Having been cancelled then brought back in the form of four straight-to-DVD movies 'Futurama' returns in its original form
just broadcast of a different channel. If it wasn't for a gag in the opening scenes viewers watching on DVD or outside the US probably wouldn't notice the change.
The story is told in flashback as the Professor tells Fry how they had all been involved in a serious accident which has destroyed everybody's bodies. Luckily he was able to revive most of them using human stem cells. Unfortunately Leela couldn't be revived and remained in a coma. Unable to cope with the loss Fry built a robo-Leela into which her personality and appearance are downloaded. The copy is so good that it believes itself to be the real Leela until an injury reveals wires not blood. At the funeral of the real Leela she wakes from her coma and Fry has two Leelas competing for him. Eventually they each challenge him to shoot the other; he refuses but accidentally shoots himself leading to a shocking revelation. While all this is going on Bender can't stop dancing as the Professor used a doomsday machine as a power source to revive him after the accident and if he doesn't burn off the excess energy he will explode.
The original four seasons were a lot of fun but the films, which were okay, showed that 'Futurama' is best suited to the twenty two minute format. Apart from a quick gag early on one would never know this wasn't part of the original run. The story was well told with plenty of laughs and a twist that I hadn't seen coming. It was great seeing the real Leela waking at her own funeral and competing with her robotic double and the twist didn't seem forced. The gag about Bender having to keep dancing was comparatively weak but didn't detract from the episode and was ultimately resolved in a good way. Overall a pretty good episode that marked a welcome return for this series.
The story is told in flashback as the Professor tells Fry how they had all been involved in a serious accident which has destroyed everybody's bodies. Luckily he was able to revive most of them using human stem cells. Unfortunately Leela couldn't be revived and remained in a coma. Unable to cope with the loss Fry built a robo-Leela into which her personality and appearance are downloaded. The copy is so good that it believes itself to be the real Leela until an injury reveals wires not blood. At the funeral of the real Leela she wakes from her coma and Fry has two Leelas competing for him. Eventually they each challenge him to shoot the other; he refuses but accidentally shoots himself leading to a shocking revelation. While all this is going on Bender can't stop dancing as the Professor used a doomsday machine as a power source to revive him after the accident and if he doesn't burn off the excess energy he will explode.
The original four seasons were a lot of fun but the films, which were okay, showed that 'Futurama' is best suited to the twenty two minute format. Apart from a quick gag early on one would never know this wasn't part of the original run. The story was well told with plenty of laughs and a twist that I hadn't seen coming. It was great seeing the real Leela waking at her own funeral and competing with her robotic double and the twist didn't seem forced. The gag about Bender having to keep dancing was comparatively weak but didn't detract from the episode and was ultimately resolved in a good way. Overall a pretty good episode that marked a welcome return for this series.