Futurama

The Why of Fry

Season 5, Episode 8, Aired 4/6/03

Episode Summary

Fry feels really down as Leela is head over heels because of Chaz, the Mayor's Aide. While on her date, Leela asks Fry if he could walk Nibbler, and he reluctantly agrees. When he says how unimportant he feels, Nibbler speaks and takes him to his home planet. There, Fry learn about his genetic abnormality that qualifies him for a mission to save the universe. While on this mission, we learn what really happened on the night Fry was frozen.moreless

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Cast & Crew

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David Herman

Mayor Poopenmayer, Professor Ogden Wernstrum, Scruffy, Toronga Morris, Larry, Dwayne, Various
Katey Sagal

Turanga Leela, Various
Billy West

Philip J. Fry, Professor Hubert Farnsworth, Dr. John Zoidberg, Zapp Brannigan, Leo Wong, Various

Fan Episode Reviews (16)

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This episode shows the night that Fry was frozen on December 31, 1999

10

"Perfect"

By tigerdude22, Aug 20, 2011 Report Abuse

I thought that this was an excellent episode of "Futurama". It had a very good plot and with a few good humor. This episode was also very interesting because it revealed to us what happened the night that Fry was frozen on December 31, 1999. Fry asked Leela if she wanted to go on a date with him but Leela told Fry that she is already going on a date with some guy named Chaz. Fry feels disheartened and worthless. Leela sees Fry and asks him if he can watch over her pet Nibbler and then Fry kinda agrees. Nibbler talks to Fry and shows him something which leads Fry on a mission to save the world. The brains blurb out to Fry about what they did to him on the night that he was frozen. Fry was looking back at December 31, 1999 which was the night that he was frozen and it turned out that Nibbler pushed Fry into the time freezing machine. Fry gets upset at the Nibblers because that was his life and it was all gone because he was frozen for 1000 years. Bender's part in the beginning of the episode was funny and that whole orphan thing was pretty funny but I thought Chaz was being mean because he didn't let the orphans rocket skate. Everything that happened in this episode was just genius and awesome all the way. Overall, an excellent episode of "Futurama" that definitely had me hooked. 10/10moreless

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Fry thinks he is wothless, until he discovers his stupidity is the key to saving the entire universe from some returning killer brains.

5.0

"Mediocre"

By Partdridge, May 08, 2011 Report Abuse

This is one of the more popular episodes of "Futurama" but time travelling story-lines either work well or they don't work at all. "The Why of Fry" is a fun episode but is hardly as perfect as everyone makes out. There are some decent gags, but not nearly enough, and the plot is interesting until the time travelling stuff at the end, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever when I think about it.

Overall, I preferred "Futurama" back when it was starting out and was more about the jokes in idividual episodes than the amazing science fictiony serial it's wanting to be here. But it still has its moments this.moreless

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futurama origins

10

"Perfect"

By futuramarama, Mar 06, 2010 Report Abuse

we learn why fry was frozen: he was selected to help earth from brains trying to squeeze knowledge out of people {sounds horribly made up, and for most shows, it might be, but not for futurama}. we learn it was nibbler who was the one who made fry fall in the cryogenics freezer and the reason he got frozen. a good episode with some good backstory to the very first episode. a personal favorite of mine because it is really funny and also has a very good and interesting plot. a true delight for futurama fans, i give thee an A+moreless

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The origin of why and how Fry is in the future.

10

"Perfect"

By AdrenalinDragon, Feb 26, 2010 Report Abuse

"The Why Of Fry"

Grade: A*

So this was an excellent episode explaining why Fry came to the future and his purpose. Not only that, he starts to realise that maybe he does have a chance to be with Leela, but also more talking apperances from Nibbler. Nevertheless a very important episode and in my opinion should have came just before the series finale.

The episode begins with Fry setting off on a space delivery, but finding out that the crew went without him. He asks Leela to go to dinner with him, but his hopes are crushed when she tells him he is going on a date with Chaz, the mayor's aide.
When Fry is told to take Nibbler out for a walk, he discovers that Nibbler can talk, and knocks him out, sending him to his home planet Eternium. The Nibblonians tell Fry that the brains are taking information from the universe and storing it into the Infosphere, a ship remiscient of the Death Star. Because Fry is immune to the brain's power, he is the only one who can stop it.
Fry gets to the Infosphere using his Scooty Puff Jr and gets trapped after it breaks. He asks questions in the database and soon gets alerted by the other brains as a result. He plants a bomb and activates it, which will send them to a different universe. With seconds away from detonating, the brains tell Fry that they should ask the database what really happened to him on December 31st 1999.
He asks the question and finds out that Nibbler is responsible for pushing him into the cryogenics tube. Fry is upset that they took away his life and he is sent to the other universe with the brains as time runs out.
Seemingly trapped with the brains, Fry wished that Nibbler never took him to the future. Fortuantly, the brains give him one use of time travel to prevent this from happening. Meanwhile, Leela's date with Chaz ends when he reserves an ice rink only for her and prevents the orphans from skating with them.
Fry arrives on 31st December 1999, and teleports just behind Nibbler. Fry grabs Nibbler seconds away from pushing the original Fry into the tube. Nibbler tells him that he needs to be frozen since he won't live long enough, but Fry feels he was "being used". In the end, Nibbler tells him if there's anything worth saving in the future. Fry tells him Leela, but he doesn't think he's important to her. Nibbler leaves the decision to Fry, and in the end Fry pushes the original Fry into the cryogenics tube.
Fry returns with Scooty Puff Sr after telling Nibbler that Scooty Puff Jr sucks, and is able to set the bomb off and escape with no problems. He returns to Earth and Nibbler blanks his memory to stay undercover. The episode ends with Leela telling Fry that he may not be the most important person in the universe, but she's glad to be there with him.

Overall, a very important episode, with good jokes and finally an explanation of Futurama and Fry's existence. It's one of my favourites, along with the pilot episode as a reason for this, and it ties up the loose ends very well.moreless

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A hilarious explanation of why Fry came to the future.

10

"Perfect"

By ctm723, Jun 30, 2009 Report Abuse

This episode is hillarious,and informative and some hilarious parts are when Fry said he did do the nasty in the pasty and when Fry was getting ready for the mission and he yelled at Zoidberg for giving him the same toy surprise as last time. Also it was very funny when Fry was talking to Bender and Bender kept saying nope to everything Fry said and then Fry said Bender is great and then Bender said nope and then he got annoyed. Also some more hilarious parts are when The Giant Brain said he killed the dinosaurs and when one of the brains said to Fry if he sent them into another dimention that they would make a clique that you won't be part of. Overall because of it's hilarity and explanation of why Fry came to the future is why this is such a good episode.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- The orphans that Chaz prohibited from going on the ice skating rink are the same orphans that Bender temporarily adopted in The Cyber House Rules. Leela almost adopted one of them (Sally the 3-eared girl) however, she doesn't seem to recognize them. Edit
- Opening theme promotion: DANCING SPACE POTATOES? YOU BET! Edit
- Sign At Elzar's: Bathroom is for Stroganoff Customers only! Edit
Notes
ADD NOTES
- At the end of the DVD audio commentary for this episode, Maurice LaMarche asks if there should be a special 90-minute episode where they finally get Fry and Leela together, which is met with a resounding "yes!" This ultimately comes to pass with Into the Wild Green Yonder. Edit
- This is one of only two episodes Professor Farnsworth isn't in. Edit
- Alien code: When Fry goes to Nibler's home world, we see the same building we saw in The Day The Earth Stood Stupid. The towers out front still have Alien Code #2 on them, but don't say the same thing. When translated it reads: "Fuzzy Wuzzy." Edit
Quotes
ADD QUOTES
- Brain: (To Fry) We'll form a tightly knit club you won't be a part of! Edit
- Fry: Man I can't wait to tell everybody what happened. Nibbler: Yes incidentally I need to remain undercover so I'm blanking your memory. Edit
- Fry: Huh. Did everything just taste purple for a second? Oh well. Let's go home you dumb poop machine. Edit
Allusions
ADD ALLUSIONS
- American Pie: When Fry and the brains are transported to the other world, one of the brains suggests that they can all sing "American Pie" to pass the time. "American Pie" is a song sung by Don McLean. The length of the song (8 minutes, 32 seconds) is why the brains suggest that it, if sung, will pass the time. Edit
- Possible episode title references: Life of Pi, a novel by Yann Martel. The Tao of Pooh, and its companion, The Te of Piglet, two books written by Benjamin Hoff. Edit
- Men in Black: Erasing someone's memory with a blinding flash of light is reminiscent of the Men in Black movies. Edit

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