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Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Futurama-Oh-Ya

Time for a top ten list! So here it is. I watched some episodes of Futurama recently and decided that since the show's original run was finite, unlike the Simpsons, I could create a top ten list of my favorite episodes. Now, yes, I understand that there was a so-called fifth season comprised of 16 episodes spread through four dvd movies. I'm not counting those mostly because I haven't seen them all and they were never aired individually on television. So without further Apu (I have been zinged!)



10. When Aliens Attack - Featuring everbody's favorite resident of Omicron Persei 8, Lurr. A spoof on television in general with the cast reenacting a television show, based largely on Ally McBeal. Very funny, very watchable episode.

9. Bender Should Not Be Allowed on TV - Another episode about television. Plays on both groups that protest tv and the medium itself. Also has Calculon and his delightfully egotistical dialogue "Amateurs like YOU need two takes, I need one".

8. That's Lobstertainment - In a weird twist this episode is about the movies and not television. A Zoidberg heavy episode, in fact the best Zoidberg episode of all.

7. Space Pilot 3000 - The introductory episode is great just because it introduces us to the whole Futurama world. We get a crash course in everything from heads in jars to the suicide booths. There's a lot of information crammed into these 30 minutes and it still manages to be funny.

6. Anthology of Interest I - A modern cartoon staple makes its appearance in Futurama, the "three stories" episode. The premise here is that a "what if" machine is able to postulate certain what if scenarios. Featuring Vice President Al friggin Gore as a guest star.

5. Godfellas - A Bender centric episode that sees the robot with the shiny metal ass floating through space. A small asteroid hits him and it turns out to be populated by tiny people. Bender's reign as god ends in nuclear war and a conversation with what is believed to be god. This is all funnier than I'm writing it. Plus Leela and Fry go into the Himalayas to try and find Bender in the universe.

4. Mars University - One of the earlier episodes in the series. It is a spoof on 80s college party movies, in particular Animal House. Fry attends Mars University in hopes of again becoming a college dropout. On top of this Prof. Farnsworth brings a monkey with a hat that gives him intelligence who immediately starts feuding with fry. Infinitely watchable episode.

3. Time Keeps on Slippin' - Extremely fun episode to watch. Due to actions taken by the Planet Express crew there are gaps in which time jumps around. Featuring the Harlem Globetrotters as the problem solving super genius' and basketball team. There's just a certain something about the episode that is fun. I just love the whole "time" premise, whether it be travel or otherwise (even though I won't include the time travel Futurama episode on this list).

2. Jurassic Bark - This is a great episode that manages to be both emotional and funny. Despite not being a dog lover you were able to really sense the companionship between Fry and his dog in this episode. The final sequence showing the dog waiting years for Fry's return is one of the saddest moments in television. If you didn't have a tear in your eye you're a Nazi and Brad Pitt will kill you.

1. Luck of the Fryish - Delves deeper into Fry's situation. It was the first episode to show that everything in Fry's life kept on going while he was frozen for 1000 years. In particular it focuses on Fry and his brother Yancy growing up. While Fry only remembers the rivalry, by the end he realizes that his brother missed him so much he named his first born son after him. It's a great episode because the whole episode we're lead to believe that Yancy stole Fry's identity, but we learn that he really gave his son the name in his honor. A touching, emotional episode.

With new episodes dropping next year we'll see how this list shapes up in a few more years. Hopefully the new season will be able to live up to the example set by the first four seasons. By the end of it's run Futurama was really hitting a stride. I hope it will continue even though it's been a long six years since a new episode made for television.

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