Written by: Dan VebberDirected by: James PurdumDN’s Ranking: Bad / NONESSENTIAL / Essential This is another one of my favourites – there’s something almost comforting about a solid, reliably entertaining episode that doesn’t reach any spectacular highs but also doesn’t … Continue reading Futurama, Season Three, Episode Five, “The Birdbot Of Ice-Catraz”

Written by: Ron WeinerDirected by: Chris LoudenDN’s Ranking: Bad / Nonessential / ESSENTIAL Everyone has their own bit of what TV Tropes calls ‘fandom heresy’ – a reaction to a particular episode from a work that’s diametrically opposed to the … Continue reading Futurama, Season Three, Episode Four, “The Luck Of The Fryrish”

Written by: Bill OdenkirkDirected by: Ron HughartDN’s Ranking: Bad / Nonessential / ESSENTIAL This is the show’s second attempt to do an ironic Christmas episode, and I find it far more successful than the first. It’s very much in the … Continue reading Futurama, Season Three, Episode Three, “A Tale Of Two Santas”

Written by: Eric KaplanDirected by: Peter AvanzinoDN’s Ranking: Bad / Nonessential / ESSENTIAL I genuinely don’t know what to make of this one. The premise is that Fry has been infected with parasites that have given him an enhanced body … Continue reading Futurama, Season Three, Episode Two, “Parasites Lost”

Written by: Lewis MortonDirected by: Brian SheesleyDN’s Ranking: BAD / Nonessential / Essential This episode seems to have become a focal point for all the criticism of Futurama’s gender politics, and there is a lot going on in it. This … Continue reading Futurama, Season Three, Episode One, “Amazon Women In The Mood”

Written by: J Stewart BurnsDirected by: Mark ErvinDN’s Ranking: Bad / NONESSENTIAL / Essential This is often remembered as one of the worst original-run Futurama episodes, especially by me; this is the earliest that I’ve not revisited often specifically because … Continue reading Futurama, Season Two, Episode Nineteen, “The Cryonic Woman”

Written by: Ken KeelerDirected by: Susie DietterDN’s Ranking: Bad / NONESSENTIAL / Essential This is definitely on the lower end of the NONESSENTIAL category. I refuse to get too pedantic with the categories because that’s boring to me, but admittedly … Continue reading Futurama, Season Two, Episode Eighteen, “The Honking”

Written by: Ron HughartDirected by: Eric HorstedDN’s Ranking: Bad / NONESSENTIAL / Essential This is another all-time favourite that I would comfortably slip into NONESSENTIAL status without that being an insult to the episode. This is definitely in the top … Continue reading Futurama, Season Two, Episode Seventeen, “War Is The H-Word”

Written by: Eric Rogers, Ken Keeler, and David X Cohen.Directed by: Chris Louden and Rich Moore.DN’s Ranking: Bad / NONESSENTIAL / Essential So, this is our first of the “Anthology” episodes – the Futurama equivalent to the “Treehouse Of Horror” … Continue reading Futurama, Season Two, Episode Sixteen, “Anthology Of Interest I”

Written by: Patrick M Verrone, Darin Henry (story)Directed by: Chris Suave, Greg VanzoDN’s Ranking: Bad / Nonessential / ESSENTIAL Last week, there was discussion of a possible violent uprising if I didn’t give this episode ESSENTIAL status. Luckily for me, … Continue reading Futurama, Season Two, Episode Fifteen, “The Problem With Popplers”

Written by: Lewis MortonDirected by: Brian SheesleyDN’s Ranking: Bad / Nonessential / ESSENTIAL This is another one I actually haven’t seen in a while and I can’t remember why – maybe it’s another one that was scratched on my DVD? … Continue reading Futurama, Season Two, Episode Fourteen, “Mother’s Day”

Written By: Eric HorstedDirected By: Peter AvanzinoDN’s Ranking: Bad / NONESSENTIAL / Essential Fun story: this is an episode I haven’t revisited much, not because there’s not much to it but because my season two DVD got scratched and that … Continue reading Futurama, Season Two, Episode Thirteen, “Bender Gets Made”

Written by: J Stewart BurnsDirected By: Bret HaalandDN’s Ranking: Bad / NONESSENTIAL / Essential This is actually one of my favourite episodes and one that I’ve revisited a lot, and it’s useful as a further refining of the ‘bad/nonessential/essential’ scale … Continue reading Futurama, Season Two, Episode Twelve, “The Deep South”

Written by: Bill OdenkirkDirected by: Mark ErvinDN’s Ranking: Bad / Nonessential / ESSENTIAL This is one of the most famous Futurama episodes, and I would argue a perfect example of how many of its best episodes come not from an … Continue reading Futurama, Season Two, Episode Eleven, “How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back”

Written by: Patric M VerroneDirected by: Rich MooreDN’s Ranking: Bad / NONESSENTIAL / Essential This is one that has a kind of dodgy reputation but I like a lot. One of the fundamental issues people have with it is that … Continue reading Futurama, Season Two, Episode Ten, “A Clone Of My Own”

Written by: Eric KaplanDirected By: Susie DietterDN’s Ranking: Bad / Nonessential / ESSENTIAL I am so excited to get to this episode. Arguably, it’s the first real attempt at serialisation and character development the show has gone in for; obviously, … Continue reading Futurama, Season Two, Episode Nine, “A Bicyclops Built For Two”

Written by: Lewis MortonDirected by: Ron HughartDN’s Ranking: Bad / NONESSENTIAL / Essential This one was better than I remembered on several different levels. I’ve probably said this before, but this really feels like the point where the writers have … Continue reading Futurama, Season Two, Episode Eight, “Raging Bender”

Written by: Ken KeelerDirected by: Chris LoudenDN’s Ranking: Bad / NONESSENTIAL / Essential Absolutely the worst thing about this episode is the fact that it successfully sells me on a Fry/Amy relationship and then pulls it away for no good … Continue reading Futurama, Season Two, Episode Seven, “Put Your Head On My Shoulders”

Written by: Eric HorstedDirected by: Chris SauveDN’s Ranking: Bad / NONESSENTIAL / Essential I feel bad calling this nonessential when it contains one of the two most famous things to come out of this show, but it’s one that I … Continue reading Futurama, Season Two, Episode Six, “The Lesser Of Two Evils”

Written by: Eric KaplanDirected by: Brian SheesleyDN’s Ranking: Bad / NONESSENTIAL / Essential Dr Zoidberg is one of my favourite characters on Futurama, which puts him in the running for being one of my favourite characters of all time. And … Continue reading Futurama, Season Two, Episode Five, “Why Must I Be A Crustacean In Love?”

Written by: David X CohenDirected by: Peter AvanzinoDN’s Ranking: Bad / Nonessential / ESSENTIAL I honestly went back and forth on how to categorise this episode before landing on ESSENTIAL – it never fully manages to come together in a … Continue reading Futurama, Season Two, Episode “Xmas Story”