Last Night's Futurama

Last night's episode enjoyment level will depend on how well you handle Dr. Zoidberg, "M"D. A lot of folks just can't handle his neo ethnic/vaudeville stereotypes.  I myself like his sad sack persona.  He's the show's bench mark of loserhood.  Even Fry can hold his head high when compared to Zoidberg.  So, I enjoyed a little extra back story on his relationship with the Professor.

It starts off in the past where we learn that Professor Farnsworth and Zoidberg went on a mission together under that grasping, greedy old maid Mom.  They were to gather samples from an alien Yeti, but the mission was compromised by the team catching hyper malaria.  For once Ziodberg was not useless and not only helped the Professor but promised to ease him out if he ever shows signs of hyper malaria.

We are then brought to the present day, and a typical day of medicine for Zoidberg.  He manages to have Fry go through every skin tone in animation, bisects Leela, and shave a few inches off of Hermes.  The crew has had enough, but the Professor is beginning to show signs of hyper malaria so he has need for Zoidberg to do as he promised.  Can Zoidberg be a better assassin than a doctor?  Of course not, which leads to the team making the most ludicris murder machine seen outside of a "Final Destination" movie.

The jokes were, outside the murder machine and Zoidberg's foiled attempts at medicine and assassination, ok but not great.  The Episode is better at having some heart.  It does bring old Zoidberg and oddly enough Mom into a better focus.  It's no "Jurassic Bark," but it's nice change of mood.