As this episode opens the Planet Express building is shaken by a number of explosions; it turns out they were caused by the professor's latest experiment; the results of which are contained in an ordinary cardboard box. He doesn't know what he has created but he is certain that it is so dangerous that it must be destroyed by throwing it into the sun. Leela is given the task of guarding it over night but is tempted to look what is inside; unsure whether to peek or not she tosses a coin... it comes up heads so she looks. When she opens the box she finds herself falling into it; she then falls out again only this time the box is blue! She has fallen into a parallel universe that is almost identical; here she meets the 'parallel' Planet Express crew; once again they are all recognisable but different; for example this Bender is golden and Fry has black hair. They are initially suspicious; assuming anybody from a parallel universe must be evil. Parallel Leela goes back through the box and forces the rest of the crew, apart from Hermes, to return with her. By the time they establish that nobody is evil Hermes is heading towards the sun with the intention of throwing the box into the sun and getting back to stop him will be difficult as the two Zoidbergs have stolen the box!
This is a really fun episode; it was nice to see Leela getting such a main role and once she entered the other universe the subtle differences are fun... those fans who think Fry and Leela should be a couple will love it! The scenes where they search a variety of other parallel universes were great. The laughs continued to the end; I loved how Hermes hesitated for a moment when the Crew emerged from the box just before he launched it into the sun and told him to stop. As for the title... the universe ends up contained in a box within that universe; if that isn't a 'parabox' I don't know what is!
This is a really fun episode; it was nice to see Leela getting such a main role and once she entered the other universe the subtle differences are fun... those fans who think Fry and Leela should be a couple will love it! The scenes where they search a variety of other parallel universes were great. The laughs continued to the end; I loved how Hermes hesitated for a moment when the Crew emerged from the box just before he launched it into the sun and told him to stop. As for the title... the universe ends up contained in a box within that universe; if that isn't a 'parabox' I don't know what is!