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There are some interesting themes in this one, and it evokes similarities with what must have been done by the same studio, the sci-fi episode in the previous season, the one about hive-mind extra-terrestrials. I must admit I _loved_ that one -- the one in season 3, it actually had a novel story, certainly one that's worth pursuing which it tried to do.

Anyway, this may just be done by the same studio, it bears some visual style similarities for me to think so.

But unlike the other one, this one doesn't really explore a particularly interesting theme. It's visually striking, but the show already set the standard for 3-D animation, and I, for one, expect no less.

The theme that I liked -- which the episode didn't manage (or bother) to fully explore -- is loneliness, despair, desire for revenge and last but not least, _pets_! :) It ended too soon for me to have a lasting impression, which I think is its chief shortcomings, perhaps even the only shortcoming -- there is an interesting theme there somewhere, vaguely painted and lazily left unexplored.

Twice the story and half the animation quality (even at the same run length) would have improved this one by a margin, I'd say. Alas.

Why does the show assume we're all fans of RHCP (the band)? Does David Fincher think there is some overlap in themes between the former and the themes that have been explored in the show -- the extra-terrestrial, futurism, human nature (the show's love for _cats_ comes to mind), space and the cosmic, violence, and not the least _robots_?

How is a CGI video depicting RHCP as puppets, in a live-concert music video, fit into this?

Well, as far as I am concerned it doesn't. I like some of the band's songs, but I watch the show for themes it's become knowm for, and this isn't it.

Because it doesn't fit, it's hard to be motivated to get into the frame of watching a RHCP concert -- even if the animation is well done -- because that's not what I set out to watch. And lowering my expectations, it's still a strange thing to watch, because it's not my thing.

There are far better music videos out there. Heck, if the show suddenly played some "re-mixed" version of one of Björk's videos ("All Is Full Of Love"?), I'd probaly not frown as much. But this episode doesn't stand out, in my opinion, even if I saw it on a music TV channel today.

I don't understand why they had to pick it up for inclusion in the show -- is there no massive talent left _in the world_ who'd work on mind-bending animated stories, that we resort to ask David Fincher to give us a painstakingly done love letter to a RHCP song that in the end doesn't even stand out that much?