As a big Futurama fan, I have to admit I approached its return with considerable trepidation.  A lot of the time I think it's better for a show to end too early (Firefly) than to linger around and overstay its welcome (The X-Files). 

The first four episodes of the returning season basically only confirmed my opinion that they should have let Futurama RIP.  But the latest fifth episode has finally changed my mind.

Mind you, the first part of the episode hardly won me over.  In fact it had me thinking of the standard Simpsons episode configuration, wherein the entire first act is basically one long throw-away gag which only incidentally kicks the main plot into gear. 

Such is the case here, as Fry goes on a game show (a dated reference to "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire"), fails, gets hit by a car, is repeatedly insulted and OH WHO CARES WHATEVER.

Then, horror of horrors, it starts slipping into a "Da Vinci Code" parody.  Oh no, not this!  As soon as Da Vinci was mentioned, I groaned out loud.  My right hand started reaching for the computer mouse.  I fidgeted, remembering that I had meant to look up some information about a knitting pattern I'm working on.  Maybe now would be a good time.

I had a flash of hope when, after Professor Farnsworth proclaims that they're all going to Rome, Hermes asks "Didn't we used to be a delivery company?"  I chortled and looked up just in time to catch a nice little bit of animation as Planet Express Ship launches a parabolic flight from New New York to Rome.

That's something that's been missing in the season so far: the animation eye candy.  There was more great animation to be had in Rome.  The sequence where Bender fights the killer octopus in Trevi Fountain, I was hooked.  

Not long after that sequence, I took a sip of coffee at just the wrong time and nearly choked.  When Bender pulls out the "big nickel" and we see that he's attached a string, that's the moment when I decided that I was in favor of Futurama's return.

Overall the episode rates only a little better than a "meh."  It's too uneven for me to give it a solid A+ grade.  For one thing, I am so sick of Da Vinci Code parodies, you can't even imagine.  That's my own prejudice, which I freely admit.  Someone who is not ready to vomit at the very thought of Yet Another Da Vinci Code Joke will probably like this episode a lot more than I did.

It's the little flights of fancy that really did it for me.  From Bender's aquatic octopus fight, to the gorgeous simplicity of Da Vinci's "spaceship" in flight, this episode is both beautiful and intricately-conceived.  After watching the sequence where the space ship gets "assembled," I wanted to applaud.  And there's nothing not to love about the Doomsday Machine, from its byproduct (ice cream) to the slapstick dance of death it performs at the end.

Welcome back, Futurama!

Keep an eye out for: is that Gypsy's head in the background at  02:41?