Anthology of Interest II
Encyclopedia
"Anthology of Interest II" is episode eighteen of Futurama
s third season. It originally aired in North America
on January 6, 2002. This episode, as well as the earlier "Anthology of Interest I
", serves to showcase three "imaginary" stories.
asks what would happen if he were human. The simulation opens with Professor Farnsworth
announcing that he has invented a process of reverse fossilization
, which can turn robots and machines into organic life-forms (having already turned a toaster
into a raccoon
, which still has the ability to make toast). He uses his reverse fossilization machine on Bender, who is transformed into a human. After a short period of adaptation, Bender's self-control is overwhelmed by his new senses of taste, touch and emotional responses, and goes on a sensory input binge.
A week later, at the Nobel Prize
judging, the Professor presents Bender who has become a thousand-pound overweight blob. The committee initially condemns Farnsworth, but Bender begs them to consider his new lifestyle. The open-minded scientists spend the night in a state of wild hedonism
to the tune of Conga
. Just before dawn, the committee awards Bender with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
but discover that Bender died shortly after the party started with a cholesterol level of 40 pounds, a failing liver and a pulse rate of 300 bpm (his death having gone unnoticed as the sound of air escaping from his folds of fat were mistaken for wooping).
asks to see a world that is more like a video game. As the simulation starts, President of Earth Richard Nixon
is preparing to sign a treaty with Ambassador Kong of planet Nintendu 64
. Ambassador Kong attacks Nixon, and a state of war erupts.
Due to his extensive knowledge of video games from the 20th Century, Fry is brought to the Mil
atari
headquarters and introduced to General Colin
Pac-Man
. Before Fry can impart his wisdom to the military, the Nintendians
launch an attack on Washington, DC, and they are forced into the escape tunnels, which resemble a Pac-Man
board. They emerge outside the Planet Express building, where the Nintendian invaders, led by Lrrr, are blasting New New York. Fry situates himself at the controls of a rolling Anti-aircraft artillery platform, and begins destroying the alien ships in a manner similar to Space Invaders
. However, Fry has never managed to hit the final ship in Space Invaders ("My brother always got it for me!"), which lands nearby and the invaders emerge. They demand "A million allowances worth of quarters" with which to do their laundry, but the Earthlings refuse. Fortunately, a compromise is reached, with the Nintendians throwing their laundry in with Earth's.
with Leela as Dorothy
, Fry as the Scarecrow
(who tries to claim that he has a brain), Bender as the Tin Man
(saying "beer" instead of "oil can") and Zoidberg as the Cowardly Lobster
("the other guy, courage, not enough of it, need some from whatshisname"). Along the way, they encounter a group of small alien creatures who had previously appeared in the series, who "represent but are legally distinct from
" the Lollipop Guild
.
They all make their way to see The Professor at the Emerald Laboratory only to be captured by Wicked Witch Mom
who asks Leela to be her daughter. Leela agrees as long as she gets to hurt people but Mom ends up melting because of Bender splashing champagne on her. Later they end up at the Emerald Laboratory where The Professor tells Leela to clap her magic boots that she got earlier together to send her back home. Instead, she uses them to become a witch and turns Fry, Bender and The Professor into toads. She then gets splashed by some water from the ceiling because of Zoidberg ("I think there's a problem with your upstairs toilet.") and starts melting. She then wakes up to Bender splashing water in her face saying she was having a wonderful dream except for the fact that they were all there. The Professor becomes disappointed that Leela has revived: he was holding tongs and a box marked, "Leela's Organs". Hermes tells him, "there's always next year".
. It is possible this was intended as a nod to Matt Groening's other show. The song that Bender becomes infatuated with as a human is "Conga
" by Gloria Estefan
. The title of the section is also a nod to the Isaac Asimov
collection of short stories I, Robot
.
The "Raiders of the Lost Arcade" segment is a "non-stop barrage of game references" with jokes and allusions referencing a wide array of classic video games. The title is a reference to the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark
. The segment starts off with an reference to Asteroids where the planet express ship is dodging rocks. "Ambassador Kong" is a reference to the arcade game Donkey Kong
, as well as Italy
's Ambassador to the U.N. being Mario
. The maze which the characters run through is an homage to both Pac-Man
and Ms. Pac-Man
. Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man both appear in the episode (Pac-Man as General Colin Pacman, and Ms. Pac-Man as his wife/widow). Zoidberg adds to this when he coughs up certain objects which are in the Pac-Man Mazes. During the battle, the Lrrr's ship shoots Colin Pacman, and he dies in the same manner as in the Pac-Man games, after which Ms. Pac-Man arrives and cries mournfully over him.
The Nintendians' fleet is composed of Space Invaders
ships, which move in the same pattern as those in the original video game. Also the song that is playing when Fry is playing is "Tom Sawyer
" by Rush
. The planet Nintendu 64 is a reference to the game console Nintendo 64
. When the Milatari
HQ is first shown, the green tank from Battlezone is shown driving past. When the characters walk through the HQ, they go past doors labelled Moon Patrol
and Missile Command
. As the video game villains (Lrrr, Donkey Kong, a Berzerk
robot, BurgerTime
s Mr. Egg and Q*bert) exit the landed ship, one character says the phrase All your base are belong to us
.
, with Leela taking the place of Dorothy, Amy as the Good Witch of the North, Fry as the Scarecrow, Bender as the Tin Man, Zoidberg as the Cowardly Lion, Professor Farnsworth as the Wizard and Mom as the Wicked Witch of the West. When Leela first exits the spaceship, a parody of the NBC
peacock logo is seen spreading its feathers.
.
.com ranked this episode as number 12, with "Anthology of Interest I" at number 13, in their list of the "Top 25 Futurama episodes". As of March 21, 2008, TV.com has given this episode a 9.1 "Superb" rating.
In its initial airing, the episode received a Nielsen rating of 4.5, placing it 62nd among primetime shows for the week of December 31, 2001 - January 6, 2002.
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
s third season. It originally aired in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on January 6, 2002. This episode, as well as the earlier "Anthology of Interest I
Anthology of Interest I
"Anthology of Interest I" is episode sixteen in season two of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on May 21, 2000. This episode, as well as the later "Anthology of Interest II", serves to showcase three "imaginary" stories, in a manner similar to the "Treehouse of Horror" episodes of...
", serves to showcase three "imaginary" stories.
Plot
Professor Farnsworth hauls out his What-If Machine again, claiming that he is finished "fine-tuning" it (striking it repeatedly with a hammer), and the crew takes a look at three alternate realities.I, Meatbag
BenderBender Bending Rodríguez
Bender Bending Rodríguez, designated Bending Unit 22, is a fictional robot character in the animated television series Futurama. He was created by series creators Matt Groening and David X. Cohen and is voiced by John DiMaggio. In the series, Bender plays the role of a comic anti-hero, and is...
asks what would happen if he were human. The simulation opens with Professor Farnsworth
Hubert J. Farnsworth
Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, or simply The Professor, is a fictional character in the American animated television series Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a combination of impressions of Burgess Meredith and Frank Morgan. Farnsworth is the proprietor of the Planet Express delivery...
announcing that he has invented a process of reverse fossilization
Petrifaction
In geology, petrifaction, petrification or silicification is the process by which organic material is converted into stone by impregnation with silica. It is a rare form of fossilization...
, which can turn robots and machines into organic life-forms (having already turned a toaster
Toaster
The toaster is typically a small electric kitchen appliance designed to toast multiple types of bread products. A typical modern two-slice toaster draws anywhere between 600 and 1200 W and makes toast in 1 to 3 minutes...
into a raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
, which still has the ability to make toast). He uses his reverse fossilization machine on Bender, who is transformed into a human. After a short period of adaptation, Bender's self-control is overwhelmed by his new senses of taste, touch and emotional responses, and goes on a sensory input binge.
A week later, at the Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
judging, the Professor presents Bender who has become a thousand-pound overweight blob. The committee initially condemns Farnsworth, but Bender begs them to consider his new lifestyle. The open-minded scientists spend the night in a state of wild hedonism
Hedonism
Hedonism is a school of thought which argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic good. In very simple terms, a hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure .-Etymology:The name derives from the Greek word for "delight" ....
to the tune of Conga
Conga (song)
"Conga" is the first single released by the American band Miami Sound Machine led by Gloria Estefan on their second English language album, and ninth overall, Primitive Love.-Song history:...
. Just before dawn, the committee awards Bender with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,...
but discover that Bender died shortly after the party started with a cholesterol level of 40 pounds, a failing liver and a pulse rate of 300 bpm (his death having gone unnoticed as the sound of air escaping from his folds of fat were mistaken for wooping).
Raiders of the Lost Arcade
FryPhilip J. Fry
Philip J. Fry, known simply as Fry, is a fictional character, the main protagonist of the animated science fiction sitcom Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a version of his own voice as he sounded when he was 25.-Character overview:...
asks to see a world that is more like a video game. As the simulation starts, President of Earth Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
is preparing to sign a treaty with Ambassador Kong of planet Nintendu 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
. Ambassador Kong attacks Nixon, and a state of war erupts.
Due to his extensive knowledge of video games from the 20th Century, Fry is brought to the Mil
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
headquarters and introduced to General Colin
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
Pac-Man
Pac-Man
is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
. Before Fry can impart his wisdom to the military, the Nintendians
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
launch an attack on Washington, DC, and they are forced into the escape tunnels, which resemble a Pac-Man
Pac-Man
is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
board. They emerge outside the Planet Express building, where the Nintendian invaders, led by Lrrr, are blasting New New York. Fry situates himself at the controls of a rolling Anti-aircraft artillery platform, and begins destroying the alien ships in a manner similar to Space Invaders
Space Invaders
is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...
. However, Fry has never managed to hit the final ship in Space Invaders ("My brother always got it for me!"), which lands nearby and the invaders emerge. They demand "A million allowances worth of quarters" with which to do their laundry, but the Earthlings refuse. Fortunately, a compromise is reached, with the Nintendians throwing their laundry in with Earth's.
Wizzin'
Leela asks what if she found her true home and ends up being accidentally knocked unconscious, prompting her to dream a parody of The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
with Leela as Dorothy
Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale is the protagonist of many of the Oz novels by American author L. Frank Baum, and the best friend of Oz's ruler Princess Ozma. Dorothy first appears in Baum's classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and reappears in most of its sequels...
, Fry as the Scarecrow
Scarecrow (Oz)
The Scarecrow is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum and illustrator William Wallace Denslow. In his first appearance, the Scarecrow reveals that he lacks a brain and desires above all else to have one. In reality, he is only two days old and merely...
(who tries to claim that he has a brain), Bender as the Tin Man
Tin Woodman
The Tin Woodman, sometimes referred to as the Tin Man or the Tin Woodsman , is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum...
(saying "beer" instead of "oil can") and Zoidberg as the Cowardly Lobster
Cowardly Lion
The Cowardly Lion is the main character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is a Lion, but he talks and interacts with humans....
("the other guy, courage, not enough of it, need some from whatshisname"). Along the way, they encounter a group of small alien creatures who had previously appeared in the series, who "represent but are legally distinct from
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
" the Lollipop Guild
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
.
They all make their way to see The Professor at the Emerald Laboratory only to be captured by Wicked Witch Mom
Mom (Futurama)
Mom, real first name Carol, is a character from the animated television series Futurama. Voiced by Tress MacNeille. Mom is one of the show's two main antagonists, the other being Zapp Brannigan...
who asks Leela to be her daughter. Leela agrees as long as she gets to hurt people but Mom ends up melting because of Bender splashing champagne on her. Later they end up at the Emerald Laboratory where The Professor tells Leela to clap her magic boots that she got earlier together to send her back home. Instead, she uses them to become a witch and turns Fry, Bender and The Professor into toads. She then gets splashed by some water from the ceiling because of Zoidberg ("I think there's a problem with your upstairs toilet.") and starts melting. She then wakes up to Bender splashing water in her face saying she was having a wonderful dream except for the fact that they were all there. The Professor becomes disappointed that Leela has revived: he was holding tongs and a box marked, "Leela's Organs". Hermes tells him, "there's always next year".
I, Meatbag
Human Bender's outfit (a white shirt, blue pants and black shoes) is nearly identical to the normal attire of Homer SimpsonHomer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
. It is possible this was intended as a nod to Matt Groening's other show. The song that Bender becomes infatuated with as a human is "Conga
Conga (song)
"Conga" is the first single released by the American band Miami Sound Machine led by Gloria Estefan on their second English language album, and ninth overall, Primitive Love.-Song history:...
" by Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
. The title of the section is also a nod to the Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
collection of short stories I, Robot
I, Robot
I, Robot is a collection of nine science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov, first published by Gnome Press in 1950 in an edition of 5,000 copies. The stories originally appeared in the American magazines Super Science Stories and Astounding Science Fiction between 1940 and 1950. The stories are...
.
Raiders of the Lost Arcade
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
. The segment starts off with an reference to Asteroids where the planet express ship is dodging rocks. "Ambassador Kong" is a reference to the arcade game Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong (video game)
is an arcade game released by Nintendo in 1981. It is an early example of the platform game genre, as the gameplay focuses on maneuvering the main character across a series of platforms while dodging and jumping over obstacles. In the game, Jumpman must rescue a damsel in distress, Lady, from a...
, as well as Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's Ambassador to the U.N. being Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
. The maze which the characters run through is an homage to both Pac-Man
Pac-Man
is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
and Ms. Pac-Man
Ms. Pac-Man
Ms. Pac-Man is an arcade video game produced by Midway as an unauthorized sequel to Pac-Man. It was released in North America in 1981 and became one of the most popular video games of all time, leading to its adoption by Pac-Man licensor Namco as an official title...
. Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man both appear in the episode (Pac-Man as General Colin Pacman, and Ms. Pac-Man as his wife/widow). Zoidberg adds to this when he coughs up certain objects which are in the Pac-Man Mazes. During the battle, the Lrrr's ship shoots Colin Pacman, and he dies in the same manner as in the Pac-Man games, after which Ms. Pac-Man arrives and cries mournfully over him.
The Nintendians' fleet is composed of Space Invaders
Space Invaders
is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...
ships, which move in the same pattern as those in the original video game. Also the song that is playing when Fry is playing is "Tom Sawyer
Tom Sawyer (song)
"Tom Sawyer" is a song by Canadian rock band Rush, named after Mark Twain's literary character. The song was released on Mercury Records and PolyGram in 1981 on the Moving Pictures album and numerous compilations thereafter, such as 1990's Chronicles. It has also appeared on several live albums and...
" by Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
. The planet Nintendu 64 is a reference to the game console Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
. When the Milatari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
HQ is first shown, the green tank from Battlezone is shown driving past. When the characters walk through the HQ, they go past doors labelled Moon Patrol
Moon Patrol
is a classic arcade game by Irem that was first released in 1982. It was licensed to Williams for distribution in North America.The player controls a moon buggy, viewing it from the side, that travels over the moon's surface. While driving it, obstacles such as craters and mines must be avoided....
and Missile Command
Missile Command
Missile Command is a 1980 arcade game by Atari, Inc. that was also licensed to Sega for European release. It is considered one of the most notable games from the Golden Age of Video Arcade Games...
. As the video game villains (Lrrr, Donkey Kong, a Berzerk
Berzerk
Berzerk is a multi-directional shooter video arcade game, released in 1980 by Stern Electronics of Chicago.-Gameplay:The player controls a green stick-figure, representing a "humanoid." Using a joystick , the player navigates a simple maze filled with many robots, who fire lasers back at the...
robot, BurgerTime
Burgertime
is a 1982 arcade game created by Data East for its DECO Cassette System. The game's original title, Hamburger, was changed to BurgerTime before its introduction to the US. The player is chef Peter Pepper, who must walk over hamburger ingredients located across a maze of platforms while avoiding...
s Mr. Egg and Q*bert) exit the landed ship, one character says the phrase All your base are belong to us
All your base are belong to us
"All your base are belong to us" is a broken English phrase that became an Internet phenomenon or meme in 2000–2002...
.
Wizzin'
The majority of the plot is a direct parody of the 1939 film The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
, with Leela taking the place of Dorothy, Amy as the Good Witch of the North, Fry as the Scarecrow, Bender as the Tin Man, Zoidberg as the Cowardly Lion, Professor Farnsworth as the Wizard and Mom as the Wicked Witch of the West. When Leela first exits the spaceship, a parody of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
peacock logo is seen spreading its feathers.
Trivia
During the "Raiders Of The Lost Arcade" story, when the Nintendians exit the space craft, Q*bert can be heard speaking backwards. When played in reverse, he can be heard saying "Where can a guy get some pants around here?" This is an example of backmaskingBackmasking
Backmasking is a recording technique in which a sound or message is recorded backward on to a track that is meant to be played forward...
.
Reception
In 2006 IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
.com ranked this episode as number 12, with "Anthology of Interest I" at number 13, in their list of the "Top 25 Futurama episodes". As of March 21, 2008, TV.com has given this episode a 9.1 "Superb" rating.
In its initial airing, the episode received a Nielsen rating of 4.5, placing it 62nd among primetime shows for the week of December 31, 2001 - January 6, 2002.
External links
- Anthology of Interest II at The Infosphere.