An OK episode in my opinion. Had some good gags. I liked the one where Farnsworth and the orangutan doctor kept arguing about missing links all through the night. I loved the design of the robot dinosaurs. Looked like motorized Ray Harryhausen dinosaurs.
I know some people have complained about topical humor this season, but I thought it was great and totally fitting that a sci-fi show devoted a whole episode to exasperated mocking of Creationism, complete with the Flying Spaghetti Monster, an exhaustive review of human evolution that debunks an evolutionary god of the gaps in about 15 seconds, and the absurdity of a hyperintelligent entient ape with a Ph.D. arguing against evolution. And beyond that I liked the inside-out plot, with Farnsworth getting fed up with the Creaturists and then accidentally winding up on the opposite side of the debate (and still being right) on the robot planet. Plus, you know, robot dinosaurs.
I wonder if that was also an homage to Planet of the Apes. If you remember, Dr. Zaius, who was also an orangutan, got pretty upset at the suggestion that apes evolved rather than being created.
Well, he only has one line, but it’s two sentences (or three, depending on how you count.) It’s near the beginning of the show, so Comedy Central has it in their web teaser. The appearance starts at 1:25, but you might as well watch the whole clip, as it ends with the appearance.
For those who can’t watch the video, I’ll describe and quote in a spoiler box.
[At an anti-evolution rally. a Creationist (DR. BANJO) has just challenged Professor Farnsworth]
DR. BANJO: Evolution is just a theory, like gravity or the shape of the earth.
[The crowd cheers. We see a Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM) just behind some people in the crowd. It comes to the front.
FSM: [eye-talian accent] Hey, Professor! I’m a Flying Spaghetti Monster. You seriously think I’m descended from some type of “flightless manicotti”?
PROF: [frustrated, no beat] Yes!