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============= THE FUTURAMA CHRONICLES ==== EPISODE CAPSULE =============
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Official Title: Fear of a Bot Planet
Episode Number: 1ACV05� (#5)
First Airdate : Tuesday, April 21st, 1999� (8:30 PM)
Written by��� : Evan Gore & Heather Lombard
Co-directed by: Ashley Lenz & Chris Suave
Directed by�� : Peter Avanzino & Carlos Baeze
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= Additional tidbits =

Opening theme promotion� :������� featuring
�������������������������� GRATUITOUS ALIEN NUDITY
Opening theme cartoon��� : "A Corny Concerto" (1943, Warner Bros.) {dga}
Subsequent Fox Airdates� : 19-Sep-99
21-Apr-99 Nielsen ranking: 3rd in its timeslot� (6.7 million)� {dga}
19-Sep-99 Nielsen ranking: 5.2% of audience� (#64 for the week)
MPAA rating������������� : TV-PG-V
Length minus commercials : [21:23]
========================================================================
= Foxworld Synopsis =

�� While delivering a package to a planet inhabited by robots, where
�� humans are killed instantly, Bender becomes intoxicated with the
�� robot lifestyle and must choose between becoming a celebrity of sorts
�� or saving his friends' lives.

========================================================================
= Minutiae =

�- Leela probably didn't notice the impending mini-planet in the ship's
�� path because of her lack of depth perception.� And Fry didn't because
�� he's just a dim bulb, so it all makes sense.� :-)

�- Dr. Zoidberg urinates through his chest.� {vy}
�- Apparently, the entire planet of Mars only has one Blernsball team.
�� (Well, maybe there's just a small settlement there, just as Moon has
�� the amusement park and some isolated farms.)� {ddg}
�- Blernsball has the umpire behind an 'external' chest protector, like
�� the American league did a while back.� (Since then they all use the
�� National league 'inside' chest protector.)� Anyway, it gave them the
�� opportunity to include some sort of plastic hemisphere to look
�� through in the game.� {mp}
�- In the Blernsball game, the batter was out when the fielder touched
�� second base while holding the ball.� {ddg}
�- When the New New York Yankee hit the blern, the Mars pitcher hung his
�� head in an incredibly dejected Charlie Brown-like manner.� It was a
�� great touch.� {bw}
�- After the multi-ball aspect of Blernsball, it becomes clear that the
�� stadium has turned into a big pinball machine.� {vy}
�- Speaking of multiball, none of the "multiball" balls are tethered.
�� {ddg}
�- Only the second blernsman (the equivalent of 2nd base) gets knocked
�� over by the explosion as the guy on the hoverbike scoots by.� {vy}
�- Did anyone catch the 'Ralph Wiggum char' seen in "Space Pilot 3000"
�� in the background of Madison Cube Garden?� {pm}
�- One blernsball fan holds up a sign that says "GLORX 3:16."� (See
�� Random Comments)
�- The planet Chapek 9.� Karl Capek (the C should have a little upside-
�� down caret over it, and is pronounced 'ch') wrote the play "Rossum's
�� Universal Robots" in which he created the term "robot."� {sv}� [The
�� word "robot" is derived from the Czech "robota" meaning "heavy
�� labor."� {dga}]
�- Leela [needs] 2 or 3 minutes to figure out a plan ... which happens
�� to be about the same amount of time taken up by a commercial break.
�� {vy}

�- Woolworths still exists in 3000.� {jk}
�- They have Woolworths, but they don't have Wal-Marts.� {vy}
�- The "human" in the robot movie had claws.� {ddg}
�- Leela would have needed the second eye for depth perception with the
�� 3D glasses.� {hl}

�- Robots use money.� {ah}
�- Many robots have record players.� Not only did Bender release his
�� music "Bender lets loose" only on record, but it went "gold" before
�� the end of the episode!� (It's nice to see record players are still
�� around in 3000!)� {ah}
�- When the robot blows the horn to signal "Let the Hunt Begin," it
�� makes the same sound as a Macintosh startup bell (not all Windows
�� users know that).� {vy}
�- How about the elder's eyes being the same colors as the iMacs?� {amc}
�- The robot elder to the far left (opposite "Jimmy") never speaks.
�- When they are partying, the metal barrel is carved to look like a
�� jack-o-lantern.� {aa2}
�- Did you notice the beer bottles used to make a Robanukah menorah?
�� {jk}

========================================================================
= Parallels to Science Fiction =

�+ "Battlestar Galactica"� (movie)
�� - Robots alerted to Leela and Fry's position sound the alarm in a
���� monotone voice similar to that of the Cylons in Battlestar
���� Galactica (either that, or the robots from Disney's "The Black
���� Hole").� {vy}

�+ "Beneath the Planet of the Apes"� (movie)
�� - I thought the whole elders thing was a pretty direct reference to
���� Beneath the Planet of the Apes ... am I pointing out the glaringly
���� obvious?� {kh}

�+ "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"� (1978 movie)
�� - When the robot pointed and made the high pitched wail after
���� discovering that Leela was human, er, not a robot.� {rs}

�+ "Rossum's Universal Robots"� (1920 play by Karel Capek)
�� - Planet Chapek 9 named after this Czech author, who created the word
���� "robot" for his play.� {dga}

�~ "The Star Diaries"� (novel)
�� - It's the book released in US by Polish science fiction writer
���� Stanislaw Lem.� One of the short stories is about Ijon Tichy, a
���� space traveller, who visits a planet of robots -- he has has to use
���� robot disguise, otherwise he'll be killed (these robots hate
���� humans).� Ring a bell?� {ac2}

�+ "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope"� (1977 movie)
�� - Hermes shows up in the form of a hologram, much like Princess Leia
���� in SW4.� {vy}

�+ "War of The Worlds"� (movie)
�� - "In the end, it was this harmless sharp stick that brought this
���� terror to an end" or something like that, this is from memory ...)
���� {jb}

========================================================================
= Other References =

�+ "Apple Computers"� (commercial)
�� - The scene in which the robots of Chapek 9's "House of Justice" yell
���� suggestions for unfreezing their judge is similar to an old Apple
���� commercial.� See "Final Thoughts / Comments" for more details.

�+ "Berzerk"� (video game)
�� - When Leela and Frye are spotted, the robots say "Intruder Alert"
���� (and one more phrase, I think) from the classic video game Berzerk.
���� Which also features robots trying to kill humans.� {jr}
�� - Not only that, but the robots who spoke these lines *look* just
���� like the robots in Berzerk!� Tall blocky bipeds with wide dome
���� heads and eyes that can rotate 360 degrees around - more than a
���� coincidence.� {sw}

�+ "Fear of a Black Planet" (movie)
�� - Title: "Fear of a Bot Planet"

�+ "I Was a Teenage Werewolf"� (movie)
�� - There's one other movie playing (it's the first poster), "I Was A
���� Teenage Human," which is a take off of the old horror film "I Was A
���� Teenage Werewolf."� Compare the poster in the show to the poster
���� for the original movie.� {ds2}

���� (Found at <http://www.hillcity-comics.com/posters/poster119.htm>)

�~ "Life in Hell"� (Matt Groening comic strip)
�� - The rabbit that Bender pulls out of a hat in the picture that Leela
���� and Fry show to the robot construction looks a lot like the rabbit
���� in Matt Groening's comic strip, "Life in Hell."� {sam}

�+ Mark McGwire
�� - Miller's on a pace to hit 70 blerns, says Leela.� Wonder if he's
���� trying to beat a similar record 1,000 years later.

�+ "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"� (movie)
�� - The Pointed stick reference also to Monty Python?� Combo with War
���� of the Worlds.� {rs}
�� - The scene with the robot elders combines elements of the Knights
���� Who Say Ni & the Three-Headed Monster.� The one elder at the end
���� yelling "Silence!" in a high-pitched voice sounds a lot like one of
���� the Knights who say Ni, and the prisoners being allowed to escape
���� while their captors bicker pointlessly is just like the Three-
���� Headed Monster scene.� {ms}

�+ "Ol' Man River"� (song)
�� - Bender's mocking of Leela copies the line "Tote that barge; lift
���� that pale" from this song in the play "Showboat."� The song is sung
���� by slaves, so the line implies that Leela is a slave to her 'space-
���� job.'

�~ "Omega Virus"� (board game)
�� - ["Intruder Alert"] plays when you enter the room that contains the
���� Virus.� {tm}

�+ "Robotron"� (?)
�� - Same basic premise: you versus a planet o' robots.� {jb}

�+ "Shoeless" Joe Jackson
�� - "Wireless" Joe Jackson.� {jk}

�~ "Sleeper"� (Woody Allen movie)
�� - Mechanical puppy.� {hl}

�+ "Tetris"� (video game)
�� - The tasks assigned to Chapek 9's "Robots at Work" are quite similar
���� to the simplistic, yet widely popular and much-imitated video game
���� "Tetris."

�+ "TransFormers"� (franchise)
�� - Obviously for the two guards that ask the multiple choice question
���� to Leela and Fry.� {vy}

�~ "Tron"� (movie)
�� - Watch the movie, and you'll see those were very similar to the
���� guardians ...� {ms2}

�+ Uncle Sam posters
�� - The "I Want You Out" poster on Chapek 9.� {dj}

========================================================================
= Freeze Frame Fanaticism =

>> Madison Cube Garden teams

�- NEW NEW YORK YANKEES
�- MARS GREENSKINS

>> Leela's program lineup

�� VISITORS
�� Karis
�� Adler
�� Horsted
�� Verrone
�� Keeler
�� Buras
�� Cohen
�� Kaplan
�� Morton

�� YANKEES
�� Costanza
�� Maris
�� Zork
�� Zork Jr.
�� Qzdjyld���������������� {bm3}
�� Lombard
�� Gore
�� Raspberry
�� Jones With Clemens Arm� {bm3}

�� (See "Final Thoughts / Comments" for explanations of these names.)

>> The slurm sign in the baseball sequence� {ah}

�� It says underneath the main sign thusly - "Unaturally Delicious"� (I
�� have a zero overscan T.V. - you can see it too if you turn the vert
�� height down.)

>> Some Chapek 9 eye candy

�- I WANT YOU
���� for the
�� ANTI-HUMAN
���� PATROL

�-�������� GOT MILK?

��� then you're a human and
������� must be killed

>> Movie posters outside the theater

�- I Was A Teenage Human!
�- Yentiltron
�- Buff Bot: The Human Slayer
�- It Came From Planet Earth

========================================================================
= Goofs =

�- The mini-planet would have to have been moving very quickly in the
�� same direction as the ship, only at a slightly slower pace, because
�� otherwise their ship would have to be moving through space at about
�� 5mph, and that's just ridiculous.

�- Pigeons have supposedly been wiped out by owls in New New York City,
�� but one appears in plain daylight to attack Hermes' hologram.
�- A bird flies in Madison Cube Garden, whilst it's a dome.� {bd}
�- Why would an all-robot planet order something through the Earth-based
�� (and human-operated) Planet Express?
�- How much more vacuum-defying can we take?� What is this?� Space
�� Cases?� {pm}

�- The metallic tubes Leela wears on her arms change shape a number of
�� times as she gestures with her hands.� (Unless you want to say it's
�� made of a new "futuristic" metal.)

�- It's been mentioned quite a few times that when the robots discovered
�� Fry and Leela were human, they said "Get the humanoid" in true
�� "Berzerk" (ah, the days when it only costs one quarter to play a new
�� video game, and the "ones in the back" gave 2 games for a quarter),
�� but why wouldn't they say "get the humans" if it's humans they hate?
�� ("Because it's not a joke any more, is it?")� {ddg}
�- How did Fry and Leela get inside the movie theater without paying?
�� (Do you think robots use the same currency that we do?)
�- In the sequence with the mayor robot (behind the podium) the
�� microphone is missing!� The "goose neck" holder is there, but it just
�� ends ... (Come to think of it, why would robots need a P.A. system?!)
�� {ah}

========================================================================
= Extended Goofs / Technical Nitpicks =

>> What, no metric time?

Don Del Grande:� Chapek 9 uses a time system of 60 minutes per hour (or
�� 60 whatever they call the number on the right per whatever they call
�� the number on the left), just like on Earth.� (They also used the
�� term "five o'clock", so maybe the "founders" used Earth's time
�� system; it was never specified how many hours were in a day.)

Aaron Howald:� Was I the only one to think that the clock in the robot
�� city should have shown the time in binary code?!� One big 32 bit
�� number representing the time ... 10110110111011011011101100000101!!!!
�� One day would be all 0's to all 1's.

>> What Would You Like to Plead Today?

Tyler McHenry:� Aside from the Mac startup sound made by the trumpet,
�� the Judge computer was obviously a Mac, thus the goof: CTRL-ALT-DEL
�� does _not_ work on a Mac, considering that they don't even have ALT
�� keys!

Ben Collins:� The Mac has equivalent key combinations.� To "force quit"
�� a crashed program, hold the Command and Option keys (both unique to
�� the Mac; the Command key is often inaccurately called the Apple key)
�� and press the otherwise useless Escape key.� To restart the computer
�� after a system freeze, either press the Restart switch (not on all
�� models), or hold Command and Control (there is a Control key) and
�� press the power switch.� At least that's how it's done in Mac OS 7;
�� it may be different for MOS 8.

Daniel Kapusta:� The "judging" progress thing was Mac-like, but the
�� enclosure was a Macintosh Classic case.� It's funny that after 1k
�� years, enclosures haven't made much progress.

Jason Barrera:� I still say that the robots were too lazy to upgrade
�� their computer systems in 1016 years.� Those little Mac Classics are
�� damn durable.

Joshua Moore:� Actually, I think it was a 128k or 512k.� They were the
�� only Macintoshes to sport the notched area around the floppy like the
�� Judge had.

But, really, even in real life, when a computer is indisputably
�� Macintosh, there's always someone in a crowded room who will suggest
�� "CTRL-ALT-DEL."� :-)


>> Slow down, you're rockin' the ship

Don Del Grande:� The ship managed to maintain a synchronous orbit (one
�� where it is over the same spot on the planet the entire time) despite
�� the fact that there was nobody inside of it to make adjustments.

Steven Aaron Monroe:� This isn't impossible at all.� Satellites can do
�� geosynchronous orbits without human intervention, so we can assume
�� that a spaceship from the year 3000 is able to do the same task, that
�� is, if Leela or Fry commanded the ship to do it.

========================================================================
= Reviews =

Dale G. Abersold:� The show keeps getting better and better.� True,
�� "best episode ever" is a phrase that doesn't carry a lot of weight
�� when only five episodes have aired, but still ... "Best Episode
�� Ever."� The show is instantly one of the best-written programs on
�� television, with a wonderful combination of obscure references and
�� more obvious, even scatological gags.� I thought "Fear of a Bot
�� Planet" was a true classic.� (A+)

Jason Barrera:� First off, I'd like to say that this was undoubtably the
�� funniest episode I've seen.� Bender wasn't just the uncaring bucket
�� of bolts, either, and it really developed him past mere comic relief
�� -- although not enough that he still wasn't Bender.� Whoever wrote
�� this episode had/has to be quite a nerd -- and I welcome this brave
�� soul into the flock.� (A+)

Joe Klemm:� If you wonder why Futurama will be back for the 1999-2000
�� season, this is why.� A good storyline mixed with funny jokes and
�� meta-humor (if they only created a talking Bender doll) is what Matt
�� needs to make another hit show, and this episode contains the
�� hilarity of a good story, but it's not as funny as The Series Has
�� Landed.� (A-)

Haynes Lee:� Kind of a dissapointment.� Bender's comedic hatred of
�� humans turns too dark.� Tonight's episode should have featured more
�� of the secondary characters.� What happened to Nibbler?� (B-)

Paul Melnyk:� And people were saying "Family Guy" tried too hard.� The
�� "futuristic" adaptations dialouge at the baseball stadium wasn't
�� really that funny.� The hot dog joke had me laughing though.� The
�� second and third act turned out be good ones.� Fry was characterized
�� pretty good, once again, thank god.� Bender's anger spree was a bit
�� tacked on, but other then that, a good episode.� Leela in handcuffs
�� also boosts the grade (don't ask).� (A)

Vince Yim:� While not as funny as the last, it is still a good effort.
�� Some of the references seem a bit forced, but the early Star Wars 4:
�� A New Hope hologram thing really caught me off guard, especially when
�� they show what really happens to Hermes.� (B)

Yours Truly:� This episode takes the entire standard for the series up a
�� notch.� With moments of brilliance like the ones seen time after time
�� here, there may be no stopping this show.� (A+)


Average Grade:� [14/7=2]� (A)
========================================================================
= Final Thoughts / Comments =

>> Pfft.� Cartoons.

Joe Klemm:� A Corny Concerto is a Warner Bros. short that was made to
�� spoof the success of Disney's Fantasia.� In it, Elmer Fudd introduces
�� comical bits set to the music of Tales of the Vienna Woods and the
�� Blue Danube.� The clip that appears on the TV screen at the opening
�� is from the Vienna Woods bit, which features Porky Pig hunting for
�� Bugs Bunny.� As for the clip, it comes when Bugs tricks Porky and his
�� hunting dog into thinking that a squirrel shot him when in reality he
�� has just put on a bra.


>> Take me out to the Blernsball game

Dave Antonoff says the man holding the GLORX 3:16 sign was "a nice
�� reference to "Rock'n" Rollen Stewart, the "rainbow wig guy" seen at
�� hundreds of sporting events from 1976 to the late 1980's."

�� He posts the results of a quick search of the web, written by Cecil
�� Adams:

�� "In 1976, looking for a way to make his mark, Rollen conceived the
�� idea of becoming famous by constantly popping up in the background of
�� televised sporting events.� Wearing a multicolored Afro wig (hence
�� the nickname "Rainbow Man"), he'd carry a battery-powered TV to keep
�� track of the cameras, wait for his moment, then jump into the frame,
�� grinning and giving the thumbs-up. Rollen figured he'd be able to
�� parlay his underground (OK, background) celebrity into a few
�� lucrative TV gigs and retire rich.� But except for one Budweiser
�� commercial, it didn't happen.

�� Feeling depressed after the 1980 Super Bowl, he began watching a
�� preacher on the TV in his hotel room and found Jesus.� He began
�� showing up at TV events wearing T-shirts emblazoned with "Jesus
�� Saves"-type slogans and various Bible citations, most frequently John
�� 3:16 ("For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
�� Son," etc.).� Later accompanied by his wife, a fellow Christian he
�� married in the mid-80s, he spent all his time traveling to sports
�� events around the country, lived in his car, and subsisted on savings
�� and donations.� He guesses he was seen at more than a thousand events
�� all told.

�� This brings us to the late 80s.� By now Rollen had gotten his 15
�� minutes of fame and was the target of increasing harassment by TV and
�� stadium officials.� His wife left him, saying he had choked her
�� because she held up a sign in the wrong location.� His car was
�� totaled by a drunk driver, his money ran out, and he wound up
�� homeless in LA.� Increasingly convinced that the end was near, Rollen
�� decided to create a radically different media character.� He set off
�� a string of bombs in a church, a Christian bookstore, a newspaper
�� office, and several other locations.� Meanwhile he sent out
�� apocalyptic letters that included a hit list of preachers, signing
�� the letters "the Antichrist."� Rollen says he wanted to call
�� attention to the Christian message, and while this may seem like a
�� sick way to go about it, it wasn't much weirder than waving signs in
�� the end zone at football games.� In any case, no one was hurt in the
�� bombings, which mostly involved stink bombs.

�� On September 22, 1992, believing the Rapture was only six days away
�� and having prepared himself by watching TV for 18 hours a day,
�� Stewart began his last "presentation."� Posing as a contractor, he
�� picked up two day laborers in downtown LA, then drove to an airport
�� hotel.� Taking the men up to a room, he unexpectedly walked in on a
�� chambermaid.� In the confusion that followed he drew a gun, the two
�� men escaped, and the maid locked herself in the bathroom.� The police
�� surrounded the joint, and Rollen demanded a three-hour press
�� conference, hoping to make his last national splash.� He didn't get
�� it.� After a nine-hour siege the cops threw in a concussion grenade,
�� kicked down the door, and dragged him away.

�� About to be given three life sentences for kidnapping, Rollen threw a
�� tantrum in the courtroom and now blames everything on a society
�� that's "bigoted toward Jesus Christ."� A cop who negotiated with him
�� by phone during the hotel standoff had a better take on it: "With all
�� due respect, maybe you look at a little bit too much TV."� For info
�� on the Rainbow Man documentary, write Sam Green, 2437 Peralta St.,
�� suite C, Oakland, CA 94607."

Don Del Grande:� Aluminum bats are "traditional" in baseball; as far as
�� I know, the only organization that does not allow it is USA's major
�� leagues (and associated minor league systems).� I think USA is also
�� the only country where professional baseball players don't compete on
�� the Olympic team - I wonder what would happen if McGwire would show
�� up in Sydney with a metal bat?

Benjamin Robinson:� While I was watching it, I thought about what some
�� former baseball commissioner called the "Rip Van Winkle" rule.� He
�� (the commish) wanted to keep baseball true to its roots so that
�� someone who woke up today from a hundred-year sleep could attend a
�� baseball game today and get the gist of what was going on.� Looks
�� like blernsball flunked the Rip Van Winkle rule big time.

Aaron Howald:� During the baseball sequence, the bird in the
�� communicator sequence should have been an owl!!� More owls should
� �have been seen grubbing around on the field ... one of the two hit
�� balls should have stuck an owl out of the air as it was flying by ...
�� after the hit Leela could have marked her score card.� The card could
�� have even had an "owl" symbol on it to keep track of the "hits."� :*)


>> Some call it "Antenna Envy"

Vince Yim:� Remember ep 3 where Bender can't cut off his antenna because
�� it's like symbolically castrating himself?� This is further enforced
�� by the fact that Leela can't understand why he can't do so because
�� "She's not a robot or a man."

�� After cutting off his antenna, Bender says, "I guess I'll have to
�� deal with being half a robot."� Then, when the robot cop finds the
�� antenna, he responds with, "You call THIS an antenna?"� You don't
�� have to be Freud to figure out what the antenna symbolizes.

�� Anywho, in 1ACV05, after Bender produces a cardboard bucket full of
�� popcorn, he asks "Who wants butter?"� And he lowers the bucket of
�� popcorn to his lower torso area and starts pumping the antenna.

�� I dunno ... am I really sick for thinking this?� Or did anybody else
�� notice?


>> Leela's scorecard

In the "Freeze Frame Fanaticism" section, you can see a list of the
�� players on Leela's scorecard during the Blernsball game.� Here are
�� some explanations on the names depicted on the card:

Dan Taylor:� Raspberry is, more than likely, a dig at Daryl Strawberry.
�� Who, when not being arrested for various crimes are battling cancer,
�� has been know to play baseball with the Yankess, among other teams.

Chris Tasler:� "Maris" is obviously a nod of the hat to Yankees great
�� Roger Maris, who was the single season homer king with 62 in a year,
�� until Mark McGwire topped it last year with 70.� Apparently one of
�� the writers is a Yankees fan ...�� Just thought I'd throw in my two
�� cents.

According to James Brown, the names Verrone and Morton come from
�� producers Patric Verrone and Lewis Morton, Horsted and Keeler are
�� co-executive producers Eric Horsted and Ken Keeler, and Lombard and
�� Gore are writers Heather Lombard and Evan Gore (who wrote this
�� episode).� "Jones with Clemens Arm" is an obvious reference to Roger
�� Clemens (who's Jones?), Cohen is executive producer David Cohen, and
�� a contributor named Broke Man tells us that there is a famous player
�� named Costanza.� "Zork" is a reference to a videogame franchise of
�� the same name, and pairing him with "Zork Jr." is a reference to Ken
�� Griffey Jr.

�� That leaves five names unexplained ... Karis, Adler, Buras, Kaplan
�� and Qzdjyld.� Here are some theories, as well as some alternatives to
�� the ones above ...

�� = Kaplan =

Brad Koski:� I was thinking -- could this possibly be a reference to Ira
�� Kaplan, guitar player and singer from yo la tengo? �YLT did do the
�� Simpsons theme recently, and they are self-professed *HUGE* fans of
�� the show.� Just something to think about ...

�� = Costanza =

David Antonoff:� A reference to "Seinfeld"'s George Costanza, who once
�� worked for the old New York Yankees.

�� = Maris =

Daniel Janes:� The name of Niles' never-seen wife on the TV show
�� "Frasier."

If you have any other explanations, feel free to submit them!


>> 'Rama's Universal References

Javier Redal expands on a hidden reference:� "Chapek 9" would be named
�� after Karel Capek (sometimes I saw writen as "Chapek", these Slavic
�� consonants):

�� "Karel Capek, (1890-1938), Czech novelist, playwright, and theatrical
�� producer, born in Mal� Svatonovice, and educated at the University of
�� Prague.� Capek was a close friend of the first Czech president, Tomas
�� Masaryk, with whom he worked to preserve the Czech nation after World
�� War I.� Simultaneously Capek was an editor for a Prague newspaper,
�� founder and director of the Vinohradsky Art Theater in Prague, and
�� political essayist, playwright, and novelist.

�� Capek is best known for his plays, the most famous of which is R.U.R.
�� (1921; trans. 1923), a dramatic fantasy in which people are
�� dehumanized by the machine age.� R.U.R. stands for "Rossum's
�� Universal Robots" and is the source of the English word robot.� Capek
�� is also well known for two other dramas: The Insect Play (1921;
�� trans. 1923), known in the U.S. as The World We Live In, a satire
�� that foretells the evils of totalitarianism; and Power and Glory
�� (1937; trans. 1938), an attack on dictatorship.� His novels include
�� fanciful romances, science fiction, and a philosophical trilogy.
�� Capek also wrote travel sketches and impassioned political essays."

�� "Capek, Karel," Microsoft (R) Encarta. Copyright (c) 1998 Microsoft
�� Corporation. Copyright (c) 1998 Funk & Wagnall's Corporation.


>> Robots: The Quintessential Culture Clash

Jason Barrera:� Speaking of depth, "Fear of A Robot Planet" worked on a
�� slightly higher level in that it parodied the entire Cold War in 22
�� minutes or so.� The paranioa, the "elders" working behind the scenes,
�� the blind hatred of the opposition, the insanely campy propoganda
�� films, and we can't forget the Show Trails ...

�� The robot movies reminded me of the Soviet propoganda films during
�� the height of the Cold War, when Russian people almost believed that
�� all Americans wanted to kill them and rape their dead daughters.

�� Bender as Hitler/Stalin was a nice touch.

Jeff Foster:� The episode "Fear of a Bot Planet" has many references,
�� not to specific films or songs, but to general aspects of African
�� American culture.� The title is from an album by rap group "Public
�� Enemy."� Bender's complaints at the blernsball game, about there
�� being no robot managers and about how only robots ever have to do
�� janitorial work, are references to long-standing similar complaints
�� in the black community.� The radical robot separatists echo the
�� radical black separatists in the Nation of Islam, who were active
�� from the time of the NOI's founding to the time a group of orthodox
�� Muslims split off from it in the 1970s.� It would have been more
�� funny if the robots had said "Kill humey!" instead of "Kill the
�� humanoids!"; since "Kill whitey!" is an acceptable phrase but "Kill
�� the Caucasians!" is not.


>> Post it to <alt.tv.futurama>!� Put it in the capsule!� Hurry!

Daniel L. Dreibelbis:� In the scene where Leela and Fry were being tried
�� by the Mac Plus judge, and he froze in the middle of judgement, the
�� robots and Fry started yelling out ways to unfreeze him.� ("Yank the
�� cord!� Type alt-control-delete!")

�� Well, as it so happens, I recently bought myself a Mac, and was
�� finally looking at this CD-ROM called the "1997 Mac Advocacy CD-ROM."
�� On it was a series of commercials Apple had done over the years for
�� the Macintosh.� One of the commercials featured a man at some
�� convention making a presentation using a PC laptop when -- sure
�� enough -- it suddenly freezes.� And then everyone in the audience
�� starts yelling out different ways to unfreeze it!

�� I found this to be too much of a coincidence to let this pass by.
�� What do you all think?

David Antonoff:� I wouldn't say it was a coincidence.� I think it would
�� be the natural tendency for a group of computer savvy people (or
�� robots) to offer up whatever options they could think of in a time of
�� computer crisis.� If anything, the scene from the episode mimicked
�� real life.� No great coincidence, but a good read on the
�� technologically advanced segment of society.


>> Last, and probably least ...

Tukeli Baykent:� When Leela and Fry first set foot on Chapek 9, Fry
�� looks into Leela's helmet and mentions how stupid they look.� This is
�� probably stretching things too far, but the reflection in Leela's
�� helmet sort of looks like those characters in many Canadian animated
�� shorts ... again, I'm probably digging too deep.� =)

========================================================================
= Fun Stuff =

>> Alien Language #1 sightings

�� TV Guide ad (not in actual episode): "ROBOTS RULE"


>> References to Previous Episodes

�� - [1ACV01] Fry's line "My God, it's the future!" cf. "My God, he's
������������� become evil!"
�� - [1ACV01] Bender doll says Bender's first words� {pm}
�� - [1ACV02] Leela has to convince Fry that something he likes is
������������� actually boring� (the moon cf. baseball)
�� - [1ACV03] Kill All Humans� {hl}


>> Fan-made Alternate Titles for this Episode

�� "Bite My Shiny Metal Planet"� {ds}
�� "Get Bender"
�� "Night of Bender"� {jk}
�� "Planet of the Bots"� {hl}

========================================================================
= Voice Credits =

>> Starring

�� Billy West ..................... Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Zoidberg,
�������������������������������������� food stand man, Guard 2, "unscrew
������������������������������������ our lugnuts," bailif, Elders 1 & 4,
���������������������������������������������������� "precious lugnuts!"
�� Katey Sagal ................................................... Leela
�� John DiMaggio ........................ Bender, "human," Tetris worker

>> Guest Starring

�� Tress MacNeille .................................. Wendy, woman robot
�� Phil LaMarr .................................................. Hermes
�� Maurice LaMarche ................... Guard 1, Robot DJ, "even in your
��������������������������������������� movie theaters!", Judge, Elder 2
�� Dave Herman ..................... Rusty, crummy-looking robot, Mayor,
���������������������������������������������������������������� Elder 3
�� Tom Kenny ...................... Nosy Robot, "Hooray for the humans!"

�� Unknown ......................................... 2 moviegoing robots


= Quotes and Scene Summaries =

% In space, the Planet Express ship flies its course.� It's dark in the
% cockpit as Fry and Leela stare out the windsheild at the passing
% kaleidescope of stars.� A ringed planet is far ahead of them in the
% distance, but they seem to be catching up slowly.

� Leela: What do you think of the view, Fry?
��� Fry: It really puts things in perspective.� I mean, from up here an
�������� entire world can seem utterly insignificant.

% It seems the aforementioned ringed planet is only about 10 inches in
% diameter.� It splats onto the windshield like a bug.� Leela turns on
% the windsheild wipers, and all it does is smear the goo to both sides.

% End of Act One� (0:15)

% In the fantastic NNYC arena, "Madison Cube Garden," the traditional
% baseball organ music plays and the teams take their places on the
% diamond.� Some members of the PE crew are sitting in the bleachers
% (left to right: Zoidberg, Farnsworth, Leela, Fry, Bender) watching the
% action on field, only things are a little different than our average
% 20th century baseball game.

� Bender: Hey, nice seats!� We're close enough to when you knock a
��������� player down with a beer bottle, he stays down.
���� Fry: I don't get this.� Is "blernsball" exactly the same as
������� ��baseball?
�� Prof.: Baseball?� God forbid.
�� Leela: Face it, Fry, baseball was as boring as Mom and apple pie.
��������� That's why they jazzed it up.
���� Fry: _Boring_?� Baseball wasn't -- [pause]� Hmm, so they finally
��������� jazzed it up.

% [Editor's note: Sorry if some of the next scenes make little to no
% sense.� They actually made close to the same amount of sense when
% viewed properly on the TV.� Something tells me that was the point ...]

% The pitch is thrown, and the batter whacks it with gusto, but the ball
% is tethered to the pitcher's mound by a thin bungee-cord.� (Fry is
% sure in for a surprise because he's already cheering the supposed
% home-run.)� The cord snaps tight just as the ball reaches the
% outfield, and the outfielder that caught the ball in his glove is now
% being snapped back towards the diamond with it.� On his flight across
% the stadium, he passes over one of the bases and lights it up by
% touching the ball to it.� This is just when the runner is sliding onto
% the base.

��� Fry: [confused]� What just happened?� Why is the ball on that
�������� sproingy thing?
� Leela: It's traditional.� Just like aluminum bats and the seventh
�������� inning grope.

% The next outfielder who tries to catch a bungeeing ball ends up
% getting carried so high in the air that he's snapped away and tossed
% into the bleachers.� He lands right in Bender's mit.� Bender's
% thrilled that he got himself a souvenir, but he feels guilty when a
% little kid looks at him with puppy-dog eyes and gives the souvenir to
% the kid (who collapses under the weight).

% Elsewhere in the stadium, Dr. Zoidberg exits the Men's room.� He zips
% up (the zipper being located on his chest!) and walks over to the man
% at the snack bar.

� Zoidberg: I'd like a jumbo squid log, please.
������ Man: We don't sell those.
� Zoidberg: Alright, alright, let me have one of your young on a roll.
������ Man: We're out of rolls.
� Zoidberg: Fine, just give me something crawling with parasites.

% Dr. Zoidberg gets a hot dog.� When he brings some for the rest of the
% crew, Fry comments "At least hot dogs haven't changed."� Bender offers
% popcorn to his buddies, and they all accept.� He stands still for a
% moment as his motor whirrs, and out of his chest cavity pours some
% fresh popcorn.� As he makes further offers for butter, he starts to
% pump on his antennae.� Fry tries to make sense of the activity on the
% field.

��� Fry: Hey, I'm starting to get the hang of this game.� The blerns are
�������� loaded, the count's 3 blerns and two anti-blerns, and the
�������� 'infield blern' rule is in effect.� Right?
� Leela: Except for the word 'blern' that was complete gibberish.

% Back to the field.� This time, the tethered ball zooms straight into
% the ground and lands in a concrete socket.� Some huge screens around
% the stadium flash the words "BALL LOCKED" and men scream "Multi-ball!"
% Some devices rise from out of the ground all over the outfield and
% start pelting the infield with dozens of untethered balls.� The losing
% team members slump their heads, and a man rides a motorcycle around
% the four bases, each of them exploding as he passes it.� People yell
% "Blern!" at the top of their lungs, holding the note as long as they
% can.� A large door opens up on the side and a giant tarantula walks
% out, with people riding on top.� Our heroes seem to know more about
% what's going on than _we_ do.

�� Leela: Alright, yes!� Miller's on a pace to hit 70 blerns!
�� Prof.: He's good, alright, but he's no Clem Johnson.� And Johnson
��������� played back in the days before steroid injections were
��������� mandatory.
� Bender: Clem Johnson?� That sack of skin wouldn't have lasted one
��������� pitch in the old Robot Leagues.� Now, Wireless Joe Jackson,
��������� there was a blern-hitting machine.
�� Leela: Exactly.� He was a machine designed to hit blerns.� I mean,
��������� come on, Wireless Joe was nothing but a programmable bat on
��������� wheels.
� Bender: Oh, and I suppose Pitch-O-Mat 5000 was just a modified
��������� Howitzer?
�� Leela: Yep.
� Bender: You know, you humans are so scared of a little robot
��������� competition you won't even let us on the field.
���� Fry: What are you talking about?� There's all kinds of robots down
��������� there.
� Bender: Yeah, doing crap work.� They're bat boys, ball-polishers,
��������� sprinkler systems ... but how many robot managers are there?
���� Fry: [thinks]� Eleven?
� Bender: Zero!

% Bender throws his liquor bottle on the ground in anger.� From a little
% compartment in the aisle steps, a tiny disk-shaped robot with brooms
% and a dustpan sweeps up the broken glass and returns to hiding.

� Bender: And, what a surprise, look who's scraping up the filth!� Is it
��������� a _human_ child?� I wish.

% Professor Farnsworth suddenly quivers with pain and grabs his chest
% tightly.� His friends are concerned, and he struggles to explain that
% the pain is coming from ... his ... new pager.� He takes out the pager
% and turns it on, projecting a small holographic image of Hermes on the
% ledge in front of them.� Hermes disappoints them all by informing them
% that a package has just come in and they all must return to the office
% immediately.

% As the crew groans, a pigeon perches on the ledge next to Hermes'
% likeness.� Hermes turn around and tries to shoo the bird away, while
% urging Farnsworth to turn off the pager.� Farnsworth is a bit hard on
% hearing, though, so the pigeon has time to pick Hermes up in its beak
% and fly away with him.� "See you at the office!" he yells from high
% above.� So as Bender, Leela and Fry wait in the PE meeting room,
% Bender is still arguing with them from across the table.

� Bemder: Admit it, you all think robots are just machines built by
��������� humans to make their lives easier.
���� Fry: Well, aren't they?
� Bender: I've never made anyone's life easier and you know it.
��������� [Farnsworth and Hermes enter]
�� Prof.: Great news, everyone!� You'll be delivering a package to
��������� Chapek 9, a world where humans are killed on sight.
���� Fry: Why is that great news?
�� Prof.: I'm glad you asked that question, Fry.� You see, Chapek 9 was
��������� colonized centuries ago by a murderous crew of radical robot
��������� seperatists.
� Bender: [sarcastic]� Oh, so just 'cause a robot wants to kill humans,
��������� that makes him a 'radical.'� [he gestures quotation marks in
��������� the air]

�� Leela: Hey, hold on.� I understand these robots hate humans, but how
��������� do they feel about humanoid aliens?
�� Prof.: They're not fans.
� Hermes: That's why _Bender_ will have to make the actual delivery.
� Bender: [sarcastic]� Oh, I get it, make the robot do all the work!
�� Leela: This is the first actual work you've ever had to do around
��������� here.
� Bender: Well, I'm not doing it.� It's a robot holiday.
���� Fry: Really, which one?
� Bender: [rolls eyes]� Only Robannukah, the holiest two weeks on the
��������� robot calendar.
�� Leela: Oh, come on, Bender.� Last month it was Robamadan, and before
��������� that, Robanza.
���� Fry: Man, _that_ one was a blast.
� Bender: It wasn't just a 'blast,' it was a sacred tribute to my
��������� ancestral prototypes which happened to take the form of a
��������� drinking contest!
� Hermes: Now, look here, Bender, I respect your diversity to the extent
���� �����the law requires, but you used up all your days off when you
��������� had that bout with roberculosis.
� Bender: [apprehensively]� Oh, alright, I'll go, but so help me, I'll
��������� hold a grudge against every last stinkin' one of you for the
���� �����rest of your lives!
�� Prof.: Well, then, it's settled!� So long, everyone.

% Blast-off into space.� They're approaching Chapek 9 in the ship, and
% Fry questions Bender about their destination.

���� Fry: So let me get this straight.� This planet is completely
��������� uninhabited?
� Bender: [slowly; impatiently]� No, it's inhabited by _robots_!
���� Fry: Oh, kinda' like how a warehouse is inhabited by boxes.

% Bender mutters angrily to himself.� As the ship hovers above the
% Chapek 9 surface, the crew move to the cargo bay to prepare for the
% delivery.

�� Leela: Okay, Bender, it's time to get to work.
� Bender: [mocking her]� Yes, Miz Leela, tote that space barge, lift
��������� that space bale ...
�� Leela: Now, we can't land on the surface 'cause those robots would
��������� kill Fry and me.� So we'll have to stay up here and lower you
��������� with the winch.� Now, remember, you don't know humans, you
��������� don't work for humans, and above all, you don't _like_ humans.
� Bender: [sarcastic] I'll _try_ to keep that in mind.

% Bender is lowered down under the layer of clouds with the package, and
% they watch him go.

� Leela: [to Fry]� He seems pretty angry.
��� Fry: Yeah, but I guess I'd be pretty angry too if I had to go to
�������� some uninhabited planet.
� Leela: Maybe we oughta' do something nice for him.

% A little later, Bender is still out doing his job, and Fry and Leela
% have dressed up the cockpit with decorations celebrating Robannukah.
% As Leela comments on a job well done, a small monitor on the dashboard
% beeps, which should means Bender is done with the delivery.

% But apparently not.� The monitor comes to life, and Bender is on the
% screen.� He quickly tries to explain that he's in trouble, and that
% they found out he worked for humans, but before he can say anything
% else, some dark figures drag him away into the shadows and they loose
% the transmission.

��� Fry: Oh, my God!� We have to go down and rescue him!
� Leela: No, we can't.� They'll kill us on sight!
��� Fry: Well, what are we gonna do?
� Leela: I don't know.� I don't know!!� It's not an easy decision.� If
�������� only I had two or three minutes to think about it!

% End of Act Two� (6:44)

% Back in the cargo bay, Leela and Fry are emptying old mettalic junk
% like sheet metal, pipes, pots, pans, etc. out of cardboard boxes and
% hanging them on their bodies in order to look like robots.

� Leela: Okay, if we're gonna save Bender, we've got to look and act
�������� exactly like robots.
��� Fry: [dead-pan]� I am fully operational, captain.
� Leela: We'll have to walk like robots, talk like robots and, if
�������� necessarry, solve complex differential equations like robots.

% Fry says he can sorta' dance like a robot, and proudly displays his
% robot-dancing abilities to Leela, which are comprised mostly of just
% rigidly and periodically rotating his appendages (which are encased in
% tubes of sheet metal).� As he waits for approval, Leela explains to
% Fry that the situation is serious, but finishes her argument by
% showing Fry her own robot-dancing abilities.� She introduces a "swim"
% motion to the dance as well.

% Both being fully operational, Fry and Leela are lowered on the winch
% as Bender was, leaving the ship hovering up in the clouds.� The winch
% hits bottom, and they step off onto the desolate Chapek 9 surface.
% The atmosphere is very grey and gloomy, with what little plant life
% there is being just as forboding.� Up ahead looks like the gate to an
% enormous walled city.� Fry sees his reflection in the metal pot over
% Leela's head.

��� Fry: Man, we look stupid.� We shoulda' gotten store-bought costumes.
� Leela: Yeah, but there wasn't a Woolworths in this quadrant.

% They leave the winch right where they left it to approach the city
% and are stopped by two archaic robot guards who are about three times
% their height.

� Guard 1: Halt!� Be your robot or human?
��� Leela: Robot we be.
����� Fry: [mock cheerfulness]� Uh, yep.� Just two robots out robotting
���������� it up.

% Fry reprises his robot dance for the guards and awaits a response.
% Guard 2 leans over to the first one and suggests they "administer the
% test," so Guard 1 marches directly in front of our heroes and begins
% interrogating them.

� Guard 1: Which of the following would you most prefer?� A) a puppy,
���������� B) a pretty flower from your sweetie, or C) a large,
���������� properly formatted data file?
� Guard 2: Choose!

% They huddle for a moment to whisper to each other, and Fry pops his
% head up to ask a question.

����� Fry: Uh, is the puppy mechanical in any way?
� Guard 1: No, it is the bad kind of puppy.
��� Leela: Then we'll go with that data file.
� Guard 1: Correct!
� Guard 2: The flower would also have been acceptable.
� Guard 1: You may pass.

% The guards fold themselves up until they become a pair of irregularly-
% shaped pillars and slide away from each other to clear a path into the
% city for Fry and Leela.� As the two of them walk through the large
% corridors leading inward, they come to a cross-section and Leela warns
% Fry to stay out of the way of any robots.� High above the cross-
% section, a digital display changes from 11:59 to 12:00, a loud buzz is
% heard, a row of chambers all along the wall slides open and two swarms
% of robots comes charging at each other.

% They're able to weave around each other in a perfect criss-cross
% pattern as they go about their rat race, but Fry and Leela are caught
% in the middle and get plowed in different directions.� When the
% display up above changes to 12:01, another buzz is heard, the robots
% clear out, return to the chambers in the wall, and once again leave
% the corridor silent until the confused humans yell to each other from
% opposite ends.

� Leela: So far, so good!

% As we move further into the cityscape, we come upon some robot
% construction workers.� They're walling up the end of an alleyway with
% brightly-colored blocks, dropping the blocks in one-by-one with a
% crane.� Or, to put it another way, they're playing "Tetris."� Two
% humans dressed as robots walk by and show him a photograph (depicting
% Bender in a magicians' outfit, pulling a rabbit out of a hat), but he
% says he doesn't recognize the robot in question.

% In the wall they're building, there's a vertical line of four thin,
% empty squares going up the middle and the crane operater is about to
% drop the appropriately shaped piece into the gap.� Despite the foreman
% pleading for him to stop, the piece is dropped and the four completed
% rows of blocks flicker away into thin air, while the blocks on top
% drop to the floor.� The foreman moans in agony.� Meanwhile, onward
% into the city corridors we march, but Fry is starting to "walk like a
% robot" with a little less discipline.

� Leela: Come on, Fry, walk like a robot.
��� Fry: I can't.� I have to go to the bathroom.
� Leela: Robots don't have bathrooms.
��� Fry: Oh, right.� I wonder where they smoke in high school.
� Leela: Listen, just go behind those garbage cans.� I'll stand guard.

% Around the corner there are indeed some garbage cans.� Fry unzips and
% begins humming while he relieves himself.� Leela whispers at him to
% hurry up.� A lone robot enters the scene, carrying a glue-gun-like
% device, parks himself across from Fry and inspects the situation.

� Nosy Robot: Sir, are you aware that you're leaking coolant at an
������������� alarming rate?
�������� Fry: Uh ...
� Nosy Robot: Well, let me just patch you up with some hot resin.� [he
������������� holds the gun up so Fry can see it]
�������� Fry: I think the leak's stopping itself.� [it doesn't]
������������� Wait, wait ... [long pause] ... yeah, there we go.� Wait
������������� ... there.
� Nosy Robot: [accusing]� What sort of robot turns down a free blast of
������������� searing hot resin?
������������� [Fry is stumped]
������ Leela: I'm sorry, my friend and I have to go perform some
������������� mindless, repetitive tasks.
� Nosy Robot: [chuckles]� Sounds like a romantic evening.� I won't keep
������������� you.

% The robot finally leaves them alone, but on his way out, he raises
% some dust off of the ground and Leela coughs from it.� The robot stops
% in his tracks, turns around, points threateningly at the humans, and
% emits an odd, mechanical sound from his mouth.� Leela, in the heat of
% the moment, judo-kicks the robot down into the dirt, and they make
% their getaway.� Almost immediately, a van marked "Human Patrol"
% enters, two robots jump out to inspect their fallen brother, and the
% words "intruder alert; stop the humanoid" echo throughout the city via
% a PA system.

% Leela suggests that they duck inside a nearby movie theater, which
% according to the marquee is playing a movie called "It Came From
% Planet Earth."� The theater is pretty crowded, but they find two empty
% seats and we zoom in on a scene from the movie:

% A convertible is parked at the edge of a cliff overlooking a cityscape
% at night, surrounded by shrubs and bushes.� A teenaged robot couple
% sit in the front seats (their names are Rusty and Wendy).� Some eerie
% music plays softly over the dialogue, starting with a man's voice
% being heard on the car radio.

� Radio: We interrupt this sound file to bring you a terrifying
�������� announcement.� A non-metallic being has been sighted in the
�������� vicinity of Makeout Point.
��� �����[Rusty turns the radio off]
� Rusty: Say, Wendy, your chassy is a little scuffed.� Mind if I polish
�������� it for you?� [puts his arm around her]
�������� [some rustling is heard from the bushes]
� Wendy: Did you hear that, Rusty?� It sounded like a human.
� Rusty: Relax, Wendy.� Humans will never come to our defenseless little
�������� town.� It's perfectly safe to let our guard down.� Even for a
�������� second.

% Just then, a human rises from the bushes and howls at them.� The
% production values in this movie are so bad, though, that the human is
% merely a robot wearing a rubber face and hands, and to top it off, the
% costume hardly even fits right.� He wavers back and forth making
% pathetic moaning noises, and then approaches the convertible.� The
% non-metallic being reaches over, twists Rusty's head off, and pops it
% into his mouth.� The robot inside the human costume slams his upper
% jaw up and down like a piston, which is supposed to simulate chewing,
% and the head is swallowed.

� Human Robot: [melodramatic]� I will eat and digest you all with my
�������������� system of mighty organs.� Behold!

% The "human" swings open his chest cavity, and inside is a mess of
% colorful intestines, lungs, kidneys and blood vessels.� The inner wall
% of the cavity is lined with tiny yellow lightbulbs to make it extra-
% impressive.� The audience gasps in unison, and we see all of them are
% wearing mid-20th-century-style 3-D glasses, including Fry and Leela.

��� Fry: Wow, the 3-D's great!
� Leela: [struggling to align her glasses]� Mine's not working!

% Back on the screen, the humanoid is flailing his limbs in the air
% because he's been stabbed in the back with a wooden spear.� It seems
% to be early morning when he finally collapses to the floor at the feet
% of Wendy and a robot in military attire.� The latter robot has the
% same voice as the one heard on the radio earlier.

� Mil. Bot: Funny, isn't it?� The human was impervious to our most
����������� powerful magnetic fields, yet in the end, he succombed to a
����������� harmless sharpened stick.� [chuckles triumphantly]
���� Wendy: I'm just glad the nightmare is over.
� Mil. Bot: It'll never be over, Wendy.� Even now, humans are lurking in
����������� our playgrounds, our breezeways, perhaps even ... our movie
����������� theaters!

% The robot points directly at the camera, the music turns suspenseful,
% and the whole theater screams in horror.� From off-screen, Fry yells
% "God, help us!"� The movie is over, and everyone begins pouring out
% the back door.� We rejoin Fry and Leela outside, as a couple of other
% friendly-looking robots approach them.

���������� Leela: [to Fry]� Okay, keep an eye out for Bender.
� Friendly Bot 1: So, what'd you think of the movie?
������������ Fry: [thinks]� Too much romance; not enough human killing.
� Friendly Bot 2: Yeah, it was a real chick flick.

% A trumpet sounds in the distance, and Leela asks what it was.� The
% robots seem shocked at her ignorance, but explain that it marks 5:00,
% the "time for the daily human hunt."� As the robots start to
% congregate in a wide-open area between three tall buildings, Leela
% turns to the side and whispers to Fry, but she doesn't realize that
% Fry is on the other side of her and she's actually talking to a
% scrawny-looking robot.

��������� Leela: [whispering]� Try to stay with the crowd so no one
���������������� notices how crumnmy you look.
� Scrawny Robot: Aww, that was uncalled for.
����������� Fry: I'm over here!

% The robots have are now all together, and a robot wearing a "Mayor"
% sash steps out onto a small platform halfway up the side of one
% building.� He approaches the podium with a microphone, and prepares to
% speak, while some of the robots below chatter amongst themselves.

� Scared Bot 1: I heard a human was draining coolant behind garbage can
��������������� 738.
� Scared Bot 2: I heard they unscrew our lugnuts at night and eat them
��������������� at their human brunches.

� Mayor: Welcome to a very special human hunt!� We have with us today a
��� �����guest whose irrational hatred for humans make _me_ look like a
�������� human sympathizer.
�������� [the crowd laughs]
�������� A newly arrived refugee from Earth, let's hear it for Bender!

% Bender, with a harsh and insensitive look on his face, steps out of
% the dark building and takes the Mayor's place at the podium.� Fry and
% Leela are shocked to see him.

���� Fry: It's him.� He's okay!
� Bender: [triumphantly]� Death to humans!
��������� [crowd cheers]
���� Fry: [oblivious]� Aww, it's good to hear his voice.

% End of Act Three� (6:12)

% We're right where we left off, and Bender is beginning his speech to
% the robot masses below.

� Bender: Many said I was too extreme when I first called for the
��������� annihilation of the human species (as well as some of the more
��������� cunning monkeys), but after living on Earth, I can tell you
��������� that I am, if anything, too merciful!
��������� [the crowd hollers in agreement]
���� Fry: My God, he's become evil!� I mean ... eviler.

% Bender takes the opportunity to hype his new spoken word album,
% "Bender Lets Loose" (just $18.95) and holds up a copy.� Act now and
% you'll get a free Bender action figurine.� Bender produces a sample,
% which is only a few inches high, and pulls the cord to hear the action
% figure say "Bite my shiny, metal ass."� People in the crowd hold up
% wads of money and Bender begins to pass out the merchandise.

% Meanwhile, the Mayor takes back the microphone to yell out "Let the
% hunt begin!"� A few robots run out on their own with a set of clubs
% and begin overturning rocks, while Bender leads his own pack of
% enthusiastic human-hunters and gives them advice.

������ Bender: Now, your basic human is between 3 and 25 feet tall, and
�������������� is made of a hairy, oily goo wrapped in a t-shirt.
� Other Robot: Is true they bite your neck and suck your transmission
�������������� fluid, and then you become a human?
������ Bender: Sure, why not?

% The Mayor accompanies them, and Bender peeks through a wad of tall
% grass to see an oversized mouse-trap with "Free Butter" lying in the
% center, and a sign advertising that fact.

�� Mayor: Anything in the trap?
� Bender: Nothing.� Today's active humans prefer a low-calorie bait.
�� Mayor: Well, that makes 146,000 unsuccessful hunts in a row ... but
��������� I've got a good feeling about tomorrow.

% Bender spots a run-down building not too far away, which has XXX
% written in big letters across the front.

� Bender: Wait, what's that?
�� Mayor: That's the old, abandoned adult book store.� Nothing in there
��������� except maybe a few shreds of moldy, old robot pornography.
� Bender: [excited]� Sounds like a breeding ground for humans.� I'd
��������� better check it out.

% Bender is now alone in the store, except for the piles of indecent
% robot magazines and a few dusty, overturned bookshelves.� Bender is
% lusting over a particular magazine foldout, which is actually just a
% map of circuit diagrams.� Fry and Leela sneak in the front door, and
% he quickly stuffs the magazine into his chest cavity when he sees
% them.

� Bender: [worried]� You!� What the hell are you doing here?
���� Fry: We've been looking for you.� Last we heard, you were under
��������� arrest as a human sympathizer.
� Bender: I was, but they let me go when I told them I killed a million,
��������� billion humans.
�� Leela: Good for you.� Now, let's all get back to the ship.
� Bender: What for?
���� Fry: We're rescuing you.
� Bender: I don't want to be rescued.
���� Fry: Say what?
� Bender: I love this planet.� I've got wealth, fame and access to the
��������� depths of sleaze that those things bring.
���� Fry: But Bender, we're your friends!
� Bender: [rolls eyes]� Friends?!� _That_ activates my hilarity unit.
��������� I'm just a machine to you.� You're no more friends with my
��������� than you are with the toaster or the phonograph or the
��������� electric chair.
���� Fry: That's not true.
� Bender: Well, that's how it feels to me.

% Bender turns around and folds his arms, and they exchange their
% silence.� Fry puts his arm on Bender's shoulder to say goodbye.� Just
% as Bender warns them to leave before they're caught, Bender's loyal
% crew of human-hating robots fills up the room to inform him that his
% album just went gold.� They're all shocked to see a pair of humans
% standing right before their eyes, and beg for Bender to do something.
% So he grabs one of his friends with each arm.

� Bender: [nervous; incinsere]� Uh, got ya, you murderous flesh piles.

% After that awkward moment, the matters are taken to the huge, white
% Hall of Justice, where Fry and Leela are sitting, hand-cuffed, in a
% cage in the corner, and even though he sits atop the traditional
% podium, the Judge is just a face on a computer screen.� The Mayor
% seems to be acting as a lawyer too.

� Mayor: Your honor, I intend to demonstrate beyond 0.5% of a doubt that
�������� these humans before us are guilty of the crime of being humans.
�������� Come to think of it ... I rest my case!
� Judge: Thank you, prosecutor.� I will now consider the evidence.

% On the Judge's screen appears a Windows-type progress bar that says
% "Judging ..."

��� Fry: Hey, wait a minute, isn't anyone gonna defend us?
� Leela: Yeah!� I mean, _he_ may not have a case, but I'm genuinely not
�������� a human.
� Mayor: Quiet, human!

% On the Judge's screen, it appears a system error has occured.� The
% bailif complains that "he froze up again!" and as he tries repairing
% him, some people from the courtroom shout out their suggestions.

��� Mayor: Try Control-Alt-Delete.
� Juror 1: Jiggle the cord.
� Juror 2: Turn him off and on!
� Juror 3: Clean the gook out of the mouse.
����� Fry: Call technical support!
�� Bailif: Okay, okay, he's back online.
��� Judge: I find the defendants guilty.
���������� [room cheers]
����� Fry: No!
��� Leela: [points to her face]� Look, _one_ eye!� Count them.� One!
���������� Not human!
��� Judge: The humans are hearby senetnced to live as robots live on
���������� Earth.� They will perform tedious calculations and spot-weld
� ���������automobiles until they become obselete and are given away to
���������� an inner-city middle school.
���������� [room cheers again]
��� Mayor: [to Bender]� Great work, Bender.� You've taught us to hate
���������� humans _all_ over again.

% Bender laughs nervously, and the bailif pulls a lever next to Fry's
% and Leela's cage.� The floor opens up under them and they fall down a
% tunnel in complete darkness until they hit bottom and a spotlight is
% turned on them.� There are five very tall and thin robots, wearing
% cloaks, standing in a semi-circle around our heroes.� (They will be
% referred to as Elders 1-5, from left to right.)

��� Leela: [gasps]� Who are you?
� Elder 3: We are the robot elders.
����� Fry: You don't look very old.
� Elder 3: Thanks.� We try to take care of ourselves.

% Leela tries to ask what's going on, but Elder 4 shouts "Silence!" at
% her.� He calls Bender into the room, and a door slides open in the
% surrounding darkness.� Bender struts in.

�� Bender: Aah, let's make this quick.� I'm due at the opening of a
���������� mini-mall.� [sees his friends]� Hey, what is this?
� Elder 3: Silence!� It is time to put the humans to death.
����� Fry: But the Judge already sentenced us at the trial!
� Elder 4: Silence!� That was just a show for the public.� We are the
���������� true rulers of this planet, hand-carved from meteorites by
���������� the robot founders over four centuries ago.
� Elder 3: Silence.� Come forward, Bender.� You will have the honor of
���������� executing the prisoners.
� Elder 2: Silence!� I concur.
� Elder 4: Here, use the Ceremonial Killamajig.

% He hands Bender a small metal device shaped like a drumstick, and when
% Bender holds it, several compartments on the top open up and some
% miniature weapons such as maces and knives pop out.

�� Bender: Uh, I'm a little tired right now.� Would it be alright if I
���������� just gave them a savage beating?
� Elder 3: No!� The elders have spoken.� Show us the killing skills that
���������� have made you a media darling.
� Elder 2: Do it now!� Kill them before they bring down our whole
���������� society.

% The elders all shout "Do it!" over and over and over as Bender stands
% before his friends with the Killamajig in hand.� He contemplates what
% to do, but finally moans sulkenly and slams the Killamajig onto the
% ground, breaking it.

�� Bender: I can't kill them.� Plenty of humans have mistreated robots,
���������� but not these two.� They're my friends.� Humans are no threat
���������� to us.� They're stupid, putrid cowards.
����� Fry: Damn right!
�� Bender: The fact is, humans are completely harmless.
� Elder 3: We're well aware of that.
�� Bender: You are?
� Elder 3: Of course.� But they're useful to us as a scapegoat to
���������� distract the public from their _real_ problems.
� Elder 2: Like our crippling lugnut shortage.
� Elder 4: And a corrupt government of incompetent robot elders.
� Elder 5: D'uh, that's for sure.
� Elder 3: Quiet, Jimmy.
�� Bender: Well, I'm glad we got all that out in the open.� We'll just
���������� let ourselves out ...
� Elder 2: Silence!� You all know too much.
� Elder 3: Elders, execute Function-Control-Shift-Kill.

% The elders line up in single-file and each raise an arm towards their
% enemies.� As they approach, Fry thinks quickly, jumps in front of
% them, still in handcuffs, and threatens that if the elders take one
% more step, he'll breathe fire on them.� They all stand still for a
% moment, and the elders form a huddle.

��� Leela: He'll do it.� He's crazy!
� Elder 3: Can they really breathe fire, or did we make that up?
� Elder 4: Gee, I can't remember anymore.� It might just be from that
���������� stupid movie.
� Elder 2: Was that the original or the remake?
� Elder 3: I don't ... hey, they're getting away!

% As the elders were distracting themselves, Bender was busy untying the
% humans' handcuffs, and by the time they realize what's happened, their
% prisoners are out the door.� Cut to Fry, Bender and Leela fleeing the
% city and returning to the dank wilderness outside, with most of the
% city chasing after them.� They all gather themselves onto the winch,
% right where they left it, and Leela presses a button that starts
% raising them into the air.� Fry yells "So long, suckers!"

% But the robots aren't through yet.� As soon as the crew starts to
% ascend, the line of robots begin piling onto each others' shoulders
% one after another after another after another ...� The speed of the
% pile catches up with the speed of the winch, and when Fry sees the
% robot's head coming up fast from under them, he waves and says "Uh ...
% hello, suckers."

% And that's when Bender realizes that after all this time, he forgot to
% deliver the package.� So he reaches into his chest cavity, brings out
% the package, and shoves it into the arms of the topmost robot.� The
% robot looses its balance, falls backwards, and the whole pile topples
% to the ground.� Beneath them, it's raining robots, and after everyone
% is lying crippled on the ground, the package finally falls to the
% ground.� It bursts open, and thousands of tiny metal screws explode in
% all directions.� The robots look up excitedly at the incoming shower.

� Robot 1: Lugnuts!� Precious lugnuts!
� Robot 2: Hooray for the humans!

% The robots cheer, and the Planet Express ship is now leaving Chapek 9,
% on its way home.� Bender sees the Robannukah decorations that are
% still all over the cockpit.

� Bender: Wow, I can't believe you guys did all this for me!� This is
��������� the best Robannukah ever.
���� Fry: We wanted to show you that we really _do_ respect your robot
��������� heritage.
� Bender: Aw, thanks.� [dryly]� You do know that I made Robannukah up to
��������� get out of work, right?
�� Leela: Of course.
���� Fry: But that doesn't make it any less meaningful.
� Bender: In that case, _let the dancing begin_!

% Bender turns on the stereo and some Jewish-type dancing music comes
% on.� Bender watches the other two show off their new robot-dancing
% techniques.

� Bender: Hey, you guys are good.� How the hell do you do that?

% Now, against a dark background, we see some photographs piling on top
% of each other while the music plays.� They depict the crew toasting
% some wine glasses to each other, presenting a cake to Bender, carrying
% Bender above their heads in a chair, Bender holding a broken bottle to
% Fry's neck, and Bender standing drunkenly with his arms around his
% friends (Fry with two band-aids on his neck).� This last photograph
% stays on-screen for a few more seconds as the credits start to appear.

% End of Act Four� (8:08)

========================================================================
= Contributers =

{aa2} Andy Andy�������������������� {jk}� Joe Klemm
{ac2} Adrian Chmielarz������������� {jr}� Jeremy Reaban
{ah}� Aaron Howald������������� ����{kh}� Kevin Hayes
{amc} Andrew McEwan Carty���������� {mp}� Mark Poyser
{bd}� Brad Dugan������������������� {ms}� Max Silvestri
{bm}� Broke Man�������������������� {ms2} Mark Spaeth
{bw}� Bob Wells�������������������� {pm}� Paul Melnyk
{ddg} Don Del Grande��������������� {rs}� Reagen Sulewski
{dga} Dale G. Abersold������������� {sam} Steven Aaron Monroe
{dj}� Daniel Janes����������������� {sv}� Steve VanDevender
{ds}� Dave Sweatt������������������ {sw}� Sam Worf
{ds2} Dave Sarley������������������ {tm} �Tyler McHenry
{hl}� Haynes Lee������������������� {vy}� Vince Yim
{jb}� Jason Barrera

========================================================================
Futurama and its characters belong to� ===== First uploaded: 23-May-1999
FOX.� Please do not confuse them with� ===== Revision D��� : 05-Dec-1999
fans of the show, such as the people�� ===== E-mail me: <jedraw@aol.com>
who contributed to this capsule.� :-)� =================================
Compiled by Robo Jordan Eisenberg.���� =================================




 



futurama appartient à la fox et Matt Groening en est le créateur... le site officiel de Futurama se trouve ici :

www.fox.com

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