Obsoletely Fabulous

"Obsoletely Fabulous"
Futurama episode
Obsolete Bender and his Obsolete Gang
Episode no.	Season four Episode 68
Directed by	Dwayne Carey-Hill
Written by	Dan Vebber
Production code	4ACV14
Original air date	July 27, 2003
Opening caption	"You can't prove it won't happen"
Opening cartoon	Much Ado About Mutton
Season four episodes
January, 2002 – August, 2003 Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch Leela's Homeworld Love and Rocket Less Than Hero A Taste of Freedom Bender Should Not Be Allowed on TV Jurassic Bark Crimes of the Hot Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles The Why of Fry Where No Fan Has Gone Before The Sting Bend Her Obsoletely Fabulous The Farnsworth Parabox Three Hundred Big Boys Spanish Fry The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings
List of all Futurama episodes

"Obsoletely Fabulous" is the fourteenth episode of the fourth production season of Futurama.

Plot

At a robot expo, Mom's Friendly Robot Co. introduces a new, more advanced robot: Robot 1-X. Feeling unwanted after Professor Farnsworth buys one to help out around the office, Bender decides to get a personality upgrade so he can be compatible with Robot 1-X. During his upgrade however, Bender changes his mind and leaps out the window.

Too scared to get the upgrade but unable to face the others without it, he bends a "Boating prohibited" sign into a boat and heads out to sea, only to wash up on an uncharted island. At first he is in desperate need of alcohol to recharge, and goes to great lengths to find an energy source for the blender he has brought to make "yam Schnapps" to refuel himself.

Bender wakes one morning to find four outdated robots are living on the island and befriends them. After living with the outdated robots, Bender realizes he does not need technology anymore. He then orders his companions to "downgrade" his metal robotics with a wooden body. Bender leads his friends to New New York in a wooden submarine, where they wage war on technology. The band of five are surprisingly successful, but Bender reveals there is one more thing they need to destroy: Robot 1-X.

They head to Planet Express and, after destroying the power lines, Bender breaks into the hangar where he confronts his technologically-stricken former crew. Bender has his robotic friends throw large boulders at Robot 1-X, but they miss and hit the Planet Express ship, which falls and pins the crew down to the floor. A candle falls onto the leaking fuel from the ship, causing a ring of fire to form around the crew. Bender tries to reach for the extinguisher, but his wooden body is eaten by termites. Failing to save his friends himself, Bender orders Robot 1-X to save the crew. This allows Bender to seem like a hero and, when the plan succeeds, he accepts the new robot.

At the end of the episode, it is revealed that Bender's adventure was just a vision he was experiencing during the upgrade (which the robot that was next to Bender in line fears will happen to him). Amazed at how real the vision was, Bender begins wondering if life itself is just the product of his or someone else's imagination, but comes to the conclusion that "reality is what you make of it," and marches off through a fantasy world with unicorns and a fairy that lights Bender's cigar for him.

Broadcast and reception

In its initial airing, the episode received a Nielsen rating of 2.8/6, placing it 86th among primetime shows for the week of July 21-27, 2003.^[1]

Production notes

A scene during the robot upgrade was cut featuring Mom brainwashing the robots. There was also an extra scene at the convention cut.^[2] Those scenes, and others are available on the DVD with the special features.

John DiMaggio (the voice of Bender) did Bender's dialogue in the scene where he dances to "I'm Alright" before the crew had the song available ^[2]. The music for the scene when the obsolete robots rampage the city was written by Christopher Tyng and not licensed.^[2] The sound effect for Bender's arms falling off were meant to be temporary but it was kept because it was funnier than any of the later attempts at the sounds.^[2]

Cultural references

• The robot Sinclair 2K based on Timex Sinclair which had 2K of memory.^[2] His design was based on Robbie the Robot from Forbidden Planet. ^[3]
• The female robot, Lisa was named after the Apple Lisa.^[2]
• The design for Robot I-X was initially inspired by the iMac.^[4]

References

1. ^ "Nielsen ratings: July 21-27. (Programming).(Illustration)". Broadcasting & Cable (Reed Business Information). 2003-08-04. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-106593102.html. Retrieved 2009-03-07. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Cohen, David X. (2003). Futurama season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Obsoletely Fabulous" (DVD). 20th Century Fox. 
3. ^ LaMarche, Maurice (2003). Futurama season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Obsoletely Fabulous" (DVD). 20th Century Fox. 
4. ^ Moore, Rich (2003). Futurama season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Obsoletely Fabulous" (DVD). 20th Century Fox. 

External links

• Obsoletely Fabulous at The Infosphere.