Parasites Lost

Infobox Futurama episode
episode_name = Parasites Lost


caption = The crew prepares to venture into Fry's intestines.
episode_no = 34
prod_code = 3ACV02
airdate = January 21, 2001
country = USA
writer = Eric Kaplan
director = Peter Avanzino
opening_subtitle = If Not Entertaining, Write Your Congressman
opening_cartoon = Ub Iwerks "Aladdin and The Wonderful Lamp" (1934)
season = three

"Parasites Lost" is the second episode in season three of "Futurama". Although the title is a play on John Milton's epic poem "Paradise Lost", the episode is a parody of the 1966 film "Fantastic Voyage". [cite journal
last = Nerlich
first = Brigitte
authorlink = Nerlich, Brigitte
coauthors =
title = From Nautilus to Nanobo(a)ts: The Visual Construction of Nanoscience
journal = AZojono — Journal of Nanotechnology Online
volume = 1
issue =
pages = 1–19
publisher = AZoM.com Pty Ltd.
location =
month = December | year = 2005
url = http://www.azonano.com/Details.asp?ArticleID=1466
doi = 10.2240
id =
accessdate = 2008-01-30] It originally aired in North America on January 21, 2001.

Plot

While making a pit stop at an interstellar truck stop, Fry buys and eats an egg salad sandwich from a vending machine in the restroom. On returning to Earth, Fry and Bender are assigned the task of fixing the plasma fusion boiler, which promptly explodes. Bender is not damaged, but Fry is impaled by a large pipe. Fry's damaged body repairs itself in seconds and the crew discovers that Fry is infested with microscopic worms.

To eliminate the infestation, Professor Farnsworth makes miniature robotic versions of the crew, except for Fry and Leela. Because the worms would defend themselves if they knew about the mission, Leela is assigned to distract Fry. Controlling the micro-droids using virtual reality gear, the crew board a miniature Planet Express ship, and enter Fry's ear. Throughout the travel, the crew discover that the worms were making Fry's intelligence and strength greater than before.

The crew make their way into Fry's bowel, and fight their way to the pelvic splanchnic ganglion, intending to cause a massive bowel movement to expel the worm society (or, as the Professor puts it, "Look, this is gonna be one hell of a bowel movement. By the time we're finished, he'll be lucky to have any bones left.") Meanwhile, Leela is enchanted by the now intelligent and muscular Fry. He then reveals that he loves her but only recently was he able to articulate his thoughts. She realizes that the worms are responsible for this, and sets out to stop the Professor. Her micro-droid reaches the nerve, and hacks the rest of the micro-droid crew to pieces with an axe. The Professor tells her that the worms will burrow so deep into Fry's body, he will be stuck with them forever.

Fry is informed of what has been happening, but is more interested in romancing Leela than clearing the worms out of his body. Leela tells Fry that she loves the new him. Worried, Fry tells her that he needs to find out something, leaves, and using his own micro-droid, enters his own body.

Fry confronts the worm leader and engages him in a swordfight; he eventually blackmails the worms into leaving by threatening to kill himself, and they comply. With the worms gone, Fry returns to Leela's apartment, intent on finding out if Leela can love him as he is. Fry explains to Leela about the worms, and his decision to dispose of them. His awkward attempts at being romantic end when he mentions having sex with Amy Wong, and Leela kicks him out of her apartment. Back at his apartment, Fry begins to re-learn the Holophonor, starting with a crude image of Leela.

Continuity

While infested with the parasites, Fry is able to play the holophonor, a difficult instrument which produces both music and holographic pictures. This ability is lost by the end of the episode; however, in the episode "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings", it is revealed that Fry still aspires to learn the Holophonor and win back Leela's love. It is stated that part of the reason he cannot play the instrument is because his hands are too slow for his mind, and trades them with those of the Robot Devil, which allows him to succeed in both tasks until he gets his old hands back, though he appears to maintain Leela's feelings for him.

Production

Peter Avanzino, director of the first four broadcast seasons of "Futurama" and two of the straight to DVD movies, has stated that episodes with challenging new scenes to draw are his favorites. In particular he notes that he thinks this episode is fun because "It has microscopic characters inside a human body, a 3-D colonoscopy, a sword fight, a holophoner sequence (involving otters and characters dancing on Saturn's rings), some sweet sweet lovemaking, and a space-truck stop."cite web|url=http://www.cinematical.com/2007/11/14/interview-futurama-movie-s-producer-s-and-director-s/| title=Interview: 'Futurama' Movie(s) Producer(s) & Director(s)!| author=Scott Weinberg| date= 2007-11-14| accessdate= 2008-01-21]

Broadcast and reception

The storyboard artist for this episode, Rodney Clouden, was honored with an Emmy award in 2001 for "Individual Achievement in Animation".cite web| url=http://news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=top&newsitem_no=5643| title=Voiceover, Animation Emmy Winners Honored| date=2001-09-13| accessdate=2007-07-04] cite web|title=Farewell to the funny future|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-14221036_ITM|author=Azrai, Ahmad|date=2004-10-31|accessdate=2008-01-10] This episode is also a fan favorite and in 2006 IGN named it as number four in their list of the top 25 "Futurama" episodes. IGN, praised the episode for both its humor and the deepening of Fry and Leela's relationship, particularly the scenes where Fry is willing to "hurt himself and lessen what he has become for Leela".cite web |url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/716/716663p1.html |title="Top 25 Futurama Episodes" |accessdate=2006-11-04 |format= |work= ] In 2007 "Entertainment Weekly" named "Futurama" number 21 on their list of the top 25 sci-fi movies and TV shows of the last 25 years (1982-2007). In the article, this episode was identified as the "best bit" of the series.cite web |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20036782_20037403_20037541_5,00.html |title="The Sci-Fi 25" |accessdate=2007-06-21 |format= |work= ]

Cultural references

* At the beginning of the episode, a sign displays "√ 66", a reference to historic Route 66.
* When Leela is cleaning the Planet Express ship, she is seen wiping off a large space bug (much resembling a dragonfly), a small planet and the "Voyager 2" spacecraft.
* After eating the sandwich, Fry says "It's like there's a party in my mouth and everyone's throwing up." The line "It's like there's a party in my mouth and everyone's invited" was used twice on The Simpsons. It was said by Moe Szyslak in the episode Flaming Moe's after sampling the Flaming Homer and by Ken Griffey, Jr. in the episode Homer at the Bat after sampling Nerve Tonic.
* The Holophonor played by Fry directly references the Visi-Sonor, a similarly hard-to-play hologram-producing musical instrument in the Isaac Asimov novel "Foundation and Empire".
* When the crew enters the bowel the scene closely resembles the exit Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum made at the end of the movie "Independence Day".
* The head worm asks if Fry knows what makes the special sauce so special. This is a reference to the old Big Mac commercials that marketed its special sauce. The secret was Thousand Island dressing.
*The song that plays at the beginning of the episode while the Planet Express Ship is zipping through traffic is "Convoy" by C. W. McCall.
*While the plot resembles Fantastic Voyage after a fashion, the title Is a play on Paradise Lost.
*The board game Clue is referenced several times, including "Lead Pipe", "Lounge" and "Ballroom"
*The Holophoner scene with the otters is a reference to the Kurt Vonnegut book Galápagos where humans have evolved into otter-like creatures.

Alien messages

* There are two hidden Alienese messages in this episode. In the beginning, there is a message written on a tank in space that translates to "HUMAN MILK". Later, when Fry and Leela are by the construction site, there is writing on the wall that translates to "WATCH OUT FOR FALLING HUMANS".

References