The Route of All Evil

One of the show's weaker episodes and a strange one at that. The overall premise isn't very Futurama-y at all, it instead focuses on Cubert and Dwight's paper-round. That results in an episode that isn't very Futurama-y at all, but somehow is quite charming in its own way. I'm in a minority that actually doesn't mind Cubert or Dwight, but even so, I don't think they're very suited to being lead characters as they are here. The episode's subplot is another strange one, but is probably one of the better subplots from the show's history. It's very, very sitcom-y -but not necessarily in a bad way.

On the humour front, the episode is lacking. It is funny, but not to Futurama's usual standards. To be honest, that sentiment sums it all up. It's a good piece of work, it's just not up to Futurama's usual standard of output.

This episode is really tough for me to review, mainly because, while I find the A-plot lacking, the B-plot is among my favorites in Futurama history. Fry, Leela, and Bender brewing their own beer is all kinds of great; not only does it showcase the dynamics of their friendship (the three of them are a team of sorts, and it's not often that they get a story that revolves almost exclusively around them ("The Honking", "Godfellas", and "Less Than Hero" kind of have that same angle, but I think "The Route of All Evil" does it best and most entertainingly), but it's just plain fun to watch.

The A-plot, meanwhile, tends to drag when we just have Dwight and Cubert on the screen. I'll give the writers credit for exploring fatherhood, and how hard it can be to see your kids grow up (and be more successful than you), but I think "Bender Should Not Be Allowed on Television" does this sort of a story better (read: funnier). That said, Cubert and Dwight have their moments--they just happen to involve the other members of the PE crew (I like Cubert's belief that decals will make the ship go faster, and Dwight telling Fry that alcohol makes you stupid). When Cubert and Dwight are left to their own devices, though, the episode gets a sort of cutesy, Nickelodeon vibe, and it doesn't quite work.

Comedically this isn't the strongest episode, either; like I said, most of the laughs come from the subplot. If you pretend twelve or so minutes of the episode just don't exist, then it's right up there with the classics of the series. 'Course, stipulations like that are a tad bit unfair.