Future Stock
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| Futurama episode | |
| "Future Stock" | |
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|---|---|
| Episode no. | 53 |
| Prod. code | 3ACV21 |
| Airdate | March 31, 2002 |
| Where |  United States |
| Writer(s) | Aaron Ehasz |
| Director | Brian Sheesley |
| Opening subtitle | LOVE IT OR SHOVE IT |
| Opening cartoon | Unknown |
| Guest star(s) | Tom Kenny |
| Season 3 January 2001 – December 2002 |
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| List of all Futurama episodes... | |
"Future Stock" is the 21st episode in the third season of Futurama. The episode first aired on March 31, 2002.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Planet Express holds its stockholders meeting, and the state of the business is not good. Disinterested in the meeting, Fry and Dr. Zoidberg wander off in search of food. Fry finds his way into a cryogenic defrostee support group meeting, where he meets a sleazy 1980s businessman (referred to only as That Guy) who froze himself to await a cure for his terminal bonitis. Prior to the actual moment of death, bonitis apparently displays no visible symptoms.
Fry and That Guy return to the Planet Express stockholders meeting, where a revolt against Professor Farnsworth is in progress. Fry nominates That Guy as new CEO, and That Guy beats out the Professor by one vote. That Guy names Fry his new Vice President, and sets out to remake Planet Express by giving it an expensive image overhaul.
After That Guy wastes piles of money on flying chairs, expensive suits, and an enigmatic television commercial (which is a reference to the 1984 Macintosh commercial), Zoidberg gets fed up and sells his stock to That Guy for a sandwich. After draining the company's funds and its employees' morale, That Guy announces that he is selling Planet Express to Mom.
The takeover begins at the orbiting Intergalactic Stock Exchange, and all the Planet Express employees vote against it. Unfortunately, the stock That Guy bought from Zoidberg gave him controlling interest. But before the final approval takes place, That Guy's uncured bonitis enters its final stage, causing his body to contort and bones snap, twist and curl until dead. It is remarked he was so busy with the merger he had forgotten to get it treated.
Fry gains control of That Guy's shares, and moves to vote against the merger. The Planet Express staff initially tries to convince him to sell the company, because the sale of their stock will make them all rich. But Fry has already given a speech that drove the stock's price through the floor, and he votes against the merger. The staff leaves to spend the weekend in disappointment over the loss of their potential wealth.
[edit] Characters
- That Guy's name, although never said during the episode, is given in the script as Steve Castle.
- In this episode Amazon Kug, identifiable by her blue mohawk, is delivered a package in the movie shown to the Planet Express stockholders. Kug also makes appearances in Amazon Women in the Mood when members of the crew crash land on her planet and again in The Sting as one of the women mourning Fry's death.
[edit] Cultural references
- The title of the episode is a reference to either the book Future Shock by Alvin Toffler, or the album Future Shock by Herbie Hancock [citation needed].
- The businessman from the 1980s is loosely based on the character of Gordon Gekko from the movie Wall Street. In turn, Gekko was modeled after real world corporate raider Ivan Boesky (DVD commentary).
- Fry and "That Guy" initially bond while discussing "The Safety Dance", a 1982 single from one hit wonder Canadian band Men Without Hats.
- In the scene where "That Guy" and Fry are watching an ape fight, Calculon is struck by an oversize tricycle hurled from the ring. His angry "Get your stinkin' trike off me, you damn dirty ape!" is an obvious parody of George Taylor's line "Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!" from the 1968 film Planet of the Apes.
- During the voting for the future of Planet Express--with the option of two buttons, one in favour, the other opposed--Mom's son, Ignar, inexplicably registers a vote that reads "Pat Buchanan". Ignar attempts to explain by saying that the ballot was unclear. This is a reference to the infamous Florida voting controversy of the 2000 U.S. Presidential election.
- The PlanEx commercial is a parody of the famous 1984 commercial for Apple Computer.
- The stock exchange space station bears a striking similarity to Space Station Five from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
- The stock exchange's giant-image holographic public-address system ("I am Jor-El, Master of Scheduling!") is a reference to a scene in the 1978 Superman film, featuring a character named Jor-El and a tribunal of larger-than-life projected faces.
- "That Guy" had a Miami Vice lunchbox.
- Planet Express becomes PlanEx for a brief period in this episode. This is an obvious parody of FedEx, the courier / logistics service that shortened its name from Federal Express.
- When upset in this episode, Leela states "this toads the wet sprocket". This is a play on the southern California alternative rock band Toad the Wet Sprocket.
- A stock broker robot orders to "Sell one hundred soylent beans!", referring to the movie Soylent Green.
- The stock exchange space station shows a quote for "KIRK" and another for "GORN", which is a reference to Star Trek.
- The sign in the robot Bar mitzvah is in hebrew and it's meaning is "today you are a robot", as similar to the "today you are a man"/"today you are a woman" line from most of B'nai Mitzvah.
[edit] Goofs
- The hebrew word "Hayom" in the "Today you are a robot" sign at the Robot Bar Mitzvah ends with the hebrew letter "Mem" instead of a "Mem-Sophit", the charecter used in place of a mem when it is at the end of a word.
- Even though Dr. Zoidberg sold his shares to "That Guy" for a sandwich, Dr. Zoidberg is shown voting against the Mom Corp / Planet Express Takeover at the Intergalactic Stock Exchange.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by: " Godfellas " |
Futurama episodes | Followed by: "The 30% Iron Chef" |
