The Duh-Vinci Code
Encyclopedia
"The Duh-Vinci Code" is the fifth episode of Futurama
sixth season
. In the episode, Fry finds a drawing of a lost Leonardo da Vinci
invention which leads him and Professor Farnsworth to planet Vinci.
The episode's title and plot is a parody of "The Da Vinci Code
". It received positive reviews from critics and went up one-tenth in the 18-49 demographic from the previous episode, "Proposition Infinity
".
. After several rambling side-tracks, they discover that many of da Vinci's famous inventions actually fit together to form a spaceship. Fry and Professor Farnsworth end up taking an unwilling ride to a strange new planet, Vinci, where they find Leonardo. He is a near-immortal alien who came to earth because he was actually the dumbest of his kind.
Da Vinci tricks Fry into helping him build a doomsday device
to slay all the others who have tormented him over the years. Fry breaks the machine, with the unintended result of killing da Vinci. Farnsworth and Fry take the da Vinci ship back home.
". They also make a reference to Achilles' Heel
and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
.
") with a 1.5 household rating and a 1.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic, up 1/10 of a point from the previous week and making it the 3rd highest rated episode of the season behind premiere week's doubleheader of "Rebirth
" and "In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela
".
Robert Canning of IGN
gave the episode a 8.0/10 stating in his review "As wary as dated references and repurposed story ideas have been making me feel, it's hard not to enjoy an episode of Futurama that can deliver fun twists and an unexpected Achilles' Heel gag" Zack Hendlen of The A.V. Club
gave a B and also said in his review "Generally, I like shows that build on emotional relationships, but the rules are different here. Although I'm starting to wonder if a little more cohesion might do the show good".
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...
sixth season
Futurama (season 6)
Futurama sixth production season originally aired on Comedy Central from June 24, 2010 to September 8, 2011 and consisted of 26 episodes. The season marks the change of networks from Fox to Comedy Central.David X...
. In the episode, Fry finds a drawing of a lost Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
invention which leads him and Professor Farnsworth to planet Vinci.
The episode's title and plot is a parody of "The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It follows symbologist Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu as they investigate a murder in Paris's Louvre Museum and discover a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus having been married to...
". It received positive reviews from critics and went up one-tenth in the 18-49 demographic from the previous episode, "Proposition Infinity
Proposition Infinity
"Proposition Infinity" is the fourth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom Futurama, and originally aired July 8, 2010 on Comedy Central. In the episode, Amy Wong and Bender fall in love and begin a culturally taboo "robosexual" relationship...
".
Plot
The Planet Express crew races to future Rome to unearth the shocking secret of Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
. After several rambling side-tracks, they discover that many of da Vinci's famous inventions actually fit together to form a spaceship. Fry and Professor Farnsworth end up taking an unwilling ride to a strange new planet, Vinci, where they find Leonardo. He is a near-immortal alien who came to earth because he was actually the dumbest of his kind.
Da Vinci tricks Fry into helping him build a doomsday device
Doomsday device
A doomsday device is a hypothetical construction — usually a weapon, or collection of weapons — which could destroy all life on a planet, particularly the Earth, or destroy the planet itself, bringing "doomsday", a term used for the end of planet Earth...
to slay all the others who have tormented him over the years. Fry breaks the machine, with the unintended result of killing da Vinci. Farnsworth and Fry take the da Vinci ship back home.
Cultural references
The basic plot and title of the episode is a parody of "The Da Vinci CodeThe Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It follows symbologist Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu as they investigate a murder in Paris's Louvre Museum and discover a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus having been married to...
". They also make a reference to Achilles' Heel
Achilles' heel
An Achilles’ heel is a deadly weakness in spite of overall strength, that can actually or potentially lead to downfall. While the mythological origin refers to a physical vulnerability, metaphorical references to other attributes or qualities that can lead to downfall are common.- Origin :In Greek...
and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
.
Reception
In its original broadcast on Comedy Central, "The Duh-Vinci Code" was viewed by an estimated 2.204 million viewers (up nearly 200,000 or 10% from "Proposition InfinityProposition Infinity
"Proposition Infinity" is the fourth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom Futurama, and originally aired July 8, 2010 on Comedy Central. In the episode, Amy Wong and Bender fall in love and begin a culturally taboo "robosexual" relationship...
") with a 1.5 household rating and a 1.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic, up 1/10 of a point from the previous week and making it the 3rd highest rated episode of the season behind premiere week's doubleheader of "Rebirth
Rebirth (Futurama)
"Rebirth" is the premiere of Futuramas sixth season, and the revival of the series. It originally aired in North America on June 24, 2010, on Comedy Central. The episode was written by David X...
" and "In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela
In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela
"In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela" is the second episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom, Futurama. It originally aired directly after "Rebirth" on Thursday, June 24, 2010 on Comedy Central...
".
Robert Canning of IGN
IGN
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...
gave the episode a 8.0/10 stating in his review "As wary as dated references and repurposed story ideas have been making me feel, it's hard not to enjoy an episode of Futurama that can deliver fun twists and an unexpected Achilles' Heel gag" Zack Hendlen of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave a B and also said in his review "Generally, I like shows that build on emotional relationships, but the rules are different here. Although I'm starting to wonder if a little more cohesion might do the show good".