Murder on the Planet Express

Last updated

"Murder on the Planet Express"
Futurama episode
Episode no.Season 7
Episode 24
Directed byFrank Marino
Written by Lewis Morton
Production code7ACV24
Original air dateAugust 21, 2013 (2013-08-21)
Episode features
Opening caption #1 Rated Show in Universe 3
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Game of Tones"		Next →
"Stench and Stenchibility"
Futurama (season 7)
List of episodes

"Murder on the Planet Express" is the twenty-fourth episode in the seventh season of the American animated television series Futurama , and the 138th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central on August 21, 2013. The episode was written by Lewis Morton and directed by Frank Marino. In this episode, the crew get trapped aboard the Planet Express ship with a horrific alien creature. The episode's title derives from Murder on the Orient Express and parodies Alien and The Thing .

Contents

Plot

In their apartment, Fry accuses Bender of using his toothbrush to polish his buttocks. At the Planet Express offices, Hermes accuses Zoidberg of eating his lunch, while Leela accuses Amy of using her punching bag for golf ball practice, and Amy accuses Leela of using her golf club to pound dents out of the Planet Express ship. Fry, Leela and Hermes each purchase spy cameras to air out their accusations to the crew. Fry's accusation video of Bender shows that although Bender was not using his toothbrush that night, he did steal Fry's kidney whilst he slept. Leela's video accusing Amy only shows that Scruffy had used Amy's club to kill a fly and that Zoidberg had been living in Leela's punching bag. Hermes' video to spy on Zoidberg instead reveals that Bender had used his lunchbox to keep Fry's kidney on ice, which Leela unwittingly ate, much to everyone's disgust. It is then revealed that Hermes' manwich had instead been used in Professor Farnsworth's kidney transplant, causing him to become unwell.

Frustrated at the crew's uncontrollable bickering, Farnsworth hires business consultant Dan McMasters to conduct a team building exercise. On the way to the corporate team building retreat, they pick up a random hitchhiker at McMasters's behest. The hitchhiker is used by McMasters to be the first "trust fall", but McMasters is apparently eaten by the hitchhiker, who transforms into a monster, crawls into the ventilation shafts and shuts off the power. Scruffy's apprentice Jackie Jr. is soon eaten by the creature. The crew go to the panic room, but the creature shuts off the life support for the ship. Farnsworth splits the crew into three teams: Zoidberg and Hermes must restart the life support system, Leela and Amy must travel to the bridge to get the steering wheel so as to pilot the ship from the panic room, and Bender and Fry must relight the pilot light from outside the ship to get the engines restarted.

Fry and Bender manage to restart the engines, but Bender's gyroscope is damaged when the engines ignite in his face; panicked, he accidentally breaks Fry's helmet causing him to suffocate in the vacuum of space. Bender, in a bid to save his life as well as fix his gyroscope, stuffs Fry into his compartment. Fry then takes over Bender's body by wearing him like a suit, creating a combination dubbed "Frender", and gets him under control. Zoidberg and Hermes restart the life support system (which was being blocked by a skeleton they assume is Jackie Jr.'s), but Hermes' motion detector shows that the monster is coming. Hermes gets stuck in the vent and Zoidberg tries, in vain, to free him. In the ship's basement, Amy and Leela and encounter the monster. Leela attempts to fight it, but is captured. Amy's golf shot to the monster's face saves her and they make a run for the bridge and take the steering wheel. Happy with their success, they proclaim themselves "Lamy". They run back to the panic room and mistake Hermes' legs for the monster and attack him. Zoidberg, calling themselves "Hermberg", dislodges Hermes by squirting him with ink. Amy fixes Bender's gyroscope by hitting him with her club, but the group abruptly comes face to face with the monster and flee back to the panic room.

Once they get the ship up and running again, Farnsworth reveals that the whole thing was an exercise in trust. The three teams congratulate each other, but Hermes is abruptly eaten by the monster, who was disguised as Farnsworth, who also manages to claim Scruffy and Farnsworth himself via shape-shifting. The surviving crew members run out of the panic room and arm themselves with laser pistols. The monster continues to eat various members of the crew until only Fry and Bender are left; they meet up and proclaim that they trust each other (and Bender admits to using Fry's toothbrush) before McMasters enters the room. McMasters assures them that the whole thing was staged to help build trust and the monster, Blorgulax, is his business associate. He asks them to join him and the rest of the crew to a pizza party on the bridge, but Fry and Bender are convinced that he is the monster and kill him. Too late, the crew reveal themselves to be alive and well, and Bender disposes of McMasters' remains. Back on Earth, the news reports on McMasters' mysterious disappearance and possible homicide. Fry and Bender agree to not tell anyone about what happened. Linda then states that the police will give $1,000,000 for information leading to an arrest. In the event of two killers, they will give total immunity and $2,000,000 to whoever turns in the other (a variant of the prisoner's dilemma). Bender and Fry then glare at each other and at the phone on the table.

Reception

Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club gave this episode a B+. [1] Max Nicholson of IGN gave the episode an 8.8/10 "Great" rating, saying the episode "featured consistent laughs and one of the best storylines in recent memory." [2]

Lewis Morton was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Outstanding Writing in Animation at the 66th Writers Guild of America Awards for his script to this episode. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoidberg</span> Futurama character

Dr. John A. Zoidberg, often referred to mononymously as Zoidberg, is a fictional character from the animated series Futurama. He is a Decapodian, a crustacean-like species of alien, who works as the staff doctor for Planet Express, despite his woeful understanding of human physiology and allusions to his questionable credentials. His character parodies the supposed wealth and automatic respect of modern doctors—for example, his incompetence at human medicine makes him extremely poor despite his profession, and he is implied to be frequently homeless when not at work. The Decapod are an extended parody on Jewish culture—the bigger joke being that shellfish are not kosher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip J. Fry</span> Main character in the television show Futurama

Philip J. Fry, commonly known mononymously by his surname, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated series Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a version of his own voice as he sounded when he was 25. He is a delivery boy from the 20th century who becomes cryogenically frozen and reawakens in the 30th century to become a delivery boy there with an intergalactic delivery company run by his 30th great-grandnephew, Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth. He is the best friend and roommate of Bender and the boyfriend and later fiancé of Leela while he is Elena Fry's father.

"Roswell That Ends Well" is the nineteenth episode in the third season of the American animated television series Futurama, and the 51st episode of the series overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 9, 2001. The plot centers on an accidental time travel event that results in the main characters participating in the Roswell Incident in 1947.

<i>Futurama</i> (video game) 2003 video game

Futurama is a 3D platform video game based on the science fiction animated series of the same name. It was developed by Unique Development Studios for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, both of which use cel-shading technology. The cutscenes of the game are presented as an entire "lost episode" of Futurama on the DVD of The Beast with a Billion Backs.

"The Series Has Landed", also known as "Episode Two: The Series Has Landed", is the second episode in the first season of the American animated television series Futurama. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 4, 1999. The episode was written by Ken Keeler and directed by Peter Avanzino. In this episode, several main characters, including Doctor Zoidberg, Amy Wong and Hermes Conrad, are first introduced, and the crew goes on their first mission. After completing their delivery, a series of mishaps occurs which puts Fry and Leela's lives in danger and nearly leaves all of them trapped on the Moon.

"My Three Suns" is the seventh episode in the first season of the American animated television series Futurama. The episode originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 4, 1999. The plot focuses on Fry as he becomes emperor of an alien world, only to find himself in need of rescue when the previous emperor is discovered to be not really dead.

"A Flight to Remember" is the tenth episode in the first season of the American animated television series Futurama. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 26, 1999. The title is a reference to Walter Lord's non-fiction book about the Titanic disaster A Night to Remember. This episode was written by Eric Horsted and directed by Peter Avanzino. Dawnn Lewis guest-stars in this episode as LaBarbara Conrad. The episode is a direct parody of the 1997 film Titanic.

"Anthology of Interest I" is the sixteenth episode in the second season of the American animated television series Futurama, and the 29th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 21, 2000. This episode, as well as the later "Anthology of Interest II", serves to showcase three "imaginary" stories, in a manner similar to the "Treehouse of Horror" episodes of Matt Groening's other animated series The Simpsons.

"Anthology of Interest II" is the eighteenth episode in the third season of the American animated television series Futurama, and the 50th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 6, 2002. This episode, as well as the earlier "Anthology of Interest I", serves to showcase three "imaginary" stories.

"The Farnsworth Parabox" is the fifteenth episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series Futurama, and the 69th episode of the series overall. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on June 8, 2003. The episode was written by Bill Odenkirk and directed by Ron Hughart. The plot of this episode revolves around the Planet Express crew's adventures in parallel universes.

"Three Hundred Big Boys" is the sixteenth episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series Futurama, and the 70th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on June 15, 2003. Set in a retro-futuristic 31st century, the series follows the adventures of the employees of Planet Express, an interplanetary delivery company.

<i>Futurama: Benders Big Score</i> 2007 film by Dwayne Carey-Hill

Futurama: Bender's Big Score is a 2007 American animated science fiction comedy film based on the animated series Futurama. It was released in the United States on November 27, 2007. It was the first Futurama production since the original series finale "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings". Bender's Big Score, along with the three follow-up films, comprise season five of Futurama, with each film being separated into four episodes of the broadcast season. Bender's Big Score made its broadcast premiere on Comedy Central on March 23, 2008. The film was written by Ken Keeler, based on a story by Keeler and David X. Cohen, and directed by Dwayne Carey-Hill.

<i>Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs</i> 2008 American film

Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs is a 2008 American direct-to-video adult animated science-fiction comedy-adventure film based on the animated series Futurama, and the second of four straight-to-DVD films that make up the show's fifth season. The film was released in the United States and Canada on June 24, 2008, followed by a UK release on June 30, 2008 and an Australian release on August 6, 2008. The title refers to a euphemism for sexual intercourse—"the beast with two backs". Comedy Central aired the film as a "four-part epic" on October 19, 2008. The movie won an Annie Award for "Best Animated Home Entertainment Production".

<i>Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder</i> 2009 American film

Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder is a 2009 American direct-to-video adult animated science fiction comedy-adventure film based on the animated series Futurama, and the fourth and final of the direct-to-DVD films that make up the show's fifth season. The film was written by Ken Keeler, based on a story by Keeler and David X. Cohen, and directed by Peter Avanzino. Guest stars include Phil Hendrie, Penn Jillette, Snoop Dogg, and Seth MacFarlane, who sings the theme song. In the movie, Leela becomes an outlaw when she and a group of ecologically-minded feminists attempt to save an asteroid of primitive life forms and the Violet Dwarf star from being destroyed, while Fry joins a secret society and attempts to stop a mysterious species known as the "Dark Ones" from destroying all life in the universe. The title itself is a reference to the U.S. Air Force Song, the main chorus of which describes reaching "Into the wild blue yonder".

<i>Futurama: Benders Game</i> 2008 American film

Futurama: Bender's Game is a 2008 American direct-to-video adult animated science fantasy comedy film and the third of the four Futurama films that make up the show's fifth season. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 4, 2008.

"The Prisoner of Benda" is the tenth episode in the seventh season of the American animated television series Futurama, and the 98th episode of the series overall. It aired on Comedy Central on August 19, 2010. In the episode, Professor Farnsworth and Amy build a machine that allows them to switch minds so that they may each pursue their lifelong dreams. However, they learn that the machine cannot be used twice on the same pairing of bodies. To try to return to their rightful bodies, they involve the rest of the crew in the mind switches, leaving each member free to pursue their own personal endeavors in a different crew member's body. The episode is composed of multiple subplots, with the main subplot being Bender attempting to steal a crown, but ending up switching places with the Robo-Hungarian emperor.

"Möbius Dick" is the fifteenth episode in the sixth season of the American animated television series Futurama, and the 103rd episode of the series overall. It originally aired August 4, 2011 on Comedy Central. The episode was written by Dan Vebber and directed by Dwayne Carey-Hill. In the episode, the Planet Express crew pass through an area in space known as the Bermuda Tetrahedron, where many other ships passing through the area have mysteriously disappeared, including that of the first Planet Express crew. While exploring the area, a mysterious four-dimensional space whale devours the ship's engine, leaving them stranded in the area. The ship's captain, Leela, becomes obsessed with hunting down the whale.

"Neutopia" is the twentieth episode in the sixth season of the American animated television series Futurama, and the 108th episode of the series overall. It aired on Comedy Central in the United States on June 23, 2011.

"Fry and Leela's Big Fling" is the seventeenth episode in the seventh season of the American animated television series Futurama, and the 131st episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central on June 19, 2013. The episode was written by Eric Rogers and directed by Edund Fong. Fry and Leela attempt to have a romantic time together, but with everyone around they cannot get time alone.

References

  1. ↑ Handlen, Zack (August 21, 2013). "Futurama: "Murder On The Planet Express"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  2. ↑ Nicholson, Max (August 21, 2013). "Futurama: "Murder on the Planet Express" Review". IGN. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  3. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (December 5, 2013). "'Simpsons' & 'Futurama' Dominate WGA Nominations". Animation Magazine. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.