The 30% Iron Chef
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| Futurama episode | |
| "The 30% Iron Chef" | |
 Iron Cook Logo |
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|---|---|
| Episode no. | 54 |
| Prod. code | 3ACV22 |
| Airdate | April 14, 2002 |
| Writer(s) | Jeff Westbrook |
| Director | Ron Hughart |
| Opening subtitle | IF ACCIDENTALLY WATCHED, INDUCE VOMITING |
| Opening cartoon | Unknown |
| Guest star(s) | None |
| Season 3 January 2001 – December 2002 |
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| List of all Futurama episodes... | |
“The 30% Iron Chef” is the twenty-second episode in season three of Futurama. It originally aired April 14, 2002.
[edit] Plot
Bender aspires to be a cook for the Planet Express crew but the meals he produces are awful. One day he cooks brunch for the crew but uses disgusting ingredients: a pony for Amy and at least two containers of salt in each meal. Bender accidentally overhears Fry complaining about the meal and after the whole crew agrees with him Bender runs away. Also, Zoidberg destroys the scale replica of the world's largest bottle that Professor Farnsworth has made. He frames Fry for the damage and the Professor demands that Fry pay $10 for the material cost. Because Zoidberg is so poor, he sees $10 a huge sum of money and is riddled with guilt.
After running away, Bender hopes Elzar will teach him how to cook, but Elzar refuses for three reasons, "one, your antenna's in my crotch, two, I hate you, and three, you can't cook for squat," when Bender asks what the first one was Elzar replies: "I hate you." Bender comments: " I thought that was number two?" Elzar says, "I kicked it up a notch" (a reference to a phrase Emeril Lagasse uses a lot). Bender then finds two hobos who take him with them on the spacerails, Bender and the hobos end up on the biggest hobo joint in the universe. There, Bender meets Helmut Spargle—a legendary cook who lost his TV show when Elzar replaced him. Spargle begins to train Bender how to cook in order to get revenge.
Once Bender is finished with his training, Spargle gives Bender the final test: whether he can cook an edible meal. Spargle eats the food and tells Bender he has passed. Then Spargle dies because his stomach has exploded after the meal. With his dying breath, Spargle reveals the secret to great cooking and gives him a vial of clear liquid to use whenever he needs to spice up a food.
Bender challenges Elzar to a cook-off on Iron Cook. The main ingredient used in this cook-off is Soylent green. Bender prepares disgusting food but he applies the liquid that Spargle gave him and somehow wins. As Elzar scrubs dishes, Bender declines the title of Iron Cook and takes the lesser title of Zinc Saucier, which he made up (it also comes with double prize money). After the contest, Zoidberg becomes remorseful of framing Fry when Fry is unable to pay for a commemorative turkey baster. Zoidberg publicly apologizes before trying to commit seppuku honorably using a ceremonial Wakizashi, only to damage the $5000 sword (seemed to have forgotten his body is a hard shell) and blame Fry.
When the Professor examines the liquid in the bottle Spargle gave Bender, it turns out the liquid was ordinary water - laced with a few spoonfuls of LSD. The episode closes with Bender proposing a meal. The characters are unsure until Bender adds that the meal will include plenty of “confidence”, after this they joyfully accept.
[edit] Cultural references
- The title and the Iron Cook cooking contest parody the Japanese cooking competition show Iron Chef.
- The song played during Bender’s training montage is “You’re The Best” by Joe Esposito, from The Karate Kid soundtrack.
- Spargel’s character and subsequent death are a parody of Yoda of the Star Wars series, as is the scene in which Bender peels hovering potatoes. Also, Spargel's name is a reference to the popular German food, spargel.
- Helmut Spargel may also be a reference to celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck who owns the famous restaurant Spago and regularly caters the Academy Awards. Puck has appeared on Iron Chef America as the owner of Spago.
- Elzar's seduction by the "Dark Side of Cooking" (cilantro, mango salsa, raspberry vinaigrette) was a reference to Darth Vader's seduction by the Dark Side of The Force.
- The Prismatic space rail exchange where Bender and the other hobos disembark resembles the cover of Pink Floyd's 1973 album Dark Side Of The Moon.
- The aforementioned train has a car labeled 'Wrath-of-Conrail' which references Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
- The ending, with the LSD-laced water, is a parody of Space Jam, in which a secret elixir that Bugs Bunny (voiced by Billy West) gives the team is actually just water.
- When the winner of the competition is announced, Chairman Koji says to Bender, “Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto,” a reference to the popular song “Mr. Roboto” by the band Styx.
- The episode concludes with a clip from Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love,” a well-known psychedelic song.
- Linda and Morbo appear on “Good Morning Earth,” a parody of Good Morning America.
- The Iron Cook main ingredient is Soylent Green, a parody of the 1973 film. Bubblegum Tate’s Line: “Soylent green is my kind of people” is a parody of Charleton Heston’s famous line “Soylent Green is… people!”
- The Kitchen Coliseum (a play on the Iron Chef arena of Kitchen Stadium) is home to the Kitchen University Wildcats, possibly a reference to Johnson & Wales University (Johnson & Wales's mascot is the Wildcat) where Emeril Lagasse went to college. Chef Elzar is based on Emeril.
[edit] Production notes
- This episode reveals Dr. Zoidberg’s first name to be John.
- Bender’s original role, as shown in some production sketches and part of the Director’s commentary, was supposed to be that of the ship’s (horrible) chef. However, it was decided that he would have no real purpose, although he has cooked on occasion.
- It is said that Bender would like to make good-tasting meals but can’t because he has no sense of taste (as alluded to in previous episodes, such as “My Three Suns”). However, near the end of the episode “A Fishful of Dollars”, he could taste, as he spits out Fry’s anchovy pizza (as does everyone else except Fry).
