I Second That Emotion

A rather mediocre season premiere of the second production season, good it never aired as a season premiere, I guess. The idea of the plot is not terrible, but it doesn't really get further than how many gags they can use the chip on Bender tied to Leela's emotions with.

Yeah, I'd say the moment between Fry and Bender at home while Leela is out on the town is pretty much the most hilarious part of this episode (and one of my favourite moments in Futurama in general), this episode's climax doesn't really do it for me.

In fact, the whole arguing with Leela about how she needs to think about herself more is one of the very few cringe worthy moments in the original series of Futurama for me. I get what the point is, but the way it is carried out is so... lame.

However, this episode does have a brilliant continuity tease, that is actually rather subtle. Leela's parents make a cameo just once. And we won't know it was them until "Leela's Homeworld". This kind of foreshadowing is like porn to me.

A solid opener to season 2 that expands upon the Futurama universe very nicely. The plot is inspired by Beneath the Planet of the Apes, and is very cool. It also features some really nice characterisation for Bender.

Visually, there's a lot of nice things to look at throughout the episode as well. Most of the episode takes place in a sewer with some really interesting backdrops, but even the backgrounds in the Planet Express building are full of detail.

It's also hilarious. About as funny as the funniest episodes of season 1.

This episode is only as good as it is due to some isolated moments of sheer brilliance, and the little snatches of continuity that become important in later episodes.

Otherwise, it's pretty mediocre. Whilst there's some good sci-fi, some nerdiness, and some decent background gags, it's mainly not brilliantly funny. Visually, the undercity is great, but the gags are mostly a letdown, and the plot is rather thin at best.

Don't get me wrong, I like it, but I find that there's plenty of scope for improvement, and the characterisation of Bender is a little off. Even accounting for the emotional chip.

The ending is probably the funniest moment in the episode, and even though I think the characterisation is off, it's one of my favourite moments.

"I Second that Emotion" introduces the world of the sewer mutants to Futurama, a race of semi-humanoid creatures who have mutated due to the toxic effects of Earth waste and who play an important part in the Futurama saga in later seasons. The impetus for their introduction comes after Bender flushes Nibbler down the toilet, then is overcome with Leela's grief (thanks to an emotion chip installed in his head) and heads down to the sewers to find him. The episode serves up a lot of character-based humor and some funny twists on old urban legends about sewers in the present, but Leela's doting over Nibbler (at Bender's expense) and her subsequent grief over losing him become tedious and annoying at times.