Support NeoGAF

[CiSTM]

My two cents on Futurama...

I think that the movies were the beginning of the end, and I wish they'd never been made. Bender's Big Score was enjoyable in a "OH GAAAWD IT'S NEW FUTURAMAAAAA" sort of enthused way, but it didn't bear rewatching and the subsequent movies were laugh-free for me. I had very muted expectations of the new Comedy Central season and it kinda lived up to them. I laughed at a few jokes, but it was just so weak, so limp and depressing, compared with the original run.

I don't know how much of that is "nostalgia", how much of it is legitimate. I got loved those first four (or five, depending where you look) seasons so much that maybe nothing was going to seem impressive, but I didn't even find the new Futurama to be good, let alone anywhere near the quality of the first run. It was rather like the Simpsons decline, except somehow more devastating in just how instant it was.

New seasons were really uneven but I have to say there were couple of really good episodes in there. Most of them were bad tho. The Late Philip J. Fry still managed to become one of my all time favorites.

 

[Shaneus]

Also this is the last season I think? The voice actors had to take a pay cut for it to keep going as it costs too much to produce. Fox probably have another Family Guy spin-off that is rating well with focus groups to throw on at a much lower price.

Watching this 500th episode, everyone's voices sound off, just like the voices did in the most recent Muppet movie. Except they have the excuse of the key voice actors being dead or extremely aged. The voice acting is worse than Daniel Craig's in Blood Stone. It's fucking shocking.

My two cents on Futurama...

I think that the movies were the beginning of the end, and I wish they'd never been made. Bender's Big Score was enjoyable in a "OH GAAAWD IT'S NEW FUTURAMAAAAA" sort of enthused way, but it didn't bear rewatching and the subsequent movies were laugh-free for me. I had very muted expectations of the new Comedy Central season and it kinda lived up to them. I laughed at a few jokes, but it was just so weak, so limp and depressing, compared with the original run.

I don't know how much of that is "nostalgia", how much of it is legitimate. I got loved those first four (or five, depending where you look) seasons so much that maybe nothing was going to seem impressive, but I didn't even find the new Futurama to be good, let alone anywhere near the quality of the first run. It was rather like the Simpsons decline, except somehow more devastating in just how instant it was.

First movie was really good, for all the fan service... the others I barely remember. The most recent season's first half was clearly them trying to find their feet again after such a massive break from writing regular-length episodes, and you could see that ol' Futurama shine peeking through the flimsy plotlines. The second half was a relieving return to form of their original run. I have every confidence that the next full season will be 100% entirely back to their original glory.

 

[reptilescorpio]

My two cents on Futurama....

I really do think that after 4-5 seasons you just can't keep coming up with episodes that will grab and move viewers the same as before. I felt the same with the first movie being a huge rush and then disappointment with the rest of them. The first series after that had some quite good episodes and some like the Yo Gabba Gabba one I enjoyed immensely but overall it just didn't feel the same as when I sat down to watch an episode premiere in the first 4 seasons.

nah, we have two more years. the show was extended through season 25. i think the 25 year mark is where they'll end it, since they didn't end it at season with the 500th episode (the current one).

Ah crap. Latest season has been so middling that I haven't even bothered keeping up with it. The last few years have had a few decent episodes, at least a lot better than the middle years, but after thinking they may be back on the up in quality they lost the point again.

I wonder how well Seasons 14-20 would sell on DVD compared to the early ones? Won't be long until Fox restart the whole process, bringing out Season 1 on Blu Ray one Christmas and so on.

 

[RedBullEnergy]

Simpsons should have just toned down on the obvious pop-culture references and kept the show in the 90s. Show did well without the mapple and zii, you could still have guest stars but just make them play characters and not to appear as themselves.

Bang on. This is one of the biggest things you notice.. celebs are now crowbarred in as themselves rather than as characters.

Can you imagine the Michael Jackson character happening these days? Or how about Dustin Hoffman as the substitute teacher? Never.

 

[Amalthea]

edit. I guess my problem isn't the decade it's set but the obvious pop-culture references and jokes. Writing is just bad and if the show would be set in 90s it wouldn't be any better. Just stop building whole episodes around Mapple and Springface.

Not to mention that they had the balls to use the real names sometimes.

Homer: There can only be one truly great festival a lifetime and it's the Us festival.
Record Store Clerk: The what festival?
Homer: The Us festival. It was put on by that guy from Apple Computers.
Record Store Clerk: What computers?

It's even funnier in retrospective.

 

[Mistle]

I thought the new Futurama episode where they use a time machine (The Late Philip J. Fry) was just as good as the classics, and one of my favourite episodes of the series.

 

[Marvie_3]

I can't believe it took me four years to discover this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RyqtrGnicc

Holy shit. :lol

 

[Trent Strong]

My two cents on Futurama...

I think that the movies were the beginning of the end, and I wish they'd never been made. Bender's Big Score was enjoyable in a "OH GAAAWD IT'S NEW FUTURAMAAAAA" sort of enthused way, but it didn't bear rewatching and the subsequent movies were laugh-free for me. I had very muted expectations of the new Comedy Central season and it kinda lived up to them. I laughed at a few jokes, but it was just so weak, so limp and depressing, compared with the original run.

I don't know how much of that is "nostalgia", how much of it is legitimate. I got loved those first four (or five, depending where you look) seasons so much that maybe nothing was going to seem impressive, but I didn't even find the new Futurama to be good, let alone anywhere near the quality of the first run. It was rather like the Simpsons decline, except somehow more devastating in just how instant it was.

Completely agree. They never should have resurrected the show.

 

[Mistle]

Just watched the 500th episode.

There was a lot wrong with it (in true new Simpsons fashion), but honestly, the humour wasn't that bad. It was actually pretty good just for a casual watch. Definitely better than most new episodes I've seen.

 

[Shaneus]

Bang on. This is one of the biggest things you notice.. celebs are now crowbarred in as themselves rather than as characters.

Can you imagine the Michael Jackson character happening these days? Or how about Dustin Hoffman as the substitute teacher? Never.

They didn't use their real names but you could tell it was them.

Completely agree. They never should have resurrected the show.

Seriously? I can see how you'd say that after the latter three movies and a brief watch of the first half of the most recent series (as I said, you could see flashes of brilliance) but the latter half of the recent season is almost as good as the original run. Late Philip J Fry could slot in anywhere amongst the first four seasons and not look out of place.

 

[UberTag]

Bang on. This is one of the biggest things you notice.. celebs are now crowbarred in as themselves rather than as characters.

Can you imagine the Michael Jackson character happening these days? Or how about Dustin Hoffman as the substitute teacher? Never.

I'll cite one example from Season 22 of a guest spot role that harkened back to the days of old: Martin Landau as a retired magician in last season's The Great Simpsina.

He doesn't play himself.
He breathes life and emotion into an original character.
And he delivers a memorable performance given that this is an Oscar-winning actor with 50 years of acting pedigree.

So I don't need to imagine. Is this the exception to the rule? Sadly yes. But it does still happen.

 

[BigAT]

Moe is their leader.

 

[Box of Bunnies]

Seriously? I can see how you'd say that after the latter three movies and a brief watch of the first half of the most recent series (as I said, you could see flashes of brilliance) but the latter half of the recent season is almost as good as the original run. Late Philip J Fry could slot in anywhere amongst the first four seasons and not look out of place.

Late Philip J. Fry and one or two other decent-to-good episodes don't make up for the movies and the rest of the new series. I think we've had this discussion before though, with me concluding that Futurama just isn't for me anymore.

It's cool if you like it, though. Lots of people obviously like modern Simpsons and post-series 2 Family Guy and I don't hold either of those against them.

 

[Darklord]

After watching Cape Feare I think it has to be possibly the best Simpsons episode. I also noticed a funny thing. Patty says Selma "Always leaves the toilet seat up".

 

[Guzim]

After watching Cape Feare I think it has to be possibly the best Simpsons episode. I also noticed a funny thing. Patty says Selma "Always leaves the toilet seat up".

Hey Vern! Help me get my head out of this toilet!

 

[PokéKong]

"How do we make suicide funny? .........SLAPSTICK!"

 

[AceBandage]

"How do we make suicide funny? .........SLAPSTICK!"

...
The fuck...

 

[Kinyou]

"How do we make suicide funny? .........SLAPSTICK!"

 

[Stet]

"How do we make suicide funny? .........SLAPSTICK!"

lol. I find this incredibly funny, but only because it symbolizes the Simpsons in a nutshell these days. Can't even suicide right.

 

[ahoyhoy]

"You know batting this light bulb is the only thing that makes me feel better about giving away those dogs!"

 

[Kinyou]

I wonder if he just wanted to show them how one would commit suicide (for some stageplay or something like that) or if Homer, the nice family dad, has now become someone who'd commit suicide in front of his kids.

 

[AceBandage]

I wonder if he just wanted to show them how one would commit suicide (for some stageplay or something like that) or if Homer, the nice family dad, has now become someone who'd commit suicide in front of his kids.

Does it really matter?
There is no context in which that is funny or acceptable.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

A bee bit my bottom, and now my bottom is big

 

[Ravensmash]

Man, that gif looks horrible.

Is that from the latest episode? What the hell happened to cause such a drastic shift in style, writing, everything?

 

[Kinyou]

Does it really matter?
There is no context in which that is funny or acceptable.

Well, even suicide can be funny as South Park showed for example, it's just that South Park has always been completley absurd, while in Simpsons has always been partly grounded in reality. Now if it's from some Treehouse of horror episode I guess I could understand it a little more. It would still be a horribly bad "haha, he's so fat" joke, but at least kind of acceptable.

 

[PetriP-TNT]

"How do we make suicide funny? .........SLAPSTICK!"

Da fuq?

 

[Souldriver]

Homer has pleasant dreams of murdering his father. I shrug at the idea of Homer committing suicide in front of his kids. It's totally in character!

 

[B.K.]

"How do we make suicide funny? .........SLAPSTICK!"

What the hell was that?

 

[Clydefrog]

 

[Walshicus]

Seriously though, what's the context to that hanging-gif?

 

[British Monsoon]

Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck....

Seriously though, what's the context to that hanging-gif?

Homer does something dumb and the bank forecloses on their house, so he tries to commit suicide.

Also, why does the chair hold Homer's weight, yet the tree doesn't?

 

[VertPin]

Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck....

Homer does something dumb and the bank forecloses on their house, so he tries to commit suicide.

Also, why does the chair hold Homer's weight, yet the tree doesn't?

Homer would never do that..wtf

 

[AceBandage]

Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck....

Homer does something dumb and the bank forecloses on their house, so he tries to commit suicide.

Also, why does the chair hold Homer's weight, yet the tree doesn't?

So Seth McFarlane writes for the Simpsons now?

 

[Kinyou]

Homer would never do that..wtf

Let alone directly in front of the kids... jesus christ

 

[British Monsoon]

"Over here, my friends! Or is it...over here!"

"So this is what it feels like...when doves cry"

So Seth McFarlane writes for the Simpsons now?

I don't think they've ran an incest storyline yet, so I'd guess; no.

 

[Fari]

Homer does something dumb and the bank forecloses on their house, so he tries to commit suicide.

 

[AdventureRacing]

Homer does something dumb and the bank forecloses on their house, so he tries to commit suicide.

Stop, stop he's already dead.

 

[Ravensmash]

See, something like that in the classic era could have been done via Homer feeling bad for his family, feeling that he's worthless as a provider/life insurance (in fact wasn't it done with an episode from Season One anyway?).

The Homer that I knew wouldn't be doing it in front of his kids in the garden with slapstick elements involved.

 

[B.K.]

(in fact wasn't it done with an episode from Season One anyway?).

Yes. He gets fired from the nuclear power plant because of his incompetence. He can't find a job, so he ties a rock to himself and tries to throw himself off a bridge.

 

[Mikey Jr.]

Make it just a jpg and it becomes very disturbing.

 

[Trent Strong]

I dislike the modern simpsons as much as anyone, but I don't find a suicide joke to be the least bit offensive. How many times has Homer brutally strangled Bart? It's just a cartoon.

 

[Kinyou]

 

[DarkKyo]

Gotta change that death date to at least 12 years earlier.

 

[Kinyou]

Gotta change that death date to at least 12 years earlier.

I knew that response would come, but I was too lazy to figure out which season was when

 

[AceBandage]

I dislike the modern simpsons as much as anyone, but I don't find a suicide joke to be the least bit offensive. How many times has Homer brutally strangled Bart? It's just a cartoon.

The Simpsons has delt with death and suicide before.
The difference here is the fact that:

1. It's done in front of the kids which is just wrong.
2. It's not funny as a joke or a sight gag.
3. The context of it was handled very badly.

 

[Trent Strong]

The Simpsons has delt with death and suicide before.
The difference here is the fact that:

1. It's done in front of the kids which is just wrong.
2. It's not funny as a joke or a sight gag.
3. The context of it was handled very badly.

Yeah, I agree that it wasn't funny and that it was handled badly (most modern simpsons stuff fits that description), but some people seem to be shocked and offended by it. I don't think it's funny, but also not really offensive. Then again, I like "jerk ass" Homer and I never like it when the Simpsons tries to be heart warming or sweet. I don't think the heart warming stuff ever works, and it just brings the comedy to a screeching halt.

 

[AceBandage]

Yeah, I agree that it wasn't funny and that it was handled badly (most modern simpsons stuff fits that description), but some people seem to be shocked and offended by it. I don't think it's funny, but also not really offensive. Then again, I like "jerk ass" Homer and I never like it when the Simpsons tries to be heart warming or sweet. I don't think the heart warming stuff ever works, and it just brings the comedy to a screeching halt.

Aww, come on.
Some of the old Lisa and Homer episodes were extremely well done heart warming episodes!

 

[Souldriver]

I dislike the modern simpsons as much as anyone, but I don't find a suicide joke to be the least bit offensive. How many times has Homer brutally strangled Bart? It's just a cartoon.

I'm dead serious on this, but the more times goes by, the more I realize the strangling running joke is really fucking stupid and unnecessary. Even in the good Simpsons episodes. It just irks me nowadays, especially considering the show is a "sitcom but drawn", and not the "hammer and anvil on head" kind of cartoon.

 

[markot]

1999 pretty much.

 

[SeanR1221]

The 25 greyhounds episode handled a suicide joke well.