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Guy
Professor
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Bender's funniest when he's working as a team with Fry, such as inthe first partof Fry and the Slurm factory, and I, Roomate. Fry's funniest then too.
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Teral
Helpy McHelphelp
DOOP Secretary
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To see the average screentime of the characters go to What Else? Futurama New Zealand's character possesion table. Bender is a good character, and can carry an episode by himself. "Godfellas" was quite brilliant. His most shinning moment however are when he works opposite Fry, and make lean-ins (his head pop into the picture and deliver a snide remark). He's good when he acts selfish, and engages in activities that would be unacceptable for a human character. Bender does not shine when he acts obnoxious, just ot be obnoxious. Pharaoh was below average, and easily the worst of season 4. It had some great animation and really beautiful settings, but the story and characters made me cringe. Anywho, my take on the screentime hierarchy: 1: Leela (Don't look so shocked. ) 2: Fry 3: Bender 4: Zoidy/Amy 5: Farnsworth/Hermes 6: Zapper/Kif 7: Misc.
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Nixorbo
UberMod
DOOP Secretary
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How is #3 a diss, out of the hundreds of characters in the show? Again, just because you are head over heels with Bender, almost as bad as Juliet, doesn't mean anyone else has to be.
My hierarchy of character importance to the show:
1) Fry. Without Fry, we have no plot. Without a plot we have no show. Without the show, we have no PEEL. 2) Leela. Without Leela, the plot never gets moving in Space Pilot 3000, because she was the one that chased Fry all around the city, causing him to meet Bender, etc. Without her, Futurama would be a completely different show today. Also, the love interest gives Futurama that emotional/dramatic edge that seperates it from Generic Cartoon Comedy #328. 3) Bender. Could Futurama have survived without Bender? It would be more likely than if Fry or Leela weren't in it. Bender is Chewbacca to Fry and Leela's Han and Luke, Ringo to John and Paul, Curly to Moe and Larry, Jarri Kurri to Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. Sure, the show would have a better chance to survive without him than without Fry or Leela, but why would you want to? 4) Farnsworth. Well, what's Futurama without PLanet Express? 5) Everybody else. Non-essential, but dang, do they make everything better.
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static
Starship Captain
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The green head does have a point. Fry is the key to it all, without him, we wouldnt even be here. Leela gives the show a nice twist, and is essential to get Fry moving and the plot advancing. Bender is a cool character. but imho he should stick with supporting roles most of the time. Fry's complete and utter dedication to him seems a bit strange at times...but then again, its Fry we're talking about...
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BrainSluggo
Starship Captain
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« Reply #214 on: 07-09-2002 06:51 »
« Last Edit on: 07-09-2002 06:51 »
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As Matt pointed out in the commentary, what also makes Bender funny is that he is the "anti-robot:" he may think he has no emotions, but he's always pissed off.
In the Space Pilot 3000 commentary, everyone busts out laughing when Bender first puts on his "angry" look--for no reason. It is just his natural state, and that sets him apart. (Data may have emotions, but he's still usually a Robin-Williams-grade bliss-ninny.)
He is a clunky toylike thing--like something out of Clank! Clank! You're Dead! or Buck Rogers--and yet he is given an emotional range (and willingness to act on every urge and impulse) that the rest of the cast--and no normal human--would dare express.
That actually makes sense in a way: even though Bender has emotions, he didn't exactly go through an emotional-development stage in the factory; Fry's taking him through it now. According to Pilot, humans and robots don't "relate" to each other (outside of Hollywood), so if they're capable of emotion, one can see why Roberto is as screwed up as he is, and why other 'bots act as if their emotions don't exist.
The thing that always freaks me out about Bender: he sits. Look at him--he's not built for it, and he shouldn't need to do it anyway (he sleeps standing up, after all). He plops down on the back of his legs in order to "act human." For all his attitude, he really tries to relate and be accepted by his meatbag friends.
Just for the sake of argument: I actually like The Cryonic Woman. I can pick at least three episodes out of Season Four that (to me) are worse...
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Mitsui
Starship Captain
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Originally posted by haleys_comet: Okay stop this is getting off track about what I'm arguing for. I'm just sticking up for what I like which is disagreable so we can we just agree that I like what I like and all you like what you like.
Sounds fair.. Originally posted by TheMadCapper: My final word - Futurama is a show that has several main characters. In my opinion, their screen time hierarchy should go something like this - 1. Fry 2. Leela 3. Bender 4. Amy/Zoidy/Hermes 5. Prof And then the minor characters.
It's become a series about Bender, with everyone else as supporting characters and that is bad bad bad. Oh, look, an opinion. Originally posted by haleys_comet: Some people love Bender Y'know as much as someone else would love any other character. I don't mind that you have your point of view but do you have to diss about Bender so much? Just remember he has fans that like him as much as you don't like him. He's not dissing or forgetting Bender has fans, he's allowed his opinion, as you've said twice.
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Timo
Bending Unit
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Oh, for the love of... I just dealt with this at www.gotfuturama.com! Why is everybody so harsh on "That's Lobstertainment"? I think it's one of the most hilarious episodes! It's such a rich send-up of so many things. There is a ton of gags in it. Plus, Hank Azaria is Harold Zoid, for crying out loud. I'll admit, Zoidberg is probably my favorite character - although by a slim margin. (I love them all.) But even if he weren't, this is a great episode! It even has awesome computer effects. Check out the old holovideo at the beginning. All of the text is three-dimensional! Every letter casts a perfect shadow! "Sure, NOW he emotes!" - Harold Zoid
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Teral
Helpy McHelphelp
DOOP Secretary
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Originally posted by Timo: Oh, for the love of... I just dealt with this at www.gotfuturama.com!
Why is everybody so harsh on "That's Lobstertainment"? I think it's one of the most hilarious episodes! It's such a rich send-up of so many things. There is a ton of gags in it. Plus, Hank Azaria is Harold Zoid, for crying out loud. I'll admit, Zoidberg is probably my favorite character - although by a slim margin. (I love them all.) But even if he weren't, this is a great episode!
It even has awesome computer effects. Check out the old holovideo at the beginning. All of the text is three-dimensional! Every letter casts a perfect shadow!
"Sure, NOW he emotes!" - Harold Zoid First a little friendly help. The link won't work, because the exclamation sign is included in the URL. Okay, to quote you from CGEF: "I think some of you always shoot low ratings at episodes where any character shows feelings for his family members or friends..."
Have you seen the rating for "Luck of the Fryish", "Parasites Lost" and "Amazon Women in the Mood"? People love the emotional episodes, they just have to wellwritten and funny. I actually like the Zoidy part. But Fry and Leela had absolutely nothing to add to this episode, and just wasn't funny. I mean 2 weeks in a tar pit, come on! Leela isn't capable of such incompetence, I'm not so sure about Fry though. Bender was kinda okay. But nothing I'll call memorable. Okay, I'll stop. The biggest crime of all, however is "A Leela of Her Own" with a measly 67%!!
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Teral
Helpy McHelphelp
DOOP Secretary
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Judging from the ratings at CGEF quite some people agree with you, Otis. "Kif Gets Knocked Up A Notch" scored 75%, lowest of the season. Seems I'm in the minority again. I really liked many parts of that ep, like the holoshed, the materna-fuge, the mid-wife, etc. Another quote from CGEF: "A Leela of Her Own: 67%" This is a crime. Such a funny episode rated below "Cryonic Woman" and almost as low as "A Pharaoh to Remember"!
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Zoidburn
Crustacean
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Originally posted by reedy2: I don't really think Flexo works as a character I really can't believe someone just mentioned The Deep South as a bad episode. It was one of season 2's best episodes Flexo is funny as, I love the way he talks in jokes, saying the opposite of what he means. Angeline: "Flexo, are you ok?" Flexo: "Yeah! Never better!" *coughing* "Nah, I'm yanking your chain, I'm dying." Still I completely agree that The Deep South is the best of series 2 if not Xmas story. Favorite quote of series 2- Zoidberg: "Huh, what's this? A card from my cousin Zoidfarb! Heh heh heh. Instead of 'Claus' he writes 'Claws'. Now that's humorous! Today's comedians could learn from this card." Just thought of another Fry: "Well, I spent every penny I had but I bet Leela's gonna love you." Parrot: "squawk!" Fry: "Hey, you're quite the talker, aren't you?" Parrot: "squawk!" Fry: "Shut the hell up! Ow!" gets me every time
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Chalic
Bending Unit
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« Reply #230 on: 04-01-2003 10:03 »
« Last Edit on: 04-01-2003 10:03 »
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I didn't enjoy "Leela's Homeworld" at all. I mean, they had been building up on the backstory for Leela's parents for 4 seasons and THAT was the best they could come up with? I don't mind Leela being a mutant, It just wasn't very long...<ahem> I mean it just wasn't very funny. Also, Less Than Heroes involves her parents again, and I didn't like that one. Maybe I WOULD rather think of Leela as a Hot Alien Babe :-P A couple of really bad other ones were: A Bicyclops Built for Two A Clone of my Own A Leela of her Own A Taste of Freedom Nixbo, you said that "Lesser of Two Evils" was unmemorable? Man...I LOVED that ep. Here's a quote just off the top of my head, though it may not be perfect. <Bender and Flexo fighting in front of Miss Universe Pageant crowd> Leela: Ohh! I don't know which one to shoot! Fry: Shoot Flexo! Shoot Flexo! Leela: <Glares at Fry> There are 10 types of people in this world, those who understand binary, and those who don't. I wanna be a Dark Wizard
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Damitol
Bending Unit
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Originally posted by Teral: Seems I'm in the minority again. I really liked many parts of that ep, ... The only thing this thread proves is that Futurama is an amazingly wonderful series, and every episode has something in it that makes it special. Virtually every episode I see in this "worst of" thread also appears in the equally as long "best of" thread. In defense of "That's Lobstertainment", I enjoy watching silent movies and have read a number of books on early cinema. As such, I laughed out loud at various jokes that probably went right over the head of someone who has never seen a movie made before 1977. The writers of this show are very smart and well versed in a number of fields. A joke I don't laugh at because I don't get the reference probably made someone else spew milk through their nose. They are *that* funny. As such, instead of "best of" or "worst of" threads concerning Futurama, we should have "Tier 1" and "Tier 2" threads instead, understanding that most other television programs could support "Tier 17" and "Tier 346" threads as well.
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evan
Urban Legend
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I didn't really care much for "A Leela of Her Own." But, then again, I did like "A Pharoh to Remember," too. It wasn't as bad as everyone says it was.
My bottom 10: 1. That's Lobstertainment 2. Less than Hero 3. Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch (three okay ideas for episodes, but, in practice, they just became too boring and forgettable to be any good.) 4. The Cryonic Woman 5. I Dated a Robot (actually, neither is that bad. The 1st two acts on both are pretty good, but the 3rd acts on both really drag them down.) 6. A Leela of Her Own (just not a favorite of mine. Perhaps because I'm not a huge Leela-fan like everyone else on this board.) 7. A Big Piece of Garbage (just don't like it.) 8. A Pharoh to Remember (wasn't *that* bad. I enjoyed Bender being his usual, cruel self. That's what he's like. He's tried to kill various PEers all the time..it's totally in his character.) 9. Bender Gets Made (personal prefernce) 10. Where the Buggalo Roam (okay 1st act, the rest is eh.)
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