Y2K (Dilbert episode)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“Y2K”
Dilbert episode
Episode no. Season 1
Episode 9
Written by Andrew Borakove
Rachell Powell
Scott Adams
Larry Charles
Production no. 109
Original airdate May 3, 1999
Episode chronology
← Previous Next â†’
"Tower Of Babel" "The Knack"
List of Dilbert animated series episodes

Y2K was the ninth episode of the Dilbert animated television series. It originally aired May 3, 1999.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

After Dilbert and his co-workers discuss plans for the new millennium, the Pointy-Haired Boss drops in and announces that all of the computers at their company are controlled by an ancient mainframe known as Black Betty, which will fail at midnight on January 1, 2000 because of the year 2000 problem. Since the problem will personally affect the boss, Dilbert is assigned to fix it.

Since Alice needs more time, Asok the intern needs experience, Wally needs to remember how to work Black Betty, and Dilbert needs more people to attend to the project, the four of them, along with Dogbert, skip off (in a blatant Wizard of Oz parody) to see Catbert, the Evil Director of Human Resources.

Catbert proposes solutions to each of their problems, without being directly helpful. Alice will gain time if she stops wasting it on her appearance. Cynicism is almost the same thing as experience, and will work for Asok. For Wally, Catbert declares that recent court verdicts have shown that a false memory is just as good as real memory (perhaps even better) and gives Dogbert several books on hypnosis. In an act close to being helpful, Dilbert is given a list of downsized employees who are still on the payroll.

After several meetings, and several unethical misuses of hypnosis, the team is ready to try to fix the mainframe. Wally operates the terminal. As the safety meter on the terminal approaches "Warning," Zimbu the monkey joins in, typing faster, until the terminal explodes and Dilbert is left unsure whether or not the team has fixed the problem. The Boss announces, however, that the government has decided to skip the year 2000, "fixing" the problem.

[edit] Notes

  • In the computer code Wally writes, "Joe Wiseman", the name of a writer of the show, can be seen in the code.