Difference between revisions of "Murder on the Planet Express"

From The Infosphere, the Futurama Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(→‎Goofs: lol)
(48 intermediate revisions by 14 users not shown)
Line 9: Line 9:
|directed by=Frank Marino
|directed by=Frank Marino
|caption=#1 Rated Show in [[alternate universes|Universe 3]]
|caption=#1 Rated Show in [[alternate universes|Universe 3]]
|first aired=21 August, [[2013]]
|first aired=21 {{August}}, [[2013]]
|number=7ACV24
|number=7ACV24
|broadcast number=S10E11
|broadcast number=S10E11
Line 16: Line 16:
|title reference=The [[1934]] {{w|Agatha Christie}} novel ''{{w|Murder on the Orient Express}}''
|title reference=The [[1934]] {{w|Agatha Christie}} novel ''{{w|Murder on the Orient Express}}''
}}
}}
[[Planet Express crew|The crew]] get trapped aboard [[Planet Express ship|the ship]] with [[Blorgulax|a horrific alien creature]].
[[Planet Express crew|The crew]] becomes trapped aboard [[Planet Express ship|the ship]] with [[Blorgulax|a horrific alien creature]].


== Plot ==
== Plot ==


{{cleanup|section=yes}}
=== Act I: "And they look like ass flakes." ===
{{message box
[[Fry]] accuses [[Bender]] of using his toothbrush to polish his ass, and purchases [[For Your Eyes Mainly|a spy camera]] to check. Later, at the {{Planet Express|building}}, [[Hermes]] accuses [[Zoidberg]] of eating his lunch. [[Leela]] then accuses [[Amy]] of using her punching bag for golf-ball practice. In turn, [[Amy]] then accuses [[Leela]] of using her golf-clubs to pound dents out of the Planet Express ship. The crew gathers together later that day, and Fry publicly accuses Bender. He shows the others the video he recorded, but it turns out that although Bender was not using his toothbrush that night, he was stealing Fry's kidney whilst he slept. Leela then reveals she also used a spy cam to spy on Amy, only to find out that [[Scruffy]] had used Amy's clubs to kill a fly and that Zoidberg had been living in Leela's punching bag. Hermes also used a spy camera to catch Zoidberg eating his lunch, only to find out that Bender had used his lunchbox to keep Fry's kidney on ice. Much to everyone's disgust, the footage then shows Leela unwittingly eating the kidney, and that Hermes' manwich had instead been used in [[Professor Farnsworth]]'s kidney transplant. The crew continue to bicker uncontrollably when Farnsworth has had enough and threatens to do something about it.
|type=warning
 
|header=This plot summary is too long.
=== Act II: "The creature could be anywhere... except in this room." ===
|content=Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise.
Farnsworth hires business consultant [[Dan McMasters]] for a team building exercise. On the way to the corporate team building retreat, they pick up a random hitchhiker at the behest of McMasters. The hitchhiker comes aboard and is used by McMasters to be the first "trust fall", but McMasters is apparently eaten by the hitchhiker, who transforms into a monster and crawls into the ventilation shafts and shuts off the power. Scruffy's apprentice [[Jackie Jr.]] is soon eaten by the creature. The crew go to the panic room, but the creature shuts off the life support for the ship. Farnsworth splits the crew into three teams: Zoidberg and Hermes must restart the life support system, Leela and Amy must travel to the bridge to get the steering wheel so as to pilot the ship from the panic room, and Bender and Fry must re-light the pilot light from outside the ship to get the engines started again. Fry and Bender manage to restart the engines, but Bender's gyroscope is broken when the engines ignite in his face. Zoidberg and Hermes restart the life support system (which was being blocked by Jackie Jr's skeleton), but Hermes' motion detector shows that the monster is coming. Hermes then gets stuck in the vent and Zoidberg tries, in vain, to un-stick him.
}}
 
Amy and Leela are in the basement of the ship and encounter the monster first-hand. Leela attempts to fight it, but is captured. Amy's golf shot to the monster's face saves her and they make a run for the bridge. Outside the ship, Bender's gyroscope is still not working; panicked, he accidentally breaks Fry's helmet causing him to suffocate in the vacuum of {{cat|space|s=no}}. Bender, in a bid to save his life as well as fix his gyroscope, stuffs Fry into his compartment. Fry then takes over Bender's body by wearing him like a suit (creating a combination dubbed "Friender") and gets him under control. Leela and Amy finally make it to the bridge and take the steering wheel. Happy with their success, they proclaim themselves "Lamy". They run back to the panic room and see what they think is the monster (but is actually Hermes who's stuck in the vent) and begin attacking it. Zoidberg, calling themselves "Hermberg", un-sticks Hermes by squirting him with his oil. Amy fixes Bender's gyroscope by bashing him with her club, but the group abruptly comes face to face with the monster and flee back to the panic room.


[[Fry]] prepares to brush his teeth while [[Bender]] laughs. Soon, [[Fry]] realizes that there are metal flakes in his toothbrush and accuses [[Bender]] of using it to polish his ass. [[Bender]] denies the accusation while [[Fry]] glares at him suspiciously (like in the [[Fry meme]]). Later, [[Fry]] goes to see [[Nine]] at his discount spy store, [[For Your Eyes Mainly]] , to spy on [[Bender]]. Later, at the Planet Express Building, [[Hermes]] accuses [[Zoidberg]] of eating his lunch. [[Leela]] then accuses [[Amy]] of using her punching bag for golf-ball practice. In turn, [[Amy]] then accuses [[Leela]] of using her golf-clubs to pound dents out of the [[Planet Express ship]]. The crew gathers together later than day. [[Fry]] chooses now to publicly accuse [[Bender]] of brushing his ass with [[Fry]]'s toothbrush. He shows the others the video he recorded. However, even after fast forwarding, it appears [[Bender]] told the truth all along. [[Fry]] is about to apologize to Bender when he notices something happening through the doorway. [[Fry]] zooms in to see a group of doctors preparing for surgery. [[Bender]] has stolen [[Fry]]'s kidney in his sleep. A shocked [[Fry]] looks down to see the scar. [[Leela]] then reveals she also used a spy cam to spy on [[Amy]] only to find out that [[Scruffy]] had used [[Amy]]'s clubs to kill a fly and that [[Zoidberg]] had been living in [[Leela]]'s punching bag. [[Hermes]] also used a spy cam to catch [[Zoidberg]] eating his lunch, only to find out that [[Bender]] had thrown his lunch out and put [[Fry]]'s kidney inside. They also learned, much to everyone's disgust, that [[Leela]] had eaten it. [[Professor Farnsworth]] enters complaining of a botched kidney transplant. [[Zoidberg]] uses the [[F-Ray]] to see what was wrong. It seems the manwitch [[Bender]] threw out was inserted into [[Farnsworth]] in place of the stolen kidney (which would explain why his urine smelled like a meal). The crew continue to bicker uncontrollably when Farnsworth has had enough and threatens to do something about it, after he see's someone about some "ground beef". [[Farnsworth]] was therefore forced to hire [[Dan McMasters]] for a team building exercise. On the way to the corporate team building retreat, they pick up a random hitchhiker at the behest of Dan. The hitchhiker is brought about and is used by Dan to be the first trust fall. To the shock of the others, Dan is apparently eaten by the hitchhiker. It's revealed that he's some sort of shape-shifting alien monster as he transforms and crawls through a ventilation shaft. It soon shuts off the power. [[Jackie Jr.]] is soon eaten by the creature. [[Farnsworth]] tells the crew to go to the panic room, assuring them they'll be safe inside as the room is impregnable and that they have enough food and board games to survive for weeks. However, [[Farnsworth]] soon laments that they'll be dead within the hour after the creature shuts off the life support for the ship. [[Farnsworth]] splits the crew into three teams. [[Zoidberg]] and [[Hermes]] must restart the life support system. [[Leela]] and [[Amy]] must travel to the bridge to get the steering wheel so as to pilot the ship from the panic room. [[Bender]] and [[Fry]] must space-walk to the engine and re-light the pilot light to get the engines started again. [[Fry]] asks [[Bender]] to go outside first, fearing [[Bender]] would lock him outside. They both make it outside, only for [[fry]] to forget his magnetic boots and begin floating away before [[Bender]] saves him. They manage to restart the engines, but [[Bender]]'s gyroscope was rendered non-functional when the engines ignited in his face leaving him unable to control his movements. [[Zoidberg]] and [[Hermes]] crawl through the vents when they come across [[Jackie Jr.]]'s skeleton, his skull being the object that crippled the life support system. [[Zoidberg]] removes the skull and celebrate, until [[Hermes]]'s motion detector reveals the monster's coming. With nowhere to go, they begin to panic. They soon realize that the movement was just a rodent. They sigh in relief briefly before the monster comes out of nowhere and eats it. [[Hermes]] then gets stuck in the vent and [[Zoidberg]] tries, in vein, to un-stick him. [[Zoidberg]] tries to assure [[Hermes]] that they'll be ok, only to recant the sentiment when he the motion detector begins beeping again. [[Amy]] and [[Leela]] are in the basement of the ship and encounter the monster first-hand. [[Leela]] attempts the fight it, but is captured. It's [[Amy]]'s golf shot to the monster's face saves her and they make a run for the bridge. Outside the ship, [[Bender]]'s gyroscope is still not working. [[Bender]], while panicked, accidentally breaks [[Fry]]'s helmet causing him to suffocate in the vacuum of space. [[Bender]], in a bid to save his life as well as fix his gyroscope, stuffs [[Fry]] into his compartment. [[Fry]] then takes over [[Bender]]'s body by wearing him like a suit and get's him under control. [[Bender]] is impressed with [[Fry]]'s ingenuity and they decide to call themselves "Frender" as they waltz their way inside the ship. [[Leela]] and [[Amy]] finally make it to the bridge and take the steering wheel. Happy with their success, they proclaim themselves "Layme". They run back to the panic room and see what they think is the monster (but is actually [[Hermes]] who's stuck in the vent) and begin attacking it. [[Zoidberg]], calling themselves "Hermberg", un-sticks [[Hermes]] by squirting him with his oil. They all meet up and laugh as "Frender" enters. [[Fry]] exits [[Bender]]'s compartment, thus [[Bender]] is back to not being able to control his movements. [[Amy]] fixes this by bashing him with her club. [[Bender]] gleefully jumps about and eventually comes face to face with the monster. [[Professor Farnsworth]] and [[Scruffy]] are playing "Candyland" as the crew hurriedly enter the panic room. Once they get the ship up and running again, [[Professor Farnsworth]] reveals that the whole thing was an exercise in trust. The three teams congratulate each other, but [[Hermes]] is abruptly eaten by the monster who was disguised as the Professor. The creature then walks off and the lights flicker while the Professor walks in. This professor was also the monster in disguise and ate [[Scruffy]]. The lights flicker once again and the professor walks in for a second time. The crew is suspicious, but the Professor says he can prove it. While attempting to do so, [[Amy]] walks up and eats him while the real [[Amy]] reveals herself to have been hiding behind the couch. They run out of the panic room and [[Leela]] decides to try and kill the creature as she reveals several guns behind a panel on the wall. [[Bender]] objects, as any one of them could be the creature. [[Bender]] then notices that they're two [[Zoidbergs]]. One of the [[Zoidberg]]s ate the other as the others fled. [[Fry]] runs down the hall joins [[Leela]] who's hiding in a closet. A terrified [[Leela]] asks to kiss [[Fry]]. A little too rough for [[Fry]]'s liking, he soon realizes that he's the monster before eating her. In the engine room, [[Bender]] is sitting scared as [[Amy]] enters to hide with him. As they talk, [[Amy]] notices that [[Bender]] has human ears. When [[Amy]] questions it, [[Bender]] reveals himself to be the monster and eats her. Only [[Fry]] and [[Bender]] are left now. They meet up and begin testing themselves with questions only the other person would know. In the end, they proclaim that they trust each other as [[Dan McMasters]] enter the room. Naturally, they don't trust him. Dan assure's them that the whole thing was staged to help build trust. He asks them to join him and the rest of the crew to a pizza party of the bridge, but [[Fry]] and [[Bender]] are convinced that he's the monster and kill him. Afterword, the crew reveal themselves to be alive and well. [[Bender]] hides what little is left of him underneath one of the floor-boards. At the Planet Express Building, a news report is talking about the mysterious disappearance of [[Dan McMasters]] and are calling it a possible homicide. [[Fry]] and [[Bender]] agree to not tell a anyone about what happened. The newswoman then stated that the police would give 1,000,000 dollars for information leading to an arrest. In the event of two killers, they would give total immunity to whomever turned in the other and 2,000,000 dollars. [[Bender]] and [[Fry]] then glare at each other and at the phone on the table.
=== Act III: "One of us must be the bad creature." ===
Once they get the ship up and running again, Professor Farnsworth reveals that the whole thing was an exercise in trust. The three teams congratulate each other, but Hermes is abruptly eaten by the monster, who was disguised as the Professor, who also manages to claim Scruffy and the Professor himself via shape-shifting. The surviving crew members run out of the panic room and arm themselves with laser pistols. The monster continues to eat various members of the crew until only Fry and Bender are left; they meet up and proclaim that they trust each other (and Bender admits to using Fry's toothbrush) before McMasters enter the room. McMasters assures them that the whole thing was staged to help build trust and the monster, [[Blorgulax]], is his business associate. He asks them to join him and the rest of the crew to a pizza party on the bridge, but Fry and Bender are convinced that he's the monster and kill him. Too late, the crew reveal themselves to be alive and well, and Bender disposes of what little is left of McMasters. Back on [[Earth]], a [[Channel √2 News|news]] report is talking about the mysterious disappearance of McMasters and are calling it a homicide. Fry and Bender agree to not tell anyone about what happened. [[Linda]] then states that the [[police]] will give 1,000,000 [[currency|dollars]] for information leading to an arrest. In the event of two killers, they will give total immunity to whomever turned in the other and 2,000,000 dollars. Bender and Fry then glare at each other and at the phone on the table.


== Production ==
== Production ==
Line 33: Line 35:
{{expansion|section=yes|{{ctf|1}}}}
{{expansion|section=yes|{{ctf|1}}}}


On 5 February, 2013, {{w|Vulture.com}} released [[Vulture preview clip|a preview clip]] for the tenth broadcast season,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vulture.com/2013/02/watch-a-preview-of-futuramas-seventh-season.html|title=Watch a Preview of ''Futurama''’s Seventh Season|author=Jesse David Fox|date=2013-2-5|site=Vulture.com|accessdate=2013-6-23}}</ref> which contained footage from the episode.
On 5 {{February}}, 2013, {{w|Vulture.com}} released [[Vulture preview clip|a preview clip]] for the tenth broadcast season,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vulture.com/2013/02/watch-a-preview-of-futuramas-seventh-season.html|title=Watch a Preview of ''Futurama''’s Seventh Season|author=Jesse David Fox|date=2013-2-5|site=Vulture.com|accessdate=2013-6-23}}</ref> which contained footage from the episode.


On 14 August, Comedy Central released a two-minute preview clip featuring the crew picking up [[Blorgulax]].<ref name="preview clip">{{cite web|url=http://www.comedycentral.com/video-clips/1u73y4/futurama-team-building-retreat|title=Team Building Retreat - Video Clip|site=Comedy Central|accessdate=2013-8-8}}</ref>
On {{date|14 August}}, Comedy Central released a two-minute preview clip featuring the crew picking up Blorgulax.<ref name="preview clip">{{cite web|url=http://www.comedycentral.com/video-clips/1u73y4/futurama-team-building-retreat|title=Team Building Retreat - Video Clip|site=Comedy Central|accessdate=2013-8-8}}</ref>


=== Image gallery ===
=== Image gallery ===
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Futurama Murder on the Planet Express Alien Form.jpg|[[Concept art]] of Blorgulax.<ref name="countdown">{{cite web|url=http://comedycentral.tumblr.com/post/52240909970/countdown-to-futurama-alien-form-we-are|title=Countdown to Futurama: Alien Form|date=2013-6-5|site=[http://comedycentral.tumblr.com/ Comedy Central's Tumblr page]|accessdate=2013-6-5}}</ref>
File:Futurama Murder on the Planet Express Alien Form.jpg|[[Concept art]] of Blorgulax.<ref name="countdown">{{cite web|url=http://comedycentral.tumblr.com/post/52240909970/countdown-to-futurama-alien-form-we-are|title=Countdown to Futurama: Alien Form|date=2013-6-5|site=[http://comedycentral.tumblr.com/ Comedy Central's Tumblr page]|accessdate=2013-6-5}}</ref>
File:Futurama Murder on the Planet Express Alien Sneaking Up Behind Bender.jpg|A [[promotional picture]] featuring Blorgulax sneaking up behind [[Bender]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://comedycentral.tumblr.com/post/52299961405/countdown-to-futurama-alien-sneaking-up-behind|title=Countdown to Futurama: Alien Sneaking Up Behind Bender|date=2013-6-6|site=Comedy Central's {{w|Tumblr}} page|accessdate=2013-6-6}}</ref>
File:Futurama Murder on the Planet Express Alien Sneaking Up Behind Bender.jpg|A [[promotional picture]] featuring Blorgulax sneaking up behind Bender.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://comedycentral.tumblr.com/post/52299961405/countdown-to-futurama-alien-sneaking-up-behind|title=Countdown to Futurama: Alien Sneaking Up Behind Bender|date=2013-6-6|site=Comedy Central's {{w|Tumblr}} page|accessdate=2013-6-6}}</ref>
File:Futurama Murder on the Planet Express Fry with Horrific Monster Mouth.jpg|Concept art of Blorgulax disguised as [[Fry]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://comedycentral.tumblr.com/post/52397660175/countdown-to-futurama-fry-with-a-monster-mouth-i|title=Countdown to Futurama: Fry with a Monster Mouth|date=2013-6-7|site=Comedy Central's Tumblr page|accessdate=2013-6-7}}</ref>
File:Futurama Murder on the Planet Express Fry with Horrific Monster Mouth.jpg|Concept art of Blorgulax disguised as Fry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://comedycentral.tumblr.com/post/52397660175/countdown-to-futurama-fry-with-a-monster-mouth-i|title=Countdown to Futurama: Fry with a Monster Mouth|date=2013-6-7|site=Comedy Central's Tumblr page|accessdate=2013-6-7}}</ref>
</gallery>
</gallery>
== Reception ==
This episode was named #8 on {{w|IGN}}'s list of [http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/09/09/top-25-futurama-episodes?page=4 top 25 ''Futurama'' episodes].
By {{date|5 December}}, the episode had been [[nominations and awards|nominated]] for the [[2014]] {{w|Writers Guild of America Award}}s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/mike.rowe.33633/posts/10202787082342021|title=Mike Rowe|author=[[Michael Rowe]]|date=2013-12-5|site=[[Facebook]]|accessdate=2013-12-11}}</ref>


== Additional information ==
== Additional information ==
Line 50: Line 57:
* After Bender denies having polished his ass with Fry's toothbrush, Fry's eyes narrow. An image of Fry with narrowed eyes in "[[The Lesser of Two Evils]]" became popular as [[Fry meme|an]] [[internet]] [[Fry meme|meme]].
* After Bender denies having polished his ass with Fry's toothbrush, Fry's eyes narrow. An image of Fry with narrowed eyes in "[[The Lesser of Two Evils]]" became popular as [[Fry meme|an]] [[internet]] [[Fry meme|meme]].
* It's implied that Professor Farnsworth may have hired Bender to steal Fry's kidney for his transplant, as they are from the same bloodline.{{er|1ACV01}}
* It's implied that Professor Farnsworth may have hired Bender to steal Fry's kidney for his transplant, as they are from the same bloodline.{{er|1ACV01}}
* When [[Dan McMasters]] introduces himself to the crew, all three of the pairs that are fighting &mdash; Fry and Bender, [[Leela]] and [[Amy]], and [[Hermes]] and [[Zoidberg]] &mdash; are separated by two crew members.
* When Dan McMasters introduces himself to the crew, all three of the pairs that are fighting &mdash; Fry and Bender, Leela and Amy, and Hermes and Zoidberg &mdash; are separated by two crew members.
* Fry and Bender name their winning combination "Friender". "Friender" is also the name of the Fry/Bender merger in one of the special features on the [[D.V.D.]] for ''[[Bender's Game]]''.
* Fry and Bender name their winning combination "Friender". "Friender" is also the name of the Fry/Bender merger in one of the special features on the [[D.V.D.]] for ''[[Bender's Game]]''.
* Bender asks Fry what the {{w|square root}} of 2345.4 is. The answer is approximately 48.43.
* Bender asks Fry what the {{w|square root}} of 2345.4 is. The answer is approximately 48.43.
* The word "blorg" was previously [[Bernilla|used]] in "[[Reincarnation]]".
* The word "blorg" was previously [[Bernilla|used]] in "[[Reincarnation]]".
* The police offer stated at the end of the episode is a reference to the {{w|prisoner's dilemma}}, a concept in {{w|game theory}}.


=== Allusions ===
=== Allusions ===
Line 60: Line 68:
* The episode's title is a reference to the [[1934]] {{w|Agatha Christie}} novel ''{{w|Murder on the Orient Express}}''.
* The episode's title is a reference to the [[1934]] {{w|Agatha Christie}} novel ''{{w|Murder on the Orient Express}}''.
** Zoidberg reads the book in a [[deleted scene]] from "[[The Tip of the Zoidberg]]".
** Zoidberg reads the book in a [[deleted scene]] from "[[The Tip of the Zoidberg]]".
* The episode's plot is inspired by the [[1980s|1982]] film ''{{w|The Thing (1982 film)|The Thing}}''.
* The episode's plot is inspired by two science-fiction horror [[films in Futurama|films]]:
* The name "[[For Your Eyes Mainly]]" is a reference to the {{w|James Bond in film|James Bond film}} ''{{w|For Your Eyes Only (film)|For Your Eyes Only}}''.
** The [[1979]] film ''{{w|Alien (film)|Alien}}'': Crew members are trapped on a spaceship with a murderous {{alien}}, with scenes where [[characters]] are crawling through air vents and tracking the creature on a motion tracker.
* On one of the establishing shots of [[Planet Express headquarters|Planet Express]], a pickup truck can be seen delivering an arcade cabinet featuring the title character from the [[2012]] film ''{{w|Wreck-It Ralph}}''.
** The [[1980s|1982]] film ''{{w|The Thing (1982 film)|The Thing}}'': A shapeshifting alien assumes the form of the crew so nobody can tell who is {{human}} and who is the alien, and the alien kills using a giant mouth that forms in it its midsection.
* The name "[[Jackie Jr.]]" may be a reference to the ''{{w|Sopranos}}'' character {{w|Jackie Aprile, Jr.}}.
* The name "[[For Your Eyes Mainly]]" is a reference to the [[James Bond]] {{w|James Bond in film|film}} ''{{w|For Your Eyes Only (film)|For Your Eyes Only}}''.
*Fry tells Bender to leave the ship first, because he doesn't want him locking him outside like {{w|HAL 9000|HAL}}. This is a reference to ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey]]''.
* On one of the establishing shots of Planet Express, a pickup truck can be seen delivering an arcade cabinet featuring the title character from the [[2012]] film ''{{w|Wreck-It Ralph}}'', directed by ''Futurama'' [[writers and directors|director]] [[Rich Moore]].
* The name "Jackie Jr." may be a reference to the ''{{w|Sopranos}}'' character {{w|Jackie Aprile, Jr.}}.
* Fry tells Bender to leave the ship first, because he doesn't want him locking him outside like {{w|HAL 9000|HAL}}. This is a reference to ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey]]''.
* The Fry/Bender merger may be a reference to the animated {{t.v.}} series ''{{w|Adventure Time}}'', where {{w|Finn the Human|Finn}} sometimes wears a [[Jake the Dog|Jake]] suit and controls him.


=== Continuity ===
=== Continuity ===


* Bender also used Fry's toothbrush for polishing in "[[The Butterjunk Effect]]".
* Bender also used Fry's toothbrush for polishing in "[[The Butterjunk Effect]]".
* Bender was previously referred to as Bender the {{robot}} in "[[Where No Fan Has Gone Before]]" and ''[[Bender's Big Score]]''.
* [[Nine]] calls Fry an old paranoid kook, a reference to ''[[Into the Wild Green Yonder]]''.
* [[Nine]] calls Fry an old paranoid kook, a reference to ''[[Into the Wild Green Yonder]]''.
* Zoidberg uses the [[F-Ray]], first seen in "[[Fry and the Slurm Factory]]".
* Zoidberg uses the [[F-Ray]], first seen in "[[Fry and the Slurm Factory]]".
* Fry wears the space suit from "[[A Big Piece of Garbage]]".
* Fry wears the space suit from "[[A Big Piece of Garbage]]".
* Bender previously had (fake) human ears in "[[Godfellas]]".
* The fact that Bender has a gyroscope was established in "[[The Mutants Are Revolting]]".
* The fact that Bender has a gyroscope was established in "[[The Mutants Are Revolting]]".
* Fry previously wore Bender's body in "[[Rumble in the Jungle]]".
* Fry previously wore Bender's body in "[[Rumble in the Jungle]]".
Line 87: Line 100:
{{q|
{{q|
<poem>'''Hermes''': Enough of this foolishness! Amazingly, I too set up a spy camera, to catch Zoidberg stealin' my lunch.</poem>
<poem>'''Hermes''': Enough of this foolishness! Amazingly, I too set up a spy camera, to catch Zoidberg stealin' my lunch.</poem>
<poem>'''Fry''': Have you been using my toothbrush to polish your ass again?!
'''Bender''': What?! Me? Bender the robot?!
'''Fry''': There's metal flakes on it, and they look like ass flakes.
'''Bender''': How dare you accuse me! I would never do something like that to a friend - every single night, while he's sleeping.
''[Fry narrows his eyes and stares at Bender, in a manner similar to the'' [[Fry meme]].]''</poem>
<poem>'''Dan McMasters''': So I hear [[Planet Express crew|we've]] been having some trust issues, huh? Well, for the next week... we'll be doing hundreds of trust falls from every possible height and level of gravity.
<poem>'''Dan McMasters''': So I hear [[Planet Express crew|we've]] been having some trust issues, huh? Well, for the next week... we'll be doing hundreds of trust falls from every possible height and level of gravity.
'''Bender''': Or we could ''not'' do that.</poem>
'''Bender''': Or we could ''not'' do that.</poem>
<poem>'''Dan McMasters''': Hello [[Planet Express]]! I'm Dan McMasters, and I'll be your retreat leader for a week of fun and personal empowerment!
<poem>'''Dan McMasters''': Hello Planet Express! I'm Dan McMasters, and I'll be your retreat leader for a week of fun and personal empowerment!
'''[[Professor Farnsworth]]''': [looking annoyed at the crew] I hope you're happy!</poem>
'''Professor Farnsworth''': ''[Looking annoyed at the crew.]'' I hope you're happy!</poem>
<poem>'''Bender''': Fry. You saved my ass out there.
<poem>'''Bender''': Fry. You saved my ass out there.
'''Fry''': Aw... I couldn't let anything happen to [[bite my shiny metal ass|something that shiny]].</poem>
'''Fry''': Aw... I couldn't let anything happen to [[bite my shiny metal ass|something that shiny]].</poem>
<poem>'''[[Scruffy]]''': I weren't fooled. The real professor&mdash;
<poem>'''Scruffy''': I weren't fooled. The real professor&mdash;
''[The professor eats Scruffy.]''</poem>
''[The professor eats Scruffy.]''</poem>
<poem>''[Leela opens up a cabinet full of weapons inside the Planet Express ship and takes a rifle from inside; stood around her are Fry, Bender, Amy and Zoidberg.]''
<poem>''[Leela opens up a cabinet full of weapons inside the Planet Express ship and takes a rifle from inside; stood around her are Fry, Bender, Amy and Zoidberg.]''
Line 158: Line 176:
* '''Debut''': [[Slurm]] Slim
* '''Debut''': [[Slurm]] Slim
{{chars-end}}
{{chars-end}}
== See also ==
* ''[[The Beast with a Billion Backs]]''
* [[Bendership Galactica]]


== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 22:34, 21 August 2015

Season 7 episode
Broadcast season 10 episode
Murder on the Planet Express
Murder on the Planet Express infobox.png
Zoidberg and Hermes being alerted that something is coming.
No.138
Production number7ACV24
Written byLewis Morton
Directed byFrank Marino
Title caption#1 Rated Show in Universe 3
First air date21 August, 2013
Broadcast numberS10E11
Title referenceThe 1934 Agatha Christie novel Murder on the Orient Express
Additional
Commentary
(Transcript)
Transcript

Pictures

Season 7
  1. The Bots and the Bees
  2. A Farewell to Arms
  3. Decision 3012
  4. The Thief of Baghead
  5. Zapp Dingbat
  6. The Butterjunk Effect
  7. The Six Million Dollar Mon
  8. Fun on a Bun
  9. Free Will Hunting
  10. Near-Death Wish
  11. 31st Century Fox
  12. Viva Mars Vegas
  13. Naturama
  14. Forty Percent Leadbelly
  15. 2-D Blacktop
  16. T.: The Terrestrial
  17. Fry and Leela's Big Fling
  18. The Inhuman Torch
  19. Saturday Morning Fun Pit
  20. Calculon 2.0
  21. Assie Come Home
  22. Leela and the Genestalk
  23. Game of Tones
  24. Murder on the Planet Express
  25. Stench and Stenchibility
  26. Meanwhile
← Season 6Season 8 →

"Murder on the Planet Express" is the one hundred and thirty-eighth episode of Futurama, the twenty-fourth of the seventh production season and the eleventh of the tenth broadcast season. It aired on 21 August, 2013, on Comedy Central. The crew becomes trapped aboard the ship with a horrific alien creature.

Plot

Act I: "And they look like ass flakes."

Fry accuses Bender of using his toothbrush to polish his ass, and purchases a spy camera to check. Later, at the Planet Express building, Hermes accuses Zoidberg of eating his lunch. Leela then accuses Amy of using her punching bag for golf-ball practice. In turn, Amy then accuses Leela of using her golf-clubs to pound dents out of the Planet Express ship. The crew gathers together later that day, and Fry publicly accuses Bender. He shows the others the video he recorded, but it turns out that although Bender was not using his toothbrush that night, he was stealing Fry's kidney whilst he slept. Leela then reveals she also used a spy cam to spy on Amy, only to find out that Scruffy had used Amy's clubs to kill a fly and that Zoidberg had been living in Leela's punching bag. Hermes also used a spy camera to catch Zoidberg eating his lunch, only to find out that Bender had used his lunchbox to keep Fry's kidney on ice. Much to everyone's disgust, the footage then shows Leela unwittingly eating the kidney, and that Hermes' manwich had instead been used in Professor Farnsworth's kidney transplant. The crew continue to bicker uncontrollably when Farnsworth has had enough and threatens to do something about it.

Act II: "The creature could be anywhere... except in this room."

Farnsworth hires business consultant Dan McMasters for a team building exercise. On the way to the corporate team building retreat, they pick up a random hitchhiker at the behest of McMasters. The hitchhiker comes aboard and is used by McMasters to be the first "trust fall", but McMasters is apparently eaten by the hitchhiker, who transforms into a monster and crawls into the ventilation shafts and shuts off the power. Scruffy's apprentice Jackie Jr. is soon eaten by the creature. The crew go to the panic room, but the creature shuts off the life support for the ship. Farnsworth splits the crew into three teams: Zoidberg and Hermes must restart the life support system, Leela and Amy must travel to the bridge to get the steering wheel so as to pilot the ship from the panic room, and Bender and Fry must re-light the pilot light from outside the ship to get the engines started again. Fry and Bender manage to restart the engines, but Bender's gyroscope is broken when the engines ignite in his face. Zoidberg and Hermes restart the life support system (which was being blocked by Jackie Jr's skeleton), but Hermes' motion detector shows that the monster is coming. Hermes then gets stuck in the vent and Zoidberg tries, in vain, to un-stick him.

Amy and Leela are in the basement of the ship and encounter the monster first-hand. Leela attempts to fight it, but is captured. Amy's golf shot to the monster's face saves her and they make a run for the bridge. Outside the ship, Bender's gyroscope is still not working; panicked, he accidentally breaks Fry's helmet causing him to suffocate in the vacuum of space. Bender, in a bid to save his life as well as fix his gyroscope, stuffs Fry into his compartment. Fry then takes over Bender's body by wearing him like a suit (creating a combination dubbed "Friender") and gets him under control. Leela and Amy finally make it to the bridge and take the steering wheel. Happy with their success, they proclaim themselves "Lamy". They run back to the panic room and see what they think is the monster (but is actually Hermes who's stuck in the vent) and begin attacking it. Zoidberg, calling themselves "Hermberg", un-sticks Hermes by squirting him with his oil. Amy fixes Bender's gyroscope by bashing him with her club, but the group abruptly comes face to face with the monster and flee back to the panic room.

Act III: "One of us must be the bad creature."

Once they get the ship up and running again, Professor Farnsworth reveals that the whole thing was an exercise in trust. The three teams congratulate each other, but Hermes is abruptly eaten by the monster, who was disguised as the Professor, who also manages to claim Scruffy and the Professor himself via shape-shifting. The surviving crew members run out of the panic room and arm themselves with laser pistols. The monster continues to eat various members of the crew until only Fry and Bender are left; they meet up and proclaim that they trust each other (and Bender admits to using Fry's toothbrush) before McMasters enter the room. McMasters assures them that the whole thing was staged to help build trust and the monster, Blorgulax, is his business associate. He asks them to join him and the rest of the crew to a pizza party on the bridge, but Fry and Bender are convinced that he's the monster and kill him. Too late, the crew reveal themselves to be alive and well, and Bender disposes of what little is left of McMasters. Back on Earth, a news report is talking about the mysterious disappearance of McMasters and are calling it a homicide. Fry and Bender agree to not tell anyone about what happened. Linda then states that the police will give 1,000,000 dollars for information leading to an arrest. In the event of two killers, they will give total immunity to whomever turned in the other and 2,000,000 dollars. Bender and Fry then glare at each other and at the phone on the table.

Production

Atom.png
This section is in need of expansion. The reason given is:
Countdown to Futurama
Please add more content or information.

On 5 February, 2013, Vulture.com released a preview clip for the tenth broadcast season,[1] which contained footage from the episode.

On 14 August, Comedy Central released a two-minute preview clip featuring the crew picking up Blorgulax.[2]

Image gallery

Reception

This episode was named #8 on IGN's list of top 25 Futurama episodes.

By 5 December, the episode had been nominated for the 2014 Writers Guild of America Awards.[6]

Additional information

Trivia

  • After Bender denies having polished his ass with Fry's toothbrush, Fry's eyes narrow. An image of Fry with narrowed eyes in "The Lesser of Two Evils" became popular as an internet meme.
  • It's implied that Professor Farnsworth may have hired Bender to steal Fry's kidney for his transplant, as they are from the same bloodline.[1ACV01]
  • When Dan McMasters introduces himself to the crew, all three of the pairs that are fighting — Fry and Bender, Leela and Amy, and Hermes and Zoidberg — are separated by two crew members.
  • Fry and Bender name their winning combination "Friender". "Friender" is also the name of the Fry/Bender merger in one of the special features on the D.V.D. for Bender's Game.
  • Bender asks Fry what the square root of 2345.4 is. The answer is approximately 48.43.
  • The word "blorg" was previously used in "Reincarnation".
  • The police offer stated at the end of the episode is a reference to the prisoner's dilemma, a concept in game theory.

Allusions

Click here to see cultural mentions made in this episode.

Continuity

Goofs

  • In this episode Bender is completely hollow, but in previous ones only his chest compartment was hollow and the rest of him was full of circuitry.
  • Bender shouldn't reshape with Fry in him, as it's impossible for Fry to be strong enough to reshape the metal.
    • The metal that Bender is made of may for some reason be extremely soft now.

Quotes

The Fry/Bender merger in one of the special features on the D.V.D. for Bender's Game.

    Hermes: Enough of this foolishness! Amazingly, I too set up a spy camera, to catch Zoidberg stealin' my lunch.

    Fry: Have you been using my toothbrush to polish your ass again?!
    Bender: What?! Me? Bender the robot?!
    Fry: There's metal flakes on it, and they look like ass flakes.
    Bender: How dare you accuse me! I would never do something like that to a friend - every single night, while he's sleeping.
    [Fry narrows his eyes and stares at Bender, in a manner similar to the Fry meme.]

    Dan McMasters: So I hear we've been having some trust issues, huh? Well, for the next week... we'll be doing hundreds of trust falls from every possible height and level of gravity.
    Bender: Or we could not do that.

    Dan McMasters: Hello Planet Express! I'm Dan McMasters, and I'll be your retreat leader for a week of fun and personal empowerment!
    Professor Farnsworth: [Looking annoyed at the crew.] I hope you're happy!

    Bender: Fry. You saved my ass out there.
    Fry: Aw... I couldn't let anything happen to something that shiny.

    Scruffy: I weren't fooled. The real professor—
    [The professor eats Scruffy.]

    [Leela opens up a cabinet full of weapons inside the Planet Express ship and takes a rifle from inside; stood around her are Fry, Bender, Amy and Zoidberg.]
    Leela: It's time we solved this problem the old fashioned way. By shooting it!
    Bender: Wait, wait, wait, wait, you can't give everybody guns! What if one of us is the creature? It could be any of us: [The camera pans to each character as Bender calls out their name.] Fry. Leela. Amy. Zoidberg. [The camera pans to another Zoidberg stood next to the original.] Zoidberg.
    [Everyone gasps and backs away.]

Appearances

(In alphabetic order)

Characters

Places

Miscellaneous

See also

References

  1. ^ Jesse David Fox (05 February 2013). Watch a Preview of Futurama’s Seventh Season. (Vulture.com.) Retrieved on 23 June 2013.
  2. ^ Team Building Retreat - Video Clip. (Comedy Central.) Retrieved on 08 August 2013.
  3. ^ Countdown to Futurama: Alien Form. (Comedy Central's Tumblr page.) 05 June 2013. Retrieved on 05 June 2013.
  4. ^ Countdown to Futurama: Alien Sneaking Up Behind Bender. (Comedy Central's Tumblr page.) 06 June 2013. Retrieved on 06 June 2013.
  5. ^ Countdown to Futurama: Fry with a Monster Mouth. (Comedy Central's Tumblr page.) 07 June 2013. Retrieved on 07 June 2013.
  6. ^ Michael Rowe (05 December 2013). Mike Rowe. (Facebook.) Retrieved on 11 December 2013.