Alt Tv Rewind

Stuart LavinApr 20, 2004, 10:12 PM ET

I just bought Season 2 on DVD, and I've got addicted to the commentaries. One thing I like is hearing about all the things they very *nearly* put in the show.

For instance, when Bender first meets Flexo, the two of them swap serial numbers ("we're both expressibles-as-the-sum-of-three-cubes!"). In a later episode - "Bender Gets Made" - there's a deleted scene where Bender opens his chestplate and scratches out his serial number. One plan was to have Flexo's number in there - so an absolute Futurama fanatic, who knew Bender's number by heart, might spot that Flexo had somehow supplanted Bender, stolen his identity, and replaced him for the rest of the show. Anyway, they decided against it. It made me chuckle, but I'm glad they didn't do it (not that I ever would've noticed!) :o)

Another thing was, when Hermes got the brain slug, they considered keeping it on him for the whole of the series. Am I the only person who really wished they had? I always thought Hermes was the show's weakest link, but that brain slug really cracked me up :o)

I guess the joke might've worn thin, but hey! So did Herme's accent :oD

And the funniest thing I've ever seen in Futurama was the deleted scene from The Deep South - Professor Farnsworth snoozing in a deck chair, muttering, "Zombie Jesus? And he's coming for dinner? But I have nothing prepared!" But maybe that's because my friends have been ranting about Zombie Jesus since long before I saw the show...

Any others I'm missing?

WolfApr 21, 2004, 8:58 PM ET↩ Stuart Lavin

So am I... that would have been a terrible idea. Almost as awful as, for example, abandoning the concept of maitaining Leela's origin a constant secret, and making her a hideous mutant instead of a mysterious alien. Shudder - what a dreadful idea *that* would have been! It's a good thing it never...

Oops.

That would have been good, indeed. I normally always disliked Hermes a lot - of course, not nearly as much as those hateful "kids" of his and Farnsworth's - but his slug-given manner and voice were delightful. :o)

Matt GarveyApr 22, 2004, 3:04 AM ET↩ Wolf

Wolf wrote:

Actually, that reminds me of something in Duckman - some time after the episode Aged Heat, where a killer swapped places with Grandma-ma, and they got the "right" one back, one scene suggested that it was still the killer (Agnes someone?)...I wish I could remember what episode, because now I'm not entirely certain this wasn't something I dreamt up.

ProginoskesApr 22, 2004, 5:45 PM ET↩ Matt Garvey

Matt Garvey wrote in message news:...

You're thinking of "Aged Heat" (3rd season).

There was a later episode ("You've Come the Wrong Way, Baby", 4th season) where we found out that they _didn't_ get the right "Gandma-ma" back. -- Christopher Heckman

Matt GarveyApr 23, 2004, 2:15 AM ET↩ Proginoskes

Proginoskes wrote:

I did mention Aged Heat as the initial episode - but yes, "You've Come the Wrong Way, Baby" is the one I was thinking of. Thanks...

Stuart LavinApr 23, 2004, 5:26 AM ET↩ Matt Garvey

Matt Garvey wrote in message news:...

Don't know the show, but there's a similar thing in Season 2 of Family Guy. Peter Griffin cuts to a flashback, saying "remember when I beat my evil twin brother?" The flashback shows him and another him, standing on a rooftop in the rain, both appealing to Lois... who has a gun and is going to shoot one. She makes her choice and goes to hug the survivor. His face falls down, briefly revealing that he is an evil robot, and snaps back up again.

But it didn't matter in Family Guy, because the little flashbacks are all so implausible anyway :oD

Stuart LavinApr 23, 2004, 5:31 AM ET↩ Wolf

Wolf wrote in message news:...

Didn't you like that? I don't know... apart from a few funny moments, I didn't rate the mutants - mostly silly visual gags about body parts. On the other hand, I'm glad Leela's story got some closure (like Fry's, for instance). The show was ending, and I'm impressed they managed to explain some mysteries. Made it feel like a told story, rather than an axed one :o)

Listening to the audio commentaries for Season 2, I think the guys involved completely overestimated how funny his Jamaican accent was. In fact, that was one of the reasons why they didn't retain the slug - they thought the monotone was less amusing. But with Hermes, if the accent doesn't have you in stitches - and it won't! - there's not much else to laugh about. At least with the slug he had his own sci-fi thing going on!

Matthew MillerApr 23, 2004, 10:59 AM ET↩ Stuart Lavin

I liked the slug, but I don't think that it should have necessarily been worn to death. Maybe it's just me, but I like the bureaucrat stuff. Maybe you have to have worked in academia or government to really appreciate it.

Fata MorganaApr 23, 2004, 5:05 PM ET↩ Matthew Miller

"Matthew Miller" wrote in message news:[email]...

That's what I was going to say. The funniest thing about Hermes (to me) is his love of bureaucracy. I also found his occasional references to his mom funny.

His son, however, was a blot on the show. Even more so than the Prof's clone. (Who was funny in a "everyone hates Westly Crusher" sort of way, at least occasionally)

Fata Morgana

ProginoskesApr 23, 2004, 6:55 PM ET↩ Stuart Lavin

[email] (Stuart Lavin) wrote in message news:...

Or the slug could have gotten his own show, like the Hypno-Toad. -- Christopher Heckman

Matt GarveyApr 23, 2004, 10:48 PM ET↩ Proginoskes

Proginoskes wrote:

Now I have to wonder who would have triumphed in a matchup between the Hypno-Toad and a brain slug.

Fata MorganaApr 24, 2004, 12:06 AM ET↩ Matt Garvey

"Matt Garvey" wrote in message news:[email]...

news:...

Hypno-Toad and a brain slug.

Hypnotoad. In fact, I think it's blasphemous for anyone to even suggest that brain slug could have a show like Hypnotoad. Blasphemous!

Fata Morgana

Matt GarveyApr 24, 2004, 1:28 AM ET↩ Fata Morgana

Fata Morgana wrote:

Maybe I wasn't clear - I mean I wonder if the two of them got in a "fight," who would triumph. Could the hypnotoad hypnotize the brain slug into doing its will, or would the brain slug render it incapable first?

JimApr 24, 2004, 10:19 AM ET↩ Matt Garvey

Matt Garvey wrote in news:[email]:

Well, if the brain slug were on the hypnotoad, then the brain slug wouldn't be looking into the hypnotoad's eyes, so presumably the brain slug would be in control.

If the two were facing each other, the brain slug wouldn't be able to do anything (that we know of) and the hypnotoad could control the brain slug.

Have we seen how a brain slug actually gets attached to someone's/something's head? (I haven't seen a brain-slug episode in quite a while.)

Jim

Mark Allen Adams, Jr.Apr 24, 2004, 11:16 AM ET↩ Jim

Oy! Listen to Jim's latest shpiel!

The hypnotoad would presumably also have power over the brain slug if the brain slug's host were in eyeshot of the hypnotoad.

Stuart LavinApr 24, 2004, 5:43 PM ET↩ Mark Allen Adams, Jr.

"Mark Allen Adams, Jr." wrote in message news:...

*However*, apart from some short-term effects, the hypnotoad's powers seem quite weak. He has his own TV show, and it's implied that Fry and friends watch it regularly - with little negative impact on their lives. The brainslug, on the other hand, has a far more devestating effect on Hermes.

Plus, it's implied that the brainslug actually *feeds* off the host's mental activity. You might recall that one starves to death on Fry. I find it plausible that a brainslug attached to the hypnotoad might acquire some or all of its powers, and thus become all-powerful :o)

UsualNoiseApr 24, 2004, 4:55 PM ET↩ Jim

Jim wrote in news:6Iuic.19366$IW1.989683@attbi_s52:

But what if the brain slug was on the hypnotoad in front of a mirror?!?

:)

John DiFoolApr 26, 2004, 10:33 AM ET↩ UsualNoise

On 24 Apr 2004 20:55:09 GMT, UsualNoise wrote:

Something along the lines of what happened in Being John Malkovitch I'd say...

John DiFool

e.MorrApr 25, 2004, 12:51 PM ET↩ Jim

I think it would create a singularity that would encompass all matter in the universe.

ed

"Doug Warner" wrote in message news:[email]... Jim wrote:

Let's see. hypnotoad controls brain slug which controls hypnotoad.. Feedback loop, they both explode.

To reply, please remove one letter from each side of "@" Spammers are VERMIN. Please kill them all.

Fata MorganaApr 24, 2004, 9:38 PM ET↩ Matt Garvey

"Matt Garvey" wrote in message news:[email]...

"fight,"

You were perfectly clear, and I gave my answer: Hypnotoad. I was just adding the comment that brain slug is not even in the same league as Hypnotoad. All hail Hypnotoad!

Fata Morgana

GalleyApr 24, 2004, 11:22 PM ET↩ Fata Morgana

On Sun, 25 Apr 2004 01:38:59 GMT, "Fata Morgana" spewed forth these words of wisdom:

Thread of the year! LOL

JimApr 25, 2004, 7:39 AM ET↩ Galley

Galley wrote in news:[email]:

Heh.

Okay, how about this? If the brain slug were on the hypnotoad, and they were "cooperating", what other beings could or could not "beat" them?

Jim

Scott E.Apr 25, 2004, 11:44 AM ET↩ Jim

"Jim" wrote in message news:OrNic.29838$_L6.1714994@attbi_s53...

"Falling object from space" would definitely beat them. Plus it would be funny to see.

Scott E.

Mark Allen Adams, Jr.Apr 25, 2004, 3:21 PM ET↩ Jim

Fry'd be the only one immune.

Thomas AnderssonApr 27, 2004, 7:46 PM ET↩ Mark Allen Adams, Jr.

Mark Allen Adams, Jr. wrote:

Why didn't the Niblonians ally with the Brain Slugs? seems like the logical ally ;)

Best Wishes Thomas

Fata MorganaApr 25, 2004, 3:36 PM ET↩ Jim

"Jim" wrote in message news:OrNic.29838$_L6.1714994@attbi_s53...

The thing is, what does Brain Slug really get for you? He actually makes you kind of dumb. The main way Brain Slug uses his control is to get people to go to the Brain Slug planet. He doesn't make people more powerful or clever or better fighters. Therefore, having Brain Slug on his head would only succeed in getting the multitude to go to Brain Slug planet and become zombies. I guess that's one way to conquer everybody. But I like Hypnotoad's absolute dominance of the populace *as it is* much better. Everybody gets to love Hypnotoad without having to lose their souls! It's a win-win situation.

Fata Morgana

JimApr 25, 2004, 10:32 PM ET↩ Fata Morgana

"Fata Morgana" wrote in news:krUic.9096$[email]:

Ah, spoken like someone controlled by the Hypnotoad. :-)

Jim

Stuart LavinApr 25, 2004, 6:55 PM ET↩ Galley

Galley wrote in message news:...

And I started it. Goal!

Magenta MajorsApr 26, 2004, 10:28 PM ET↩ Matt Garvey

On Sat, 24 Apr 2004 01:28:27 -0400, Matt Garvey wrote:

I'm a little late in this one, but - If the brain slug had a chance to go onto the hypnotoad, it could easily make the hypnotoad control everyone on earth and send the entire race to its planet.

Stuart LavinApr 27, 2004, 7:07 PM ET↩ Magenta Majors

Magenta Majors wrote in message news:...

I think we're overestimating the power of the hypnotoad here. He has his own TV show, which everyone watches, and *he* hasn't hypnotised everyone on earth. If he could control everyone on earth, how come he hasn't?

Thomas AnderssonApr 27, 2004, 7:47 PM ET↩ Stuart Lavin

Stuart Lavin wrote:

Maybe it's a frequenzy/resolution thingy, the effect doesn'r travell well over digital media?

Best Wishes Thomas

Nico BartelsApr 27, 2004, 8:14 PM ET↩ Stuart Lavin

On 27 Apr 2004 16:07:44 -0700, Stuart Lavin wrote:

Maybe he doesn't want to rule the world?

VoVatMay 20, 2004, 3:17 PM ET↩ Nico Bartels

"Nico Bartels" wrote in message news:[email]...

But EVERYBODY wants to rule the world! Just ask Tears for Fears!

Richard BrooksMay 20, 2004, 3:42 PM ET↩ VoVat

A DVD narrative which wanders so far away from the episode that all they do is talk about their wives and kids, belching, buying stuff at Walmart, jay-walking, [insert stuff here...]

Richard.

Matthew MillerApr 27, 2004, 10:09 PM ET↩ Stuart Lavin

Maybe he just has simple desires.

Pete BensonApr 28, 2004, 2:28 PM ET↩ Stuart Lavin

in article [email], Stuart Lavin at [email] wrote on 4/27/04 4:07 PM:

Maybe he's just hypnotized you into thinking he hasn't?

Stuart LavinApr 28, 2004, 7:45 PM ET↩ Pete Benson

Pete Benson wrote in message news:...

*lol*. That's four clever answers to my post. I shoulda known sci-fi fans wouldn't be bamboozled by sophistry! :oD

JimApr 29, 2004, 1:53 PM ET↩ Stuart Lavin

[email] (Stuart Lavin) wrote in news:[email]:

Maybe he's just hypnotized you into thinking you got four clever answers to your post...