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Post by fonebone on Aug 15, 2023 3:58:55 GMT -8
Futurama "Parasites Regained"
David Lynch's "Dune" is not a very great movie. But it's a very underappreciated movie. I don't even think Lynch understands how weirdly cool it is. This episode gettng Kyle MacLachlan is it paying tribute to the correct Dune film.
The climax to the episode was underwhelming and rushed. But the same could be said for the Dune movie.
Return of Hermes' "My Manwich!" bit. You don't realize how much you missed it until it's been gone for so long.
The last scene was sweet.
The rotating "First Cast Member Listed" deal went back to DiMaggio, so it's clear he, Katey Sagal, and Billy West are taking turns. It would have been amazingly hard to navigate if they had to rotate the "first cast listing" to the entire damn cast all season long! Best they stick with the main three.
Frank Welker has gained gravitas over the years. I love that this show uses it.
I liked it, but as a whole I find the relaunch underwhelming. This was a decent week though. ***1/2.
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Post by classicswim on Aug 20, 2023 22:37:01 GMT -8
[Related to Items You've Viewed]
The 7th or 10th adult animated Amazon spoof, ladies and gentlemen. And goddamn, is it shallow.
The funny thing about just the title of the episode. Not only is it the most played out name that could fall under virtually any similar sitcom attempting to be topical. You could also place this title onto the “haha streaming service laugh” season premiere because it’s that one dimensional.
Fry & Leela make the big step of moving in together at Bender’s place. They waste what could’ve been a decent dynamic onto a jealous Bender episode. Only Bender’s away and captive after awhile so, alas, no real humor.
The sad thing is that I was looking forward to seeing Mom again. Usually I’m never disappointed with her and her sons, but here it just wasn’t fun.
I predicted Invasia slapping Mom and taking over a mile away. Not like it wasn’t incredibly easy to see where things were going. Mom’s greed upon knowing her funds were unaffected was on point, but that doesn’t really help the state of the overall episode.
Al Gore was wasted too. Was only a one line cameo, but really? This is the episode you used him for?
No resolution, no sense of anything funny. Nothing. This was just a fucking bore fest.
I’m not gonna totally lump this in with the various other Amazon parodies, because this one didn’t even try at all. Even though the characters are idiots, it’s actually not that hard to tune out Amazon’s bullshit. This episode kept saying “oh, it’s awful, but it’s so convenient,” like anyone else writes that in the sand besides window lickers and products of incest.
Maybe implying this episode’s part of the problem might be taking it too far, but bottom line is it had nothing to say that wasn’t already better said elsewhere. And shit like this is why I can’t stomach these other specific parodies after awhile.
Dear upcoming comedies later down the pipeline: I beg of you. Please, please, *please* do not make an Amazon episode. Enough is enough. We’ve heard the fucking pee bottle joke, we promise.
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Post by fonebone on Aug 21, 2023 5:27:19 GMT -8
I liked it a lot more than you did, but I've never been a very demanding viewer. That might shock people who know me mostly for my crankiness, but my standards are actually very low. So when I DO bash something it's because it DOES really suck ass. And that should frighten you considering how much I bash. Me finding little wrong with this predictable, harmless episode says I'm pretty easy to please.
Futurama "Related To Items You've Viewed"
Welcome back, Al Gore. You were missed.
I saw the ending coming a mile away, but it was the right ending, so no harm, no foul.
I love that Fry and Leela have moved in together. I want to see their wedding next.
Is is weird that Prime benefits are free shipping and TV shows for some reason. It's a streaming service I subscribe to I would never subscribe to without the shipping benefits.
Tress MacNeille has a VERY annoying voice, and I've always found her various performances on different shows tough to take. But she gave the operating system a touch of nuance, and her Mom had a little bit of extra grit too (even if she was less profane than usual). It's been awhile since we've seen Mom shift back and forth between the two personalities and MacNeille did both equally well.
I thought that was a VERY strong week. ****.
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Post by classicswim on Aug 27, 2023 21:32:31 GMT -8
Rest easy, Coolio. You did great.
[I Know What You Did Next Xmas]
Truth be told, I always adored Robot Santa. Ever since he first appeared and was first voiced by John Goodman!
The thing is, nothing involving him would be really all that great after “A Tale of Two Santas.” Which hey, it’s not easy outranking such a great episode! And I think naturally both the character and the concept itself ran its course the more Futurama lived up to even more spectacular things.
To my surprise, this episode was a genuine fine successor. If not as good as the first two Robot Santa eps, I found it more pleasant to watch than their CC Xmas show.
NEVER let anyone tell you that Bender & Zoidberg are not a seamlessly magnificent duo. The highest praise you could give this episode would be the life they brought back into that pairing.
We wanted Kwanzaa-Bot for one last holiday special, and Kwanzaa-Bot delivered. It’s beautiful for him to be the true Santa out of all this. Once again, Coolio is forever, baby.
Everyone was sharp. As dim and forgetful as Farnsworth may sometimes appear, he really used this opportunity to clap back at Mr. I’m My Own Grandpa.
We've had a painfully rough season, but I’ll say the episodes I do find watchable really make their mark. And to the credit of what I’ve just watched, the deliveries on all the characters feel about normal again. The last couple of episodes from this season I liked would have at least one noticeably weird and unusual flubbing from Leela or whoever. I didn’t experience any of that here.
URL had his voice done by Kevin Michael Richardson, which isn’t a very bad choice. You probably wouldn’t have noticed it. He’s a literal talking robot so that’s funny. The studio I guess is really cracking down, because DiMaggio doesn’t strike me as someone who wants to give up his stereotypes. But if it was his decision then more power to him.
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Post by fonebone on Aug 28, 2023 14:19:03 GMT -8
Futurama "I Know What You Did Next Xmas"
I don't feel the Bender / Zoidberg / Santa stuff ended satisfactorily (maybe if Santa were REALLY dead) but the episode did right by Coolio's final appearance as Kwanzabot. I didn't get tears in my eyes, but my cheeks flushed a little. Really great send-off and dedication for him.
By the way, I saw Farnsworth being the one who turned Santa evil coming a mile away. It's weird the show thought I'd be surprised.
Mark Hamill back for the Hanukkah Zombie. Yay!
Honestly, whether Futurama comes back or not, this should probably be the last Xmas episode ever. Just say Santa is dead after all. It's not a premise that needs revisiting without Kwanzabot. ***1/2.
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