spacemafia Reviews

The Amazing World of Gumball: The Parents (2018) Season 6, Episode 17

If only Duncanville had an episode just like this...

[9/10 · 16 November 2023]

I honestly don't get why this episode is hated by some. It is actually really good and gives a very great insight into Nicole's parents and how they have affected Nicole like just in general. That being said however, the particular thing about this episode that 'draws' me to it is wishful thinking. That being wishing that Duncanville had an episode that followed through the exact same concept as this episode of Gumball, where we get to see Annie's parents, which we never managed to since Duncanville had gotten cancelled after only 3 seasons.

I think, had Duncanville theoretically had an episode just like this, that would have been an instant fan favourite, as the "mystery" regarding Annie's childhood would have explained a lot about her characteristics and what not. Imagine how much more beloved that show would have been with such sort of episode! It would have been really really great!

So as it stands, as an episode of Gumball focusing on Nicole's parents, the episode is really good, not perfect, but really good. But as a theoretical episode of Duncanville focusing on Annie's parents, this would have been excellent, and would have truly been the greatest episode of that show by a mile, as they can easily nail down the fundamentals of this topic area and execute it far better. I think it would have drawn more people into being more interested in that show and having it last a lot longer than 3 seasons!

I might as well pitch this idea to save Duncanville from cancellation! Think it would be a brilliant idea, honestly...

Disenchantment: Goodbye Bean (2023) Season 5, Episode 10

This is way, WAY better compared to the Regular Show finale!

[10/10 · 8 September 2023]

And I'm not kidding when I say that! It's as if Disenchantment took the final episode of Regular Show, fixed the issues that it had and a little bit of their touch on their finale and it worked, brilliantly, as if it's at least 10 times better! That's not to say the Regular Show finale is bad, it is really good, but it's not perfect and there were still a few issues that it had, issues which Disenchantment managed to fix in their own finale. At the time back in 2017, I found Regular Show's finale to be the most perfect end to a cartoon that could never possibly be topped, but of course times change and A LOT has changed in the past 6 years.

One of the biggest problems I had with Regular Show's finale is that after the part returned to Earth and everyone is reuinited, they only managed to give a lot of the characters a few seconds' worth of on screen time. Sure, the relationships of the characters were made canon, but to only give them not much time for the viewer to know more about what life has been like inbetween the park returning to Earth and the reunion seems like a little bit of an insult.

This, of course is an issue that does not exist here in Disenchantment's finale, as they actually managed to give a lot of the characters at least a minute of on screen time, and what the relationships of the characters are truly like. They even showed off a few weddings of some of the characters, something that Regular Show couldn't even do (and yes, it's something I feel salty about, because I WISH I could have seen what Rigby and Eileen's wedding would have been like).

Another thing that comes to mind (which is off topic but still worth mentioning), after seeing all these relationships, that the show has hinted at throughout the whole series, become canon, actually gives me more hopes for Beef and Alyson (from The Great North) becoming canon. If The Great North ever has a finale sometime in the future, this is something that I really very much expect, and I know it seems weird that the Disenchantment finale gives me high hopes for a relationship from another show, but hey? That's something that the Regular Show finale couldn't ever dream of doing.

Anyway, all in all, this is THE perfect ending to an animated series that I've ever came across. I used to think Regular Show's finale was perfect, but times change and now, 6 years later, I can see that there are issues with their finale, issues that have been completely ironed out here. Where my standards have been set back in 2017 compared to now in 2023 are very different, and hey, I wonder how the finale of other shows will be like in the future.

Gravity Falls: Soos and the Real Girl (2014) Season 2, Episode 5

Ehhh... this would work better as a Teenage Euthanasia episode.

[5/10 · 11 March 2023]

To be completely honest, the raw premise of this episode, including how Soos is a loner with no girlfriend, and the interactions he's had with GIFfany (including with how GIFfany tries desperately hard to convince Soos that real girls won't love him as much as GIFfany), would absolutely be more fitting for Teenage Euthanasia than it is for Gravity Falls.

I personally feel as though relationships (and romance in general) is one of Gravity Falls' weakest subjects/topic areas. I mean, look at episodes that focus on Dipper's "relationship" with Wendy, that ended up being a trainwreck. Also with Mabel failing to find a boyfriend of herself. That alone shows that it just isn't fitting for Gravity Falls at all. Many other shows have handled these sorts of relationships a lot better.

And then you've got this episode, where Soos is in a pretty similar situation to Pete (from Teenage Euthanasia) in terms of his relationship status and how he is when interacting with women (which is far from ideal if I do say so myself). The way Soos finds a dating game, Romance Academy 7, and spends a huge amount of time on GIFfany, and with how after spending that much time with GIFfany that he doesn't even want to go out into the real world, that definitely is very out of character for Soos (and for this show as a whole). The message that GIFfany is trying to send to Soos that he should just spend time with her and not with any real women, that's the sort of message I definitely don't expect to hear at all in this show.

This is the sort of message that would work beautifully for Teenage Euthanasia, as Pete is a very strong mama's boy who has no real chance in the dating world, with Baba trying to convince Pete (and by extension Annie) that it's not a good idea for them making friends. By this, that's where Pete really shines (in my opinion) as it definitely feels relatable and makes many of his characteristics (in general) more pronounced.

But for Gravity Falls, it just simply put does not work. Especially when you consider the target demographics for this show and with what the show is like as a whole.

In this episode, you've also got Melody, who I personally see as like a 'counterpart' to Svetlana (who makes an appearance in the Teenage Euthanasia episode Suddenly Susan). Melody is someone (in the real world) who actually shows some sort of interest in Soos, but of course it's GIFfany who ruins their whole relationship and dynamic (unsurprisingly). It was inherently obvious what was going to happen with their relationship because of how much time Soos had spent with GIFfany, and with GIFfany's personality, so let's just say, not surprisingly, Soos' relationship status still remains the same after this episode.

So overall, this at first glance seems like an interesting idea for an episode. But when you actually delve in and have a deep look at what the whole premise and storyline of this episode is about, it feels as though Gravity Falls is not the right show for this sort of premise. The message GIFfany is trying to convey, as well as GIFfany's personality in general, is very fitting for Teenage Euthanasia, as the target audience and demographic Teenage Euthanasia appeals to would certainly appreciate an episode like this. That show also already has proper counterparts to the characters in this episode, such as Pete (the counterpart to Soos), Svetlana (the counterpart to Melody) and Petetini (the counterpart to GIFfany). As such, this is the sort of episode that works beautifully for Teenage Euthanasia, but not so much for Gravity Falls.

Fastest Finger First (2022)

Interesting idea but with a fatal flaw

[4/10 · 31 August 2022]

I mean, it is a rather interesting concept in theory, and is rather entertaining to watch. However, there is a problem I've noticed with this sort of approach. That being that there can only be 1 winner in each episode of Fastest Finger First, and that's a huge problem because normally in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire there are multiple contestants per episode, and with such few contestants due to there being such few winners of Fastest Finger First, I'm afraid that this could ruin Millionaire. And I'm not sure if I'm down for way more episodes of Fastest Finger First compared to the amount of episodes of Millionaire. It's a tough thought.

One way to remediate this is to have 2 winners of an episode of Fastest Finger First (or to increase the amount of contestants on Fastest Finger First from 5 to 10 like in the older seasons of Millionaire). That alone could make it so that there's an adequate amount of episodes of Millionaire this season with a good amount of contestants. Another way could be to completely separate this show from Millionaire and have it to that the prize is actual cash instead of a spot to play Millionaire. Now that's something I'd prefer a lot more.

All in all, it's an interesting concept in theory, but could lead to the downfall of Millionaire due to a huge reduction in contestants. I don't know, I guess we'll have to wait and see what the new season of Millionaire is going to be like.

Close Enough (2020–2022)

Can't say I didn't see that coming

[22 August 2022]

This show (and the producers behind it) SHOULD have just stuck with TBS from the very beginning, rather than desperately trying to get on HBO Max, which caused a huge delay in its release and caused this show to be cancelled just 2 years after it was finally released (which was 3 years after it was initially announced).

Close Enough had potential. It really did. There were many things I was looking forward to here, the main thing being a 2nd edition of the Halloween Enough episode in the 4th season. It's just sad to see and observe that there won't be a 4th season.

Everyone already knows what HBO Max is doing to these sorts of shows, so I won't rehash it here. All I'll say is that it was a spectacular mistake that should have never happened.

I do have another thought: Close Enough could do what American Dad did and just be a TBS show once and for all.

Regular Show: Crazy Fake Plan (2015) Season 7, Episode 16

Unpopular opinion, but...

[10/10 · 10 April 2022]

I personally feel as though this episode of Regular Show captures the true essence and spirit of what made BBC One's Balloon idents from 1997 to 2002 so great. Just the way they were able to enjoy the view of the Seeds of Agony while Rigby managing to keep it a surprise for Eileen the whole time, really invoked a certain emotion that I had also gotten with those Balloon idents. It's very fitting too, as the Seeds of Agony itself works off of the same principle.

The build up to the ending was also what made this episode so great. I get why Rigby wanted to make this experience a true surprise for Eileen. It sucks having every surprise ruined by it being figured out instantly, so after many attempts for Rigby to make a true surprise for Eileen, he decided that this would be the one that would actually work. And... well... it did work, thankfully!

Also, in my opinion this episode was released during the absolute peak moment of Regular Show, and especially when it comes to Rigby becoming a much better person. Of course, there's Eileen to thank for this character development, and it's really what makes their relationship so great in general. Seeing Rigby from where he was at in the earlier seasons to where he is at in this point, is just so beautiful, and so the surprise in this episode for Eileen just felt extra special.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition (2011 Video Game)

THIS GAME IS TERRIBLE!

[1/10 · 1 April 2022]

This is, by far, the WORST DSiWare game (and one of the worst games) I think I've ever played in my life. There are way too many issues with this game that I just can't fathom how people can praise it. I'm glad it was only available on the DSiWare and eShop for a limited amount of time, so that people don't have to suffer from this hunk load of garbage.

Firstly, the biggest flaw in this game is that you cannot save your progress during the middle of a door. If, for any reason, you need to leave and turn your DSi/3DS off, everything you've done so far is GONE! One time, I had been playing for HOURS in the Hero's Trial room and none of my progress was saved!

Speaking of which, this game has a tendency of being WAY too hard for what it's worth. The worst offender is the one I could never get past through (Hero's Trial), where in the 2nd room of the 2nd door, the ground is way too slippery and it's too easy to fall off the platform. That's an issue as by the time you get to the more complex enemies in that room, you won't have enough health and you'll inevitably lose, and as a result you'd have lost ALL your hours of progress!

Also, the levels are all randomized! (Well, when it comes to the first three worlds that is) If I quit a stage and then rejoin it, I'm put into some different map! This also means that any walkthroughs and tutorials of this game do not work, as due to the randomization of the levels, if you're stuck on a particular level it's darn near impossible to find a walkthrough for it! I've never had the same issue with any other game!

Oh, and there have been several levels I've faced where you're completely stuck at a dead end and no amount of power ups would be able to get you through. This was apparent in one of the maps in the Sea of Trees stage, where you could not get through the stones, and the flying power up doesn't help much at all.

Anyway, I could go on, but suffice to say, this game is riddled with so many issues and design flaws that it's put me off the whole Zelda franchise for life. To think so many people praise this game fills me with so much rage. Anyway, I better go before I go insane. This game is terrible, I've got absolutely nothing good to say about it, and that's all.

Bob's Burgers: The Hurt Soccer (2018) Season 8, Episode 11

Incredibly disappointing.

[2/10 · 24 February 2022]

When Bob, Louise and Tina go out for the soccer team, Linda and Gene decide turn the restaurant into a piano bar. I had high hopes and expectations for this, as oh yes, I am very familiar with the dynamic that Linda and Gene have in the whole show (which I do like to some extent), but sadly it turned out to be EXTREMELY disappointing to the point of which I can't put into comprehensible words how much that sub-plot shot down my expectations.

The main person who ruined it was indeed Matilda Merkin, who was a very huge showstopper to the piano bar (and probably the worst example of a «showstopper» I think I've ever came across in any show I think I've ever seen in my life). There was just so much nonsense bickering regarding her removal from the musical she was a part of.

I was coming to this episode hoping that Linda and Gene's piano bar was going to be grand and a great experience, as showcased in the dream (where they sang Give My Regards to Broadway). The way that the focus of that plot was shifted over to Matilda Merkin really angered me. Dude, stop being so selfish and making everything about yourself (and causing a «stage fight»), because it comes off as really douchey.

The way the episode ended only rubs salt in the wound, as that fire caused any remaining hope for the piano bar to be destroyed. The closing credits are just that: closing credits. They don't account for much (in terms of redemption). Besides, what ever happened to Bob and Louise? Wouldn't it have been dangerous upstairs due to the fire? Now there's that sort of cliffhanger I just can't stand in any shows in general.

I don't really have much to say about the A-plot, but it seemed like it had been overdone in other shows (The Simpsons in particular, with episodes like Bart Star and Marge Gamer). I wasn't really interested in the plot regarding the soccer game so I skimmed through it.

All in all, a very bad episode. I came to this episode hoping there would be a good story to Linda and Gene's dynamic, but what I ended up with was some sob story regarding how Matilda Merkin was fired from some random musical I couldn't care less about. I made a huge mistake dialing up my expectations, which ultimately killed the credibility of this episode.

Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away! (2014–2018)

Schadenfreude at its finest?

[7/10 · 7 February 2022]

I don't know what it is about it, but there's just something about this show (which is obviously most likely schadenfreude) that keeps me addicted to see more of it. I know, not something many people agree with, but regardless I just personally have some sort of interest in what can happen when you're in serious debt and need to pay it off.

The one thing I definitely like about this show is that it shows people in various circumstances and seeing how they would be able to pay off their debt. Most of the time they either manage to or put it on a weekly/monthly plan. I myself (thankfully) have never been put in such a situation, although I can be glad that this show warned me of what could happen with bad financial decisions which can lead to so much trouble.

Now obviously there's a very huge breach of privacy for those who actually do make an appearance on this show. That's something I do have a bit of a problem with. If you were to be in a sort of situation this show portrays, obviously you'd not want to publicise it, would you?

Regardless, when it comes to watching (and in some cases binging) this show, it's rather easy to do so and you do kind of get used to the tactics the bailiffs use in order to get situations resolved. Good learning experience.

Central Park (2020–2022)

I've just about had enough.

[1/10 · 7 January 2022]

Okay, so let me preface this by saying that I WANTED to like this. I WANTED to give this a fair and proper chance. Sadly, I have just about had enough of Central Park. It certainly is not for me. I almost finished the 1st season, but sadly they broke the last straw in episode 9 (Live It Up Tonight) and as a result I really can't be bothered to watch the 10th episode (or any more episodes for that matter). More on that later.

Firstly, one of the biggest problems I have with this show is that it's so incredibly hard to focus and pay attention to the details of what is happening in the episode (and its overall plot and storyline). There are multiple episodes that have not 2 but 3 sub-plots and it's tough following through each one within a 20-25 minute show. I constantly keep forgetting what has happened so far and as such I get all confused.

Another problem is the amount of songs that are crammed into this show. I get it, that's the whole point of this show, that does not mean you should be forced to like it. I do like musical numbers in other shows, so long as they're for special occasions, which in Central Park it's not like that: it's constant even for occasions that don't need a musical number. I get it, some people like having so many musical numbers like this, but for me personally it just gets boring after a while. Maybe it's just not for me? I don't know, although point being, you definitely don't need to make a song about literally EVERYTHING!

Take, for example, the YouTube video Cinemassacre made about Too Much Cream Cheese. There might have presumably been a couple people who complained about there not being enough cream cheese in the bagels, and so as a result of those complaints, those stores started adding way too much cream cheese in EVERY bagel regardless of customer. Some people might like having an insane amount of cream cheese, but you have to consider that NOT EVERYONE likes it and it gets really annoying. That same analogy applies here as well. Just like how those stores started cramming in way too much cream cheese, Central Park is cramming in way too many songs in every episode and it's just as annoying. Also, going back to the first point about complaints: it would be like as if some people complained about Bob's Burgers not "having enough songs" so they made Central Park where they can cram loads in each episode. Do you see where I'm getting at?

Oh, and one more thing. I honestly find the narrator (Birdie) so annoying, to the point of which I really want to beat him up. He probably has the most punchable face I think I've ever came across in any show. His whole attitude is just so preachy and it's also really creepy seeing him peer through the window with the hope that no one will notice. I myself would never want to be stalked the same way Birdie stalks people here. Absolute nonsense at best. Get him out of here!

Anyway, the final straw (and what led me to stop watching Central Park) was in episode 9, Live It Up Tonight. The thing that got me so angry and made me rage quit on this show was the "closeness" between some girl and her own dad at the Zoom's Home Alone 2 Deleted Scenes Tour. That bit was so extremely disgusting I ran outside my room and almost threw up in the bathroom, even just thinking about it! Look, I get it, I understand that the Bob and Louise dynamic is one of the most beloved moments of Bob's Burgers (although do keep in mind that it's something I do NOT endorse at all whatsoever), the problem here is that they took a similar dynamic in Central Park and messed the whole thing up big time and took it WAY too far.

Because of that disgusting scene, I've had enough of Central Park and don't want to continue watching it anymore. There were already enough issues with the show as is, but that bit ruined it entirely and whatever respect I still had left for Central Park is now gone. No, there is no redemption. There is absolutely no coming back from the mistake they made in episode 9; they don't deserve any form of second chances either.

Naked Attraction (2016– )

Not sure what to think

[5/10 · 13 November 2021]

I mean, on the one hand I can applaud Channel 4 on being bold and attempting to normalise programmes like this. It's pretty rare to see a TV network create programs like this so it's quite impressive. On the other hand, this is (in my opinion) a very weird programme that has been shown on Channel 4, E4, 4seven and (at some point in the future) 4Music. That's a total of four channels where Naked Attraction has been broadcasted on, and it's also very easily accessible on All 4 (where every episode is available to watch). To be honest, I don't know about you, but I find it extremely concerning how it can very easily fall into the wrong hands.

Given the nature of the programme, it's definitely not the sort you'd want to be watching with other people (or letting other people know you watch this show). Where I'm from and in my culture anyway, this sort of thing would be incredibly embarrassing and you would be looked down upon.

With that aside, what's it like to watch Naked Attraction? Well, to put it bluntly, just bland. The whole novelty of the show just wears off after a couple episodes of pretty much the same thing. Although it can be quite useful to some people to learn more about these body parts and what not, and how they would be attractive to some people. That's the bit that's unique from episode to episode, learning something new. Other than that, it really is just the same thing repeated over and over again.

The thing I find most concerning, however, is how the relationships don't last long and often end quite early. That seems to be a recurring theme and is no isolated incident. Quite often that the relationships end within the 5 week period or (as pointed out by someone else) one just ends up ghosting the other the whole time. Not to mention that, if a relationship did actually last, I think it would be quite awkward to tell other people that those two had actually met from this show.

The other thing I don't like is how people are judged based on how they (and especially their bodies) look, and not their personality or anything like that. It's just... I don't really agree or support that kind of decision making. In my opinion, you really should get to know someone better before you be in a committed relationship.

All in all, this is a really bold and brave programme and I congratulate Channel 4 on being that brave to come out with something like this to be released to the masses. However, as discussed earlier, that can be a very bad thing, and in particularly with how the contestant' bodies can be very much seen bare naked. That's a very huge breach of privacy that I'm shocked about. If this programme is the sort of thing you can handle and aren't squeamish about, then maybe give it a try at your own risk. Just remember that the novelty can ware off quite fast and there isn't much variety from episode to episode (besides how the people look I guess?).

The Good, the Bart, and the Loki (2021)

Focused too much on the "gimmick"

[2/10 · 9 July 2021]

I feel as though this short had too much of a focus on the gimmick (i.e. The crossover, the artwork in the credits and the characters being in their Avengers form) and little to no focus on the storyline which was strongly lacking and also very disappointing. Take The 8-Bit Guy's analogy as to why he preferred the games for the original Game Boy rather than those made for the Game Boy Color as an example, the reason why he preferred the original is because they actually had good gameplay, and the ones for the Color focused too much on the graphics and not much on the gameplay. I think that analogy applies here as well. This short tried to wow the viewers with the graphics and artwork, yet they fell through and failed on the storyline. AT THE VERY LEAST it would have been cool to see what Bart would be like as an Avenger, and yet that (for obvious reasons) didn't happen because of what Loki and Lisa did. I just can't help but feel very disappointed.

Update/Edit - I'm gonna have to disagree with Amelia Ortega on this one. It might seem fun, but out of all Simpsons characters to play as Marvel characters, I wish Bart was one of them, as I think it would have been really cool as this would totally be his thing. Sadly, we visit the root issue: what Lisa and Loki inevitably did which stopped that from happening. That seems to be all there is to the failing storyline.

Children Who Kill with Susanna Reid (2018 TV Movie)

Great aggregation of the details

[8/10 · 28 March 2021]

This documentary goes over quite a controversial topic about sentencing juveniles to life imprisonment. It mainly focuses on Josh Phillips' case, with. Morgan Leppert's case also being mentioned in this documentary as well. Personally I found it quite difficult to gather a lot of information about the case with Josh Phillips, and the documentary showed me just about everything I needed to know, with regards to the neighbourhood, the sides of both stories, what Josh Phillips was like prior to the incident, things like that.

It also shows, into great detail, the new sentencing hearing which took place back in 2017. I could barely find any of the footage in trial over on YouTube, but thankfully I saw everything I needed to see here, so that's good. I suppose that is quite important, as you can have a look at the persuasive arguments between both sides regarding whether Josh Phillips' life without parole sentence should be upheld.

In the middle of the documentary we also see another case regarding Morgan Leppert, which admittedly was one that I was not too fond of, as further information about that case was hard to come across. I would have preferred that segment of the documentary to come at the end, rather than right in the middle, as it did make me lose track a bit. I wouldn't really consider Morgan Leppert's case to be all that interesting (by that I mean unique), as this sort of thing does happen a bit too often than I would like it.

All in all, a great documentary that had me knowing everything there is to know. There are a few set backs though. I would have preferred two separate episodes or parts with the two cases, that way there's an easier choice of variety, but I suppose that wouldn't really be in the interests of the producers of this documentary. Another problem is that, while it's true that Susanna Reid did indeed get to talk with Josh Phillips, I don't think it's detailed enough for my liking. That same-old question regarding why Josh Phillips did what he did still has no straight answer, sadly. Maybe one day?

Also, has anyone noticed the uncanny similarity between the incident and the South Park episode Good Times with Weapons? Or is it just me? Either way, I'm mentioning this as that episode of South Park did kind of influence my opinion about Josh Phillips.

Tonight with Trevor McDonald: Major Fraud (2003) Season Unknown, Episode Unknown

Quite good and easy to watch all the way through

[10/10 · 18 March 2021]

Major Fraud is a documentary about Charles Ingram's appearance in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Throughout the documentary, we get to see the behind the scenes look at what was going on throughout his appearance, and the suspicions that arose. Up until this documentary was released, most of his appearance hadn't been released, but now we get to see the whole thing for ourselves.

It really gives a good insider look at whether or not Charles Ingram cheated. The thing that stood out to me the most was at the moment when Tecwen Whittock was asking another Fastest Finger First contestant, Tom Lucy, about the Anthony Eden and Googol questions. When I watched the real footage on YouTube, I could barely hear it, but thankfully they made it more convenient to listen to their conversations.

I suppose one drawback I have with this documentary is the amount of times we have to hear about Diana Ingram peering over at Tecwen Whittock, although I wouldn't blame them as it did happen constantly.

All in all, this was actually quite a good documentary that had me hooked in all the way through (which I can't really say the same for others). Even though I already knew about Charles Ingram cheating, just seeing the evidence throughout was what ignited my interest.

The Simpsons: Marge's Son Poisoning (2005) Season 17, Episode 5

Already ruined since day one (or more specifically, 6 years BEFORE the episode was released!)

[1/10 · 17 February 2021]

Marge's Son Poisoning was an episode of The Simpsons that was released 6 YEARS after the South Park episode Chinpokomon. I'm bringing this up because, in that episode of South Park, the "lesson learned" is that kids just generally find things to be uncool if the adults (and especially their parents) find that thing cool.

With that in mind, with this episode being about Bart and Marge, the plot of this episode became instantly predictable. This was evident later on in this episode, where Bart realises that he is becoming a "momma's boy" and so stops spending time with Marge. It was quite obvious that Bart was going to stop hanging out with Marge. This whole story was doomed from the start, the reasons being in the South Park episode Chinpokomon.

All in all, I see this episode as quite a waste of time and absolutely pointless. With a plot that was THIS predictable, what was the point of making this episode? Considering that there have been little to no episodes that focus on Bart and Marge since this episode's release, the conclusion I've been left with is that it's a storyline idea that just isn't going anywhere (and can't).

Futurama (1999– )

Things just don't add up

[1/10 · 1 February 2021]

There were just way too many inconsistencies in Futurama to even make this show remotely enjoyable for me. One example is how the Planet Express crew can handle without Fry (and how Leela and Bender can talk and interact with each other without anybody else's help) and, in the episode The Why of Fry, things seemed to be alright (they even got medals!), but in a later episode, particularly Law and Oracle, things went really awkward between Leela and Bender, all because of Fry not being in the presence at the time. What happened?

Another example of an inconsistency is how the show handles global warming. In the episode Xmas Story, they treat it like it was "no big deal" (claiming that nuclear winter cancelled it out), but in the episode Crimes of the Hot, NOW they're starting to take it seriously (even though it wouldn't have make any sense according to the earlier episode Xmas Story).

There's also the issue with how Bender's Big Score ruined some of Futurama's greatest episodes, namely The Luck of the Fryrish and Jurassic Bark. Those episodes were great at their time of release and led to me feeling a lot of sympathy for the characters (especially Fry's family and dog), but little did I know, that wasn't the full story. No, the full story (with regards to what happened throughout the next couple of years since Fry was cryogenically frozen) was revealed in Bender's Big Score and it turns out they were all leading a happy, normal life, with Fry's duplicate (who would later be known as Lars Fillmore)! I felt absolutely betrayed, as Futurama had me feeling very sad over some false narrative!

There's also many unsolved mysteries that never were resolved before Futurama was cancelled for the final time. One example would be what happened to Floyd Farnsworth. While that mystery would have been resolved, because Fry complained about Bender being quote unquote "the center of attention", it remained an unsolved mystery. While it's true that there have been a few interpretations and theories, there doesn't seem to be any official explanations or revelations in the show itself (which is what I would have preferred to see).

There's also another sort of unsolved mysteries, and that's cliffhangers. Oh boy does Futurama have quite a few of them. Examples include Fry being ejected out of the Planet Express ship (at the end of the episode The Cryonic Woman), Barbados Slim being crushed under a door (in Bender's Big Score), Nibbler Power (at the end of Bender's Game), the eyePhone 2.0 (at the end of the episode Attack of the Killer App), and Zoidberg's relationship with Marianne (in the episode Stench and Stenchibility). Things like that have never had an official follow-up, and the later episodes treat those moments like as if it never happened, which is ridiculous. Futurama sure isn't the only show to have this problem, but they do have a bit more cliffhangers than I would be willing to personally accept, given the nature of the show which is supposed to be chronological.

There was also a major detail in Futurama that was forgotten about in later episodes (but I never did, making the later episodes, especially Bender's Game, frustrating to watch). The detail is that, in the episode A Clone of My Own, it was revealed that the Dark Matter engines don't actually move the ship, but rather the ship stays still and the universe around it moves the position of the ship. HOW this detail was missed out, especially in Bender's Game (where they made too big of a deal about dark matter), I have no idea. It's not like Cubert Farnsworth (the Futurama character that discovered this detail) wasn't featured in Bender's Game, in which he was! Why didn't he say anything?!

I also just don't like how most of the episodes' names are in references to other stuff, which as a result can make bringing up an episode of Futurama by its name in a conversation, quite awkward and sound a bit weird. Examples include "Godfellas", "Jurassic Bark", "Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences" and "Free Will Hunting" among others. I've never had the same issue with any other show.

There are several characters in Futurama that I just find quite annoying. Zapp Brannigan's definitely one of those, regardless of Futurama's fanbase that seem to find him funny. I certainly don't. There's also the Galactic Entity, which I think the show handled a bit too vaguely. The episode Bendless Love also made me absolutely hate Professor Farnsworth, as that episode made me realise how annoying the Professor really can be. The episode A Pharaoh to Remember, particularly the moment where Bender failed to understand Hamenthotep as he was dying, just made me really hate Bender (regardless if it was on purpose or not; I don't care). The episode Möbius Dick also made me really hate Leela, as that episode shows how unbearably obnoxious and toxic Leela really is, and it just makes Futurama unwatchable. Stuff like this, I'm sorry but I just can't see the humor in it at all, and I'd personally be a little bit worried about someone if they did legitimately find it funny.

One thing to note is that Leela actually managed to sum up a lot of the Futurama characters in a nutshell: "Walking beer commercials". This occurred in the episode Neutopia. I wouldn't consider this description to be a good thing though.

Nibbler is also a very inconsistent character, as evident in the episode Fry and Leela's Big Fling. I would have thought he knew very well about Fry and Leela's relationship, which he did in the episode The Why of Fry, and had known they wanted privacy in the episode Fry and Leela's Big Fling. I guess not!

I also have no idea how in the world Igner could be Farnsworth's son, considering the ages of Igner and his parents (and also the timeline, what's happened between Mom and the Professor, etc). When I found out about this, it's something that stood out, as I couldn't see how it would make sense. Even to this day, I still can't see how it would make sense at all. It's ridiculous. Considering that this was never touched on in any other episode, I see it as just some unnecessary detail to the show (and one which doesn't make sense). I'm surprised that many people see this as official canon and not raise any objections.

There are also moments in Futurama that give me bad memories of my past life (due to how "relatable" they are). The most horrific example (personally) would be in the episode Less than Hero, where Leela's father blabbed about how Leela was Clobberella (even though Leela explicitly told her parents not to let anyone else know). I can handle relatable moments, but this took it way too far for me personally to the point of it not being funny at all (and instead giving me flashbacks I definitely did not need from watching a show).

The episode That Darn Katz! Just feels dated. This isn't what I'd have expected for a show that's set in the future, and it felt like it had the humor of the time when that episode was released (2010), but certainly not these days. Attack of the Killer App is another example, which feels like it's more in common with the Steve Jobs era of Apple, instead of the Apple of the time Futurama is set in.

The so-called "humor" in this show is also quite obnoxious and, as evident in the episode Neutopia, very stereotypical. I see that episode as just a way to annoy some of their viewers, with how in-your-face it was. Sadly that sort of humor has also been scattered around the whole show, which is a real let down. There's also lots of forced and obvious jokes. I think the worst example would be in the episode Calculon 2.0, where Calculon says "Second take? I've never heard that phrase, what does that mean?" and, my god, that joke felt so forced it was painful. Not to mention the countless amount of references to Bender's shiny metal, which is scattered throughout the whole show and gets old so quickly.

This show has, in my opinion, humor that can sometimes be way too dark. An example would the expression and the way Fry says "Yeah, yeah, I've gotten used cars before" in the episode Bendin' in the Wind, "Oh, so it's a little safer than skateboarding" in the episode The Cryonic Woman, and "In New York? Bathrooms" in the episode The Lesser of Two Evils. It's quotes like these that set off loads of alarm bells and red flags regarding Fry's past, and the episodes that do touch on Fry's past aren't really accurately represented, at all.

Futurama had also exposed itself as being quite a repetitive show with many adventures that seem insignificant to the whole story. This occurred in the episode Where the Buggalo Roam, where Professor Farnsworth specifically and conspicuously enlisted Fry, Leela and Bender on a mission. This is something that happens in almost every episode, but the episode Where the Buggalo Roam takes the cake as the episode that did it way too conspicuously. It just brings a negative light to the whole show if I'm being honest.

I could also go on to how certain characters just don't seem to age (Jrrr being a notable exception) even though this show spanned 14 years, but that would just be too much. And besides, Jrrr is eventually going to grow up and commit matricide anyway, something which he actually admitted in the episode The Problem with Popplers, so that sucks.

All in all, an inconsistent show that can really mess people's perception of it, and as a result, far too many of its fans sugarcoat Futurama. I would even consider Futurama's fanbase to be one of the worst fanbases! But, as I said, because way too many people sugarcoat Futurama, no one really talks about how awful its fanbase is.

Trust me, I tried to give it a fair chance, but sadly with the amount of flaws Futurama had over the time, I just couldn't stand it anymore and have never bothered to rewatch this show (which is what the ending of the final episode encourages its viewers to do). It has wasted enough of my time which could be better used for watching something more worthwhile.