel kinda awkward and just need some space.

It's hard to explain, but I understand it. And in the end, isn't that what really counts?

EDIT: Awkward TOTPD...   

[Reply #41 on:]

I gave this ep a 4. It was not quite as emotional as "The Sting" but it had more laffs, and I liked the story. Like some of you, I also wondered about Hermes at the end. It almost seemed like he was considering sending to a very quick but painful death.

[Reply #42 on:]

 

Originally posted by El Zilcho:And as far as being disappointed that Leela rejects Fry again at the beginning, I didn't really care about it. Think of it this way: the woman you love just woke up from a coma and you're both very happy to see each other. The next day, I think you would feel kinda awkward and just need some space.

Well, this was supposed to come three episodes after "The Sting," so it wasn't really right after.

I pointed that out on the first page in a big long post, but no one pays attention to me....

[Reply #43 on:]

El Zilcho, Parabox doesn't take place right after The Sting. it takes place three episodes later which probably, in their universe amounts to a couple of weeks if not a month or so. Leela had been awake for a while by that point.

[Reply #44 on:]

Wow, people really don't notice me....

[Reply #45 on:]

I tried to post directly below Venus but couldn't for some reason...weird.

[Reply #46 on:]

It's ok, Venus, I notice you.

[Reply #47 on:]

ok, I knew as soon I heard Farnsworth screaming "BUDDAH! ZEUS! GOD! HELP ME! SATAN, YOU OWE ME! DO SOMETHING!" that I was gonna like this ep. 5/5.

[Reply #48 on:]

 

Originally posted by Action Jacktion:Well, this was supposed to come three episodes after "The Sting," so it wasn't really right after.

I know, I know. I should have thought about that, I know the entire production order by heart.  How about this: The extra time between eps gave Leela enough time to say all the other excuses to Fry before that last one we saw at the beginning of this episode. And the ghost one was before Leela looked in the box but after the beginning of the ep. And the awkwardness just stayed around for a while. And that's a pretty flimsy explanation, but I refuse to admit I am wrong.

Okay, I'm wrong.

[Reply #49 on:]

 

Originally posted by FishyJoe:
It's ok, Venus, I notice you.

that was action jakson feeling ignored, not me. im used to flying below the radar

[Reply #50 on:]

the ghost excuse happened a year ago. remember parralel Fry said he married her a year after she decided not to use the ghost excuse.

[Reply #51 on:]

 

Originally posted by El Zilcho:
  I know, I know. I should have thought about that, I know the entire production order by heart.  How about this: The extra time between eps gave Leela enough time to say all the other excuses to Fry before that last one we saw at the beginning of this episode. And the ghost one was before Leela looked in the box but after the beginning of the ep. And the awkwardness just stayed around for a while. And that's a pretty flimsy explanation, but I refuse to admit I am wrong.

That wouldn't quite work, because then Fry 1 and Leela 1 would hardly have had time to go on a date, let alone get married.

[Reply #52 on:]

 

Originally posted by Venus:
 that was action jakson feeling ignored, not me. im used to flying below the radar

Yup, you must be flying really low, cuz that one was wayy over your head.

[Reply #53 on:]

 

Originally posted by El Zilcho:
I loved Zoidberg 1 (or blue Zoidberg for those who can't remember details) keeping the box away from Zoidberg A.

It's Team Mongoose Zoidberg 

[Reply #54 on:]

 

Originally posted by Arachnid:
 That wouldn't quite work, because then Fry 1 and Leela 1 would hardly have had time to go on a date, let alone get married.

Well, how else do you explain that at the beginning of the ep, Leela A uses the boot rash excuse, but Leela 1 says she used "boot rash" one before the ghost one?

[Reply #55 on:]

Fantastic episode

I'm gonna write fox right now and threaten their man/womanhoods if they don't replace stupid King of the Hill with 10 more futurama seasons RIGHT NOW

Funnyfunnyfunnyfunnyfunnyfunn y

I especially loved the interactions between the two benders. I kind of think the Fry/Leela omg love parts were a LITTLE bit forced--but it's probably leading up to the next episode.

All in all though--that was a hilarious episode

[Reply #56 on:]

 

Originally posted by El Zilcho:
 Well, how else do you explain that at the beginning of the ep, Leela A uses the boot rash excuse, but Leela 1 says she used "boot rash" one before the ghost one?

Obviously it's not the first time she's had sweaty boot rash.
It seems more likely than Fry and Leela getting married inside 24 hours  .

[Reply #57 on:]

I really liked this one, 4.5/5. After years of Star Trek, the whole "alternate me must be my evil twin" stuff was awesome. Bender & gold Bender were soo funny together, Bender seems to love himself even more than he seemed to love Fry in the funeral last episode.

Unfortunately, my VCR didn't start recording until 5 minutes into the ep! This would be a big favor, but could someone describe/transcribe the show up to when Leela finally goes through the box? That's when my recording starts...

Stop squirting us with ink, Zoidberg! Put some pants on, Zoidberg! Don't touch our fancy box, Zoidberg!

[Reply #58 on:]

Pretty good.  Lots of fun, and had lots of great moments, particular in act three (Hermes, moving through the dimensions, etc).  However, it started slow, and I didn't think it really used its great sci-fi premise to its fullest.  Plus, the Fry and Leela stuff was okay, but I honestly thought it seemed a bit tacked on, and shouldn't have been there.  Still, definetely a lot of fun, so B/B+

[Reply #59 on:]

 

Originally posted by Teral:
Farnsworth: "This universe is full of womens. I'll save that for later."

Dibs.

Anyway, fantastic episode.  Not a moment I didn't like.

Current favorite moment:

Zoidberg A: We could trade places now, maybe?
Zoidberg 1: The box says . . . no.

 

Originally posted by Venus:
 that was action jakson feeling ignored, not me. im used to flying below the radar

You hear that whooshing noise?  That wasthe joke, sailing over your head.

[Reply #60 on:]

Yay!  Another absolutely fabbity-fab-fab episode! 
When I read the Fox description, I figured there would be some shippy aspect and was I right or was I right?  Anyway, there were several quite funny parts (Parallel Amy, The opening scene) and there were nice shippy moments.  I greatly appreciated the end and it makes me all the more eager to see what "Devil's Hands" is like.
A+
I really liked it! 

[Reply #61 on:]

I agree with the rest of the posters who agree with me in saying that Parabox was great.  I was in mid-sip when a parabox fell on Zoidberg and popped him off to another universe.  At that moment, I damn near fell out of my chair and passed some Diet Pepsi from my nostrils (if you think that stuff tastes bad, you ought to take it nasaly).  That hurt a bit, but I was too busy laughing!

It was refreshing to see Leela and Fry married, though.  I'll file that with all those other moments when Futurama made me cry or say "awwww."  Oh yeah, if Amy from Universe B is reading this: the chapatsu look doesn't work on you.  Keep the clasic black.


Why haven't I seen anything that clever from the Simpsons?  I'm still waiting for someone to eat Bart's shorts.

[Reply #62 on:]

 

Originally posted by LAN.gnome:
Unfortunately, my VCR didn't start recording until 5 minutes into the ep! This would be a big favor, but could someone describe/transcribe the show up to when Leela finally goes through the box? That's when my recording starts...

I'm happy to do that when I get home, if you can wait a few hours 

[Reply #63 on:]

I don't know why people hate shippy episodes, especially 2 in a row. This episode went past my expectations like "The Sting" did. I went on the floor with the bobble-head paralell universe and the ending was great too.

Overall: 9/10

[Reply #64 on:]

Eh, "The Farnsworth Parabox" wasn't worth getting that worked up over.

I liked the alternate universe idea, but I think it would have been better if Universe B (or Universe 1) was full of evil clones. Aside from Fry B and Leela B getting married, there wasn't really that much of a difference between the PE'ers and their respective alternate personalities. The jumping through different universes, in a "Being John Malkovich" sort of way was good.

It did come off as a little shippy, after last week's episode, and "The Why of Fry" before it. Once again, we can blame Fox's horrible scheduling for that mistake.

A horrible, horrible sign that I'm on PEEL too much. At Hippy Amy, I thought to myself "Kryten's gonna want that as an avatar." ::shudder::

The rest of the episode was medium style funny, but it came across as been-there,done-that. We've seen the PE tower get destroyed before, we've seen Leela come up with stupid reasons to reject Fry, we've seen a "parallel" Bender (Flexo, who I feel is seriously underrated), etc, etc.

It was almost as if there was too much to touch on in Universe B. If there ever was going to be a Futurama movie, they should have saved this idea for it. Playing around in multiple universes for 90 min. would really help this episode out.

Probably, a C+

[Reply #65 on:]

 

Originally posted by Nixorbo:
 

You hear that whooshing noise?  That was the joke, sailing over your head.

so i was a little slow on the uptake there, happens to the best of us!    
i figured it out eventually.

[Reply #66 on:]

 

Originally posted by SlaytanicMaggot:
ok, I knew as soon I heard Farnsworth screaming "BUDDAH! ZEUS! GOD! HELP ME! SATAN, YOU OWE ME! DO SOMETHING!" that I was gonna like this ep. 5/5.

That was the best line 

There was something funny about Bender though.His lines didn't seem that funny. When he was talking to Bender B (just before they were going to the strip joint), I was thinking 'Hmm. Actually, that 's quite lame."  The conversation seemed too in-depth, boring and un-funny.

[Reply #67 on:]

 

Originally posted by evan:
Stuff

I think I mostly agree with you, though I don't think evil duplicates was the answer.  This story worked, but maybe it fit together so tightly that there was no way to make it more interesting.  The concepts were there, but the plot seemed forced.  The episode just felt slightly off to me; a couple nudges in the right direction and it would have been great.  But the writers didn't ask me....

[Reply #68 on:]

Along the lines of Bender... when did his voice start getting so sassy?

[Reply #69 on:]

Great ep, not the best Futurama has to offer but
better than most anything on TV, so I give it a 4/5.
For non-shippers I can understand lowering the rating a bit, guess they want to get the story to
a certain point in just a few more eps so that arc
is getting a lot of attention.
Loved Leela's line 'I tell you they're not evil,
but don't be confused, they are jerks.'

[Reply #70 on:]

 

Originally posted by Arachnid:
 I'm happy to do that when I get home, if you can wait a few hours   

I certainly can. Thanks a million!

[Reply #71 on:]

It was weird, but cool   

My favourite lines were the two Bender's "DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED" in unison, and when Leela One jumps into universe A and you hear Zoidberg go "Hellooo" before Leela beats him up   

[Reply #72 on:]

Transcript of first 5 minutes of this episode:

Futurama: Beats a hard kick in the face

Opens to planet express building, exterior view.
Explosion erupts from building, lightning arcs and grounds itself.

Farnsworth: Oh lordy lou, Heeelp!

Cut to inside building, view from ceiling. Bender is snoring at the meeting table. Explosions  and exclamations from the professor continue, chunks of ceiling fall to the ground.
Cut again to view of couch. Fry and leela are sitting at opposite ends. Fry is talking to leela, leela is looking ahead with her head on her hands.

Fry: I know you've rejected me a lot before, but frankly I wasn't sure we were right for each othe either! *Shouting*But now I am! So, how about a date tonight?
Leela: *Shouting* Sorry, I think I, uh, I think I left my toaster on.
Farnsworth (offscreen): Budda, Zeus, God, one of you guys, do something!
Fry: Come on Leela, what's the real reason you won't go out with me?
Farnsworth (offscreen): Help, satan, you owe me!
Leela: *Shouting* Look, um, I'm embarrassed to admit this, but you've forced me to. I can't go out tonight because...
Noise suddenly ceases
Leela: *Shouting* I have sweaty boot rash!

Cut to show Amy at the table

Amy: No sp'luh! Why do you think I'm sitting over here, in the 'stink free' zone?
Fry: *Chuckles* So, will you go out with me?

Cut to meeting room. Everyone is at the table

Farnsworth: Good news everyone! I'm still technically alive! Mmm, yes. But I need you all to dispose of this crazy ass experiment that almost killed me. *Pulls out a box* You'll have to throw it into the sun itself, for only the thermonuclear enery of the sun has enough energy to ensure its total destruction!
Bender: I could hit it with a shovel.
Farnsworth: That's not good enough.
Bender: This one time, I pounded a guy into the ground like a stake with a shovel.
Farnsworth: Yes, yes.
Zoidberg: So what's in the box, already?
Farnsworth: No peeking!

Farnsworth hits zoidberg on the claw and head with a hammer. Zoidberg recoils and nurses his wounds.

Farnsworth: I don't know what's in there, but I'm sure our minds would be unable to comprehend it!

Hermes reaches for the box and recieves a blow to the hand

Hermes: Ow! You hurt my colator! (?)
Farnsworth: I don't care. Listen well. No matter what happens, no matter how great your curiosity, you are forbidden to look in this box. Forbidden! Pretty tantalising, though.

Cut to a shot of the box on a stool. Fry, Leela, Zoidberg, Bender, and Hermes are standng around it.

Fry: Whatever's in there, it's the only thing I've ever wanted.
Zoidberg: In my experience, boxes are usually empty. Or maybe with a little cheese stuck to the top. Or one day, pepperoni! What a day that was! *Screams* Give me the Box!

Hermes fires a blast from some form of laser pistol into the air

Hermes: Scram you lousy green snakes!

Fry, Bender and Zoidberg leave with alacrity. Hermes hands Leela the pistol.

Hermes: Here Leela, take this, and use it to shoot those guys.
Leela: Right, if they try to look in the box.
Hermes: Whatever.

Cut to the meeting table. Fry is sitting at it, bender is pacing beside him.

Fry: Let's just forget about the box. The professor said to stay away.
Bender: Fry, how can you be so nieve? He was joking, get it?
Fry: No...
Bender: That's what makes it so funny!

*Laughs* Ok, he wasn't joking. Now shut up, and follow me.

Cut to a scene somewhere in the basement of the Planet Express building. A ventilation pipe is shown with a sign 'Superheated Steam | No crawling around'. Bender pries the hatch off, and steam boils out. Bender and fry climb in.

Fry: Ow, it's hot! The butter in my pocket is meltng!

Cut to another shot of the box. Pan up to show Bender and a sweating fry in the ventilation tubes. Bender pulls the grate aside.
Bender pulls his eyes out and puts them in his chest cavity, replacing them with eyes with 90 degree bends in them. He pokes them into the room, revealing Leela sitting on something under a sheet in the corner, asleep. Bender chuckles. Benders eye's disappear back into the steam pipe, replaced with his arms 'unwinding' down to the floor. They climb up the stool, grab the box and pull it back into the ceiling.
Cut back to room in basement. All fry's clothes have shrunk.

Bender: We thank you Bender, for the gift we are about to recieve.

Bender opens the box and they look in, gasping.

Fry: Tangled up christmas lights! We can take shifts untangling them!
Bender: Unlabelled booze! Widemouth too!

Bender quaffs the booze, and fry attempts to untangle the christmas lights. Cut to leela.

Leela: That ought to keep those dopes occupied. I can guard the real box in peace, now that no-one's curious about it.

Leela stands up and removes the box from under the sheet, and replaces it on the stool. She goes over to the desk and picks up a copy of "Nosy Enquirer". The headline reads "Bigfoot turns 80!" and shows a picture of a somewhat decrepit bigfoot with a walking stick. Leela starts reading, humming.
Leela takes another look at the box, then goes back to reading, humming much louder.

Next morning:
A constant ticking turns into a grinding as a digital clock hooked up to some gears and a hammer and bell chimes the hour of 7:00.
Leela: Well, I got through the night, and no-one looked in the box. Not even me, the person who gave up her whole evening to watch it. A whole evening of TV, gone! What a mockery of justice that I can't take even a little, tiny peek. *Sighs* I need coffee.
Cut to the coffee machine. The sign reads "Coffee. New chunky chicken style!" Leela goes to put a coin in, and pauses.

Leela: Ok. Heads I look, Tails I don't.

Leela flips the coin and it turns up heads

Leela: Oh yeah, oh yeah! Heads! I mean, alright then!

Leela walks over to the box, then away again

Leela: No. I have a duty not to look. Well, then again, I promised the coin I would...

Leela walks back, opens the box and looks in.

Leela: Ooh, it's deep, deeper than  a small box should be.

Leela falls in, screaming
<cut>

Wow, that was _much_ longer than I expected it to be 

[Reply #73 on:]

[Reply #74 on:]

Yay...more stuff!  Get it while it's hot!

[Reply #75 on:]

Take me now, Sarge!

Amy 1: You must be evil AND shallow.
Amy A: I'm not evil!

[Reply #76 on:]

 

Originally posted by Arachnid:
Transcript of first 5 minutes of this episode:

(...transcript...)

Wow, that was _much_ longer than I expected it to be   

Thanks a lot. You know something's funny when you laugh out loud just reading the transcription of it!

[Reply #77 on:]

Ok, i accidentally deleted my review i wrote on Saturday, so i'll post this:
Great episode: 10/10

[Reply #78 on:]

The Professor's references to the scriptures and the Bible were great!  I laughed so hard at that.  It's good to finally get some new eps.

[Reply #79 on:]

I missed The Sting last week, & I missed Parabox yesterday. What a winning streak I'm on.