Xmas Story
From Futurama Wiki
| Xmas Story | |
|---|---|
| |
| Episode | 4 |
| Season | 2 |
| Air date | December 19, 1999 |
| Running Time | 30 minutes |
| Directed By | Peter Avanzino |
| Written By | David X. Cohen |
| Guests | John Goodman as Robot Santa |
| Storyboards By | Kevin O'Brien, Ira Sherak |
| Preceded by | "A Head in the Polls" |
| Followed by | "Why Must I Be a Crustacean in Love?" |
- "Every Christmas my Mom would get a fresh goose, for gooseburgers, and my Dad would whip up his special eggnog out of bourbon and ice cubes."
- ―Fry
Xmas Story is the eighth episode of Futurama Season Two. It was written by David X. Cohen, and directed by Peter Avanzino.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
While on a ski trip, the Planet Express crew are watching the comedy stylings of Conan O'Brien's head. His act, mostly dated material from the 20th century, leaves them feeling cold. After some winter sports, the crew relaxes by the fire. Fry begins to feel nostalgic for 20th century Christmases. To cheer him up, the rest of the Planet Express staff decide to decorate for what is now called Xmas, which includes cutting down an Xmas tree. Pine trees have been extinct for 800 years, so they cut down a palm tree.
Fry decides to venture into the city to buy Leela a present, although she hadn't felt happy about Xmas when she was an orphan. The others warn him to be back before sundown, or else he will be killed by a murderous robotic Santa Claus. In the year 2801, Mom's Friendly Robot Company had made up a robotic version of St. Nick himself to determine who had been naughty and who had been nice. Unfortunately, due to a programming error, the jolly robotic elf soon turned into a mad murderer when his standards were set too high and, at sundown, he will kill anyone who has been naughty. Meanwhile, Bender befriends several homeless robots and goes on a robbery spree.
Fry buys Leela a parrot, which escapes. Leela heads out to rescue Fry before Santa Claus arrives. After pursuing the parrot to the top of a tall building, he is saved from plunging to his death by Leela. Unfortunately, the sun goes down, the robotic Santa Claus makes his appearance and attacks the two friends.
Fry and Leela take refuge in the Planet Express Building after being saved by Bender and his homeless robot friends, but Santa breaks in through the chimney. Thanks to some quick thinking by Doctor Zoidberg, Santa is forced back into the chimney, where an explosion sends him and his mechanical reindeer tumbling into the stratosphere. Everyone celebrates by singing "Santa Claus Is Gunning You Down".
Robot Santa vows that he'll be back when no one expects it, next Xmas.
[edit] Memorable quotes
Fry: "I'm gonna get you so many lizards!"
Zoidberg: "Amy, this is for you: A set of combs for your beautiful hair."
Amy: "Oh, that's so sweet. But I sold my hair to a wigmaker so I could buy a set of combs for Hermes"
[She pulls her hat off revealing she is bald.]
Hermes: "Oh, the irony. I sold my hair so I could buy this third set of combs for Zoidberg."
Zoidberg: "Thank you. These'll come in handy for my new hair. Finally I look as pretty as I feel!"
[He pulls his hat off. Half of his head is covered by Hermes' dreadlocks, the other half with Amy's hair]
Zoidberg: "A pogo stick! Weeeeeeeeee!"
Robot Santa Claus: "As for the rest of you, I'm going to tear your skin like wrapping paper and deck the halls with your guts.
[edit] Trivia
- The diminutive child robot Tinny Tim is a reference to Tiny Tim from Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol".
- When Fry is in the pet store one of the pets is Bongo, the one eared rabbit from "Life in Hell" a comic created by Matt Groening.
- The gifts Zoidberg, Amy and Hermes give each other are a reference to [[www.auburn.edu/~vestmon/Gift_of_the_Magi.html]"The Gift of the Magi"] in which a man sells his watch to buy his beloved a comb, while she sells her hair to buy him a watch chain.
- The Professor states that Santa invariably judges everyone to be naughty , but at the end he gives Zoidberg a pogo stick for Xmas for being the only good one. The Professor must have just never met anyone good enough.
[edit] Goofs
- When Hermes' bobsleigh is flipping over, Zoidberg's eyes become white.
- When Bender, Tinny Tim and the other two robots finish the "On the Fourth Day of Xmas" song, Bender is seen with a spaghetti-strap purse around his left arm. However, when Fry and Leela are seen running, it mysteriously disappears.
- LeBarbara appears at the dinner but is never seen with the rest of the group when Santa came in.
[edit] Debut Appearances
[edit] Alienese
- There are two Alienese signs. One says, "Disposable Office Temps" and the other "Joyeux Noel". While French may have been established as a dead language in Space Pilot 3000, French may be similar to Latin, in that certain phrases are still in use.
