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Futurama Reviews: S11E07 -"Lord Nibbler in the Nothingverse"

“What we see, what we feel, what we observe. That is all that is truly real.”
Occasionally in “Lord Nibbler in the Nothingverse” an emphasis is placed on the physiological importance of observation -and yes there is a Schrodinger’s Cat reference. It is a thematic tenet of the episode as well in the relationship between Leela and Nibbler, particularly on Nibbler’s end of how different he is when not recognizing Leela -the meaning of that recognition is reinforced heavily by the end. It is a strong centrepiece to an episode that I wish had matched it in substance -in spite of a heartfelt core this is the first mediocre outing this season since “Beef”.
Nibbler is the primary character though, and we see that his relationship with Leela is showing a little more sign of wear. He’s still her “schnookums” but he can get on her nerves by scratching up her boot or eating a whole massive can of food before it lands in his dish. He is contacted though by his people who give him a new final mission which he eventually reveals to the gang is to observe the ending of another universe over the course of eons. Prior to this he secretly treats the gang with tickets to a Robuki show in Central Park -a diversion that allows for a George Takei cameo and a bit of stylized (if borderline culturally appropriative) robot acting from Calculon. Honestly it feels like this segment was just pitched with no other place to fit in the season. Nibbler once again reveals himself and the episode goes into overdrive over how many times he has blanked their memories (and when selectively he has not). But he must now say goodbye and blank their memories permanently of him. However at the last second, Bender turns his body away and Nibbler’s mind-wipe bounces off of the shiny metal ass into his own face. With no memory of anything and behaving like a common pet, Nibbler runs away.
As Leela endeavours to search for him putting out notice of a missing pet (Bender going above and beyond with a collage of posters in Nibbler’s image), we see Nibbler himself trying to make his way alone -and the montage is a highlight of the episode, wherein Nibbler has his own Incredible Journey, meets (and eats) Lady from Lady and the Tramp, and (in a move sure to cause some PTSD among fans) finds and lies down in the spot outside Panucci’s Pizza in underground Old New York where Seymour famously waited for his master. Eventually in a pretty brazen plot contrivance, the Professor remembers he has ID chips embedded in everyone at Planet Express and tracks Nibbler to a pound -arriving just after he’s been purchased by a little girl called Pramela -who might be the girl from “A Tale of Two Santas” who Santa hit with a bike. Pramela is already deeply attached to Nibbler, and after a test with Leela in which Nibbler fails to respond to his former owner, Leela sadly relinquishes him just in time for Pramela to develop a debilitating allergic reaction.
Still however, there is no connection between Leela and Nibbler, and as a last alternative she decides to take Nibbler to Eternium and see if his own people can help -Fry apparently remembers being there and remembers the way, though Leela has also been there. This continuity neglected, there is a little bit of continuity porn when they arrive and the Nibblonians are quick to identify Fry as the Chosen One and Leela as The Other, as per their previous visits. But they don’t have a cure for Nibbler’s memory as ‘no Nibblonian has ever done anything that dumb before’. instead, they take the gang to their ice prison where a giant brain called Brainzilla is kept prisoner -who had previously been guarded by Nibbler for thousands of years. A brain-meld is required with the caveat of Brainzilla’s freedom and the Nibblonians agree to it. A mildly trippy sequence ensues and it works, though with Brainzilla having all of Nibbler’s memories restored as well. This enormous cranium of course promptly leaves, begging the question of why they never escaped before given how easy it is.
Nibbler now returns to his reassignment, but is persuaded not to wipe anyone’s minds. Instead he and Leela bid a heartfelt goodbye. Unsurprisingly though it is premature, as just when Nibbler is about to enter this portal into a new universe, Brainzilla stops him; and in a sequence bizarrely told in flashback a scene later they take on the mission for Nibbler with a lot of flowery Star Trek-y comment  on the knowledge that awaits out there as recompense for how kind a jailer Nibbler had been. Nibbler is sent back to Earth where he reunites with Leela, the episode bringing back that virtuous message about things mattering because they are cared for -that universe by Brainzilla, Nibbler by Leela. And then he proceeds to wipe all memories again, including the audience.
I think this episode might have felt more whole if it had leaned more deliberately into that theme on the cosmic significance of Nibbler and Leela’s relationship. That grandiose sentimental touch in the service of Fry and Leela, was a big part of what past Nibblonian episodes, specifically “The Why of Fry” really had going for them. There are little bits of it here and there, but the episode drags in getting to that point. It is also not particularly funny or original, playing out things like the stereotype pet call test that had been done better in “Mars University”, and seemingly forgetting that the matter of Fry’s memory from “The Day the Earth Stood Stupid” remaining intact had been addressed for jokes by the show before. The episode is cute and wholesome, like Nibbler himself, but as when he loses his memory it is lacking much beneath that.
Now for a helping of stray observations:
  • Shocking to learn that Bender doesn’t really like folks eating his shiny metal ass apparently.
  • George Takei is approaching Al Gore levels of frequency on this show. It is notable that his head in a jar is older than it used to be -do these heads age? I also have to say -and I’m speaking outside of Futurama as well- but “oh my” has seriously gotten overplayed as Takei’s catchphrase.
  • “Nibbler, you can talk?” “Fry, you can talk?” -coming from Zoidberg that is a wild burn.
  • “Philip J. Fry. Property of Planet Express. Do Not Feed.”
  • “They found Nibblerses”. Okay, just the way that Leela said that was funny.
  • Robo-Puppy! Haven’t seen him since “Jurassic Bark”. I guess it’s nice to know Bender has been a responsible pet owner all these years.
  • Nibblonian: “There’s also another the Other”. Bender: “Is it me?” Nibblonian: “No, you’re nothing”. Bender:“That’s not what my grandma says!”
  • “Folks in marketing say our branding is too cute.” It can be a bit much, but a coffin is perhaps an over-correction.
  • “Sooner or later everybody needs Bender’s ass gas.” I’m going to guess that the whole beat where Nibbler’s ship loses oxygen forcing Fry and Leela to breathe out of a stockpile Bender stores in his ass for smoking was entirely conceived and executed for the sake of that one line. I don’t know if it was worth it or not.

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