The Why of Fry
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| Futurama episode | |
| "The Why of Fry" | |
 Fry mixing in with The Brain Spawn |
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| Episode no. | 64 |
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| Prod. code | 4ACV10 |
| Airdate | April 6, 2003 |
| Writer(s) | David X. Cohen |
| Director | Wes Archer |
| Opening subtitle | Dancing Space Potatoes? You Bet! |
| Opening cartoon | Unknown |
| Guest star(s) | Bob Odenkirk, Frank Welker |
| Season 4 January 2002 – August 2003 |
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| List of all Futurama episodes... | |
"The Why of Fry" is the tenth episode in the fourth season of the animated television series Futurama. It originally aired in North America on April 6, 2003. The episode was written by David X. Cohen and directed by Wes Archer. In this episode it is revealed that Fry's cryogenic freezing and arrival in the 31st century was not an accident, but a calculated plot by Nibbler to save the universe. It is one of two episodes that do not contain Professor Farnsworth.
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[edit] Plot
Fry feels useless after Leela and Bender return from an extremely successful mission without him and after Leela asks Fry to walk Nibbler while she goes on a date with Chaz, the mayor's aide. Fry is convinced the only good he serves is to clean up after Nibbler, but Nibbler tells him otherwise. Having never heard Nibbler talk, Fry is dumbfounded as Nibbler knocks him out and takes him to Eternium. The Nibblonians explain that Fry lacks the delta brainwave due to a unique genetic disorder he acquired after he became his own grandfather. This rendered him immune to the attack of the Brainspawn a few months prior (in "The Day the Earth Stood Stupid").
The Nibblonians reveal the Brainspawn's plan to collect all knowledge in the universe, store it in a colossal memory bank called the Infosphere, and destroy the rest of the universe. Because of his immunity, Fry is the only person who can stop them. The Nibblonians give Fry a "Quantum Interface Bomb" which will send the sphere into an alternate dimension forever and instruct Fry to implant it. As the Infosphere collects the last data, Fry enters riding the Scooty Puff Jr. After he plants the bomb, Fry is discovered when he asks the Infosphere's computer several frivolous questions. Fry tries to escape, but the Scooty Puff Jr. falls apart, trapping him. Fry activates the bomb anyway, and despite being doomed to enter the alternate universe, he is glad that his life had a purpose: "leading good to victory over evil".
The Brainspawn suggest that the Nibblonians are not as good as they appear. They show Fry something that happened December 31, 1999, the night he was frozen (in "Space Pilot 3000"). Fry is upset to see that Nibbler tipped him into the cryogenic chamber and sent him to the year 3000. Nibbler explains that he had to do so, as Fry was the only person who could defeat the Brainspawn. The bomb detonates, sending the Infosphere to the alternate dimension. Meanwhile, Leela goes on her date with Chaz. Chaz reserves the rocket skating rink for Leela, but Leela dumps him after he turns away the Cookieville orphans who were supposed to visit the rink.
In the alternate dimension, the Brainspawn discover they can send Fry back in time to stop Nibbler from freezing him. Fry accepts their offer and is transported to the cryogenics lab. He appears behind Nibbler under the desk, just before his past self is frozen. He restrains Nibbler, who protests that Fry must be sent to the future to save the universe. Nibbler asks if there is anything he wants to save in the future, and Fry mentions Leela. After Nibbler mysteriously notes that Leela may be the "Other", advises Fry not to give up on her, and promises that he will help Fry win Leela's heart, Fry tips his past self into the cryogenic chamber. Before he disappears, Fry warns Nibbler about the fragile Scooty Puff Jr.
In the future, Nibbler gives Fry the sturdier Scooty Puff Sr., allowing Fry to escape the Infosphere after planting the bomb a second time. Nibbler and Fry return to Earth, and Nibbler gives Fry a flower before blanking Fry's mind. Back at Planet Express, Fry gives Leela the flower. Leela tells Fry that although he may not be the most important person in the universe, he is still a good friend, and she gives him a kiss.
[edit] Continuity
David X. Cohen notes that he was particularly enthusiastic to write this episode because of how it tied into other episodes, feeling that it was something that was rarely done in sitcoms, particularly cartoons.[1] He points out that the writing staff tried to tie as many episodes together as possible regardless of whether they were originally written with that intent. The episode contains flashbacks to the events of "Space Pilot 3000" when Fry is originally frozen. Cohen points out that Nibbler's shadow is present in the pilot episode, a point which is explained in this episode, and that this was a plot point which was planned since the pilot. This indicates that Fry was intentionally frozen. Jokes about the extreme mass of Nibbler's feces and mention of Vergon 6 call back to "Love's Labours Lost in Space".[1] The planet Eternium, the Brainspawn and the delta brainwave concept were originally introduced in "The Day the Earth Stood Stupid".[1] A joke about Fry becoming his own grandfather is also included (i.e "I did do the nasty in the pasty"), a reference to the events of "Roswell That Ends Well".[1] Cohen also notes that in the episode "Jurassic Bark" a shot of Nibbler's third eye sticking out of a trash can is included as a reference to these events as well, an item which many fans had noticed.[1]
[edit] Production
David X. Cohen states in the episode commentary that he was eager to write this episode in part because it was something that had been discussed since the very beginning of the show. They had wanted to show that there was a larger conspiracy that had brought Fry to the future and notes on more than one occasion that this was something that had been planned since the pilot.[1] Creator Matt Groening also notes that they had planned to hold off on using time travel plot lines until the series was better established.[2] Cohen jokes that perhaps they should have explored this plot point earlier however since at the time the episode commentary was recorded it had become clear that the series would be ending. Cohen also thought it was important that the episode explored Fry's option of returning to the past and the question of whether he was happier in the past or in the future.[1]
This episode contains a scene which re-enacts events from the pilot episode, "Space Pilot 3000", after they have been changed by the events of this episode. The episode is so similar to the pilot that the Animation director even jokes that the animators charged their time twice for the parts that were taken from the pilot.[3] In actuality, some of Billy West's lines in this episode are taken directly from the voice track for the pilot, specifically Fry's lines as he enters Applied Cryogenics.[1]
[edit] Broadcast and reception
IGN.com ranked the episode as number twenty in their list of the "Top 25 Futurama Episodes" in 2006 because although the episode was not the funniest episode in the series, it had a fun story and was a "great continuation" to "The Day the Earth Stood Stupid".[4]
[edit] Cultural references
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009) |
- In the beginning of the episode, Amy is seen reading a book titled Martians are from Mars, Venusians are from Venus, a reference to John Gray's book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus.
- The InfoSphere constructed by the Brainspawn bears a striking resemblance to the Death Star from Star Wars: A New Hope.
- The premise and plot of this story are similar to the Blake's 7 episode "Ultraworld" written by Trevor Hoyle and first aired in the UK in 1980. In "Ultraworld" the crew are trapped in an artificial planet with a giant brain at its core, and it's only the irrational thought processes of the Vila character who permit escape by causing fatal confusion in the giant brain.
- When Fry reveals his Quantum Interface Bomb to the Brainspawn, a panicked brain asks him if he is "insane in the membrane". This is a lyric from the song "Insane in the Brain" by Cypress Hill. The episode "Insane in the Mainframe" was also named after this lyric.
- When the Huge Brain explains how Fry can return to the past, a light cone diagram is shown on the display, used in general relativity to illustrate the past and future boundaries of an event.
- When the Nibblonians are telling Fry that he is very important, Fry incredulously asks "So the way I feel when I'm drunk is correct?". The Nibblonians reply: "Yes, except that the Dave Matthews Band doesn't rock".
- After Fry, the Brainspawn and the Infosphere are trapped in the alternate universe, one of the brains mentions that they could spend the rest of eternity singing "American Pie"; the full version of the song lasts over eight minutes.
- The flashing light Nibbler uses to erase Fry's memory is a reference to the movie Men in Black.
- After having his memory erased, Fry asks "Did everything just taste purple for a second?" This is a reference to synesthesia, a neurological condition that is characterized by the mixing of sensory input. Fry does this once before, when he smells the color blue flowing out of the microwave in "Roswell That Ends Well".
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Cohen, David X. (2003). Futurama season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "The Why of Fry". [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
- ^ Groening, Matt. (2003). Futurama season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "The Why of Fry". [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
- ^ Archer, Wes. (2003). Futurama season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "The Why of Fry". [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
- ^ ""Top 25 Futurama Episodes"". http://tv.ign.com/articles/716/716663p1.html. Retrieved 2006-06-27.
[edit] External links
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