The Problem with Popplers

This episode has an inspired premise, but it doesn't quite play out to its full potential. That's not to say that it doesn't play out well though, because it does. It's a very engaging story that puts Leela in jeopardy enough for you to worry about her.

Phil Hendrie is excellent as Free Waterfall Jr -this remains my favourite of his appearances. The voice is not only original, funny, but also well acted.

It's also very funny. Certainly one of season 2's stronger episodes.

This episode is without doubt the funniest episode of Futurama. For if not the funniest, at least one of them.

The writers have managed to maintain the jokes and gags at an incredibly level while at the same time ensuring that each gag is different, i.e. not based on the same premise or a repetition of an earlier joke.

The story itself may not be the most in-depth Futurama plot, but it works. It has an engaging story, that while perhaps a bit cliché-ish at times, still manages to put the characters in expectable positions. Leela's fight for rights of intelligent beings, yet being at opposition of Free Waterfall Jr. and his organisation.

It's also an excellent commentary on the whole notion of eating meat and whether eating intelligent creatures is wrong.

The story constantly provides new challenges and jokes for the crew, setting up a Popplers business, getting to grips with what the Popplers actually are and then at the end saving Leela from getting eaten.

And Zapp Brannigan is brilliant in this episode as well, and it helps that the story makes great use of him.

So despite this not being the most engaging episode or the most interesting in regardless to overall continuity, I still give this 10 overall, because it is so damn funny and so well executed.