Thoughts on [4ACV18] - The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings

[Reply #120 on:]

I also love that style of writing, also seen in The Farnsworth Parabox and The Why Of Fry and I even did one in my own fan fic.  It leaves you thinking, while for a series I like that, I hope that a little bit more is revealed in the future, in a possible movie.

[Reply #121 on:]

I expected more of this episode. I dont like the hedoismbot at all. a bit too much "kitsch".
Great job of Robot Satan. 'These things are always touching me in places.' 'YEAH they get around'
a bit too much singing at the end. sweet ending.
and @ Juliet: http://ginster.org/nerds/holorphonor.jpg
its not perfect, but it may do

[Reply #122 on:]

And also, was it just me, or did I saw Homer and Marge driving in a car in a scene outside the city?

[Reply #123 on:]

Bender lies between hookerbot and the robot devil on the wheel of bots--funny stuff. 

Liked: Hedonismbot gets one last chance to shine and drop some pretty good lines (like the butt in the creams line)

"Your latest performance was as delectable dipping my bottom over and over into a bath of the silkiest oils and creams"
"Thank you sir, thats exactly what I was going for."

also liked the devil's
"you can't just have your characters announce how they feel, that makes me feel angry."

Now we get to be tortured by reruns of a show that fox just killed.  bravo fox...bravo

[Reply #124 on:]

One last Nixon burn--nice.
MG has been looking for ways to roast that jerk for the entire series.
Nice

[Reply #125 on:]

 

Originally posted by Grim:
Tjoppen- Automaton - another word for robot

Ah, so it's "an atomaton", then? Ok, that clears things up :>

[Reply #126 on:]

I loved this episode. What I thought was neat about the opera idea, was that since such a big audience went to see Fry's opera, it was a last chance to see minor characters that were only in an episode or two, and to hear some funny last lines from characters like Zap.

"Brave-o"

[Reply #127 on:]

 

Originally posted by Chriswell:
 Why are you bashing the network for what the affiliate did?

Good point. I should keep my hatred for the affiliate and the hatred for the network better defined.

REASONS I HATE THE AFFILIATE:
-Plastering over the caption because they had their feelings hurt.

REASONS I HATE THE NETWORK:
-Cancelling Futurama
-Horrible shows

[Reply #128 on:]

I know I've seen the hedonism bot before... What episode was he originally in?

[Reply #129 on:]

"Crimes of the Hot."  He was also in "Bend Her."

[Reply #130 on:]

I *love* the "I didn't like the singing because it didn't sound like my favorite American Idol people" comments scattered throughout this thread.  I can almost hear them saying "I don't want the million in cash because the $100 bills don't have sequential serial numbers."

This was such a wonderful episode on so many levels.  After three weeks of "in your face" jokes (and I'm not complaining as I gave all of them a 4 or 5 at CGEF), it was great to see a such a fabulous character development show.  I can't wait for the S4 DVDs so we can see them in the proper order.

I loved the humor, I loved the opera - yes even Zoidberg's part - and the ending was sweet and fitting to one of, if not the best TV series ever, animated or otherwise.  A big thanks to Matt, David, Ken, Billy, Katie, John and everyone else associated with Futurama the show, and also to -mArc-  for CGEF and PEEL, which added so much to my enjoyment of the show.

[Reply #131 on:]

Wonderful episode and a good end to the best show ever.  All hail!  I raise my glass of sherry to the cast and crew, and to you all.

 

Edeltraut:
The only part I'm not so sure about was the music. Not the opera Fry wrote, but afterwards when the main characters started singing.

I thought this was a smart-funny level crossing.  First the characters see opera, then they are opera.

So many people are panning the singing.  Good grief, I thought it was excellent.  Billy West really shines, singing convincingly in multiple voices.

Leela has never been more beautiful. 

 

Action Jacktion:
I knew they'd do that infinite screen trick in the credits.

I didn't, and what a treat it was.  First the "See you on some other channel" caption.  As I absorbed that I thought "How absolutely, perfectly appro... WOW!"  The ultimate self-reference.

 

HeatShiver:
I also liked how in the very first episode you saw the construction worker, and in the last episode you get to see him too.

Remember the "Hall of Criminals" scene where Bender's arm reconnects his other arm?  when Fry says "I don't know how you did that,"  I gleefully yell, Rocky-Horror-fashion, "Neither do we!"

When Leela said, "I want to hear how it ends," I got a big lump in my throat, and choked out, "So do we..."

So do we.

 

[Reply #132 on:]

That was one Fan dabby dozey of an episode. I might watch it few more times before I declare it as my fave ep..
The Robot Devil was great (stopping Bender saying his famous line was brillience). The Oprah was Delightlfully obsurd.
The end was great. While leaving it open it also gave an idea of closure.
As such the first words of the series where Fry's and the final words were Leela's. Which to me seems quite apt.

All I can say now is that I hope this is not goodbye Futurama mearly adieu.

[Reply #133 on:]

 

Originally posted by Damitol:

I *love* the "I didn't like the singing because it didn't sound like my favorite American Idol people" comments scattered throughout this thread. I can almost hear them saying "I don't want the million in cash because the $100 bills don't have sequential serial numbers."

I'm sorry, what? Really, that just came out of nowhere. American Idol? What's it to you that a few of us thought the singing went on for too long? This is a cartoon show we're talking about, no need to get snippy when someone disagrees with you over some aspect of it.


 

Originally posted by Vintage Dave:

So many people are panning the singing.

"So many people" being all three of us out of four pages of stellar reviews?

[Reply #134 on:]

Sadly seems like our ol' boy Fry had to go "all out" to get Leela's attention >.> So much for ::it's what in the inside that counts:: XD

[Reply #135 on:]

 

Edeltraut:
"So many people" being all three of us out of four pages of stellar reviews?

Seemed like more than usual.  I'm also of course revealing (reveling in?) my own bias: I've liked every bit of singing ever, except for the intentionally-bad "I Will Always Love You".

[Reply #136 on:]

Actually, this was the only song I can remember that I didn't immediately like. The singing itself was good, I think the voice actors did a great job there. It just didn't mesh well into the episode for me. I think I like it better after the second viewing. But it still goes on a bit too long, in my opinion.

[Reply #137 on:]

 

Originally posted by Ben:
 I can't get the mental picture of Venus, BBT and Co. pulling their hair out as the final credits rolled though..   

there was no hair pulling on my part, i was too busy trying not to cry. Although i admit that my first reaction upon seeing the credits was a "NO! WAIT!!" loud enough to startle the cats. After several repeated veiwings i can officially list Devil's Hands as my #2 fav ep. Right behind The Sting. It was a really close call though. Oh, and i absolutely loved the singing. I knew they could pull off a musical.

[Reply #138 on:]

I just watched the ep, my god I just cannot believe it is over, Futurama has finished.

Words cannot describe the...grief..I am feeling right now, I am sweating, I have a lump in my throat...it's too soon to talk about it...

Futurama will not end for me until I listen to the commentary for this episode on the Season 4 DVD, and here Matt, David, and the rest of gang wishing us all goodbye. Until then, I salute those great men and women who made this series possible, and made it such an important part of my life.

[Reply #139 on:]

I really wish I hadn't changed the channel to FOX when I did. Their promo for Futurama, which aired like 5 minutes before the show started, ended with Leela's "I want to hear how it ends." That took away all the emotional impact it should've had the first time around. At least it impacted me when I watched it again.

[Reply #140 on:]

I didn't pull my hair out, but...I really wish that they had F/L come together a little more openly.  Oh well, I've sent a letter to Bongo comics, asking if they're going to follow up on this in their storylines, or are they just going to keep the status quo of the last few years.

[Reply #141 on:]

I liked thw way they ended it. and it was good for several reasons:
1. if by some miracle the show is back it'll be open
2. same for a movie
3. it also makes it easier to write my next fan fic
4. The Fry and Leela running off means going to a new beggining, hope for the future.  oh, i made myself sad, seriously   

[Reply #142 on:]

 

Originally posted by Wonderbee31:
I've sent a letter to Bongo comics, asking if they're going to follow up on this in their storylines, or are they just going to keep the status quo of the last few years.

Well, they did add Leela's parents, so they might follow up this storyline change.  But I doubt they'll do anything major with it, like have them move in together or something.  We'd probably just see them holding hands and hugging and so forth.  But isn't that all we want?

[Reply #143 on:]

I rather see them hugging and holding hands than together in bed.

[Reply #144 on:]

 

Originally posted by *Futurama_Hil*:
*I rather see them hugging and holding hands than together in bed.*

My thoughts exactly...

[Reply #145 on:]

I noticed on issue #14 Fry and Leela are holding each other. Awwwwwww. 

[Reply #146 on:]

Damn local station. Since Fox didn't air the "Sunday" bumper like they usually do, my local station put their "KDVR Fox 31"(you have that too, right BNL?) info bar over the opening saying. I know what it is from message boards though ("See you on some other channel". Very appropriate, and it tells the audience that, if nothing else, it'll live on in reruns)

I don't want to give this one a rating til I watch it again (I watched it with several people who had never seen Futurama before...they loved it by the way, so their laughter and reactions blocked out some lines here and there), and am able to really evaluate it. In fact, I'm not sure I EVER want to "grade" it simply because, as Tibor said, its hard to be fair toward an anticipated finale. But as of now, I thought it was great, and one of the best of the season (though "Jurassic Bark", "Bender Should Not...", and possibly even "The Sting" were better). One thing I don't think anyone has touched on was how....operatic the whole thing was, as in, similar to an actual opera. Not just the opera scenes themselves, or any singing parts, but the whole thing. The various "deals" Bezzlebot makes and the consequences...it fit the overall theme of the episode excellently. The opera scenes themselves were also very well done, and often hilarious. By that token the episode maybe wasn't one of the funnier ones, but had lots of great moments nothenless (donkey kong barrels, Hedonismbot, all the robot devil stuff). And the ending was in fact the way I hoped the last shot of the show would be in tone. Not overly happy, but still sweet and touching, and not sad either (I had feared it would end too sadly).

I might have a couple gripes I guess, but they aren't important. This show went out in style. As the double image of the ship crashing in the opening titles suggested, this show may be obscure, but its a classic.

[Reply #147 on:]

Well, I think I can safely say this is my favorite episode.  While there were not as many jokes as usual, it was still great.  From the opening caption to Leela's last line, I felt it fit the "series finale" mold quite well.  Fry and the Robot Devil exchanging hands was great, lots of nice funny bits ("They keep touching me in places..." ) and Leela going deaf was good as well, though I didn't actually expect Bender to feel sorry about it.  The opera was great, very, very funny.  I love musicals, so naturally I loved the last third of the episode.    I have to say that Leela and the Robot Devil was the last match I would have expected, but afterwards I thought it could have been predicted.  It also made me think of "How You Feel" from "Once More, With Feeling."  All in all, this was a wonderful episode I'll enjoy for a long time to come.  Yes, Futurama the show is over, but the comic is still around and the show will live forever in those who saw just how great it really was.
Off-topic a bit, Leela's dress for the opera looked like something Lisa Marie might wear, in Mars Attacks! perhaps (Incidently, I drew her MA! character in Groening-style and considered making an avy of the picture.).

[Reply #148 on:]

I'm just glad to know that I'm not the only one to think that Katey Segal's singing voice isn't all that great.

[Reply #149 on:]

It's so good to see Ben and others, here to pay their respects to Futurama.

Unfortunately I don't have the finale on tape, but I just read the lyrics on CGEF. I love how they rhyme "decide upon" with "automaton". Is it wrong to want to sleep with Ken Keeler?

[Reply #150 on:]

 

Originally posted by Vintage Dave:
I thought this was a smart-funny level crossing. First the characters see opera, then they are opera.

yeah, I guess some of us just didn't get that hilarious joke there till you explained it. I guess the only reason we didn't like the singing was because we're morons and you know, not for all the reasons already explained. Oh look a fluffy cloud....

 

So many people are panning the singing. Good grief, I thought it was excellent. Billy West really shines, singing convincingly in multiple voices.

I don't think the skill in which they sang is the problem. I think the way the singing was written into the plot of the show in an especially unclever and awkward way that is what the problem is

[Reply #151 on:]

Two Claws Up!

I loved it.  Katie's voice did throw me when she started singing, only because is was SO far away from Leela's normal speaking voice.  Never the less, it was all good in my book.

I do agree that I was a little put off be seeing "actors" in the holograms (holographs?) and I think it would have been better if those characters were there, but as part of the hologram.

But with content like that, who CARES!

It was a pretty good ending for the series, but then again we don't REALLY know how it all turns out...  do we? 

Maybe that's the best part of all.

[Reply #152 on:]

(fluffy cloud)
That was harsh, VF.  It sounds like you think I was talking down.  Sorry if it came out that way; it just isn't so.

I feel that the sung dialog in TDHAIP is a well-done sample of opera.  It's not good spoken dialogue.  It's not trying to be.  Think of the libretto of any opera you've seen.  (In my case, Carmen, a zillion years ago.)  If that dialogue is spoken instead of sung, it sounds ridiculous and awkward, and the story is bunk.  That doesn't make it bad opera.

[Reply #153 on:]

Well, this is my first input on PEEL since seeing the episode. (note- being offline for one day is not good  ) After seeing Devil's Hands, the ending wasn't as breathtaking as I thought it to be. And again, even though I know the producers wanted the series' ending to be inconclusive, the very last scene in the end still left me hanging.

So the Leela & Fry incident didn't wrap up. It was still a very good episode. You had reappearances of many characters like Nixon and Scruffy, which is good considering it's the finale. And the opera part was done nicely. I liked the way the PE crew participated in the singing, it was all cleverly done.

The take on Bender's catchphrase was great. "Bite my shiny, metal.." wait, he has no ass! *Zoom camera into his void of darkness!*

Ahh, but the Fry-Leela ending, I still can't get over it. I knew the hologram was gonna show Leela and Fry embracing, but I wanted to see Leela's final reaction.

[Reply #154 on:]

my first post here
i found this place right when the series ended

last episode was good and had a good ending

attention fox: i hate you, you wouldnt know a good show if it slapped you in the face, (futurama, family guy, greg the bunny, andy richter, :sigh

[Reply #155 on:]

This was a really great ep to end the series on. I loved the musical and the ending was sweet 

[Reply #156 on:]

Amazing episode, easily the best of the season, and up there for best ever.  If I were to list out the great parts, I'd just be making a transcript of the episode.  I had to pause for the peacock line, though, I was doubled over with laughter and didn't want to miss any of the episode.

The fact that FOX was pushing for "Bender Should Not Be Allowed on TV" to be the finale instead of this is just disgusting.  They either never watched it or are total morons... or both.

Anyway... I guess it's sort of the end.  I try to remind myself that there are the DVDs coming, and that there is a huge bank of episodes to pick from.  Whenever I'm feeling down I can just watch one to pick up my day.  It also helps to have people to talk to that truely understand how great this show is.  Yay PEEL!

[Reply #157 on:]

@Just Chris: Ahh, but Leela's line makes up for that- "Please don't stop playing Fry. I want to hear the end." The way she said it gets me bawling like a baby and the actual meaning of the show ending- oh god, i need a tissue!     

[Reply #158 on:]

Hmm, i was thinking what would be more amusing than Fry getting Beelzebot's hands (even though it was really well done), here's the 'bot hands i think would have been more amusing....

Clamps - complete inability to play the Holophoner
Hedonismbot  - same as clamps, no articulated fingers
Destructor - the hands would be too big for the holophomer and impossible to lift
Tinny Tim - only one hand, the other one would be a crutch, or hand from another bot
Donbot - would probably put a hit on Fry to get his hands back
Calculon - he would have lost both his ears and hands to Beelzebot, and Calcy's hands are also non-articulated
Q.T. McWhiskers - see Destructor
Cartridge Unit - see Clamps and Calcy

whaddaya think?

"And all i ask is your hands, to replace these bony hot dogs"
"Grabby and Squeezy, never, i love these guys!"

[Reply #159 on:]

I think it would be amusing if he got Bender's hands. It was funny how the arrow almost stopped on Bender.