The Why of Fry

Infobox Futurama episode
episode_name = The Why of Fry
episode_no = 64
prod_code = 4ACV10
airdate = April 6, 2003
country = USA
writer = David X. Cohen
director = Wes Archer
opening_subtitle = Dancing Space Potatoes? You Bet!
opening_cartoon = Unknown
guest_star = Bob Odenkirk, Frank Welker


caption = Fry mixing in with The Brain Spawn.
season = four

"The Why of Fry" is the tenth episode in the fourth season of the animated television series "Futurama". It originally aired in North America on April 6, 2003. It is one of two episodes that do not contain Professor Farnsworth.

Plot

Fry starts acting a bit more responsible with his job, claiming that the Planet Express' missions would not go as smoothly without his help, only to realize that Leela and Bender have just returned from a mission without him; in fact, the mission went much, "much" better than usual, and they were even awarded medals. This makes Fry begin to feel useless, especially after Leela asks Fry to walk Nibbler while she goes on a date with Chaz, the mayor's aide.

While walking Nibbler, Fry becomes very depressed, convinced the only good he serves is to clean up after Nibbler on walks, only to have Nibbler tell him otherwise. Having never heard Nibbler talk before, Fry is completely dumbfounded as Nibbler knocks him out, drags him to his small spaceship, and takes him to Eternium. After being introduced to the Nibblonians, Fry's importance is revealed. He has a unique genetic disorder which has resulted in him lacking the Delta Brainwave due to him becoming his own grandfather. This rendered him immune to the attack of the Brainspawn a few months ago, an attack which no-one else on Earth remembers.

The Nibblonians reveal the Brainspawn's plan to collect all knowledge in the universe and store it in a colossal memory bank known as the InfoSphere, and then destroy it. Fry, because of his immunity, is the only person who can stop them. The Nibblonians have made a "Quantum Interface Bomb" which will send the sphere into an alternate dimension forever, and Fry's mission is to implant it inside. They bring Fry to the sphere just as it collects the last data, and Fry enters on the "Scooty Puff Jr."

Fry arrives at the center of the sphere, rendered invisible to them by his genetic abnormality. He is about to activate the bomb, but realizes that while he is here, he can find the answers to any question in the universe. He stalls by asking several questions out of curiosity before being discovered. He plants the bomb and tries to escape, but the "Scooty Puff Jr." falls apart, trapping him. Fry is doomed to enter the alternate universe with the Brainspawn, but is glad that his life had a purpose: "leading good to victory over evil".

The Brainspawn question his motivation, suggesting that the Nibblonians are not as good as they appear. They offer to show Fry something that happened the night Fry was frozen on December 31st, 1999. It is revealed that Nibbler unbalanced the chair that Fry was sitting on that night, tipping him into the cryogenic chamber and bringing him to the future. Nibbler explains that Fry was the only person who could carry out the mission against the Brainspawn's Infosphere, but that he would have died of old age almost a thousand years before the mission was to take place, so they had to freeze him to bring him to the year 3000, and save the entire universe. Although somewhat put out, Fry does not disable the bomb and he and the Infosphere are sent to the alternate universe.

Meanwhile, Leela goes on her date with Chaz. Chaz reserves the rocket ice rink specially for Leela, denying its use to the orphans who were supposed to visit the rink. Leela, having grown up as an orphan herself, tries to persuade Chaz to allow the orphans to use the ice rink, but he refuses. Leela realizes that Chaz abuses his position and completely ignores the needy. She shoves his badge in his mouth and leaves.

In the other dimension, the Brainspawn realize they can send only Fry back in time to stop Nibbler from freezing him. Fry accepts their offer and is transported to the cryogenics lab. He appears behind Nibbler under the desk, just before his past self is frozen. He restrains Nibbler, who protests that Fry must be sent to the future to stop the Brainspawn. It turns out that this Nibbler is a thousand years younger than when they met. Nibbler asks if there is anything he wants to save in the future and Fry realizes the only thing worth saving in the future is Leela. Fry mentions this to Nibbler, who mysteriously notes that Leela may be the "Other", and advises Fry not to give up on her. He promises if Fry makes the right choice, back in the 31st century Nibbler will help Fry win Leela's heart. Fry unbalances the chair himself, freezing his past self. Before he fades away, he manages to warn Nibbler about how inefficient the "Scooty Puff Jr." is, thus preventing a time loop.

In the future, Nibbler makes good on his promise by giving him the more durable and impressive-looking "Scooty Puff Sr." for the mission, with which he is able to escape after planting the bomb. Nibbler returns Fry to Earth, then blanks Fry's mind of what happened, but not before handing Fry a flower, making good on his other promise. Fry goes back to feeling depressed about feeling worthless. Back at Planet Express, Fry gives Leela the flower. Leela then cheers Fry out of his depression saying that though he may not be the most important person in the universe (quite the opposite, of course), he is still a good friend. The episode ends with Leela giving Fry a kiss, and Fry shouting triumphantly over the credits.

Continuity

David X. Cohen notes that he was particularly enthusiastic to write this episode because of how it tied into other episodes, feeling that it was something that was rarely done in sitcoms, particularly cartoons.cite video | people=Cohen, David X.|year=2003|title=Futurama season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "The Why of Fry"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox] He points out that the writing staff tried to tie as many episodes together as possible regardless of whether they were originally written with that intent. The episode contains flashbacks to the events of "Space Pilot 3000" when Fry is originally frozen. Cohen points out that Nibbler's shadow is present in the pilot episode, a point which is explained in this episode, and that this was a plot point which was planned since the pilot. This indicates that Fry was "intentionally" frozen. Jokes about the extreme mass of Nibbler's feces and mention of Vergon 6 call back to "Love's Labours Lost in Space". The planet Eternium, the Brainspawn and the delta brainwave concept were originally introduced in "The Day the Earth Stood Stupid". A joke about Fry becoming his own grandfather is also included, a reference to the events of "Roswell That Ends Well".
[
thumb|NibblerThe Why Of Fry"] Cohen also notes that in the episode "Jurassic Bark" a shot of Nibbler's third eye sticking out of a trash can is included as a reference to these events as well, an item which many fans had noticed.

Fry seeks refuge in O'Zorgnax's pub drinking a bottle of "Shiz". After he hears Leela's voice he attempts to hide himself much like the Space Pilot 3000 episode.

Production

David X. Cohen states in the episode commentary that he was eager to write this episode in part because it was something that had been discussed since the very beginning of the show. They had wanted to show that there was a larger conspiracy that had brought Fry to the future and notes on more than one occasion that this was something that had been planned since the pilot. Creator Matt Groening also notes that they had planned to hold off on using time travel plot lines until the series was better established.cite video | people=Groening, Matt|year=2003|title=Futurama season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "The Why of Fry"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox] Cohen jokes that perhaps they should have explored this plot point earlier however since at the time the episode commentary was recorded it had become clear that the series would be ending. Cohen also thought it was important that the episode explored Fry's option of returning to the past and the question of whether he was happier in the past or in the future.

This episode contains a scene which re-enacts events from the pilot episode, "Space Pilot 3000", after they have been changed by the events of this episode. The episode is so similar to the pilot that the Animation director even jokes that the animators charged their time twice for the parts that were taken from the pilot.cite video | people=Archer, Wes|year=2003|title=Futurama season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "The Why of Fry"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox] In actuality, some of Billy West's lines in this episode are taken directly from the voice track for the pilot, specifically Fry's lines as he enters Applied Cryogenics.

Broadcast and reception

IGN.com ranked the episode as number twenty in their list of the "Top 25 "Futurama" Episodes" in 2006 because although the episode was not the funniest episode in the series, it had a fun story and was a "great continuation" to "The Day the Earth Stood Stupid".cite web |url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/716/716663p1.html |title="Top 25 Futurama Episodes" |accessdate=2006-06-27 |format= |work= ]

Cultural references

* In the beginning of the episode, Amy is seen reading a book titled 'Martians are from Mars, Venusians are from Venus, a reference to John Gray (U.S. author)'s book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus.
* The InfoSphere constructed by the Brainspawn bears a striking resemblance to the Death Star from "".
* The InfoSphere's purpose is similar to DC animated universe's Brainiac.
* When Fry reveals his Quantum Interface Bomb to the Brainspawn, a panicked brain asks him if he is "insane in the membrane". This is a lyric from the song "Insane in the Brain" by Cypress Hill. The episode "Insane in the Mainframe" was also named after this lyric.
* When the Huge Brain explains how Fry can return to the past, a light cone diagram is shown on the display, used in general relativity to illustrate the past and future boundaries of an event.
* When the Nibblonians are telling Fry that he is very important, Fry incredulously asks "So the way I feel when I'm drunk is correct?". The Nibblonians reply: "Yes, except that the Dave Matthews Band doesn't rock".
* The flashing light Nibbler uses to erase Fry's memory is a reference to the movie "Men in Black". Specifically, it is an allusion to the Neuralyzer.
* After having his memory erased, Fry asks "Did everything just taste purple for a second?" This is a reference to synesthesia, a neurological condition that is characterized by the mixing of sensory input. Fry does this once before, when he smells the color blue flowing out of the microwave in "Roswell That Ends Well".

References