This post includes a collection of my reviews for all 20 season 2 episodes, sorted from favorite to least favorite. Half of these have not been posted before. First, an opinion of the season as a whole...
Season Review: The series proves its staying power with a consistently enjoyable season, marked by great animation, solid storytelling, and imaginative humor, that earns comparison with seasons 6 to 8 of The Simpsons. Characters' roles are nicely balanced with regular contributions from the stars, numerous episodes centered on the supporting cast, and the introduction of a surprising number of new characters. In addition to intriguing cutting-edge and traditional sci-fi concepts, the show gets a lot of mileage satirizing young adult sex and romance in a way The Simpsons usually could not. Futurama is both expert in and smarter than most of popular culture, making it the most artful and layered comedy on TV today.
My average grade for the season computes to a B+, the same as for season 1. Each season's grade computes to within 3% of a grade increment of each other, so they are virtually identical. Seeing as how the creative talent did not change much between these seasons it makes sense that the seasons rate similarly. I did find the quality to be slightly more consistent in season 2 than in season 1. This may be because they weeded out some of what doesn't work on the show through trial and error, but also found it a little harder to come up with perfect episode concepts, after using probably some of the best they had in mind from the beginning to lay the groundwork in season 1.
Here are all 20 of my individual episode reviews listed from favorite to least favorite. Of note is that every episode gets a thumbs up equivalent grade, a clean sweep The Simpsons has not earned from me since Season 7:
[2ACV15] The Problem With Popplers: With this classic episode, the funniest on record, the show comes into its own. Its canon of characters is brought together seamlessly in virtually complete form and seems to interact with total spontaneity. The show pokes fun at itself more than ever, with deft self-parody. In addition to great examples of the usual one-liners and sight gags, social satire, brilliant personality contrasts, and hilarious surprises at every turn fuel the humor. The wonderfully unique plot holds together remarkably well during this laughfest. Nothing in this story is sacred, yet hardly anything is just a throwaway. This masterpiece of comedy scriptwriting ranks with the very best Simpsons episodes and deserves to earn the Best Comedy Emmy. (A+)
[1ACV10] A Flight to Remember: A perfect choice for the season opener, this is the best episode yet. The beautifully executed Titanic parody captures everything that was good about the movie, including, remarkably for a 20-minute TV cartoon, its vast scope and scale, while kidding it all at the same time. The motivation that leads to a scene as absurd and hilarious as Fry trying to remember Three's Company is clearly and ingeniously laid out. Perfect balance among the characters is exhibited here, with the emotional content particularly outstanding. We're with Bender every step of the way as he falls in love, and the unresolved tension between Fry and Leela is even more interesting. Only the silly limbo scenes mar it a little. (A)
[2ACV01] I Second That Emotion: An ideal Futurama episode: The sci-fi concepts are not just decoration but foundation, the tone is playful without relying on simple parody, and character development drives everything. The series' 3rd major focus on a gross-out concept may be ill-advised, but here the irony of the characters tolerating things fairly well makes it funnier. Nibbler and a bizarre female mutant are memorable, while an apparent Zapp web page and one mutant's philosophical musings inspire hilarious one-liners. The show has likened men to robots before, but this time Bender is a revelation. Both fascinating as a robot and satirically stinging as a caricature of the insensitive male, his complexity is unlocked like never before. (A)
[1ACV12] When Aliens Attack: Perfect characterization here spells big laughs. Zapp, satirizing both military-think and booty-hounds, is indispensable, and the unending variations on Bender's gadgetry are priceless. The Star Wars refs are nicely done as throwaways; spotting them is a bonus, not a requirement. The humor is so consistent, that you might overlook how elegant the plot and themes are. That intelligent undercurrent makes this involving and satisfying, not just funny. Great plot touches include Fry both causing and resolving the 1000-yr-old threat, and Leela's sensible anti-TV stance turning out to be truly bad advice. Best of all are the pokes at TV viewers and what they crave. Thank God this show was the opposite. (A-)
[2ACV16] Anthology of Interest I: A promising new Simpsons-esque tradition, this fun episode has a little of everything. Bender's fairly simpleminded segment has pop culture references old and new, and lots of original sight gags. (A-) Leela's story has a great, creepy horror mood, but like some Halloween Special segments, it suffers from too much buildup without a strong ending. (B+) Fry's fantasy is the best, building off of the series' canon, and integrating compelling sci-fi concepts with terrifically effective, very funny guest star appearances. Stephen Hawking's copyright infringement, the D&D guy's dice, Uhura's insult to Trek fans, and the simple presence of Al Gore make up an incredible four classic celebrity bits in one show. (A) (Overall: A-)
[2ACV07] Put Your Head on My Shoulder: After two episodes in a row full of awkward romance and severed body parts, Futurama has become both the funniest and weirdest comedy on TV. There may be nothing as humorous as characters who exhibit the most genuinely stupid traits that real humans possess. In showing how a romance develops between airheads Amy and Fry, the writers strike comedic lightning. Unfortunately once again the relevance wears off when the more outrageous plot begins. By wrapping up the Amy/Fry story so soon, the rest of the episode feels a little flat. Gags about Fry's head's discomfort replace the kind of artful romantic quadrangle seen in the Titanic ep. But the first half is so funny I was too laughed out to care. (A-)
[2ACV14] Mother's Day: The Mr. Burns-esque effectiveness of the underused Mom character is demonstrated once again in one of the most strongly plotted episodes. She is surprisingly given greater complexity in her flashback sequences. Her three sons are even funnier this time, although the rest of this episode isn't heavy on subtle gags. The usual characters and their humor get buried a little under the large-scale action and drama. I don't quite understand how Mom holds such complete control over all technology, but the chaotic mood of the revolt is well-animated. The geriatric love scene in this episode is the standout. It shows just how irreverent the writers are when it comes to the expectations of popular culture. (A-)
[2ACV05] Why Must I Be a Crustacean in Love: Finally a supporting character gets some much-needed depth. I had little faith that Dr. Zoidberg could carry an episode, but the writers do a surprisingly excellent job of fleshing out this shellfish, by putting him through an emotional wringer and neatly revealing his cultural background at the same time. Fry gets all the best dialogue, which finds big laughs in the contrast between the dating rituals of 20th century humans and the mating rituals of Zoidberg's species. The story loses some relevance when it turns from Cyrano to gladiatorial combat, and probably goes too far with the newest trend in comedy, the severed limb, but as usual this and every other moment is as well-executed as can be. (B+)
[1ACV11] Mars University: The first purely split storyline episode, this is a nice package of parody, satire, and plot, albeit less elegant than the eps that roll all that into one storyline. The Animal House parody is routinely constructed, but it does pick the best scenes and doesn't overlook subtle touches like the villains' dialogue delivery. The satire of college culture through Fry's experiences is by contrast subtle, smart, and subversive ("expensive day care centers"). Guenter the monkey's storyline provides the sci-fi element, but as the emotional center here it doesn't quite work. With Fry posed as the underdog against the monkey's superior intellect, we end up identifying more with his dislike of Guenter than vice versa. (B+)
[2ACV10] A Clone of My Own: An atmospheric return to heavier sci-fi concepts, this is a good showcase for Professor Farnsworth. The episode is filled with great lines and gags, especially the marvelously written opening parody of Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts. The frequent old age jokes, however, are less original and more of a comprehensive comedic retrospective. Cubert, a young, high-pitched version of the sarcastic comic book store guy, is supposed to provide the emotional arc, but despite the intriguing cloning aspect, his storyline is predictable. The idea of a planet where robots imprison the elderly with high technology is much more interesting. I would have liked to see more resolution of and insight into Farnsworth's experiences there. (B+)
[2ACV12] The Deep South: The show visits perhaps its most fascinating sci-fi environment yet, in an episode that skillfully blends classic fantasy themes like Atlantis and mermaids with the latest gimmicks from The Phantom Menace. For once the intro scene is more routine and contains less ideas than the main story, but after the crew is underwater the fun never stops. Dr. Zoidberg's unique character traits are particularly well-used. Fry's romance provides the story's emotional interest and a lot of funny dialogue, but the way it ends is abrupt and blunt to say the least. As absurd as the central idea here is, the show glides over every logical bump with creative and amusing explanations, that often threaten to become silly but never quite do. (B+)
[2ACV09] A Bicyclops Built for Two: This episode starts out with a complex vision of the future internet so detailed, breathtaking, ambitious, and satirically multifaceted, that when it ends and the standard plot begins, the rest can't help but feel a bit routine by comparison. The outcome of Leela's relationship is more or less predictable. Bender, with almost no role in the plot, disappointingly marks time with one-note cleptomania. The Leela/Peg Married with Children parody is cute, but I hope it's the last one we see, as it reminds us more of the actor than the character, breaking the storytelling illusion. Some great moments involving Fry's escape and investigation, the slack jawed yokel animal aliens, as well as a tour-de-force conclusion add to the fun. (B+)
[1ACV13] Fry and the Slurm Factory: As much as the previous episode focuses on earthly satire, this one emphasizes sci-fi comic book adventure. The entertaining story progresses as slick as can be, but in the end almost takes itself too seriously to rise above cliche. Although not as excessively as in his "Garbage" ep, Lewis Morton expects too much comedic mileage from a drawn-out gross-out gag. The queen slug's argument was actually pretty good, making her a less effective villainess than Mom. A number of smoothly integrated cultural references do serve to lighten things up. They are a joy to spot, but Fry's airheadedness, Bender's greed, and all of the usual cast's personalities prove to be the most reliable source of laughs. (B+)
[2ACV03] A Head In The Polls: This episode starts out as one of the best ever, with one great satirical jab at U.S. politics after another, then turns into a series of weird, amusing, well-animated sight gags about Bender's disembodied head, and finally becomes a wacky guest star ep. Some Nixon references are splendid (his repeat customer discount at Watergate), but Nixon would be a better character if he had the complex humanity of the real man, rather than one-dimensional villainy. Comedy thrives on the unexpected; casting Nixon as a bad guy is predictable. Great early laughs and the underlying plot about Bender's body make this entertaining, but more political, less presidential satire could have made it classic. (B+)
[2ACV13] Bender Gets Made: Another slick, fun, sporadically brilliant Season 2 episode. The plot's twists are enormously effective, but it is slow to get started, and the ending could have used another reversal or two to find the ideal moral balance. The robot mafia characters are standouts, with the don a fine tweak of the Godfather tradition, wisely in a different style than The Simpsons', and the clampbot a relentless lampoon of James Bond-style gimmick supervillains. Robot anatomy inspires the best jokes here. Leela's blinded clumsiness makes for cheaper, duller gags by comparison. The most endearing quality of this show is its heart; care for friends is the strongest motivation for even the meanest protagonist. (B)
[2ACV06] Lesser of Two Evils: The running gag of 20th century historical flubs, from mammoth hunts to "Gerald Ford's automacar," reaches new heights in this episode's great intro sequence. I was less impressed with the new Flexo character, who seems to cross Rodney Dangerfield and Bart's "evil" twin from The Simpsons, but overall seems too similar to Bender. There would be more tension, and the ending would be more surprising, if we really had the sense he was the "evil" Bender. Some of the humor sags a little, but Bob Barker's hilarious cameo goes down as one of the all-time great celebrity guest appearances. The nods to The Price is Right and animal rights are perfect, and Bob is a great sport to lampoon his pleasant TV image by acting like a jerk here. (B)
[2ACV08] Raging Bender: Frequently hilarious but also curiously unsatisfying. The opening at the movies is an outstanding piece of comedy, from the refs (Star Wars, a historical documentary) to the characters (Bender's rudeness), with a solid lead-in to the plot. As in Xmas Story, Leela's flashbacks nicely flesh out her character. It's strange how Leela supplies the emotional arc here, but the majority of time is spent frivolously on Bender the boxer. Every villain here is one to no-dimensional, and the fight scenes are paced more for fast jokes than for suspense. Some great one-liners poke fun at the thin, awkward plot, but when the gags fail, as with some of the celebrity head banter, we're not left with much. (B)
[2ACV04] Xmas Story: This ep has the usual laughs, emotion, and imagination, but not as much. The evil Santa, who inspires some exciting, well-animated action scenes, is too broad a concept; after his one-sentence description there are no surprises. The humor is mostly as good as ever (Fry on the digital clock, the bird, "I'm so hungry"), but sags in a latter-day Simpsons way when jokes repeat too often (nudism, "Xmas"). Things seem whittled down to a formula, with an unrelated intro, various Y3K cultural updates, some sentiment, an antisocial Bender side plot, and a climactic action scene. All are good, but none stand out or successfully tie it all together. More emotion and less action would have made a better mix. (B)
[2ACV02] Brannigan Begin Again: Some great jokes save the most weakly plotted ep to date. Kif's new layers of patheticness are cleverly detailed, but the other characters are less sharp than before. Their dumbness is a little more generic this time. Nothing more logical than their idiocy is used to motivate the plot, which doesn't really start until two-thirds in. The beautifully done Midnight Cowboy parody, Farnsworth's forgetfulness, and Bender's "idea" for carrying the pillows provide big laughs; some wacky courtroom scenes, and a parade of weird aliens with silly voices don't. New ideas like the hyper-gravity planet, a great sci-fi touch, are more fun than seeing Zapp and others redo their already established schtick. (B)
[2ACV11] How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back: The first Futurama by writer cable/cameo comedian Bob Odenkirk goes to extremes to be funny, but doesn't show the classical Groening well-roundedness. The characters are closer to joke-telling machines than to human, or lobster beings. Some jokes are quite good, and Nora Dunn is excellent, sexual fetish humor notwithstanding. But instead of developing Hermes' conflict as an emotional center, the emphasis shifts to the theme of bureaucracy and how many jokes it's possible to make about it in 22 minutes. This hasn't been cutting edge humor since the 1980s, when for example Douglas Adams wrote his PC game Bureaucracy. I prefer eps more like Douglas Adams' PC Game Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. (B-)
-Eric Sansoni ([email])
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