So, how possible is it that a spoof on E.T. is better than the original? Well, in my opinion, anything is better than E.T. Does it hold true for the latest episode of Futurama? Find out, after the jump!

Spoilers Below

Omicron Persei 8, Lrrr is asked by his Jrrr to help him with getting a merit badge. Let me tell you, if scouts were like the Scouts on Omicron Persei 8, I’d be all over it.  So, he helps his kid invade Earth. Lrrr and his kid go the White House, where Nixon’s head and Zapp quickly surrender the Earth to them. When Lurr forces his kid to blow something up, poor Clone of Agnew gets torched. In the midst of this, the Professor is sending the crew to the freshly blockaded Omicron Persei 8, just to get a “sacred weed,” aptly named Omicrhonic. Hermes then takes the lead on getting to Omicron Persei 8. Figures, the Jamaican takes point on getting a type of weed. This scene had me rolling on the floor! The crew fakes out Zapp, by writing Omicronian Express on the side. When they get out, it’s discovered that Bender’s body activates the bio-luminescence.

Jrrr ends up getting neglected by Lrrr again, and goes outside.  After throwing a ball at a shed, Jrrr lures out Fry using a method to lure out a Homer. Fry earns the name T. It isn’t for Terrestrial…it’s for Turd-Eater. Bender ends up lying about Fry to cover his ass, while the Professor is having the best high of his life. Bender, is having a moment where he actually shows remorse, maybe guilt. Both things he doesn’t do well. His depths for lying go so deep, he uses his answering machine to get Leela away from the door. Fry is homesick, so he tries to get the dead technology from Omicron Persei 8, to arrange an S.O.S. This is just in time, because Lrrr finds him hiding in the toy closet of Jrrr.

Jrrr is forced to kill Fry in a cage, in a scene that is oddly reminiscent of Old Yeller. Jrrr shoots a hole in the cage so they can escape on their bike powered of love. It was a very touching ode to a very boring movie called E.T. Fry is getting very sick, so Jrrr takes him to the vet. Lrrr shows up just before Drrr puts him down. In a kind of heart warming moment, involving the glowing butts of an interstellar friendship, Fry gets home. In fact, he gets home just in time to reap all of the benefits of Bender’s lies.

One of the scenes I really liked was when Hermes realized that the Good News balm that the Professor uses is medicated for his arthritis. This was the funniest scene in a show that I have seen this year, hands down. I had laughed so hard, my father came in wondering what was wrong. On top of that, the end scenes, where Fry and Drrr’s asses were lit up cracked me up too.  Everything in the story was woven into a very tight package as  there were seemingly no loose ends in this episode. Bits that you would think had no special meaning at all, like Bender making the Omichronic glow, tie in.  All in all, this episode was dialed in and as such is best one of the season thus far.

Overall: 9/10

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