The Sting (Futurama)

] 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] Writer Patric Verrone was also nominated for an Annie Award for "Writing in an Animated Television Production".cite web |url=http://annieawards.com/31stannieawardwinners.htm |title=The fish that got away took top honors at the 31st Annie Awards |publisher=International Animated Film Society |date=2004 |accessdate=2007-06-28 ] In 2006 this episode was named by IGN as number 24 in their list of the 25 best episodes of "Futurama", the episode was included in the list because of its advancement of the relationship between Fry and Leela. [cite web |url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/716/716663p1.html |title="Top 25 Futurama Episodes" |accessdate=2006-11-04 |format= |work= ] This episode is one of four featured in the "Monster Robot Maniac Fun Collection", indicating it is one of Matt Groening's four favorite episodes. [cite web |url=http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Futurama/3406 |title=Futurama — Do the Robot Dance! |accessdate=2007-11-30 |first=Gord |last=Lacey |publisher=TVShowsOnDVD.com |date=May 11, 2005 ] Fans consider this episode to be one of the more emotional of the series.Fact|date=June 2008

Cultural references

* The ejection of Fry's casket into space, accompanied by Scruffy playing the bagpipe mirrors the funeral scene of Spock in "", in which Scotty played the bagpipe. Fry's funeral song is an arrangement of "Walking on Sunshine", which was established as Fry's favorite in "Jurassic Bark". He also sings/hums it briefly in "War Is the H-Word", and "The 30% Iron Chef".
* In the scene where Leela approaches Fry's coffin in space, "Also Sprach Zarathustra", the theme to "", is heard. When Leela looks into the casket, she sees a colourful tunnel of light, which is a reference to the Stargate sequence in "2001" when Dave Bowman enters the Monolith.
* The song "Don't Worry, Bee Happy" is a parody of and/or homage to the 1988 hit song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin.
* Multiple references are made to Honeycombs Cereal (for which Billy West has done some commercials.), such as the Honeycomb Hideout.
* The scene where Bender ejects the baby queen bee out of an airlock is a reference to the film "Alien".
* As Leela and Fry escape the Bee Hive a bee hits a wall, then explodes; the ensuing scene is similar to "" when the Millennium Falcon escapes from the Death Star.
* This episode is similar in some ways to the episode "Goodbye" in Katey Sagal's other show, "8 Simple Rules". The episodes aired only 5 months apart.
* This episode bears similarities to the motion picture "Solaris", which featured an astronaut haunted by persistent and contradictory visions of his dead wife. The source novel was written in 1961, and the original Russian film was released in 1972.
* This episode bears similarities to Philip K. Dick's novel Ubik, in which after an explosion and narrow escape, the leading characters see evidence that they might be dead, while characters who are believed dead or in irreversible coma ("half-life" in Ubik) nonetheless participate unexpectedly.
* This episode also bears similarities to the Star Trek episode "The Tholian Web", in which Kirk is mistakenly presumed dead. Uhura sees him calling for help and thinks she is losing her mind.
* Bender's comment, "You were in the best coma I've ever seen!" may be a reference to his inability to act out being in a coma in "Bender Should Not Be Allowed on TV".
* The scene in which Fry regenerates from royal jelly that was spilled on the couch is reminiscent of Frank's regeneration in the movie Hellraiser.
* Leela pulling Fry's jacket out of her dream is a reference to Nancy Thompson pulling Freddy's hat out of a dream in "A Nightmare on Elm Street".
* Hermes proclaims that he is from Jamaica - The Show-Me Island, which is a reference to Missouri's state motto, "The Show-Me State."
* When Leela picks up the baby queen bee, it seems to be a reference to Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, when Ender finds a young bug queen.
* Fry's remark, "I thought that maybe if you heard a familiar voice, it might help keep your mind together. But who knows if it really got through" is an allusion to Nan Adams, a character who appeared in "The Hitch-Hiker", an episode of the black-and-white sci-fi series "The Twilight Zone".

References