The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings
Why it Made the List: This episode is one of may favorites for many reasons. First, Hedonismbot gets major face-time in it, which is always a plus. Second, the musical number at the end of the episode is not only funny, but well written and actually very catchy. Finally, this episode was intended as the original series finale of the show, and the warm moment at the end between Fry and Leela stands in nice contrast to her usual rejection of him.
Favorite Quotes:
- Bender: Sure, I can help you, but we might have to metaphorically make a deal with the devil. And by "devil", I mean Robot Devil, and by "metaphorically", I mean get your coat.
- Robot Devil: [drops to his knees, staring at Fry's fleshy hands] Oh, give me back my hands! These things are always touching me in... places.
Fry: Heh, yeah, they get around.
Plot: After a loud explosion, Professor Farnsworth addresses the Planet Express crew while holding a yellow cardboard box. He explains that the box contains his most dangerous creation to date, and it must be destroyed by throwing it into the sun. In the meantime, however, he forbids the crew from looking inside the box, and orders Leela to guard it. She eventually succumbs to temptation after a coin flip, and takes a peek inside. What she finds in the box is a parallel universe in which the results of coin-flips come out the opposite way (resulting in some minor differences between the characters). Eventually, all of the Planet Express crew members from Universe A (except for Hermes-A) make their way into the parallel universe (labeled Universe 1), and fearing that their doppelgangers are evil, are ordered to spend time with their counterparts to ensure they can be trusted. When the two Zoidbergs get together, however, they agree that they are fed up with being treated poorly by the other crew members, and scheme to steal the blue cardboard box which contains Universe A. Farnsworth-A soon realizes that the Universe A crew must return home before Hermes-A throws the box into the sun, thus completely destroying Universe 1 and everyone in it. The two crews are then forced to pursue the two Zoidbergs through a series of unlabeled cardboard boxes containing other strange universes (such as one where no one has any faces and one where everyone is a robot) until they locate the original blue box and are able to return home just in time.Why it Made the List: This episode functions as both a great contained incident of hilarity and an example of how the show makes use of many science-fiction cliches in unique and comedic ways. Also, when the crew jumps into Universe 420 and find hippie Farnsworth, and Farnsworth-A tells him to get a job; priceless.
Favorite Quotes:
- Leela-1: Fine, you be crummy Universe "A", and we'll be Universe "1".
Fry-1: Yeah, or the Mongooses, that's a good team name. "The Fighting Mongooses." - Fry-A: Oh wow, it's like that drug trip I saw in that movie while I was on that drug trip.
- Farnsworth 420: Dig it! All of you living in this box is like seriously freaked up!
Farnsworth-A: Nonsense. There's a whole universe in there.
Farnsworth 420: Dude, there's a universe in all of us.
Love's Labors Lost in Space
Plot: Professor Farnsworth sends Bender, Fry, and Leela on a mission to Vergon 6, a hollowed-out planet destine to collapse upon itself. The teams directive is to collect two of each animal from the dying planet, a la Noah's Ark. When the crew arrives, however, they find the planet surrounded by the Democratic Order of Planets (DOOP) military, led by the misogynistic and incompetent Zapp Brannigan. The crew boards Brannigan's ship and explain their mission. Brannigan does not let them proceed, however, explaining that DOOP does not allow interference with underdeveloped planets (even though it was DOOP that hollowed out Vergon 6 in the first place). When Leela tries to defy Brannigan's order, he throws the crew in prison. At night, Zapp summons Leela to his chambers, where she rebuffs his poor attempts at seduction. Zapp then breaks down crying, saying that he feels lonely in his job and that he had hoped Leela, a fellow captain, would understand. Overcome with pity, Leela eventually has sex with Zapp, but wakes up the next morning in horror after she realizes what has happened. In return, Zapp releases the crew and allows them to travel to Vergon 6, believing that Leela will crawl back to him. The team heads to the planet and begins rounding up animals, including a cute three-eyed alien who Leela names Nibbler and takes home as her pet. Suddenly, the planet begins to collapse, and Leela is forced to begrudgingly ask Brannigan for help escaping.Why it Made the List: As mentioned in yesterday's article, Zapp Brannigan is quite possibly the most hilarious character on the show. And the scenes between him and Leela in this episode are some of the funniest in the entire history of the show. Also, this episode introduces Nibbler, who becomes and important character in future episodes (such as "The Day the Earth Stood Stupid" below).
Favorite Quotes:
- Zapp Brannigan: You want the rest of the cham-paggin?
Leela: No, and it's pronounced "cham-pain". - Zapp: In the game of chess you can never let your adversary see your pieces.
- Zapp: So, crawling back to the big Z like a bird on its belly. Delicious.
Leela: Birds don't crawl.
Zapp: They'd been known to.
Plot: While on a mission in space, the Plane Express crew stop at a truck-stop, where Fry purchases an egg salad sandwich from a vending machine in the bathroom. Later, back on Earth, Fry and Bender are injured while fixing a boiler which explodes. However, Fry's wounds heal miraculously quickly, and a medical examination reveals that he has contracted an infestation of microscopic worms from the egg salad, which repaired him. The other members of the crew use tiny robotic clones of themselves to enter Fry's body and eliminate the worms while Leela distracts him. She soon realize that worms are doing Fry a wealth of good, making him stronger, smarter and more sensitive--everything she wants in a man. She decides to send herself into Fry's body and stop the crew before they can reach his pelvic splanchnic ganglion and force him to evacuate the worms from his system. She succeeds, and returns to the new and improved Fry. However, a slip of the tongue informs Fry of what has been going on, and realizing that Leela is only in love with him because of his worms, he sends a mini-robot of himself into his body to deal with the worms once and for all.Why it Made the List: This is another great example of how this show takes science-fiction cliches and turns them on their heads, and is great spoof of the classic Sci-Fi film "The Fantastic Voyage." This episodes also contain a lot of funny set-pieces, like the statute of Fry the worms created within his bowels labeled "The Known Universe."
Favorite Quotes:
- Leela: You're not going to eat a sandwich from a truck stop men's room, are you?
Fry: Eh, what's the worst thing that could happen? [Takes a bite] Ugh, it's like a party in my mouth, and everyone's throwing up. - Hermes: [Cruising around Fry's muscles] Soon he'll be stronger and more flexible than Hercules and Gumby combined!
Zoidberg: Gumbercules? I love that guy! - Zoidberg: [scrapes cholesterol off Fry's artery] It's good cholesterol, but it spreads like bad cholesterol.
Plot: The Plane Express crew discovers an odd pattern of destroyed planets, leading right to Earth. Upon hearing this news, Leela's pet Nibbler begins to yip uncontrollably, and runs away. Leela gives chase down an alley, but she is ambushed by a gang of giant floating alien brains. Nibbler comes to her rescue in a tiny rocket ship, and two fly off towards the Hall of Eternium on Nibbler's home planet. Upon arriving, Leela is introduced to a council of highly intelligent Nibblonians, who explain that they have been warring with the evil Brainspawn for thousands of years. They tell Leela that the brains use a "power of stupidity" to make all the inhabitants of a planet incredibly stupid, resulting in that world's eventual destruction. They further explain that there is only one person capable of withstanding the Brainspawn's powers: Fry, as he lacks the necessary "Delta brainwave," rendering him innately stupid and thus completely immune to the "power of stupidity." Nibbler was sent to Earth to ensure Fry's safety and success in defeating the brains, and now it is Leela's job to return to Earth, inform Fry of his destiny, and conquer the Brainspawn once and for all. Back on Earth, Fry cant figure out why everyone is acting so stupid. Once Leela reenters Earth's atmosphere, she also becomes braindead, but somehow retains enough intellect to relay the message to Fry. The episode culminates in an epic battle between Fry and the Brainspawn leader at--where else--the public library.
Why it Made the List: This episode is a good example of how "Futurama" can often times retain serial elements, as its storyline is a continuation of "Love's Labors Lost in Space," and a sets up future episodes like "Roswell that Ends Well" and "The Why of Fry." Also, watching the already dumb Earthicans act even stupider once the Brainspawn arrive is a true treat.
Favorite Quotes:
- Fry: Come on, Fry, think. Thinking... thinking...
Chief Giant Brain: Oh, Stop that!
Fry: Hey, thinking hurts them! Maybe I can think of a way to use that. - Fry: Doctor Zoidberg, why is everyone acting so weird?
Dr. Zoidberg: Zoidbie want balloon! Want balloon now! Zoidbie want go outside!
Fry: But I just let you in! - Farnsworth: Duh, I know, let's play the lottery.
Amy: No, let's buy internet stock.
Dr. Zoidberg: On margin. Zoidbee wants to buy on margin.
Hermes: [holding a board in front of his face] Look at me. I'm invisible.
Fry: Wait a minute, I know what's going on here. You've all become idiots.
Bender: Hey, let's all join the Reform party.
Everyone: Yeah.
- "Time Keeps on Slipping"
- "The Sting"
- "Godfellas"
- "Fry and the Slurm Factory"
While I agree these are all good episodes, you failed to mention "Roswell That Ends Well." This is clearly one of the best Zoidberg episodes of all time.
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