Episode Capsule: [4ACV10] The Why Of Fry

Title: The Why Of Fry
Written by: David X. Cohen
Directed by: Wes Archer
Opening theme promotion: Dancing Space Potatoes? You Bet!

Synopsis

When Leela gets swept off her feet by Chaz, an aide to the Mayor, Fry falls into a deep funk thinking that she could never like a non-important guy. Adding to Fry's funk, a bizarre genetic abnormality is discovered that qualifies him for a mission to save the universe. While on this mission, we learn what really happened on Dec. 31, 1999, the night Fry was frozen. Meanwhile, Chaz ruins a skating date, and Leela realizes Fry is much more to her than she ever knew.

Voice Credits

Starring

Billy West (Fry, Dr. Zoidberg, Nibblonian)
Katey Sagal (Leela)
John DiMaggio (Bender)
Tress MacNeille (Nibblonian)

Guest Starring

Bob Odenkirk
David Herman
Lauren Tom (Amy)
Frank Welker (Nibbler)
Nicole St. John
Kath Soucie

Also Starring

Maurice LaMarche

Did You Notice…

Leela has a single contact lens? — edel
that we hear an off-voice for the first time outside of the Anthology of Interest episodes? — Marc Wichterich
that Albert is missing from the orphanarium group? Did he get adopted? — Marc Wichterich
that Fry was drinking a bottle of "Shiz" in the pub? — Marc Wichterich
that the police robot URL has a siren on his head? — Marc Wichterich
That in the future, not only are animals like camels and zebras still existant, but are eaten for lunch by the Nibblonians? — Cygnus-hime
they use the same soundtrack of Fry's lines from 1ACV01 rather than rerecording it? — JB
That Bender has a pinup fembot in his locker? — Cygnus-hime
Zoidberg apparently has a hole in the top of his head? — Clamps
The robot cop URL can instantly print out citations? — Jonah Falcon
Nibblonians also use cats' scratching posts, including a mouse toy? — Jonah Falcon
Dr. Zoidberg apparantly has no outer genitals? — fo0bar

External References

Star Wars (movie)

The Brain-made Infosphere is reminiscent of the Imperial Death Star. — Marc Wichterich Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus (book)
A guide to communication in relationships by Dr. John Gray. In this episode Amy is reading "Martians are from Mars, Venusians are from Venus". — edel Dave Matthews Band
According to the Nibblonians, they do not rock. — edel Men In Black
The memory erasing done by Nibbler on Fry is very similar to the flash-eraser from Men In Black — aslate Cypress Hill
A small brain asks if Fry is "insane in the membrane," which is an allusion to the Cypress Hill song "Insane in the Brain", which features a chorus that goes, in part, "Insane in the membrane / Insane in the brain!" — Jason G Boyles Road-Runner (cartoon)
The rocket skates are slightly reminiscient of the Acme rocket skates Wile E. Coyote always buys. — Jonah Falcon American Pie (song)
One of the brains suggests singing this song after being transfered to the alternate universe. It's a very, very, very loooooong song, so it'd be a good way to while away time. (Or if the universe has been destroyed and you're sick of D&D and chatting about Star Trek already.) — Cygnus-hime Mary Worth (comic strip)
"There are guys in the background of Mary Worth comics that are more important than me." — fo0bar

Futurama References

[1ACV01] Space Pilot 3000

Fry is pushed into the cryogenic chamber. You can see Nibbler's shadow below the table. — Marc Wichterich [4ACV07] Jurassic Bark
Fry is pushed into the cryogenic chamber. You can see Nibbler's and future-Fry's shadows below the table. — Marc Wichterich [3ACV19] Roswell that Ends Well
Fry does the nasty in the pasty with his grandmother. This inbreeding causes his brain to lack delta brain waves, which in turn makes him immune to the Brains. — edel [3ACV09] The Cyber House Rules
The kids from the orphanarium reappear at the rocket skating rink. — Marc Wichterich [3ACV07] The Day the Earth Stood Stupid
Fry fights the Brains a first time and meets the Nibblonians. — Marc Wichterich [2ACV16] Anthology of Interest 1
A nexus between the two universes occurring at the point of time when Fry got frozen is mentioned. In this episode, the consequences of Fry not being frozen were shown. — Cygnus-hime [3ACV07] The Day the Earth Stood Stupid
The Nibblonians' tiny and distinctive spaceships are seen, as is their homeplanet of Eternium and their castle-like meeting place. — Cygnus-hime [1ACV04] Love's Labour's Lost In Space
We meet Nibbler for the first time on Vergon 6 (where he was stationed), and learn about his distinctive, er, aromatic byproduct. — Cygnus-hime [4ACV07] Jurassic Bark
You can see Nibbler's top eye popping out of the garbage can. — Herbert [1ACV04] Love's Labour's Lost In Space
Nibbler's penchant for eating animals. — Jesse Barboza [2ACV17] War Is The H-Word
Using a wind-up toy to fight enemy forces. — Jesse Barboza [1ACV08] A Big Piece of Garbage
At the beginning of the episode, Fry is wearing the same space suit. — Baron Chris [3ACV07] The Day the Earth Stood Stupid
We actually see the "Feast Of a thousand beasts" in this episode while in 3ACV07 the "Feast of a thousand hams" is only mentioned. — HawkingHole4001 [3ACV09] The Cyber House Rules
Leela dates a seemingly nice, good-looking guy who turns out to be a complete jerk. Plus, Chaz dresses a lot like Adlai and looks like him, except for the bangs and eyebrows. — Cygnus-hime [3ACV19] Roswell that Ends Well
Fry senses colors for the first time. Somethings smells blue when he is standing in the blue light produced by the microwave. That light merges a bit later with red light from the supernova. In "The Why of Fry" something tastes purple (= red + blue). — Michael Nissen [1ACV01] Space Pilot 3000
Nibbler is responsible for the I.C. Weiner prank call to lure him to the cryogenic center. — Jonah Falcon [1ACV02] The Series Has Landed
Fry's space suit in the beginning is identical to the suits used in the Planet Express commercial. — fo0bar [3ACV07] The Day the Earth Stood Stupid
Nibbler hides and unhides his spaceship from an alley. — JD

Freeze Frame Fun

In Elzar's:

 Bathroom
  is for
Stroganoff
Customers
   only

On the two obelisks in AL2:

Fuzzy Wuzzy

At the Data Port:

* Beavers mate for life
* 11 > 4
* For Quality Carpets, Visit Kaplan's Carpet Warehouse

On the scooters:

* Who's ready for safe fun?
* The Doom-Bringer Scooty-Puff. Sr.

PLANET ETERNIUM
INCONCEIVABLE DIMENSIONS
       NOT SHOWN

Animation, Continuity, and Other Goofs

Lord Nibbler was under the desk the entire time from when Fry entered the cryogenics lab to when he got frozen. But in "Jurrasic Bark", there's a Nibblonian eyestalk poking out of the garbage can. Goof, or another Nibblonian? — Alan Hamilton
Past-Fry doesn't hear Future-Fry and Nibbler talking in the otherwise silent cryogenic lab? — Marc Wichterich

Comments and Other Observations

Two math/computer science things at the Infosphere: It scans all knowledge in a sequential way. One knowledge chunks is "11 > 4". There are unlimited pairs like that, so the scan could never be completed. Also, the Infosphere does a selfscan (presumably for completeness) witout having a complete copy to compare it to. — Marc Wichterich
Too bad Fry never got to ask about how a relationship with him and Leela never would have turned out. I'm betting the barn that that would have been his next question (or at least after the REALLY big question of "Is there a God" or something like that). — Cygnus-hime
If the Nibblonians needed Fry in the future for his unique brainwave pattern, then are they responsible for the gang being sent back in time to Roswell, forcing Fry to become his own grandpa, since this is how he obtained his unusual composition? — Tate
Are there now 2 of Fry existing? One in the alternate universe and one on earth? — Paul
There should be only one Fry now, Fry changed the future by bitching about the scooter to Nibbler when he had the chance. So he never left this universe when the bomb went off. He probably didn't understand that himself when he said "I'm gonna get trapped in the Infosphere again". — Dark Shooter
Was the Professor wrong when he said that there was only one other universe (the cowboy one) around? — Marc Wichterich
Why would the Nibblonians think Fry would eat a whole, live zebra? — Jonah Falcon

Original capsule author: Can't Get Enough Futurama <www.gotfuturama.com>