Episode Title: "Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences"
Writer: Patric M. Verrone
Director: Crystal Chesney-Thompson
Previously on "Futurama":
In a plot far too convoluted to fully convey in only two paragraphs, Bender (John DiMaggio) took advantage of a mind swap between the Professor (Billy West) and Amy (Lauren Tom) to plan a heist in which he attempted to steel the crown jewels of the visiting, Robo-Hungarian Emperor Nicolai. While his plan backfired, Bender conned the Emperor into switching his mind with a wash bucket robot, while Bender took his place. When Bender's life was endangered by the Emperor's treacherous brother, the Professor (in Bender's body) saved the day with the help of some miniature Robo-Hungarian acrobots.
Eventually, the Harlem Globetrotters showed up and managed to get everyone back into their right bodies. Oh... and Fry and Leela kissed, made out with each other in public and apparently slept together while in the bodies of Zoidberg and the Professor, respectively.
Story:
On the planet Omicron Persei 8, Lrrr is nagged by his queen Ndnd to finally regain his initiative and conquer other worlds. He half-heartedly attempts to invade Earth during a futuristic Comic-Con, where he is mistaken as a participant in a costume contest. At the same time, Fry proudly shows the crew his crudely drawn comic that depicts himself as an incredibly overpowered superhero who saves Leela from an alien. But the Planet Express crew is far more impressed with the novelty ads at the end of his comic, including one for the Professor's disintegration ray, which only works as a teleport gun.
Upon Lrrr's return to his thrown world, Ndnd kicks him out of their palace for his failure on Earth. Recognizing Leela at the Comic-Con, Lrrr takes refuge at the Planet Express building. The crew quickly realizes that he is going through a mid-life crisis. Although Leela encourages him to recommit to Ndnd and strengthen their marriage, Lrrr takes the more conventional route of plastic surgery, splashy new clothes and an expensive sports car. He even meets and nearly beds an attractive Omicronian female calling herself Grrrl. However, Grrrl soon reveals that she is only a human in a Omicronian costume with a fetish for actual Omicronians. Lrrr quickly rejects her.
Willing to try to appease Ndnd once more, the crew and Lrrr recruit Orson Wells' head to recreate his "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast to make it seem as if Lrrr is conquering the Earth. It not only fools Ndnd, but also Zapp Brannigan and Earth President Nixon, who promptly surrender. Ndnd's arrival sends the planet into slavery to keep up the pretense. Under pressure from Leela, Lrrr finally admits the truth to his wife. However, Ndnd is more upset that he allowed Leela to nag him, which Ndnd views as only her right. She takes out a disintegrator ray and shoots Grrrl, who was attempting to reclaim Lrrr for herself. Then Ndnd forces Lrrr to fire the ray at either herself or Leela.
At the last moment, Fry jumps into the ray meant for Leela and disappears. Leela drops to her knees in emotional agony as Lrrr and Ndnd reconcile. Upon the reappearance of Grrrl, the crew realizes that the disintegrator ray was one of the Professor's defective models and find Fry back at the Planet Express building. Fry shows Leela his newly revised comic, which she compliments before kissing his cheek.
Breakdown:
Patric Verrone may be one of the best writers on "Futurama," but this was a pretty average episode.
But I loved the Comic-Con references at the beginning of this show. Anyone who's ever been to the San Diego Comic-Con can tell you that the episode captured that event pretty well. A few of my favorite background gags included posters for "Video Game: The Movie" and "Movie: The Video Game," J.J. Abrams' face as a mask and of course, the unsubtle and yet hilarious appearance of Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, as Fox canceled their new show "Futurella" within minutes of their Comic-Con panel.
However, this episode also did a good job of adding some characterization to Lrrr, who's been fairly one note up to this point. His mid-life crisis adventures with Bender were amusing and he actually developed a real friendship with Leela that was unexpected. It may not have survived his attempt to kill her, but it was another unconventional pairing; which seems to be a trend this season. I also liked that Lrrr recognized and knew Leela from previous episodes. Of course, I am a continuity nerd.
This episode was also pretty Fry and Leela heavy, in terms of their relationship. There was a powerful moment where Leela believed that Fry was dead and reacted accordingly. Verrone didn't really attempt to make the audience believe that Fry was actually dead (the teleport gun was set up very early in the episode), but because Leela believed it and reacted with such sorrow, it had an emotional resonance. Not quite the pathos that was achieved earlier this season in "The Late Phillip J. Fry," but it's the kind of moment that allows the characters to display added layers of depth.
Special props have to go out to Maurice LaMarche for his turn as Orson Wells; who I believe LaMarch voiced before way back on "The Critic." His obsession with food and plausible storytelling was hilarious. If Wells became a regular character the way Nixon has, that would be great. I also loved Nixon's "Peace with Honor" line as Earth surrendered. History shout out for the win!
"Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences" may not have been a great episode of the series, but it was still fun to watch. Hopefully the season finale will cap off the year nicely.
Crave Online Rating: 7.5 out of 10.
