"She must be 'the other'"

[on:]

Hi!  Long time listener, first time caller...

I've always wondered about Nibbler's referring to Leela as "the other".  Has this ever been fully explained?  Perhaps one could argue that her presence with Fry at the end of the fourth movie qualifies as having fit the position of "the other", but to me it didn't seem all that climactic to justify such a conclusion.  After all, Nibbler's statement implies that she too has an important destiny along with Fry.

Any thoughts?

[Reply #1 on:]

Hello and welcome to the Planet Express Employee Lounge, or PEEL for short! We love newcomers who are curious and willing to perform graduate-level mathematics.

Both the Futurama fan community and even the writers for the show will use the wiki The Infosphere as their one-stop Futurama factoid site. There is an article on the wiki that addresses "the other".

Like the article states, there has been absolutely no references to the legend of "The Other". While it was quite the hot topic for many fanfictions back in the day, the single idea has since faded away from the minds of current Futurama fans (or nerdlingers, I guess there really isn't a particular title to us like Whovians or Bronies). I don't think it has been brought up to the staff nor has the staff referenced it. Maybe this upcoming season the show will address "The Other", as the executive producers of Futurama have both mentioned this upcoming production season will feature a strong Fry/Leela romance arc (well, the close of it).

If you're interested in discussing this topic more, there's loads of fans who crave potentially-romantic speculation in the Shipping thread in the Human Resources Department.

While I would say it is almost-definitely implying a romantic relationship between the Mighty One (Fry) and the Other, there is still reason to have doubt. In the article I posted earlier in the post on The Infosphere, it does mention that the concept of "The Other" may have been inspired by the Star Wars Trilogy's Luke and Leia's relationship. Years ago, somebody made the argument that the possibility is still open that they could be siblings, considering their similar hairstyles (there's an image juxtaposing the two somewhere in the metasphere...). However ridiculous despite their age differences, they could be somewhat related, I guess. Futurama is notorious for dropping lines that may come true in future episodes. For example, in an early episode, Professor Farnsworth rambles on about how he will create super-atomic super-men as he is exiting the room, to only later develop super-men for the Globetrotters basketball game in "Time Keeps on Slippin'". I also believe Inez Wong once complained that Amy isn't getting any younger. Then when Amy was youthicized in "Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles", Inez began to complain that this isn't some universe where she's getting any older. Well, if it counts for anything, we did see a somewhat-alternate (depends on how you define it) where Amy was significantly older. In the case of "The Other" relative crack-theory, Fry did theorize in "Bender's Big Score" that Leela and Lars (alternate universe Fry couldn't marry) because they were cousins. While the line seems fairly expected humor, I would like to note that the line remained unchanged since the first script, which featured many changes to many one-liners.

[Reply #2 on:]

It's probably the most infamous loose end of the show, and I have a feeling it will never be explained fully.

I can't really think of anything else to say that Frida didn't already, other than perhaps this:

Most of the episodes revolving around the Nibblonian plot are written by David X. Cohen. The upcoming episode "Free Will Hunting" is also written by him, so it's possible that this episode will address "The Other" (It's also worth noting that at this stage, we don't know the plot of the episode, however we probably will quite soon.) It may not have any connection the the Nibblonian plot, but hey. Speculation never hurt.

Some time ago, the show's creators teased that one sentence was left unaddressed, which most of us seem to agree is "The Other" line. This more-or-less confirms that it wasn't placed there accidentally or by chance.

However, I think all of us are looking a bit too far into it (myself included). Personally, I think Nibbler knew he was going to be found by Leela on Vergon 6, and code-named her "The Other" since she played the significant role of not wanting to cook him, and of course introducing him to Fry indirectly.

Anyway, those are my thoughts.

[Reply #3 on:]

Here's my take on it:

I hope that there is one more final conflict with the evil Brain Spawn, making it a trilogy of sorts.  Right now, as it stands the crew knows that Nibbler is sapient and comes from a race of other highly intelligent beings.  He chooses to stay with them for a reason but they don't know what it is.  Obviously Nibbler stays with them for more than just to be Leela's pet; he stays to watch over the Mighty One and The Other, presumably because the threat of the Brains still exists.

Both Fry and Leela have had their separate adventures where they each visit Eternium, learn of the Brain threat, and of Fry's special powers.  However, they have each had their memory altered by some means so they don't remember.

My hope is that the Brains are not defeated, and have another plan that requires both Fry and Leela working together to foil, coming full circle.  They would each learn of their significance to the security of the Universe and it would stay that way.  No more memory wiping.

Also, welcome to the boards!

[Reply #4 on:]

I think Nibbler was just BS'ing Fry so that he would not wreck the Nibblonians' plan.

[Reply #5 on:]

I think Nibbler was just BS'ing Fry so that he would not wreck the Nibblonians' plan.

(BUMP)

That could be true, but my shippy mind is forcing me to think more of it. I think it might just mean that Fry/Leela have a special relationship that the Nibblonian prophecies predicted.

[Reply #6 on:]

I've said this in other threads, but I honestly don't believe the writers had a specific plan when they wrote that line in. It could just be interpreted as "she's the one Fry ends up with," but it could have also served as a plot point later if they ever needed it to. It was more-or-less them leaving the door open to continue the Nibblonian saga if they ever wanted to.

[Reply #7 on:]

Yeah, sort of a weaker, much more drawn-out variation of Yoda's "No; there is another..."

[Reply #8 on:]

Yeah, that was a forgotten angle.  Was hoping it would be resolved during the last season.

[Reply #9 on:]

Eric Rogers pretty much confirmed it wasn't supposed to mean that much, didn't he?

[Reply #10 on:]

It could just be interpreted as "she's the one Fry ends up with,"

That's what I've always assumed it meant, Mainly because that's the only sensible explanation that contradict the show in any way.

[Reply #11 on:]

The fact that they wrote Fry responding with confused bafflement to the line tells me that it was intended to have more significance. Chekhov's gun - if it wasn't important then it wouldn't have been made a big deal. Whole seconds were given over to the exchange between Fry and Nibbler. The show is short, so if it isn't developing a plot or making a joke, it has no place.
Fry responded. Therefore it was significant.

[Reply #12 on:]

Yeah, but it was obviously only significant in so far as the writers were leaving the door open for them to do further Nibblonian, brain-spawn-y stuff if they ever felt like it - which it seems like they didn't.

Eric Rogers basically confirmed that the line didn't even come up when they were writing the Comedy Central run.

Within the context of the show, there's nothing to suggest that the line has more significance beyond what we know of Leela and her relationship with Fry and Nibbler. I mean, hell, he might have been talking about the events of "The Day the Earth Stood Stupid" for all we know.

[Reply #13 on:]

That's a good point, the last thing you said.

[Reply #14 on:]

I've always interpreted it to be just a reference to Leela's story in TDtESS.

 I also thought I remembered it being dismissed as nothing special in the commentary for the why of fry, but a quick listen yesterday didn't tell me anything.

[Reply #15 on:]

If ever Futurama comes back again, I hope they'll finally address this theory. It's been driving fans crazy especially me since The Why of Fry aired. So many secrets and plot twists can be developed from it. It can even serve as a great plot for the rumoured fifth Futurama movie.
*fingers crossed