======================================================================== ============= FUTURAMA.AR ==== EPISODE CAPSULE ============= ======================================================================== Official Title: My Three Suns Episode Number: 1ACV07 (#7) First Airdate : Tuesday, May 4th, 1999 Written by : J. Stewart Burns Directed by : Jeffrey Lynch & Kevin O'Brien ======================================================================== = Additional tidbits = Opening theme promotion : presented in DOUBLE-VISION DOUBLE-VISION where drunk Opening theme cartoon : [Unknown] Subsequent Fox Airdates : 11-Jul-99, 05-Sep-99 04-May-99 Nielsen ranking: 5.8% of audience (#72 for the week) 11-Jul-99 Nielsen ranking: 4.9% of audience (#57 for the week) 05-Sep-99 Nielsen ranking: 3.8% of audience (#80 for the week) MPAA rating : TV-PG-V Length minus commercials : [21:17] ======================================================================== = Foxworld Synopsis = The crew visits a planet inhabited by liquid aliens. Fry, after delivering a package under the scorching heat of the planet's three suns, finds a bottle of cool blue liquid to quench his thirst. But when that liquid turns out to be the civilization's ruler, Fry finds he has become the new leader. Initially drunk with power, he soon discovers his life is in danger and must turn to his friends to help him dry out. ======================================================================== = Minutiae = - Robowash still takes quarters. {hl} - Bender didn't try reclaiming his quarter. {br} - He retracts his antennae before entering the Robot Wash. - I love the expression in Bender's eyes when he's being rebuffed. - The mechanical arms extend their pinkies when carrying Bender's air- freshener. - After the carwash, Bender literally has a shiny metal ass. {vy} - When he's caught watching a cooking show, Bender rushes for the remote control and accidentally knocks over a bottle on the table. - A head shop in the 20th century sells drug paraphenelia. {hl} [Head shop in the 30th century sells actual human heads. {ml}] - A kid in Little Neptune is eating fruit right out of the vendor's bin. - Good thing Dr. Zoidberg didn't go to the Little Neptune shop with them. They sold lobster-meat. - Fry says he has trouble breathing underwater _sometimes_. - The "nurse" has an interesting tattoo. A heart with antennae. - Origin of the name Trisol: tri (three, as in tricycle) + sol (latin word for sun, as in solar). {mr} - Bender wears gloves with only three fingers. - It's funny that Fry is able to say he was delivering things before Leela was born, even though they're around the same age. - Emperor's bottle shaped like a Coke bottle. {hl} - The Emperor's guards aren't very good at their jobs. :-) - Liquid planet has British parliamentary system. {hl} - Almost everyone in the crew had a change of clothes for the coronation. I guess the motto of interplanetary delivery crews is, "Be Prepared!" {br} - Amy is flirting with Gorgak during the pre-coronation. Remember that this is shortly after she'd "touched him in ways he's never been touched." - On several places in the palace, you can see a symbol that looks like a Mickey Mouse head with small ears. This is apparently a picture of the three Trisolian suns. You can spot the symbol on Fry's and Murg's crowns, on Bender's cane and many places at the pre-coronation gala. - Leela says that the average reign of an emporer is one week, and half of the emporers are assassinated at their own coronation. This means the other half must usually survive at least two weeks. - There's apparently also a Coronation Oath Volume 2, 3, etc. - One can assume that Throm the Chunky was the first Trisolian emperor. - The bottom-most badge on Bender's sash has a somewhat-sketchy picture of everyone's favorite fictional character ... Homer Simpson! - Amy had her heels in her right hand as she ran away from the Trisolians. She didn't lose them as most everybody thought. {gsc} - Did anyone notice Zoidberg's little pun? When he goes "Let's face it! We're in hot butter here!" Don't you dip lobster in hot butter?? {ml2} - Bender's dialogue over the televideo machine implies that he doesn't like Leela. - If you listen to Amy closely after Bender puts his hand over her mouth, you can hear a muffled "Oh!" when she finally gets his plan. {br} - Is it just me, or did Amy Wong look particularly hot when Fry was trying to cry out the emporer? I know she is "just a cartoon" but she looks better every episode. {rc} - It looked like she had a little bit of a 'thing' for Fry there too, with that placement of her hand. {rs} ======================================================================== = Parallels to Science Fiction = ~ "The Abyss" (1989 James Cameron movie) - The first movie to using "morphing" for liquid entities. It won an Oscar for Visual Effects. James Cameron used the same effects later for "Terminator 2." {hl} ~ "Enemy Mine" (movie) - The Oath scene was a lot like the scene at the end of Enemy Mine where the human had to site the names of the alien's parent, and their parent, and so on. {rm} ~ "Space Goofs" (?) - Elzar and some of the Little Neptune residence resemble Etno (now if only one had a Orson Welles-like voice, then it's very close to a dead ringer). {jk} ~ "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (franchise) - Odo and the Founders live in a liquid state and refer humanoids as "solids." {hl} ~ "Star Wars: A New Hope" (movie) - The entire scene in Little Neptune seems to be a somewhat vague reference to the Mos Eisley scene in Star Wars. Both seem seedy, have a menagerie of robot and alien denizens, and both feature the main characters going into a place that sell food. Also, the scene where Fry is saved by Leela from the organ doctor and his accomplice is similiar to when Obi-Wan saves Luke from Dr. Evazan and his partner. {sam} + "The Twilight Zone" (TV show) - Bender wears an apron that says "To Serve Man," which was an important phrase in a Twilight Zone episode, as well as the title. The joke is in the double-meaning of the phrase: To serve food to man, or to serve man as food? And, we all know Bender's contempt for humans ... - "To Serve Man" was an adaptation short story by Damon Knight (I think, from "Astounding Stories"). It can be found in some antologies. {jr2} ======================================================================== = Other References = ~ "12 Monkees" (movie) - Did the meat shop that Fry and co. visited to get the slug look like the shop in 12 Monkees? I haven't seen 12M in a while, so I can't remember what they sold in the movie. {jl} + "Carwash" (movie) - The theme song plays as Bender uses the Robot Wash. + "Essence of Emeril" (cooking show) - "Essence of Elzar" is an obvious parody of a cokking show called "Essence of Emeril." The host of the show uses extreme sound effects such as "Bam!" and "Pow!" to kick his dialogue up a notch, just like Elzar does. - Emeril Lagasse. From Fall River, Massachusetts, though his main restaurant is in New Orleans and the show "Emeril Live" is taped in New York. Before he did Emeril Live, they had a show called "Essence of Emeril" and before I knew what the show was called and the guy's name, I always refered to is as "Cooking with Vinnie." {co} + "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!" (food) - I Can't Believe It's Not Slug! ~ "Levis" (jeans) - [The opening scene] reminded me of the Levis commercial where the guy drives through the carwash in his AMC Levis-edition Gremlin, with the windows down. They used the same music, and there was a scene where the driver selected the type of wash he wanted from a button board, as Bender did. {br} + "My Three Sons" (TV show) - Title: "My Three Suns" ~ "Organleggers" (?) - I thought of Larry Niven's "organleggers" (black market organ dealers, by analogy to bootleggers) when Fry was talking to the guy with a selection of black market organs. {sv} + Palmolive Diswash Liquid (commercial) - When Dr. Zoidberg tells Amy that the people are mild, and that she's soaking in one right now, that is a take-off of a well-known commercial from the 60's for Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid. In the commercial, a manicurist (named Madge) surprises her clients by telling them that their hands have been "soaking in it right now." {mp} ~ "Pay Back" (movie) - [While trying to make Fry cry, Amy] kind of reminded me of the oriental dominatrix girl in "Pay Back" with Mel Gibson. {jj3} + "The Simpsons" (D'uh!) - The bottom-most badge on Bender's sash has a picture of Homer Simpson's head. ======================================================================== = Freeze Frame Fanaticism = >> At the Robot Wash - PLEASE SELECT WASH [REGULAR] [DELUXE] [SUB-STANDARD] - PLEASE PUT SELF IN NEUTRAL - UNDERCOATING 25c >> Outside Hermes' office - HERMES CONRAD BUREAUCRAT CHEWING OUT [IN PROGRESS] >> Little Neptune scenery - GIRLS, GIRLS, ALIENS - All-tentacle Massage - HEAD SHOP - MARKET - LITTLE NEPTUNE MARKET >> Display case - I Can't Believe It's Not SLUG SLUG SLUG!! TENDERS SHANK >> Bender's apron - TO SERVE MAN >> Fry's reading homework - CORONATION OATH -- VOL. 1 >> Other signs - PRE-CORONATION GALA - please DON'T DRINK THE EMPEROR ======================================================================== = Goofs = - It doesn't make sense for Bender to insert his money, and _then_ select a type of wash. Either every form of wash costs the same or Bender already knew what he was getting. And if he'd already payed the extra money for a deluxe wash, why did he peruse the list a second time? - Leela's fork disappears after she says "Oh, dear God!" {zb} - Dr. Zoidberg isn't actually shown taking a second helping of slug. {vy} - Dr. Zoidberg has difficulty taking salt water, even though he's a lobster/crab. {vy} [Maybe it wasn't salty enough? {rm}] - After he yells "In your face, Gorgak," Bender disappears. - As the crew is lying on a stack of pillows in the palace, the clouds out the window are moving to the right. In Fry's close-up, they're moving in the opposite direction. - What few garments the liquid beings wear do not show up through their translucent bodies (i.e., we only see one side of a necklace, even though we can see the wall through the person's neck). - The little flap on Murg's chin is transparent as well. We can see the wall through the flap, even though Murg is wearing a red cape directly behind it. - The reaction to Florb's comic routine would suggest that the audience members are from under the red sun, but the closest sun to them is the yellow one. - Love that jacket [Leela] has, even if it does tend to spontaneously come unbuckled while holding certain books. {jb} - Emporer Bont's picture is replaced with a different one with no name (from which a spy tries to drink Fry). Fry's picture is replaced with an empty frame, also with no name. - As Fry gives his speech, the suns are setting to his right, but his shadow trails behind him. - In the wide shot during the coronation, Bender has a martini glass in his hand. Then in the closer shot he had a different kind of glass and anounced that he was switching to hard liquor. He then threw that glass away and took out a martini glass. {jg} - Bender's sash disappears in the shot from behind. - In the amount of time that Fry swallows the emperor and the emperor glows in his stomach, the emperor should have completely passed through Fry's bladder. {vy} [Maybe the salt from the slug caused Fry to retain the emperor. {jm}] - Amy lost her shoes running up the stairs to the throne room. (She was barefoot when she came in.) Nevertheless, she had her shoes back later in the scene. {br} [As she was kicking Fry in the stomach, she had her shoes on. Where did the shoes come from? Why did she put her shoes on to kick Fry? {gsc}] (This goof has been debunked. See "Minutiae.") - The strings on the collar of Fry's unisex robe start out very thin, but change to thick, black lines. - Emperor Bont looks lighter than he did in the trailer. Two corner shots show his darker side ... Fry: "I was emperor of a whole planet." ... Amy: "Leela's not the type to hold a grudge." {zb} ======================================================================== = Extended Goofs / Technical Nitpicks = >> A mysterious planet in the depths of the Forbidden Zone It'd be awfully boring, anal and time-consuming if we were to sit down and discuss every bit of poetic license and inconsistent event in this obviously unrealistic show and dissected and discussed them week after week after week. So, what better time to start than right now? (I'm just kidding, of course ... we started way back with 1ACV01.) Here's my musings about the planet Trisol. I'm not quite sure how it's possible for a liquid to have any sentient powers or qualify, by any definition, for the title of "living organism." Perhaps what the Trisol members are made of is only a liquid by our Earthly definition, and are actually only a very versatile and transparent solid matter, including their digestive and nervous systems, etc. Heck, they were never actually referred to, by a reliable person, as "liqid" (although they did do the reverse and refer to Fry as "solid"). I hear there was a race of supposedly liquid beings in a Star Trek episode. How was that explained? Fry said he was emporer of the entire _planet_. These beings don't look like they're capable of forming an entire global community. Furthermore, the only reason they chose to make Trisol a barren and desert-like planet rather than a cool, lush jungle seems to be as an excuse for Fry to be thirsty upon arrival. A hot and dry environment is the exact opposite of what you'd expect for a race composed of liquids, as opposed to a jungle or possibly an underground society. Come to think of it, maybe a good deal of the Trisol society lies underground, and the above-grounders are just outcasts. Maybe they told Fry that was all that existed of their planet out of denial. There is no sign of any villaiges or communities near the palace. Either the palace is actually an entire city or the tremendous crowds of people that appeared for events such as Fry's coronation and the Juice-O-Matic 4000 unveiling appeared out of nowhere. Or, this could be further evidence of an underground society. Note the existence of clouds in the sky. From the establishing shot in space, there don't appear to be any major oceans, nor is there anything greatly blocking our view of the actual ground's color. Perhaps these clouds are made up of Trisol lawbreakers! George S. Cutlip: Did it strike anyone else as odd that the Trisolian soldiers had spears and pikes, even though as a liquid race their weapons would be totally useless? They struck repeatedly at the palace door and reformed, so what damage could a pike do to their liquid bodies would be minimal. [I'll also point out that Leela's kick-boxing attacks seemed to have some effect on them. -ed] If anyone has more musings about the Trisolians, please contribute. ======================================================================== = Reviews = Joe Klemm: The show is now starting its average episode plan with this one. Not as funny as some of the other episodes of the show, but with a plot that can be enjoyed. Now if Bender is still the ship's cook in later episodes, then continuity can be kept. (C) Haynes Lee: The first half was good but the second half was hit and miss. (B-) Patrick McGovern: Second best yet, behind I, Roomate. The entire ep was hilarious, with generous airtime for Zoidberg and Amy. Of course, the plot setup was the funniest thing, but Bender as a chef is worth the price of admission alone. (Bam! Well, wasn't this an obvious Emeril parody?) (A-) Paul Melnyk: God, things can't get really that much worse. Can Futurama get out of the stereotyped sci-fi? A slug from Neptune is stereotyped sci-fi, constant defying vacuum in space is sci-fi, I'm sorry to take things seriously, but this is a sci-fi show. Well, we start off with a boring parody of "Car Wash." Then, Bender becomes a cook, and could it be any more predictable? And what's with Fry the jerk? Geez, apparentely the writers have an illusion this is humorous. When I first saw Futurama, I thought it had hope, I was looking forward to watching it each week. Why? The characters were actually human, now, every week, I get to look forward to a silly episode full of stereotypes. (C-) Matt O'Connell: I really liked this episode. (A-) Vince Yim: On the whole, pretty good. Better than Fishful of Dollars, not quite as good as Zap Brannigan. Some of the animation is really, really nice, especially when you have Fry going through the desert. The emperor's palace is well designed as well. (B+) Yours Truly: Sadly, this episode takes its place at the very bottom of my list so far. Were it not for the excellent opening act, my grade might've been even lower. I'm not saying it wasn't enjoyable, but there were a lot of things here that got boring and/or overdone near the end. I hope that the other episodes this season are indicative of the show's future, but not so much this one. (C+) Average Grade: [40/7=5.714285714286] (B-) ======================================================================== = Final Thoughts / Comments = >> Weasels are funny. Worms aren't. David Nott: When Bender was watching the cooking show, the TV chef at one point mentioned giving the dish he was preparing a "good blast from your spice weasel." If they really wanted to "kick up a notch" the joke, it should have been a spice WORM. >> An eye for fashion Jason Barrera: Leela seems to have a rather large wardrobe. She's got the green tank top, and then she's got the white tank top, and maybe some evening wear stashed away somewhere for when she actually gets a date. >> More Urban Legend Alerts Haynes Lee: Dutch folklore has a little boy preventing a flood by sticking his finger in the leaking dike. Classic false urban legend about newbie in the Big City waking up finding that various orgrans have been removed from his body. There is a Neutral Zone today. It's near Saudi Arabia. See Also, the Little Neptune Market selling human meat is a false urban legend about ethnic eateries (Chinese/E. Indian/Italian) using cat/dog/human meat instead of expected meat. See . >> He's the "love-potion" dealer Mark Poyser: In the DrinkEmperor program, Fry & company go to Little Neptune. Among the characters seen on the sidewalk is a bald guy in a white robe that has a large number "9" on front. He is trying to hand out some literature (or so it seems). What's that about? The only thing I can possibly think of, is a virus-writer who is known as "=9". (Refered to in . Be careful, incautious use of this site will ruin your computer.) Any thoughts? >> Unique product-placement Theodore Jay Miller: I don't know if other places got this or not, but where I am, the scene where Fry is incredibly thirsty, and drinks the Emperor, was immediately followed by this commercial announcement: "Futurama is brought to you by Gatorade Thirst Quencher." >> On the Cutting-Room Floor In the advertisement for this episode in "TV Guide," it shows a crowd of Trisolians enjoying a nice swim in a large swimming pool ... and acting as their own pool water. Nothing like this was in the episode we saw. Perhaps the scene was cut? ======================================================================== = Fun Stuff = >> Alien Language #1 sightings Sign in front of Little Neptune head shop: "OPEN" Televideo machine: "TELEVIDEO" On the signpost next to the throne: "DON'T DRINK THE EMPEROR" ("DON'T DRINK THE EMPORER" was also written in the TV Guide ad.) >> Alien Language #2 sightings Robert X. Smith: On the signpost in My Three Suns, we've all seen the sign with 7 red letters, all of them different, that seems to be drawn to jump out on purpose. I haven't run across any decryption of it, and I think it's the first instance of this particular alphabet we've seen. I believe that the mummy sarcophagi are covered in gibberish, by the way. I have a guess as to what the red lettered sign says. Time will tell if I am right. I believe it says "CAUTION." >> Other alien languages? There was a total of 12 signs next to the emporer's throne. It looks like we'll be referring back to this episode for a very long time ... >> References to Previous Episodes - [1ACV01] Fry lies on an operating table - [1ACV01] Quarters used in dispensing machine {hl} - [1ACV02] Sonic Diarrhea, cf. Terrible, Nightmarish Diarrhea - [1ACV02] Dr. Zoidberg forgets an essential element of human anatomy - [1ACV03] Fry: "Whaddup?" - [1ACV04] Videophones used >> Fan-made Alternate Titles for this Episode "Honey, I Drank the Emperor" {hl} "The Glassed Emporer" {pm3} ======================================================================== = Voice Credits = >> Starring Billy West ......................... Fry, Junkie, Neptunian, "Nurse," Farnsworth, Zoidberg, Guard 1, Gorgak Katey Sagal ................................................... Leela John DiMaggio ......................................... Elzar, Bender >> Guest Starring Dave Herman ....................................... Shopkeeper, Florp Phil LaMarre ................................................. Hermes Maurice LaMarche ..................... Shady Guy, Guard 2, Murg, Bont Lauren Tom ................................. Amy, "Collect Call" lady = Quotes and Scene Summaries = % The "Robot Wash" sits as a short, lengthy building at the side of the % road. Bender is at the front end, inserting his quarter and selecting % a wash from the list. He chooses "Deluxe," locks his feet into the % grated-metal conveyor belt on the floor, and begins the ride. The % song "Car Wash" begins to play. % Bender sings along to the song, as the conveyor belt pulls him through % the tunnel-shaped insides of the Robot Wash. As the belt makes pit % stops along the way, Bender is sprayed with soap and water, and dried % off with a giant hair-dryer. He reaches a machine marked % "Undercoating" and when he inserts an extra quarter, the machine % closes around his lower body and starts to whirr. As we can see from % Bender's eyes, he's in a state of ecstasy. % The undercoating job is over, and the conveyor belt, along with the % music, stops. Bender steps off, exits the back end of the Robot Wash, % and looks around. A mechanical hand lowers from above and places a % pine-tree-shaped air freshener around his neck, and Bender turns % around to admire the sparkly finish on his rear end. But a thunder % rumbles in the sky, some raindrops hit the pavement, and it begins to % pour, with Bender standing in the middle of it. He groans dejectedly. % End of Act One (0:52) % Alone in the Planet Express TV room, Bender switches on the TV. % "Essence of Elzar" is on, and we cut to the TV screen. It's a cooking % show set in an ordinary, albeit filthy and cluttered, kitchen. The % host is a blue-skinned man with a pig-like nose and four arms, wearing % a white apron and chefs' hat. He turns to the audience. Elzar: Hey, I'm Elzar. Welcome to the show. You know, you don't have to drive all the way to Neptune for great Neptunian food. Today, we're gonna kick it up a notch as I show you how to fricassee a mouth-watering Neptunian slug. Now, while you're greasing the pan and pre-heating your oven to 3500 degrees, you're gonna seperate the yolk from your genetically enhanced eggplant, and then give the whole thing a good blast from your spice-weasel. % Elzar shows us how its done by performing all of these steps as he % mentions them. When he gets the spice-weasel part, he grabs a real % live weasel from the shelf and squeezes it until a powdered substance % shoots out of its nose and onto the food. Elzar yells "Bam!" as he % squeezes. Back in real life, Fry and Leela walk through the door and % ask what it is he's watching, and Bender quickly stumbles for the % remote and turns off the TV. Fry: Hey, whatcha' watching? Bender: [apprehensive] Nothing! Leela: Is that a cooking show? Bender: No, of course not. It was ... uh ... porno! Yeah, that's it. % Leela turns the TV back on and they all see Elzar continuing about his % business on-screen. Bender is embarrased. Leela: Bender, I didn't know you liked cooking! That's so _cute_. Bender: [shyly] Oh, it's true, I've been hiding it for so long. Fry: It's okay, Bender. I like cooking too. Bender: [under his breath] Pansy! % Fry turns around on his way out, but Bender avoids eye contact. Cut % back to Elzar, who's now holding a frying pan and standing by a glass % cage, which contains a bright-green and yellow slug with sharp teeth. Elzar: Of course, the most important ingredient is this baby right here, the Neptunian slug. You can get it in a can, but to really do things right, you've gotta strangle yourself a fresh one. Now, this is why you always want to use cast-iron cookware. % Elzar picks up the slug by the neck and begins strangling it. The % slug gets angry and starts to inflate to ten times its size, while % Elzar tries to whack it in the head with his frying pan. Bender looks % disgusted. Later that evening, Bender is in Hermes' office getting % chewed out, as the sign outside would indicate. Hermes: Bender, mon, it has come to my attention that this company has been paying you to do nothing but loaf about on the couch. Bender: You call _that_ a couch? I demand a pillow! Hermes: I'm sorry, but if you want to continue drawing a salary, you've got to do more than watch the cooking shows all day. % Bender thinks for a moment. The next morning, he is standing in front % of Fry and Leela at the table, wearing a chefs' hat and apron. % Leela's white shirt has been replaced with a lime-green colored one. Fry: _You're_ gonna be the ship's cook? Bender: Yeah. We're gonna kick it up a notch! [he slams his fist on the table and yells "Bam!"] Leela: I know you like cooking shows, but you're a robot ... you don't even have a sense of taste! Bender: [effeminately] Honey, I wouldn't talk about taste if I was wearing a lime-green tank top. % Fry makes a cat-claw motion and yells "Bam!" at Leela. Later on, the % crew visit a crowded neighborhood in New New York, which is populated % with glowing neon signs advertising alien strip joins, and old- % fashioned street vendors hawking carts of fruit on the sidewalk. It's % also pupulated with lots of purple-skinned, four-armed aliens not % unlike Elzar, who are shopping for fruit, loitering on the street % corners, and going about their own business. Fry: So, this is Little Neptune? Bender: Yep. Every chef knows this is _the_ place to get exotic, gourmet ingredients. Leela: [cynically] Among other things. % What Leela is referring to is the vending machine in a nearby alleyway % that says "Buy Refreshing Crack!" At the machine, a junkie inserts % his money and awaits his prize, but the portion of crack gets stuck on % its way down to the bottom. The junkie cries for the machine not to % hold out on him like this, but it's no use, and he slinks down to the % floor in anguish. Meanwhile, the crew pass by another alleyway, and % Fry is stopped by a large, unshaven man in an overcoat. The man opens % up his overcoat to show rows of internal body parts such as % intestines, kidneys and eyeballs, and Fry studies them. Shady Guy: Psst. You want to buy organ? Fresh and cheap, ready for transplant. Fry: [points to the eyeball] Ooh, what's this? Shady Guy: S'x-ray eye. See through _anything_. Fry: Wait a minute, this says "Z-ray!" Shady Guy: "Z" is just as good! In fact, it's better, it's two more than "X." Fry: Hmmm, I can see where that can be an advantage. Do you take cash? % Fry takes out his wallet, but Leela yanks his arm and walks him away. % They start on their way towards a marketplace, passing many more busy % Neptunians on their way. Leela: Fry, you have to be more careful. You're not in the 20th century anymore. You don't know how things work here. Fry: I'm not a little kid, Leela. I grew up in this city. These are my people! % Fry waves "Whaddup?" to a passing Neptunian, who is shaped like an % octopus, and the alien responds with "Word!" They enter the % marketplace, which is a little shop with rows of glass display cases % and meat hanging from the ceiling. The man at the counter, his face % buried in a newspaper, is also an alien. The three of them split up % and shop around. Fry: Wow, you guys have every kind of meat here except human! Shopkeeper: [straightforward] What, you want human? % Leela buys two pounds of powdered swamproot, which is supposed to make % her irresistable to the opposite sex. Bender examines the store's % variety of slugs in stock, and gets some help from the shopkeeper. Bender: hey, buddy, I'm looking for fresh slug. Shopkeeper: Yellow, or purple? Bender: Whatever. Shopkeeper: The purple one causes terrible, nightmarish diarrhea. Bender: Yeah, yeah, either one's fine. Leela: Hey, have you seen Fry? % As the shopkeeper slaps a yellow slug onto the counter, we cut back to % the alleyway outside, where Fry is once again conversing with the man % in the overcoat. Fry: Now that you mention it, I _do_ have trouble breathing underwater sometimes. I'll take the gills. Shady Guy: [sly] Yes, gills ... then you don't need _lungs_ anymore. Is right? Fry: Can't imagine why I would. Shady Guy: Lie down on table. I take lungs now ... gills come next week. % Fry is led to a bare table further into the alleyway where he lies % down. The man takes out a pocket knife and calls over his "nurse" (a % tall, muscular guy with tatoos a mustache), and begins to concentrate % on the knife as it lowers into Fry's stomach. He warns that Fry "may % feel small pain." Before the knife can begin cutting, though, a kick % comes out of nowhere and knocks it into the air. It's Leela. She % then kicks the "nurse" unconscious and before she can attack the man % in the overcoat, he dashes away. On his way out, he picks up the % knife and tosses it back at Leela. She ducks out of the way, though, % and it lands in Bender's chest cavity. He slams it shut and yells % "Thaaank you!" We return to Planet Express later that night, and % they're arguing once more. Bender is on the couch across the room. Leela: What the hell were you doing? I warned you to stay away from those guys! Fry: I'm capable of making my own decisions, Leela. Did you ever stop to think I might be _happier_ with gills? [Farnsworth enters] Prof.: Good news, everyone! Bender: I don't like the sound of that ... Prof.: You'll be making a delivery to the planet Trisol. Bender: Here it comes ... Prof.: A mysterious world in the darkest depths of the forbidden zone. Bender: [chugging a beer] Thank you, and good night. Leela: Uh, Professor, are we even _allowed_ in the forbidden zone? Prof.: Why, of course, it's just a name like the Death Zone or the Zone of No Return. All the zones have names like that in the Galaxy of Terror. Leela: Uh, Professor ... Prof.: Off you go! Pleasant trip! % He pushes them out the door in a hurry. The ship takes off and % approaches a nearby galaxy. As the crew, sans Bender, relaxes in the % cockpit (it seems Amy and Dr. Zoidberg have also come along for the % ride), Bender is in the kitchen below the cockpit, hard at work fixing % their slug dinner. He removes the cooked slug from its boiling pot of % water and places it on a plate. He decides to add a dash of salt, but % in adding that 'dash,' he engulfs the entire slug in a pile of white % salt. It shrivels up beneath the pile. % Later, that same slug (still shriveled up and covered with salt) is % being cut into pieces and served to the crew in the ship's dining % room. Leela urges the rest of them to be supportive about Bender's % first meal, but when they all take their first bites, she's the only % one to scream "Oh, dear God!!!" at the top of her lungs. The others % aren't quite so blunt, but still can't help but spit it out. Fry: [pants] That's the saltiest thing I've ever tasted ... and I once ate a big, heaping bowl of salt. [they all take a sip of water, but spit it out as well] Amy: Bender, is this _salt_ water? Bender: It's salt with water _in_ it, if that's what you mean. Fry: My vision's fading. I think I'm gonna die! Bender: There was nothing wrong with that food. The salt level was 10% less than a lethal dose. Zoidberg: Uh-oh, I shouldn't have had seconds! % The ship approaches the dry and barren planet Trisol, and kicks up a % cloud of dust around a landing pad in the middle of a desert. Leela % hands Fry the package to deliver and urges him to be careful, but as % she speaks, Fry sarcasticly mimicks her lecture by clasping his hand % in and out, so it looks like his hand is talking. Leela: Okay, Fry, here's the package to deliver and, for once in your life, be careful. This is my first visit to the Galaxy of Terror and I'd like it to be a pleasant one. [she slaps his hand] Don't touch anything or talk to anyone. Just go to the palace, drop it off, and come right back. Fry: Geez, would you lay off? I was delivering things before you were even born. I think I know what I'm doing. % Fry storms out of the ship, returns for the package and storms out % once more. Once outside, Fry has to walk a great distance through the % desert to reach the palace on the horizon, and removes his jacket to % withstand some of the heat. He comments that the slug has made him % very thirsty, and when he sees the sun about to go down, he urges it % on. No more than a few seconds pass after sunset, though, before a % much closer, hotter sun rises behind the opposite horizon, to Fry's % dismay. % Fry has finally reached the palace and proceeds to walk up the long % staircase in the front. The palace is made of brick with a tannish % color, much like the sky and ground combined, and aside from the % staircase, it consists of differently-sized towers each topped with % domes. The tower in the center, to which the staircase leads, is % particularly big. At this point, Fry is covered with sweat stains and % is not so much walking as he is dragging himself. He reaches the top % of the staircase and enters a pair of wide-open wooden doors, to see % the hollow inside of the middle dome. It's got two rows of pillars % forming a line down the center to the other side, where a throne sits. % The path is lined with a red carpet. Surrounding the throne are % several signs written in alien alphabets. % The room appears to be empty. Fry yells for a response, but gets % none, so he proceeds down the carpet, onto the raised section of % floor at the other end, and places the package on the seat of the % throne. He looks around. Sitting on the right arm of the throne is a % bottle filled with a clear, blue liquid. There are drops of % condensation sliding down the side of the bottle, and Fry licks his % lips. Glancing around one more time, he reaches over to the bottle, % pops off the cap, and drinks it down. % There's something on the other side of the room, where Fry first % entered. A puddle of water leaks out of the wall, and then another. % Each puddle seems to take on a life of its own, and slides across the % floor towards Fry, who's still guzzling down the contents of the % bottle. As Fry swallows the last drop, each of the puddles morphs % into the shape of an alien being, and looks at what Fry has just done. Alien 1: [gasp] The royal bottle is empty! Alien 2: [gasp] You drank our emperor! Fry: [frightened] No, it wasn't me! % Fry belches, and a little blue bubble wiggles in the air outside his % mouth. He giggles nervously and pops it, but the liquid beings are % not amused. % End of Act Two (7:21) % Back to the palace. The two liquid beings from before, apparently the % palace guards judging by the spear-like weapons they hold in their % hands, are now accompanied by several more like them. Fry is still in % quite a heap of trouble. Guard 1: You drank our emporer! You assassinated him! Fry: I didn't mean to! He just looked so ... cool and refreshing. Guard 2: [spitefully] I'm sure he _was_. Guard 1: But now, he's gone and your fate is sealed! [pause; he raises his voice] All hail the new emporer!!! % Every one of them bends down on one knee before their new leader, and % Fry looks on flabbergasted. Later on, though, he's regained his cool. % He's slouched in the throne, with some female liquid beings fanning % him off, and several of his liquid minions gathered around the room. % His old Planet Express crew has also shown up, and Leela is trying to % talk some sense into him. Leela: So, after I specifically asked you not to touch anything, you drank a bottle of strange, blue liquid? It could've been poisonous acid! Fry: It _could've_ been, but chances were equally good it was an emporer. [a liquid being named Murg approaches the throne] Murg: Excuse me, your majesty, I am Murg, the High Priest. If I might interject ... ? Fry: You might. Murg: I humbly advise that, as your first act, you choose a capable Prime Minister. I suggest Gorgak, the previous appointee. [he gestures to the man next to him] Gorgak: I would be a forceful and effective administrator. Bender: You know, Fry, I've often thought about becoming a Prime Minister. Fry: I gotta go with Bender! Bender: [victoriously] Yes! In your face, Gorgak! Leela: That's it, Fry. As your captain, I order you back to the ship. You are in _way_ over your head. Fry: Gee, you think so, captain? I'd better check with my Prime Minister ... Bender: [cooly] Stay the course, pal. % Bender is now sitting in a smaller throne right next to Fry. He's % already being pampered to by two Trisolian liquid women of his own. % Gorgak approaches the throne once more, and informs Fry that a package % has come for him. (It's the same package that Fry had delivered to % the palace earlier.) Fry thanks Gorgak, takes the package over to the % throne, and opens it. Inside is a small sign that reads "Please Do % Not Drink the Emperor." Fry places the sign on one of the pillars % next to the throne, among the many other similar signs written in % alien alphabet. He states "This got here juuust in time." Later that % day, Murg is standing by Fry in a small, fancy room full of shelves % of irregularly shaped bottles. Murg: This is Your Majesty's harem. You may choose any one of these maidens to be your royal consort. Fry: [thinks to himself] How about that one? [Fry points to one on the bottom shelf] Murg: [laughs] Oh, I didn't realize Your Majesty was into that sort of thing. Fry: [panicks] On second thought, I'll take _that_ one. Murg: Hey, whatever you say. I'm not here to pass judgement. % The throne room where Fry first earned his empire has a set of tall, % skinny windows to the left and right of the center. Piled in front of % one set of windows are dozens of bright-colored cushions, and most of % the crew is resting on them. Amy is soaking her hand in a bowl of % water next to hers. Even Fry is sitting on the topmost pillow, once % again being fanned off by Trisolian women. Leela is not resting, % though: she's pacing back and forth in the center of the room. Leela: Does anyone think it's odd that a shiftless 25-year-old delivery boy could drop out of the sky, kill the emporer and be rewarded instead of punished? Fry: You don't have to beat around the bush, Leela. We all know who you're talking about. [thinks] Uh ... me, right? Amy: Aw, I don't think there's anything to worry about. These people seem really mild-mannered. Zoidberg: They _are_ mild. In fact, you're soaking in one right now. % Amy takes her hand out of the bowl it was soaking in. The water in % the bowl morphs into Gorgak's head, and he informs her that she's % "touched him in ways he's never been touched before." Murg walks into % the room and spots Fry. Murg: Ah, there you are, Your Majesty. It's time to begin preparing for tomorrow's coronation ceremony. Zoidberg: A fancy-dress gala? I'll wear my formal showl! Murg: Fry will be in throne tomorrow at the setting of the three suns, when we Trisolians enter our nocturnal phase. Fry: There won't be a lot of long-winded speeches, will there? Murg: Only one. The absolutely flawless recitation, from memory, of the royal oath ... by you. Fry: Will there be cake? % The next day, Fry, the crew, and a floor of formally dressed % Trisolians are dining inside during the pre-coronation gala. The % emporer and those close to him eat at a lengthy table overlooking the % rest of the dining hall, and at the side of the room a few Trisolians % are sitting inside wine glasses playing the liquid harmonica with % their own bodies. (I'm sorry, you'd have to see it for yourself ... ) % The audience applaud these musicians, and the stage is taken over by % Gorgak, who introduces us to their planet's foremost political % satirist, Florp. % Florp takes the microphone, a spotlight is turned on him, and the % audience hushes for him. Florp's comedy routine involves pointing out % that people from under the orange sun walk one way, but people from % under the red sun walk a different, much cooler way. The audience % laughs, and Fry seems to appreciate the observation as well. Leela, % who was not in the room until now, approaches Fry from behind to % inform him he's in terrible danger. She brings him away from the gala % to a large, incredibly long hallway in another part of the palace. % The hallway is lined on both sides with hundreds of portraits, each % one a former Trisol emporer. Leela tries to explain her case to Fry. Leela: You see emporer Plon here? He met his end when he was drunk by emporer Strug. And, before he could even wipe his mouth, Strug was drunk by Shwab. Fry: So? Leela: Look at all these guys! Do you have any idea what the average length of their reigns was? Fry: Uh ... 80,000 years? Leela: [annoyed] No. One week! Fry: Damn, I knew you wouldn't have asked unless it was really high or really low. Leela: Every emporer ascended to power by assassinating the previous one. And, guess who's next! % Leela points to the wall, and we see Fry's portrait. (He's winking % goofily in the picture.) After we see Fry's, we zoom to the portrait % next to his, which is labelled "Fry's Assassin." We then zoom to the % _next_ portrait, which says "Fry's Assassin's Assassin." Fry: Well, at least my assassin will get what's coming to him. Leela: [yelling] You're in tremendous danger, you idiot! Half these emperors were drunk at their own coronation. Fry: Hey, I plan on having a few brewskis myself. Leela: No, they were _assassinated_! In fact, the law says you'll be killed on the spot if you fail to recite the oath from memory. [she shows him a big book marked "Coronation Oath"] Fry: Yeah, I was gonna thumb through that later. Leela: [sighs] That is completely reckless! Don't you ever think ahead? Fry: Hell, no. If I stopped to think ahead, I wouldn't be emperor, and I wouldn't even be here in the year 3000. It's just like the story of the grasshopper and the octopus. All year long, the grasshopper kept burying acorns for winter while the octopus mooched off his girlfriend and watched TV. But then the winter came and the grasshopper died and the octopus ate _all_ his acorns, and then he got a racecar. Is any of this getting through to you? Leela: Oh, I give up! You're gonna get yourself killed, and this time _I_ won't be there to save you. Fry: Well, who asked you to? I told you 100 times to stop treating me like a baby. Now, go! Go gather your nuts, you nagging grasshopper. Leela: [furious] That's it, I'm never helping you again! If anyone besides _you_ needs me, I'll be in the ship. % Leela throws the Coronation Oath book onto the floor at Fry's feet and % storms away. Fry talks to himself after she leaves: "I'll be fine. % It's not like anyone's gonna drink _me_." When he says this, the % portrait on the wall behind him moves. The eyes disappear and a % little hole opens up, out of which a long, thin straw protrudes. The % straw attaches to Fry's neck and the man behind the portrait tries to % slurp Fry through it, but Fry just knocks it away and whines "Quit % it!" Later, an entire kingdom of Trisolians is gathered outside the % palace, and the royal parliement stands at a podium above them. Murg % addresses the crowd and introduces their new emperor (to much % applause), at which point Fry takes the podium. His first words are % "Whaddup?", but they bring a cold silence among the kingdom. Murg % warns him to stick to the oath, and that he does. Fry: I, Fry, who drank Bont the Viscous, who drank Ungo the Moist, who guzzled Zorn the Stagnant, who slurped Hudj the Dewey, who enjoyed a soup composed principally of Throm the Chunky, do solemnly swear to rule with honer and insanity ... uh, integrity. % A close-up shot reveals that Fry has the speech written on his arm. % Nonetheless, the crowd claps, Murg congratulates him, replaces Fry's % shirt with the Royal Unisex Robe, and declares "Long live Fry the % Solid!" The kingdom rejoices in celebration, and along the horizon we % see that the three suns are all setting at once. Bender takes note of % it as an indication that he can switch to hard liquor, and does so. % With the suns disappearing over the horizon, each and every Trisolian % starts to turn a whitish color, as well as those on the podium with % Fry. Bender says to his friends, "Check out the glowing freaks. It's % beautiful." He then points to Fry's stomach (bare, thanks to the % Unisex Robe), where a blue orb is beginning to form inside. Everyone % gasps, and a face appears in the blue orb; the previous emporer. Murg: The emperor Bont! He's still alive! Bont: Of course, I'm alive! Now, cut this creep open and drain me out. [the guards approach Fry, bearing swords] Fry: [sheepishly] My tummy hurts. % End of Act Three (6:55) % The first thing we see is Fry, Bender, Amy and Dr. Zoidberg rushing % back inside the palace, with the guards chasing behind them. The % emperor, still glowing inside Fry's stomach, tries to shout back to % his minions and tell them what direction the crew is headed in, but % Bender solves the problem by punching Fry in the stomach. The finally % succeed in locking themselves inside the throne room, and gather % around the front of the room together, when one of the Trisolians % (Murg) pounds on the door. Murg: Let us in! Fry must die so that Bont may live! Fry: [to his friends] What am I gonna do? Amy: We've gotta get the emporer out of your body before they kill you! Zoidberg: Relax, Fry. I'll simply spin you at a high-speed centrefuge, seperating out the denser fluids of His Highness. Fry: But, won't that crush my bones? Zoidberg: [to himself] Oh, right, right, with the bones. I always forget about the bones. Bender: Why don't you just sweat him out? Bont: Forget it. As emperor, I refuse to be dripped out through somebody's armpits. Fry: Well, I could vomit or urinate. Would you feel better about that? Bont: Slightly, but my favorite so far is the bone-crushing. Amy: What about crying? Fry: That's a great idea. Crying! Bont: [permissive] Fine, that or the bone one. % Outside, the others are trying to break into the room by splashing % themselves against the door. Murg brings good news that "the venir is % starting to peel," but the unlucky person that tries to to splash % himself next, who happens to be Gorgak, accidentally strikes a little % too hard and finds himself in a dozen little puddles on the floor. He % mutters "Oh, dear." Meanwhile, Fry is sitting in his throne clenching % his face in an attempt to cry. Fry: It's no use. I want to cry, but I'm just too macho. Bender: I'll make you cry, buddy! [clears throat; begins yelling at Fry] You're a pimple on society's ass and you'll never amount to anything! Fry: What do you mean? I was emperor of a whole planet. Bender: Good point, but here's a disturbing reminder ... everyone you knew or loved in the 20th century is dead! Fry: These things happen. Bender: [grumbles] Okay, Fry, grab a kleenex for this one ... 'cause there's no God, and your idiotic human ideals are laughable!!! [chuckles evilly] Fry: Whew ... that's a load off my mind. Bender: Man, I guess it's harder than I thought to make someone cry. Amy: You did your best, Bender. Bender: Up yours, bimbo!!! [Amy runs off crying] Zoidberg: Let's face it, we're in hot butter here. We should call Leela for help. Bender: Cram it, lobster!!! [Zoidberg weeps] But that _is_ a good idea ... I'll go call her. Fry: Nah, she'll never help me. She's still mad that I told her never to help me. Amy: C'mon, Leela's not the type to hold a grudge. % We cut instantly to a photograph of Fry, which is taped to the side of % a punching bag. Leela, in the ship's cargo bay area, lets out a few % punches onto the photo, when the televideo machine on the wall comes % to life. A voice from the machine announces a collect call, and the % recording is of Bender defensively saying "I'm not giving my name to a % machine!" Leela accepts, and Bender's picture flickers into view. Bender: Fry's in trouble and he needs help. Now, I don't like you and you don't like me ... Leela: [friendly] _I_ like you. Bender: You do? [he shakes his head in confusion] Look, are you gonna help or not? Leela: I don't see why I should. I mean, after the way ... Bender: Wait, wait, wait ... what is it you like best about me? % After the phone call is over, Bender walks back over to the throne % where the rest of them are gathered. Amy: Is she coming? Bender: I'm not sure, but I do know she like my "in-your-face attitude." % Outside the palace, there is a horde of Trisolians gathered together; % so big that from a bird's-eye view, the entire ground appears to be % blue. A few of them are pushing a large vehicle across the desert, % which has what looks like a fifty-foot-tall blender in the middle. % One of them pulls a cord and the machine starts to whirr, and the crew % run to observe the action from the throne room windows. Fry: [panicking] What the hell is that? Bont: It's the Juice-O-Matic 4000! It'll strain my juices from you while filtering out the pulp ... by which I mean your shredded remains. Zoidberg: Of course! Why didn't I think of that? Fry: This is the saddest day of my life ... and I still can't cry! Bender: Wait a second, here comes Leela! % Almost lost in the crowd beneath, we see Leela fighting her way past a % neverending onpour of Trisolians. She performs a variety of fighting % moves on them, and is able to splash a number of her enemies to bits, % but is eventually overpowered and surrounded. Amy: Oh no, they have her totally outnumbered! Fry: I can't believe it! She's risking her life for me after the way I treated her? [moans] I don't deserve this. I feel terrible. % This gives Bender an idea. When Fry (who has now walked away from the % window back to his throne) asks if Leela is alright, Bender tells him % in an obviously phony tone of voice that the aliens are swarming all % over her. When Amy, who has a clear view of what is actually going on % outside, protests, Bender cups his hand over her mouth, and after a % little helpless muttering, she finally gets it. Bender returns to the % window. Bender: They're strapping her to the juicer! Oh, they're putting some ice-cubes in the glass under it. Fry: [sobs] This can't be happening! Bender: It can, and for all you know, it is. [walks over to Fry] I'm sorry , Fry ... she's dead. % Fry is hunched over one arm of the throne, and his eyes are beginning % to water. A single tear forms, and falls through the air until it % lands inside the "royal bottle," which is waiting in Amy's hands % beneath Fry's head. Fry speaks remorsefully to himself. Fry: [slowly; sadly] All Leela ever wanted to do was help me, and I was too proud and stupid to accept it. I wish I had died instead of her. Leela: What are you talking about? % To some musical fanfare, Leela shows up with a grappling hook through % one of the windows. Fry and Leela are both confused, but Bender % explains the situation to them. Amy complains that they were only % able to get two drops of the emperor. They're all startled by a loud % noise coming from across the room; a hole appears in the center of one % of the wooden doors, and a stream of water starts pouring out of it % into the room. Emperor Bont evilly declares that it's only a matter % of time now, but Dr. Zoidberg saves the day by sticking a piece of his % "mustache" into the hole and plugging the leak. Leela: Listen, Fry, I think I can get us out of this if you're willing to let me help you. Fry: Thanks, Leela. From now on, I'll take all the help you're willing to give. I know you just want what's best for me. % They exchange warm glances, and Leela wrecks the moment by stomping % forcefully on Fry's foot. He screams in pain. Leela continues to % slap him and pull his hair, and Fry tries in vain to question her. % Leela comforts him verbally as she hurts him, and calls everyone else % over to help him out. Once he notices the tears forming in his eyes, % he understands, and lets them proceed. Leela cracks his nose, Amy % pulls his hair some more and Bender rubs the lit end of a cigar into a % "sensitive area," all while Fry is dropping tears into the bottle. % After a while, Amy holds it up and declares that they're one tenth of % the way there. % The scene changes to much later that night, where Leela, Bender and % Dr. Zoidberg are sitting exhausted by the window. Fry is curled up on % the floor, and Amy is kicking him in the stomach. She walks away to % catch her breath, and points off-screen to say "It's your turn." % Someone from off-screen with blue hands whacks Fry with a chair. Fry: Hey, wait a minute ... who are you? Bont: I'm the emperor! Thanks for crying me out. Fry: Oh, you're welcome. % Emperor Bont, who is standing above Fry, whacks him with the chair a % few more times. We pan away from the palace, sitting in front of a % star-lit night-sky backdrop, as Fry gets whacked with the chair a few % more times. Bender's voice comes from inside. Bender: Hey, save some for me! % End of Act Four (6:09) ======================================================================== = Contributers = {br} Benjamin Robinson {ml2} Mark Lewald {co} Calyxa Omphalos {mp} Mark Poyser {gsc} George S. Cutlip {mr} Matthew Riley {hl} Haynes Lee {pm3} Patrick McGovern {jb} Jason Barrera {rm} Rob Merritt {jg} Jim Geraghty {rc} Rick Carlson {jj3} Jason Jenkins {rs} Reagen Sulewski {jk} Joe Klemm {sam} Steven Aaron Monroe {jl} Jake Lennington {sv} Steve VanDevender {jm} Joshua Moore {vy} Vince Yim {jr2} Javier Redal {zb} Zapp Brannigan {ml} Mike Lee ======================================================================== Futurama and its characters are the ==== First uploaded: 13-Jun-1999 properties of 30th Century Fox. Blame ==== Revision D : 26-Sep-1999 them for any omissions. This capsule ==== E-mail me: compiled by Jordan Eisenberg the Solid. ================================