# Worst Futurama episode (pre-cancellation only) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 6, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283 "2011-12-06T18:47:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/1 "2011-12-06T18:47:27Z")
Which do you think is the worst episode of Futurama, **pre-cancellation** (seasons 1-4). From my 30 seconds of Googling and my own opinion, _That’s Lobstertainment_ has got to be pretty high up there. _A Taste of Freedom_ is quite unpopular. _Bendin’ in the Wind_ and _Route of All Evil_ are quite forgettable. _Jurassic Bark_ seems to be a very polarizing episode. _A Pharaoh to Remember_ seems to get a lot of hate as well, though I personally kind of like it, or at least have no strong negative feelings about. Personally I have it as a tie between _That’s Lobstertainment_ and _Bendin’ in the Wind_, as those are the two that I _always_ skip over when watching the DVDs. Which ones do you dislike? ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/2 "2011-12-06T18:53:02Z")
“A Pharoah to Remember” and “Bend Her” are my least favorites. Even bad Futurama tends to have some redeeming value, but those two episodes were bad enough that I’ve never gone back to see if I could find any. ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/3 "2011-12-06T18:59:29Z")
For me, _Jurassic Bark_ is completely unwatchable. I saw it for the first time shortly after I had to have my cat put down and I just about cried my eyes out. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/4 "2011-12-06T19:01:56Z")
_A Leela of Her Own_, that one about baseball. If you’re not into baseball there’s not a lot in it, and even then I don’t recall that many good jokes in it. Definitely second _A Pharaoh to Remember_, which just has Bender being a total dick for no reason, and _Bending in the Wind_. Too busy lining up to suck off Beck they forgot to include the funny. At least that episode which was up the Beastie Boys arse had that drug/religion plot as is A-plot which they got a few good laughs out of. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/5 "2011-12-06T19:17:54Z")
All episodes have a good line or two but I can get on board with _That’s Lobstertainment_. Zoidberg is great in small doses. Zoidberg-centric episodes are… less good. The Zoidberg mating one also comes to mind. The superhero one always leaves me feeling fairly unamused. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/6 "2011-12-06T19:31:27Z")
It’s a tossup between The Honking and That’s Lobstertainment. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/7 "2011-12-06T19:33:22Z")
My answer in such threads has always been “A Pharaoh to Remember” and I’ll cast my vote for that one here again. Although I will add that most of the ones named in the OP (except for Jurassic Bark) are on my “don’t bother” list as well. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/8 "2011-12-06T19:38:07Z")
> [@ugly ripe tomato](#): > > For me, _Jurassic Bark_ is completely unwatchable. I agree that _Jurassic Bark_ is unwatchable. However, it is not unwatchable because it is bad- quite the opposite- it is too good. I have to say that IMO the worst episode of Futurama was _The Honking_. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/9 "2011-12-06T19:41:44Z")
I’ll agree with the Honking, however I’m going to vote whichever one has Fry and Amy dating. That one always seemed to bore me ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/10 "2011-12-06T19:41:58Z")
_That’s Lobstertainment_ might be my least favorite as well. But I’ll also add in a couple of other possibilities. _Where the Buggalo Roam_ and _The Birdbot of Ice-Catraz_. Worst? Maybe not. But weak IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/11 "2011-12-06T19:59:14Z")
I vote for “Bender Should Not Be Allowed On TV”. A plot about how TV can influence kids, how original. ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/12 "2011-12-06T20:00:37Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > I agree that _Jurassic Bark_ is unwatchable. However, it is not unwatchable because it is bad- quite the opposite- it is too good. It isn’t a bad episode, it was just the emotional thang for me. I’m not too crazy about the “What If Machine” episode or that one where Fry gets committed to a robot hospital. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/13 "2011-12-06T20:02:29Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > I vote for “Bender Should Not Be Allowed On TV”. A plot about how TV can influence kids, how original. But we’re talking about _Futurama_, the show that does _not_ advocate the cooooool crime of robbery. I’ll vote for _The Honking_ as well. Although I did like that the town in robot Transylvania was named Thermostadt. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/14 "2011-12-06T20:29:24Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Kobayashi] Definitely second A Pharaoh to Remember, which just has Bender being a total dick for no reason [/QUOTE] Since when does Bender NEED a reason to be a total dick? It’s pretty much his entire character. My votes, though; **A Taste of Freedom** : Matt Groening’s properties have never been very good at doing political satire (cf. **Bart-Mangled Banner** and **E. Pluribus Wiggum** ). Political humor is largely topical in nature, and the lead time on these shows is so long that if they’d started making an episode about, say, Herman Cain’s presidential aspirations when he was at the top of the polls, then by the time it came out next spring he’d be a historical footnote and nobody would remember what they’re supposed to be laughing at. That leaves little to base your jokes off of excpet “Yep, politics sure is WACKY!” and “Aren’t Republicans so stupid?”, and that’s just not enough to hang 22 minutes on. **Luck of the Fryish/Jurassic Bark** : Goodbye madcap comedy, hello heartbreaking melodrama? I refuse to rewatch either of these episodes, and one of the best things the show has done was to retcon Seymour’s fate in **Bender’s Big Score** , although being killed by Bender isn’t really that much better. **Kif Gets Knocked Up A Notch** : Too much exposition of details we’ve never heard before and never hear about again, and an overly contrived plot with little humor (except for the sarcastic high priest). The title is contrived as well - i’m fairly sure Emeril’s 15 minutes were up years before this episode came out. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/15 "2011-12-06T20:34:27Z")
Since my least favorite character is Cubert (slightly worse than Zoidberg), I nominate the one where he and Hermes’ kid start a space paper route. All boring, no funny. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/16 "2011-12-06T20:46:11Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Since when does Bender NEED a reason to be a total dick? It’s pretty much his entire character. In that episode he crossed between everyday villainy and cartoonish supervillainy. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/17 "2011-12-06T20:47:59Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > I vote for “Bender Should Not Be Allowed On TV”. A plot about how TV can influence kids, how original. Are you crazy? That’s got the 2 best Calculon lines of all time: “That was so terrible I think you gave me cancer!” “No no no, I don’t do two takes. Amateurs like you do two takes.” ETA: Another vote for “Bendin in the Wind” - the whole touring with Beck plot is just horrible. ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/18 "2011-12-06T20:51:19Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > **Luck of the Fryish/Jurassic Bark** : Goodbye madcap comedy, hello heartbreaking melodrama? I refuse to rewatch either of these episodes, and one of the best things the show has done was to retcon Seymour’s fate in **Bender’s Big Score** , although being killed by Bender isn’t really that much better. :eek: Blasphemy. Futurama is at its best when it manages to be hilarious and stab you through the heart at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/19 "2011-12-06T21:30:57Z")
“The Honking” for me, by a long mile. If I were grading Futurama episodes, every other episode would be somewhere between an A+ and a C+. “The Honking” would be a “see me after class.” ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283/20 "2011-12-06T21:42:55Z")
> [@ugly ripe tomato](#): > > \ that one where Fry gets committed to a robot hospital.\ :mad: No episode featuring can be unloved I’ll be over here practicing my stabbing 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-futurama-episode-pre-cancellation-only/605283.md?page=2)