Episode Capsule: [3ACV17] A Pharaoh To Remember

Title: A Pharaoh To Remember
Written by: Ron Weiner
Directed by: Mark Ervin
Opening theme promotion: PSST... BIG PARTY AT YOUR HOUSE AFTER THE SHOW

Synopsis

After delivering an enormous sandstone to Osiris 4, Fry, Leela and Bender are forced to work as slaves assisting the construction of the great Pharaoh Hamenthotep's tomb -- a pyramid. When Bender experiences an identity crisis because he has never been an over-achiever, he becomes extremely motivated, working harder and faster than anyone for the completion of the tomb. While the Pharaoh acknowledges the crew's diligence, Bender's efforts accidentally kill him, and Bender proceeds to the throne.

Voice Credits

Starring

Billy West (Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Zoidberg)
Katey Sagal (Leela)
John DiMaggio (Bender)
Tress MacNeille

Guest Starring

David Herman
Phil LaMarr
Lauren Tom (Amy)

Also Starring

Maurice LaMarche

Did You Notice…

One of the slave drivers wearing a "What Would the Pharoh Do?" robe? — Joe Klemm
The photo above Bender's casket is a mug shot. — Cliffieho
Bender has integrated Rollerblades in his feet? — Lena Linck
Bender is reading "sullen robot" magazine, while Leela uses his hand to fix the ship? — Lena Linck
the roulette wheel, that is lying on top of the wood, that Leela uses to blow up the destillary, has Benders head in the middle? — Lena Linck

External References

Wedding Bouquet Legend

The professor's funeral being next because he caught the funeral bouquet. — Joe Klemm Abott and Costello Meets the Mummy
Ancient Egyptian aliens knowing technology to turn pharohs into beings that would scare the two. — Joe Klemm Cleopatra, King Tut
Cleotut — Joe Klemm Closing Time
"You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here." — Joe Klemm "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles
"You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here." — Joe Klemm Candle in the Wind 1997
Elton John performing at the pharoh's funeral. — Joe Klemm "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles
The guitar riff that plays when Pharoah Bender makes his big entrance "Chariots of the Gods" by Erich Von Daniken
perhaps the best-selling version of the theory that ancient Egypt was visited by space aliens. In this episode, of course, we learn that it's the aliens who learned from the Egyptians, not the other way around. Lose Weight Now, Ask Me How!
"What we do is we starve you to death." — mtvcdm Raiders of the Lost Ark
Snakes coming into the tomb through the walls, just like the Egyptian tomb where Indiana Jones finds the Ark of the Covenant. — Michael Nissen 1984 by George Orwell
Liberty Meadows reminds of Victory Mansions? — Yama Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Fry says "I've got a bad feeling about this" while being hauled away tied to a log. This is similar to a scene on Endor in Return of the Jedi. — Jimmi Hansen Egyptian Mzthology
Osiris-god of the underworld (afterlife) and judge of the dead — Lena Linck Egyptian Mythology
The Priests look like Thot, the god of wisdom,who had the head of an ibis. — Lena Linck
The some of the slave drivers look like Anubis, god of mumification,who had the head of a schakal. — Lena Linck

Futurama References

[2ACV11] How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back

that poor Austrailian guy from How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back reappears — Norm MacDonald [2ACV18] The Honking
Hermes used the 'mute' function of Bender's remote control. — Larry [1ACV02] The Series Has Landed
After Fry asks "What will I watch and drink all day?" one can see the giant screen TV which the professor used to show off his Planet Express ad. — Larry [2ACV16] Anthology of Interest 1
Scruffy mentions that he's never seen one of the main characters before. — Michael Nissen

Freeze Frame Fun

Labels at the haven:
* Slave Chess Club
* Don't be slave to credit - consolidate your bills
* Loose weight now - ask me how!

Billboard in New New York:
Dolphin: the other white meat

LIBERTY MEADOWS: slave quarters

Animation, Continuity, and Other Goofs

In "A Head in the Polls" Bender is made up mostly of titanium. However, at his funeral, The Professor doesn't even list it in his composition. — Larry
The mouth of the giant Bender statue lights up everytime the words "remember me!" is heard. When the PE ship takes off in the end we see the mouth and hear the words, but the mouth doesn't light up. — Michael Nissen
When Bender throws the ball to distract the dog-like guards, one of them makes a bark that is very high-pitched, like you would expect from a 15-pound dog or so. (The dog-like guards are human-sized) — RandomEngy
The pharaoh is burried with his heart, liver, brain with eye balls attached and another, slightly hidden, jar with two more eyes flowting. Did the pharaoh had four eyes? — Lena Linck
Many thousand years ago the people from Osiris four visited the egyptains and learned from them, among other things, how to spacetravel. If they didn't know that before, how they got to ancient egypt in the first place? — Lena Linck

Comments and Other Observations

First Hermes, now Bender: who's next for wearing Speedos? — Tom Georgoulias
The Royal cubit of ancient Egypt was approx. 53.3 cm. The statue Bender demanded errected of himself were to be 1 billion cubits in height. That's roughly 533000 km. No wonder they needed spacegear in the end. — Michael Nissen
Fry is seen pushing a stone block up a ramp, and Leela hoisting one up via rope. Fry's block looks like it may be 2 meters by 2.5 meters by 1 meter. A conservative estimate of the density of the stone (2 g/cc) puts the mass of it at 10,000 kg. Assuming Earth-like gravity, for Fry to push the block up the 35 degree ramp, he would have to exert a force of over 55,000 Newtons, not counting friction. Leela is hoisting about a 2 meter cube up, which means she is exerting a force of about 150,000 Newtons. This means that both Fry and Leela should be able to lift large cars easily. — RandomEngy

Original capsule author: Tom Georgoulias