Love, Death and Robots is Netflix’s animated anthology series about the fight for dominance between humanity and technology. Some episodes are disturbing and range in a variety of genres. While most seem to focus on action or horror tones, there are some that are rather hilarious. These funny episodes of the series do have serious undertones about the downfall of humanity, but they are presented in a way that hides the seriousness under absurdity. Between all three volumes of Love, Death and Robots thus far, there have been a handful of episodes that shine under comedic lights, and these are the funniest.
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10 When the Yogurt Took Over
Netflix
The sheer absurdities are what make this episode so comical. However, the yogurt that inevitably takes over the human race is a representation of humanity’s growing reliance on technology. But as this episode uses yogurt to tell a story of a failing civilization, it can’t be taken all too seriously. It is meant to be funny, until the final thought of what would happen if our leaders just abandoned us and left us… yogurtless?
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
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MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
9 Alternate Histories
Seeing Hitler encased in a giant block of gelatin is quite the interesting turn of events. This episode is an outrageous but hilarious depiction of six different ways Hitler could have been killed, with each cause of death more ridiculous than the last. From getting run over by a horse-drawn carriage to breaking the space-time continuum, the sequences are just meant as goofs. The animation style in this episode is different from the others in that the 2-D design reflects a more lighthearted slapstick presentation.
8 Night of the Mini Dead
With an orchestral overture, this episode of season three is a humorous depiction of how a zombie apocalypse could have taken place. However, the entire episode is shown from a bird’s eye view with the city’s inhabitants looking as if they were the size of ants, with the animators using meticulously detailed miniatures and stop-motion. This could mirror the metaphors of how insignificant humanity is in the grand scheme of the universe. But it is rather funny to see the millions of tiny people running with high-pitched voices over classical music in this clever distillation of a great zombie movie into a five-minute episode.
7 Mason’s Rats
Mason is a farmer attempting to defend his farm against an army of rats. Just that sentence alone accounts for the sheer hilarity for this brief episode of season three. With however much force and the increased technological weaponry, these rats just can’t seem to die. It’s funny enough to hear comedian Craig Ferguson voice the down-on-his-luck farmer, but to see these rats just completely hold their own and build a resistance against Mason’s attacks is ridiculous but hilarious. Contrary to the episode that follows in season three, which is one of the most dramatic and intense of the entire series, this funny and ultimately sweet episode is a light gem.
6 All Through the House
It is a treat to see Love, Death and Robots embrace the holiday spirit. This Christmas-themed episode re-imagines the idea of two innocent children stumbling upon Santa Claus. Only this time, Santa is a terrifying monster who barfs out presents. While the monster is no sight for sore eyes, he does try to entertain the children who seem to be frightened out of their stockings. While they were good this year and were rewarded, the message of this episode is just that… stay good, or you better watch out.
5 The Dump
A man’s home is his castle, even if he lives in a veritable trash landfill, and it is quite entertaining to see its owner defend it. Ugly Dave is the proud king of his domain, or dump. While there are gruesome images depicted in this episode, it is presented with quick and hilarious dialogue. However, he can also walk the walk when it comes to defending himself against a giant garbage monster, whom he later befriends and names Otto. Ugly Dave’s trash style of talking and behaving makes this 11-minute episode one of the first season’s highlights.
4 Automated Customer Service
In this episode of season two, we see a re-telling of a tale of good and evil. That good is in the form of an old lady and her adorable puppy. The evil is represented by the human-hunting technology that grows more fierce after being mistreated by the humans. The animation style is rather off-putting and borders on the uncanny valley. However, to see an old lady fight against a bloodthirsty robot is a hilarious concept that the episode pulled off in stride.
3 Three Robots: Exit Strategy
Making a surprise return in season three, the three robots are continuing their search for humanity. The episode hopefully could indicate a sort of thread-line that continues throughout various seasons, or even a spin-off. However, in this episode we see the robots get closer to solving the mystery of humanity’s disastrous demise. The banter between them is lighthearted and delivered quickly. However, hidden under the comedic chemistry between them, they also ask questions about the way in which human society operates.
Moreover, if humanity was on the brink of extinction, there would still be socio-economic clashes and gaps between the rich and poor survival strategies. This leads the robots towards a survivalist sanctuary for the upper class, but the hilarious discovery of robotic uprising continues the episode’s dark humor and satirical overtones. Moral of this story: don’t be cruel to robots.
2 Kill Team Kill
This episode from season three is an over the top action thrill ride with fast-paced combat, bloodthirsty warriors, and satirically ridiculous epic action sequences. The cyborg bear tears through soldiers like toilet paper and although it is gruesome to watch, it is presented in this intentionally explosive way that is meant to be funny. The entertainment value is surely there, but it is the characters and their dynamic with one another that makes for the funnier moments in the entire season.
1 Three Robots
This episode from season one shows an interesting dichotomy of having three robots observe a post-apocalyptic city like it was Disneyland. The three robots became iconic characters, almost representative of the entire series, because each has their own unique personality and are equally hilarious. The horrific travesties the robots find of what is left of humanity come across as roadside attractions to them. However, to us, these images are unsettling and almost disturbing.
The robots also overanalyze every bit of human society. When they stumble across a basketball, they try to make sense of how entertaining it is to bounce a ball, but to them, it is not all that exciting. But to us, basketball is… quite popular. This is one of the most important and best episodes of Love, Death and Robots because it sets the tone for this battle for dominance between humanity and technology.
