Shipping Even Higher into the Sun...

[Reply #600 on:]

Bender + Bev = Ben.

Let the shipping begin.

I dunno, I prefer "Vender" as a ship name. Mostly 'cause it's punnier.

Edit: Shit, UnrealLegend kinda beat me to it.

[Reply #601 on:]

As punny as that would've been, it would have also been quite cheap. I'm sure they considered it though.

[Reply #602 on:]

I really want the Zoidberg/Mom ship to happen. Disgustingly awesome.

[Reply #603 on:]

I really want the Zoidberg/Mom ship to happen. Disgustingly awesome.

As long as no one produces any fanart about it... *shudder*

[Reply #604 on:]

I really want the Zoidberg/Mom ship to happen. Disgustingly awesome.

As long as no one produces any fanart about it... *shudder*

Who else but Freako?

He's Freako, Freako
You never really know what he's gonna do next
He's Freako, Freako
giggity giggity giggity giggity
lets have sex

[Reply #605 on:]

I really want the Zoidberg/Mom ship to happen. Disgustingly awesome.

That'd be some crabby sex. And in more ways than one!

Speaking of Mom, though, I kind of want more interplay between her and Farnsworth in the upcoming season. I don't mean that I want them to have yet another geriatric hook-up or anything--I just think it might be cool to see more about their past or about Farnsworth's relationship (or lack thereof) with Igner or something. Really, I'm just asking for a plot-point that will validate the existence of "Bender's Game"; as much as I dislike that movie, it sets up something potentially interesting and consequential with the reveal that Farnsworth is a daddy, and I wish the writers would explore that further.

[Reply #606 on:]

I kind of hate how that hasn't been brought up at all. I mean, it's probably the biggest revelation from the movies and they've done NOTHING with it. Not even a vague reference. They had an opportunity to do it in Overclockwise, but didn't.

Then again, I don't blame them. I also like to pretend that Bender's Game doesn't exist.

[Reply #607 on:]

I second that ^

[Reply #608 on:]

Agreed, I would like them to at least reference it.  It's like how the Pokemon games hinted that Prof Oak and Agatha of the Elite Four had a history together that ended bitterly but never have made anything of it, or even clarified what it was: whether it was a romantic relationship that went sour, an unrequited love on one or both their parts, a friendly rivalry that went bad, an unfriendly rivalry that got worse ect ect.  Hell, they even wrote Agatha out of the canon along with Lorelei.

[Reply #609 on:]

Prof Oak

Oh my god, did I have a crush on him when I was younger and used to watch (and play) Pokemon. Seriously, I could not care less about girly Ash or manly-but-squinty Brock--but I found age-inappropriate, angry-eyebrowed Professor Oak strangely attractive. That's not too weird, is it? Okay, it's a little weird.

Anyway, topic: pumpkinpie said this in the News thread

Oh, COME ON! Damn it, why can't we just get some normal, non-robot, other bodied or drugged up authentic Fry and Leela love?!

I don't know if you just mean physical lovin'--in which case, I'm inclined to sympathize with your frustration--but season six definitely showed us a fair amount of genuine affection being displayed between Fry and Leela, unprompted by drug use or body swapping or what have you. "The Late Philip J. Fry" and "Overclockwise" are probably the most prominent examples, but there were also some cute little shippy things in "In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela" and "Attack of the Killer App" and "Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences" and "The Mutants Are Revolting" and "Fry Am the Egg Man" (and, hell, even "Reincarnation" had its moments. And I can't decide if "Rebirth" should be included on this list; it's loaded with shippiness, but for most of the episode at least one of the two characters is actually a robot).

Granted, the shippiness in all those episodes was limited to chaste cheek-kissin' and clothed-huggin'--but I actually think moments like that are better than the raunchier stuff we got in episodes like "The Prisoner of Benda." Fry and Leela's relationship seems more natural to me--and is a lot more fun to watch--when it's not reduced to Leela asking Fry to join various clubs with her in a seductive voice and other such sultry behavior. That stuff can be fun in small doses (I love Leela's dirty flirting with Fry in the video game segment of "Reincarnation," for example), but it's nowhere near as compelling (in my mind, at least) as the more well-observed and subtle moments in an episode like, say, "Fry Am the Egg Man."

[Reply #610 on:]

Good observation....although what is the balcony club thing? Is that found on a certain preview or what?

edit-never mind, saw it, hate Zoidberg

[Reply #611 on:]

And I can't decide if "Rebirth" should be included on this list; it's loaded with shippiness, but for most of the episode at least one of the two characters is actually a robot).

Rebirth might have been some subtle self parody about the authors themselves:
As it was the last episode for Robot Fry and Robot Leela, they might let those characters get together. And as it wasn't the last episode for organic Fry and Leela, it was "..wait a little longer".

Granted, the shippiness in all those episodes was limited to chaste cheek-kissin' and clothed-huggin'--but I actually think moments like that are better than the raunchier stuff we got in episodes like "The Prisoner of Benda." Fry and Leela's relationship seems more natural to me--and is a lot more fun to watch--when it's not reduced to Leela asking Fry to join various clubs with her in a seductive voice and other such sultry behavior. That stuff can be fun in small doses (I love Leela's dirty flirting with Fry in the video game segment of "Reincarnation," for example), but it's nowhere near as compelling (in my mind, at least) as the more well-observed and subtle moments in an episode like, say, "Fry Am the Egg Man."

It depends what kind of humor/plot is supposed to be driven in the episode.
For serious development, low-key scenes are usually rather in order. I am reminded of X-Mas story, when Fry and Leela holding hands (not really the most raunchy action to be performed by two people )suddenly made those characters appear like two shy teenagers on a first date. The scene imhO worked quite well.

I think -with the new episodes shorter running time- the "Leela and Fry try to get freaky, but get interrupted" might be become a new running gag. Replacing the old, more time consuming "..and undoing it the last minute for usually trivial reasons".

About Leela coming on to Fry: As you said: In small doses.
What I would like about Leela trying to play the sultry seductress for once:
It's of course not really in-character for her. But it can be used as a rather symbolic humor, as if the character wanted to say "Please...just for once, do not let me be the reasonable spoilsports, let me be as irresponsible like anyone else. Let me be as horny, ridiculous like the rest....let me be one of the persons HAVING FUN JUST FOR ONCE; PLEASE!!!"
(Of course, since this behaviour is not really her thing, she would have to fail. Getting interrupted, or whatever...)

[Reply #612 on:]

You know, I've always wondered.....why do we ship? Does it give us a benefit? Why do we care so much about these two people who don't even exist? Why does seeing Fry and Leela kiss make us giddy? Why? Does anyone have a theory?

edit- This doesn't really help my post...but in the news thread it was posted that Fry and Leela are officially a couple  Oh, my shipper giddiness

[Reply #613 on:]

This should give you a good answer to that question pumpkinpie:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Shipping

BEWARE: TVTROPES

[Reply #614 on:]

Ah, that makes sense . One thing I've always wondered is why I ship for certain couples....Amy and Sheldon-yet not Leonard and Penny, George and Dallas-yet not Tessa and Ryan (No, I'm not a big fan of Eden), Fry and Leela-yet not Amy and Bender (or Kif), Freddy and Sam-yet not Carly and.......Gibby?

[Reply #615 on:]

Because you touch yourself at nightwant them to.

[Reply #616 on:]

Now that you mention it Gorky, Prof Oak does have a bit of a silver fox thing going on, doesn't he?  Plus Agatha said he was quite handsome in his younger days.

Mind you, Brock is actually quite hot in Heart Gold and Soul Silver.  I was quite surprised! 

I have no idea, why do we ship?  I think shipping is fine, as long as you work out the difference between canon and fanon, and don't try and ram it down other people's throats (it gets especially tragic when you try ramming it down the creator's throat, in some really regrettable situations I have seen).  I do have a few pairings I like (mostly Zelda and Adventure Time), some are supported by canon or at least hinted at (Finn and Flame Princess, Link and Din), others not so much (Gumball and Marshal Lee)

[Reply #617 on:]

Canon is just the author's opinion on how things should happen.

[Reply #618 on:]

"FRY AND BENDER ARE TOTALLY GAY LOVERS I HAVE CANON ON MY SIDE YOU SHUT UP CREATORS STOP MISUNDERSTANDING YOUR OWN CHARACTERS BECAUSE YOU'RE HOMOPHOBIC ASSHOLES"

Wow, typing all that out, even in jest made me feel... unclean.  Like when I see Kesha on the telly, I always feel the need to have a shower, even if I just got out of one.

[Reply #619 on:]

Does anyone else feel that these faces


predict Fry and Leela have kids?

[Reply #620 on:]

Well..these are certainly "How cuuuute" faces, looking also very touched.
For most parents the birth of their children will be the most touching/important moment
in their live, and this expression is the most touched one in last scene.

We all do not know what the two persons read on the paper. But I am quite certain the authors/artists/animators deliberately wanted the audience to believe that those are "seeing their kids for the first time" faces.

It's a rather safe thing, because it will never come up again, and the faces meaning will never have to be revealed.

It was already mentioned that Fry and Leela having kids is a part of their live the show will not explore. Going on dangerous space missions while leaving the kids behind would make them the worst parents ever, the possibility of taking them along is also out of the question (Fry might not be the brightest knive in the drawer, but even he would shout "WHAT!! TAKE LITTLE KIDS ALONG?? ARE YOU COMPLETELY BRAINDEAD???").

So, having kids would require them to settle down somewhere (I think Cohen stated so), and life would grow peaceful (as they would call it) and boring (as the audience would call it).
Leela would probably become a stay-at-home-mom, Fry takes a job at the local neutrino-power-planet, and after they named their first born son "Bart", writing on the show might grow a little bit lazy...

[Reply #621 on:]

Does anyone else feel that these faces


predict Fry and Leela have kids?

Nah, they're just looking at a picture of a kitten dressed like a stack of pancakes.  

[Reply #622 on:]

Nah, they're just looking at a picture of a kitten dressed like a stack of pancakes.   

I am going to allow this.

[Reply #623 on:]

Hi! I'm new!
I don't usually post on forums a whole lot, I'm much more of a lurker! Buuuut I thought I'd show my appreciation for my favourite two futurama characters! I love them as a couple and have adored watching them throughout the seasons! Honestly, I was too young to really notice much about it when the show first started aside from the fact that it was a cartoon, but last year I rewatched it and was hooked!
And, in case anyone is interested...I'm feeling really positive about the new season! I'm quite a laid back fan in that I'm content to just sit back and enjoy the show. I don't really stress about where it's going all that much (although regarding Fry and Leela I've made a few exceptions!). Anyway, I didn't mean to ramble on for quite as long as I did, yes I'm afraid I'm a real rambler. Love the couple and can't wait for new eps!

[Reply #624 on:]

Welcome to the forums, LetTheSunRain!  I was a lurker for quite a long time before joining myself.

It's very interesting about Fry and Leela.  There's no other television couple that has ever held my interest as they do.

[Reply #625 on:]

Welcome to the forums, LetTheSunRain!  I was a lurker for quite a long time before joining myself.

It's very interesting about Fry and Leela.  There's no other television couple that has ever held my interest as they do.

Thank you!
I usually prefer lurking but I finally decided to join in and show my support for the couple and the show in general!
I love their interactions, I liked their scenes together before I ever really properly watched the show and knew there was a relationship a'brewing
I've liked other couples on TV shows but I can't really say I've 'shipped' before. Unless just watching the TV show and enjoying any scenes said couples are in together counts as shipping

[Reply #626 on:]

Hi, all, it's been awhile since I posted here. Just my two cents.

Regarding the Fry/Leela thing (is it a relationship yet?) I must admit I'm a fan of it. The "Devil's Playthings" ep made me a fan of Futurama. There is something about Fry's single-minded pursuit of tough-but-compassionate Leela that is endlessly endearing. It makes Fry more human. Aside from his affection for Leela, he rather lacks personality in my view.

But yeah, I dislike the reset button too. I hate to second-guess the show's writers, but I do think that letting the affair grow more gradually rather than subjecting us to all of  the do-overs would have been a bit more satisfying. There should have been more moments of Leela thinking, "Hmmm, he's not so bad." I mean, you can't blame Leela for being cautious, right? Fry's not exactly a "catch" by most standards. In fact, Homer Simpson is a workoholic next to him, and that's just for starters.  (And yes, I do like Fry. A lot.)

[Reply #627 on:]

Does anyone else feel that these faces


predict Fry and Leela have kids?

I wish!

The only downside about them reading their future is that there's no room for spontaneity in their relationship anymore

... it could just be a fanfic that Bender wrote. He's a big F/L shipper ;D

[Reply #628 on:]

The only downside about them reading their future is that there's no room for spontaneity in their relationship anymore

I'm not getting the vibe of any foregone conclusions in the next season so far.

And WB Cookies.

[Reply #629 on:]

The only downside about them reading their future is that there's no room for spontaneity in their relationship anymore

I am reminded of this conversation from "Godfellas":

Bender: So do you know what I'm gonna do before I do it?
Galactic Entity: Yes.
Bender: What if I do something different?
Galactic Entity: Then I don't know that.

So, in the Futurama universe, free will and human agency certainly still exist independent of God or any other being of that ilk (like Bender in "Overclockwise"). I don't think anything that Fry and Leela read necessarily has to happen--though I do think the whole thing might have a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy angle to it. Like, Fry and Leela don't have to adhere to Bender's telling of their story to a 'T' or anything--and I don't believe the characters (or the writers, necessarily) actively would--but chances are things will still play out between them in the predicted emotional-roller-coaster fashion.

[Reply #630 on:]

I just wanted to ask, since for some reason I'm not able to view many of the clips (my laptop is temperamental like that) doesn't Leela refer to Fry as her 'boyfriend' in one of the clips?
Sorry if I'm incredibly behind in this, but is that a clear indication that they are in fact a fully fledged couple in this season? Or was it used in another context?  

[Reply #631 on:]

Here you go, LetTheSunRain, but do note, Leela and Amy are on a powerful drug called "Nectar" that helps them play a sport called "Butterfly Derby" better than usual, therefore they are super muscle-y, and Fry has been sprayed with a butterfly pheromone which makes them both attracted to him.

Clip.

[Reply #632 on:]

Here you go, LetTheSunRain, but do note, Leela and Amy are on a powerful drug called "Nectar" that helps them play a sport called "Butterfly Derby" better than usual, therefore they are super muscle-y, and Fry has been sprayed with a butterfly pheromone which makes them both attracted to him.

Clip.

Oh thanks!
I'm glad you included the explanation or I would've been a little 
Ok, well that was officially awesome, I couldn't help but laugh at poor Kif. Bless him. Can't wait for these new episodes..

[Reply #633 on:]

The only downside about them reading their future is that there's no room for spontaneity in their relationship anymore

I am reminded of this conversation from "Godfellas":

Bender: So do you know what I'm gonna do before I do it?
Galactic Entity: Yes.
Bender: What if I do something different?
Galactic Entity: Then I don't know that.

So, in the Futurama universe, free will and human agency certainly still exist independent of God or any other being of that ilk (like Bender in "Overclockwise"). I don't think anything that Fry and Leela read necessarily has to happen--though I do think the whole thing might have a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy angle to it. Like, Fry and Leela don't have to adhere to Bender's telling of their story to a 'T' or anything--and I don't believe the characters (or the writers, necessarily) actively would--but chances are things will still play out between them in the predicted emotional-roller-coaster fashion.

Interesting point, I like it. Thanks for putting it in that perspective.

[Reply #634 on:]

... it could just be a fanfic that Bender wrote. He's a big F/L shipper ;D

This is what I believe.  I don't think it's their literal futures and even if it were, it would be altered simply by them reading it, even accounting for temporal inertia.

[Reply #635 on:]

Warning to those who may not have seen the season premiere yet, because I know we had some complaints about this last year: As soon as an episode airs on the east coast, I consider it fair game to discuss without spoiler tags. Probably this is horribly self-centered of me, but I can't help it. So, yeah, beware of spoilers in the following post.

Man oh man, did I eat "A Farewell to Arms" up. That is perhaps the most natural, loving, and emotionally powerful Fry/Leela stuff we've gotten since "The Late Philip J. Fry." I loved how Leela acknowledged Fry's gallantry and appreciated it in the abstract, but was also wary of it because of all the damage it managed to cause her. Her line about Fry's declarations of love always portending her doom was pretty spot-on, and tickled me immensely.

I also liked how the shippy stuff was structured: how it began in the first few moments of the episode, and how each major twist in the The World is Ending! storyline was accompanied by a Fry/Leela moment. The "Give me your hand" runner worked surprisingly well, and for once I didn't find Fry's self-sacrificial nonsense too forced or frustrating (though I will admit to thinking, at the end of act two, that Leela really ought to get a turn to sacrifice something major for Fry's sake. I guess her initially encouraging him to leave for Mars without her counts, right?).

I mean, I suppose I could get all nitpicky about the fact that it's kind of bitchy for Leela to repeatedly make note of how much Fry loves her without verbally reciprocating his affections--but, damn, I'm still in hog heaven from that wonderful (foiled) end-of-the-world sex scene alone. I loved both the dialogue between Fry and Leela preceding the smooching, and how frustrated they both seemed when Zoidberg and Amy interrupted them.

Oh, and the ending--where Fry and Leela are trying to negotiate how, exactly, to hug one another in their mutilated state--was really cute and well-done. Who would've thought that severed arms could be so romantic?

[Reply #636 on:]

There are some problems I had mainly with Leela's attitude; how is she still baffled by Fry's behavior? She knows he is undeniably in love with her, would do absolutely anything and everything for her, yet her hesitation seems to be the real reason his acts of kindness fail. She doesn't say she loves him or even say he's her boyfriend (yeah where are we on that now?)

But fuck, I'll take what I can get. SHIPPING OVERLOAD YAAAAAAAAAY!!!

I just pray to the gods of Futurama writing that they keep it consistent and fucking put a stance on what their freaking relationship is!!!

[Reply #637 on:]

"Get lost, Zoidberg!" "I am lost."

Can't say much more yet than Gorky or Spacedal said already except to say that my shippiness gland is about to burst with throbbing pleasure.

[Reply #638 on:]

yet her hesitation seems to be the real reason his acts of kindness fail.

Those scenes rather seemed to me like "annoyed by things she cannot change, and wishing to let it one on someone".

- The tentacle monster would have gotten her anyway when stepping over the puddle. With or without Fry holding her hand.
- She WANTED a ticket to Mars. So, if she had gotten one, she still would be stranded on Mars.
- Leela would have been rejected, no matter wether Fry pushed her hand in there, or she did it herself.
The one is a bit questionable:
- Leela managed to fall down the whole all by her own fault. In all the time she explained to Fry why he couldn't lift her up, she could have easily called one of the "non-greasy-hands" folks for help.

so, all in all, the "take-my-hand" thing was a good recurring gag. But it was just too much based on the assumption of Fry "making things worse". Which he did not really do...

While waiting in the queue, Leela did not seem too nervous/sad about the prospect of Fry presumably being left behind. Much less than Fry was about Leela's rejection...
So, the Leela suddenly ending in the situation of being left behind bore some kind of "serves you right" aspect

[Reply #639 on:]

I don't think she was actually saying Fry wanted to cause her harm. It's more like superstition. It never works out well for her when he tries to do nice things, and she's noticed the pattern.