Thoughts on [4ACV10] - The Why of Fry

[Reply #240 on:]

Definitely on my top 10. It was just great. Only Mr. Cohen could produce such fine work. As it has been said, many people believe that this episode should have been the series finale. In my opinion, it was one of the best, but just not finale material. I loved the kiss at the end, but in "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings", the last scene was more meaningful and artistic.

[Reply #241 on:]

I thought I might bump this to proclaim it as my favourite episode in the series. Everything is just so... perfectly done, and I'm not even much of a shipper.

It doesn't matter what they do with Mom, Santa, or the Robot Devil. The Brainspawn will always be the true villains of the series for me. I sincerely hope they make another appearance.

[Reply #242 on:]

Used to be my fave ep, but Mobius Dick beat it...

Still, it's now my 2nd fave, amazing episode... Just so, awesome. And I'm not a shipper either.

Dick beat it...

Heheh.

[Reply #243 on:]

Wow really, Möbius Dick topped it? The Why of Fry is a great ep, in fact maybe it's time I re-watched it as it's been a while. Overall though, part of the novelty has worn off for me sadly, because part of the initial appeal of an ep like The Why of Fry is learning about certain aspects of the shows history. Now those aspects are taken for granted and the episode has to rely on other factors to keep it entertaining...

Luckily it is still a very strong and entertaining ep, but I guess if truth be told it has gone down slightly in my overall rankings. I think I may agree with you, DannyJC13. Despite its flaws, I think Möbius Dick may actually be the better ep!...

[Reply #244 on:]

Mobius Dick was EVERYTHING Futurama should be.

(Okay, Leela was the only thing that ruined it... And maybe that the space whale feeds off of obsession...)

But besides those flaws, yes, it was top notch Futurama.

[Reply #245 on:]

Love this episode!

Poor Fry.  Seems like this guy can't catch a break.  Here he is, the average Generation X'er from the 1990's being cryogentically frozen for 1000 years... all for a purpose?!  Who woulda thunk?  Certainly not I. 

Well, just so happens that Fry was indeed needed to stop an imminent threat to the universe.  The conniving Nibblonians set Fry up to be frozen for a thousand years to eliminate the universe's deadliest threat.  As a result of sleeping with his grandmother (see Roswell That Ends Well), Fry lacked the normal "delta" brain wave and was the only person in the universe than can stop the evil Brainspawn.  Needless to say, Fry learns the truth from the Brainspawn about why and how he was sent to the future, and that Nibbler basically "took his old life away from him".  A response by the Nibblonians was "What's one life compared to the universe?", in which a teary Fry replied, "But it was my life!"  Definitely two lines worth exploring…

So what is one life relative to the entire universe?  After all, the universe is immensely big... bigger than our human minds can comprehend.  In the grand scheme of things, one life is almost as irrelevant as the next.  But who's to judge?  How can we quantify the value of Fry's prior life?  I feel that we can't.  And although Fry's old life in the 20th century was pretty much worthless, it was still his life... along with his family, friends and faithful dog.  It's tough to determine whether the ends justify the means.  Besides, do you think Fry would be concerned about an event that happens 1000 years later (assuming he didn't get frozen)?  I sure wouldn't - I'd be long dead by then.

But perhaps it was for the better.  At the end of the episode, we see the lowly Fry returning from walking Nibbler with a flower in his hand.  Dare I say he looked pitiful, even, while walking with a flower he can’t even remembering picking (Nibbler actually handed him the flower).   Even so, he hands it to an agitated Leela – returning from a lousy date.  A few sweet words are exchanged, and Leela gives Fry a kiss.  Fry’s life in the 31st century offers more to him than anything his prior life in the 21st century could have.  The verdict, therefore, is out there: does anyone think the Nibblonians did Fry a favor by freezing him for 1000 years?  I’d like to think so, as now Fry has an opportunity to change his life for the better.  He can actually BE someone, he can pursue his love interest (Leela), and he’s surrounded by decent friends and colleagues alike (compared to Panucci?  They’re perfect. )

While not the funniest episode in the series, The Why of Fry delivers on several fronts, especially regarding continuity from prior episodes, and tying up loose ends (The Day the Earth Stood Stupid).  Personally, I hold this episode in high regard as it also strengthened the relationship between Leela and Fry.  I am an outspoken fan of this continued love-story arc, and The Why of Fry does not disappoint.

[Reply #246 on:]

Wow...You getting llongwinded.

Someday I gotta have a lon tak with FuturaIMAman.

[Reply #247 on:]

A great analysis of my favourite episode!  

The Why of Fry certainly isn't the funniest episode in the series, but that's not why I love it. It's the perfect example of the show's recurring plots (in this case, Fry's destiny and the Brainspawn.)

It won't be easy for another episode to top this.

[Reply #248 on:]

Oh and yes....Everyelse inlcluding Fry got stupid....

futuramIMAfan...

You destroyed Tweenis 12

[Reply #249 on:]

Hey guys.

So I just re-watched The Why of Fry (this episode is always good) and I just have one question:  when Fry was teleported back to the past by the Brain Spawn, why did he "disappear" after he was done talking to Nibbler about the future?  I'm referring to the part when he tells Nibbler that the Scooty Puff Jr. is a piece of junk, then fades away.

Thanks guys!

[Reply #250 on:]

My memory isn't perfect, but I think that there was only a certain window of time that was open for him to return to. So he faded away because the window he could be in was ending...

I could be wrong though.

[Reply #251 on:]

I can't see anything about him having a limited period of time in the script, here's what they say about it:

Huge Brain: "It is possible for the Philip Fry to resume his life on December 31st, 1999."
Fry: "Really? I can go back in time?"
Huge Brain: "There is a nexus point between universes at the space-time where you entered the cryogenic tube. You and only you can return there."
Big Brain: "Interesting. You could stop the Nibblonian from pushing you into the cryogenic tube."
Fry: "That is interesting. Why?"
Big Brain: "It would be as if you never came to the future. You will have your life back and we will succeed in our plan to understand and destroy the universe."

Basically, he dissapeared because he told Nibbler to get a Scooty-Puff Sr., meaning he escaped the Infosphere and never became trapped, therefore never got sent into the past...

But wait, how would he have told Nibbler about the Scooty-Puff Jr. then?

[Reply #252 on:]

Basically, he dissapeared because he told Nibbler to get a Scooty-Puff Sr., meaning he escaped the Infosphere and never became trapped, therefore never got sent into the past...

No, he disappeared because he changed the course of events. What he said was that the Scooty-Puff Jr. sucked - this may have convinced the Nibblonians to spring for the upgrade. Fry did have a limited window of opportunity in which to act. He was meant to stop himself going to the future - at which point he would essentially be a time paradox duplicate not subject to a doom field, and the "original" Fry would have gotten on with his life.

When Fry instead allowed himself to be frozen, he set in motion the events that led to him being trapped in the infosphere again - but with Nibbler having foreknowledge of what was to come. He altered the continuity of the timeline. Since he had travelled there from the Infosphere and the new continuity dictated that this would not occur, Fry disappeared.

It's a little more complex than "He told Nibbler to get a Scooty-Puff Sr. and vanished". You're essentially looking at what I'd term an open-ended event spiral (ie; not a closed loop) time travel episode (as in an episode of time travel, not the Futurama episode).

Due to there being no way for the spiral to remain open without Fry both appearing and talking to Nibbler, then disappearing, having effectively rewritten part of history, this is now the way that things have always happened. However, it wasn't until the point where it happened.

It's probably going to be hard for you to wrap your head around unless you're already comfortable with the way Douglas Adams described time travel.

[Reply #253 on:]

No, he disappeared because he changed the course of events. What he said was that the Scooty-Puff Jr. sucked - this may have convinced the Nibblonians to spring for the upgrade.

Which would change the future right? That's what I mean.

[Reply #254 on:]

My post essentially answers the question you ended your post with. You'll note that I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just saying that the reason you still have a question at the end is because you're simplifying your explanation too far.

[Reply #255 on:]

Thanks for the explanation, totalnerduk.  I appreciate the help, but I'm afraid you're right - I still can't get this wrapped around my head!

From your first paragraph, why would he become a time-paradox duplicate but NOT be subject to a doom field?

Also, when Fry "disappeared" in front of Nibbler, where did he go?  I know that sounds like a silly question, but did he essentially "die'?  In the next scene, we see Fry escaping from the Infosphere on the Scooty Puff Sr. - but THAT specific Fry on the Scooty Puff Sr. shouldn't have ANY idea about the meeting with Nibbler on on 31 Dec 1999, right?  If I'm grasping this, somewhat, I suppose we the viewers get to see both scenarios: A) when Fry's Scooty Puff Jr. breaks and 2) when Fry escapes with the Scooty Puff Sr.  But for the sake of series canon, the only scenario that should have ever existed is Fry escaping with the Scooty Puff Sr., because technically, the break down on the Jr. never happened....... right? 

[Reply #256 on:]

Also, when Fry "disappeared" in front of Nibbler, where did he go?  I know that sounds like a silly question, but did he essentially "die'? 

I've often wondered this as well. I think it's safe to assume that he did "die" or literally "vanish". The Fry who destroyed the infosphere and escaped with the Scooty Puff Sr. wouldn't have had any knowledge of the previous Fry or even the fact that Nibbler sent him to the future, so technically the first Fry never existed.

That's what I think anyway. I'm sure someone will come along and make me look like an idiot by proving me wrong.

[Reply #257 on:]

This is my 4th or 5th favorite episode of all time. In fact, I think nearly all the time travel episodes are in my top 10, with only TLPJF outranking it in that category. Love the sweet ending, the callbacks/continuity, Scooty Puff Jr. and Sr. and of course Nibbler playing a key role. 10/10!

[Reply #258 on:]

Thanks for the explanation, totalnerduk.  I appreciate the help, but I'm afraid you're right - I still can't get this wrapped around my head!

From your first paragraph, why would he become a time-paradox duplicate but NOT be subject to a doom field?

No time code involved. The time code has the paradox-correcting doom-field built into it. Other forms of time travel don't have that safeguard.

Also, when Fry "disappeared" in front of Nibbler, where did he go?  I know that sounds like a silly question, but did he essentially "die'?  

I've often wondered this as well. I think it's safe to assume that he did "die" or literally "vanish". The Fry who destroyed the infosphere and escaped with the Scooty Puff Sr. wouldn't have had any knowledge of the previous Fry or even the fact that Nibbler sent him to the future, so technically the first Fry never existed.

There is only one Fry involved in this particular round-and-round.

First, Fry gets frozen. Then he goes to the Infosphere, gets sent back, and tells Nibbler things that end up changing what happened. So he didn't go back, except that he already had. At the point when he'd ended up changing things, he simply ceases to be a part of reality, and it goes on as normal (Fry's momentary re-emergance in his own timeline being a sort of a blip). From that point, things go differently (if they hadn't gone differently, Fry would not have vanished, because a stable time loop would have been formed rather than an open spiral).

So Fry both did and did not "die". Either way, it's the future version of the Fry in the tube who then survives anyway, on the Scooty-Puff Sr.

Fry both did and did not "die" in that a potential version of him and his personal timeline ceased to exist, but Fry as the universe knows him continued to exist.

[Reply #259 on:]

totalnerduk, thanks for dumbing it down for me.  After some serious thought I finally understand why he disappeared.  Fry did "fade" away, but I wonder what that feels like?  I suppose he disappeared into nothingness - which is just sad because that particular version of Fry that the Brainspawn sent back to 31 Dec 1999 was essentially "doomed" as soon as he accepted the Nibblonians mission.

Amazing, though.  He just ceased to exist because he altered history, and the Fry in Futurama, going forward through the series, is the same exact Fry sans knowledge of the Nibblonians plan to trap him into the "freezer tube".  Disappearing into nothing though... sounds like a pretty awful fate.

[Reply #260 on:]

It is possible that the frozen Fry would have dematerialized and his life in the 20th Century would have continued as it was (except for his delusional vision of the future similar to what was expressed in 'The Day The Earth Stood Stupid'.) and it would have happened if it wasn't for his love for Leela.

But then, if it weren't for that, there wouldn't have been the need for Futurama in the first place.

[Reply #261 on:]

Disappearing into nothing though... sounds like a pretty awful fate.

But technically he never existed, so he wouldn't feel pain/loneliness/existence...

This is why I raged at Doctor Who.

But then, if it weren't for that, there wouldn't have been the need for Futurama in the first place.

I don't like that idea. I mean, yeah, it's a HUGE plot point and all, but there has to be more to the show than just a relationship...

[Reply #262 on:]

True, but here is where Future Fry was retransposed back to his Future Life.

Nibbler: You must choose: The present or the future? To save yourself or to save Leela.

He decided to save Leela...Had he decided to save himself the "Present" Fry would have retransposed to his life on 12.31.1999 and the Fry about to be frozen would have atomized.  Difference here is that this new Present Day visions about what the Future had to offer.

A similar scenerio occured in Anthology I where:

Nichols: Wait. I'm getting an idea. What if Fry was supposed to get frozen?

Hawking: Yes. Shove him in the tube. It was my idea.

[Bender appears in the hole.]
Bender: Hey, there he is again. And he brought nerds! Take this!

[He throws his bottle at them and it smashes at Fry's feet.]
Gore: Get in the tube, dummy! We only have a few seconds before the universe is destroyed.

[Reply #263 on:]

Awesome episode. It finally reveals how/why Fry came to the future. Executed Brilliantly, and knew how to keep you at the edge of your seat.

9.5/10

[Reply #264 on:]

I love both brainspawn episodes greatly, this one included.  Nibbler's great as always, as was Fry.  This one's highly rated for a reason!  10/10