I think the biggest problem with this episode might have been that they were coming off of the movies, actually. In the same way that the movies suffered because they went from episodic to fucked up four parters, this one suffered because they were coming from fucked up four parters to episodic. As a result it did feel like there was too much crammed in, too many coincidental moments, etc, just to fit it all in. The show has done big concept episodes like this before, but they were all in the midst of doing other episodes with a similar format. So the pacing felt a little bizarre to me, although part of that could also come from the fact that the last new Futurama I saw was, well, a fucked up four parter.
Still. As they eventually found their groove with the movies... they're going to find their groove with the episodes. And we'll all get used to them in this format again. So just because this wasn't the most epic, mind-blowing thing ever doesn't mean that the show is going to flat-out suck from hereon out at all. It's going to get better and hell, this one was still pretty good.
I thought it was going to be far more dramatic and high concept initially; I don't know how much of that I can blame on the promos for this, not to mention the huge way ITWGY ended, but that's what I came in expecting. Instead what I got was something I found to be much more light-hearted and just having fun with the crazy world of the future Futurama has crafted for us before that we all love.
Which is partially disappointing, because they could've done more with this, easily. Parts could have been cut out or elaborated upon, the pacing could have been different; everyone who's mentioned it before in this thread is right, it came across as very trying-to-capture-new-fans. Which I can't really blame them for, and ultimately, what they were going for, I'd say worked. Because the episode was still entertaining.
I mean, god, it was funny. Most jokes were hits. I don't get the problem with Bender... Sure, I thought the idea was a little stupid, but most of the time he was just partying in the background and they didn't address much attention to it. Could the episode have lived without it? God, very easily. But for what it decided to go with, it wasn't all bad.
There were way too many coincidences in this one though, and they really could have done something high scaled and cool, but we've had enough direct love letters to the fans so it's cool that they didn't but... yeah. The channel thing in the beginning should've been as far as it went... Leela woke up in much too timely a manner, the real Fry came back far too timely... and such. The cyclops-eating monster was a pretty pointless addition overall and taking it out along with Bender's constant partying could've allowed for some more deep and thematic explorations of character.
But I think I was, in the show's absence, overvaluing its most beloved episodes. Are they phenomenal? Absolutely. Is this a show with an amazing record for making people just lose it and break down sobbing? Yup. But not every episode is like that. Considering the idea of everyone dying, I was expecting it to be, and so was left feeling somewhat underwhelmed with what resulted. (I talked about this with Ryan earlier, and I need to watch the episode again; I don't fully remember Tyng's dramatic score, but I do remember how jokingly dramatic moments were treated after their reveals, such as Leela's waking up to find the Leela robot.)
Fry being a robot the whole time was a great twist though. Totally blindsided me, but in a good way.
Ultimately? It was beautiful. I laughed, a lot more than I've laughed at any recent primetime animated show I've watched; granted I don't watch many and even though this story was crammed, it was completed. It was kind of simultaneously over and under-ambitious, but what they put out - for what it was - succeeded. A somewhat dramatic, mostly comedic adventure with these characters, which is the general tone the show has always taken. So I'll take this, because I was entertained, and it was not a bad way to pick up where we left off at all. Good episode, good return, good show.