Did the robots know?

[on:]

I was watching the commentary to "Leela's Homeworld" a few weeks ago, and it was mentioned that the producers had planned from the show's beginning to make Leela a mutated human.  In the first season episode "Fears of a Bot Planet", during the trial scene, Leela is called "human" by the robot baliffs repeatedly.  So, is this just a case of ignorant robots, or a sneaky hint by the writers?

This also raises the question of whether Bender knew the whole time or not.

[Reply #1 on:]

Well, Leela is the least mutated human, so it is possible that the robots just mistook her for a human since she isn't very mutated, especailly since they aren't even from Earth. Also, I'm sure Bender never knew, especially since he was built 21 years after Leela's birth. Besides, if Bender knew, I'm sure he would have let the secret out on more than one occassion.

[Reply #2 on:]

"I'll say,'You'll never guess who knows that Leela's a mutant,' and they'll say, 'who, Bender, who?' and I'll say, 'It was lovable...old...Bender...'"

No, the robots would have probably called anything with a pulse and endoskeleton human.

[Reply #3 on:]

yeh, I'm sure the robots were just being stuborn.  besides, bender can't keep a secret.
Q: robots are very good at keeping secrets.
B: no we're not, you little bed-weter.

[Reply #4 on:]

   

Originally posted by Ttomalss:
In the first season episode "Fears of a Bot Planet", during the trial scene, Leela is called "human" by the robot baliffs repeatedly.  So, is this just a case of ignorant robots, or a sneaky hint by the writers?

But Leela tried to tell the robots she wasn't human several times during the trial. ("Look! One eye! Count them: One! Not human!" )

It's my guess that the robot court, in it's rush to try actual humans (146,000 unsuccessful hunts in a row will make you anxious for results) didn't care about specifics; Leela being humanoid was good enough for them.

[Reply #5 on:]

Let's not forget the Robot Elders wasn't so much interested in killing humans as finding scapegoats to distract the public from their real problems. Leela could've had 4 legs and 17 fingers, they would still have tried her for being human.

As for the hint of thins to come; no I think this was a genuine joke, not a subtle clue to Leela's origin.

[Reply #6 on:]

But still...  I think it may have been a hint, and here's why.  Robots can distinguish species.  Bender did know the whole time, if only subconsciously.  Check his reboot sequence in the Birdbot of Ice-Catraz.  Leela is immediately identified as human. 

This is yet another hint that writers put in... or is it?   

[Reply #7 on:]

 

Originally posted by JBERGES:
This is yet another hint that writers put in... or is it?

Some people seem to think so.

[Reply #8 on:]

What I don't understand is how someone could live to be 25 in the year 3000 and not undergo a single DNA test. You'd think it would be fairly standard to identify genetic disorders.

Unless anyone who would have just said, "Eh, you're an alien. What's the point? We don't know anything about your species' DNA. Do you even HAVE DNA? I'd find out if I wasn't so lazy."

[Reply #9 on:]

Possible if Sal's running the dna testing. And if bender knew it actually (not just subconsius) he would have given it up.   

[Reply #10 on:]

 

Originally posted by JBERGES:
Bender did know the whole time, if only subconsciously.

Yeah, only his program knows Leela's human. Bender almost as ignorant of the human species as Zoidberg is. In "I Second The Emotion," Bender (paraphrased) asks what humans design toilets for. He has no clue Leela's human.

[Reply #11 on:]

 

Originally posted by Nibblonian:
He has no clue Leela's human.

He wouldn't care anyway.  Human or alien, a meatbag is a meatbag.

[Reply #12 on:]

exactly they're all the same to bender

[Reply #13 on:]

it would be kinda hard to distingish a mutant such as leela. she would be human if it weren't for that 1 eye

[Reply #14 on:]

And superhuman strength and natural purple hair.

[Reply #15 on:]

 It is kind of hard to believe an 'alien' baby is dropped off at your door steep and lives her entire on Earth and no doctor thinks to do a DNA test or something to attempt to determine her species or at least for health reasons.  So if robots can ID Leela as a human why would not more of an on the ball robot report her as a mutant or at least not an alien?

[Reply #16 on:]

But I'f she's the only one of her kind they have nothing to compare it against. They have no need to test her because they can see she aint human. And aliens aren't really A big thing on earth.

God, I can't believe I've succumbed to reading into futurama....

[Reply #17 on:]

Welcome to the Nerd side of the Force 

It's not like the orphans were treated in a particularly humane manner, so Vogel probably just accepted that she was an alien and left the matter at that.

[Reply #18 on:]

I would think that DNA test is a routine medical produce in the year 3000.  Used to tell if you are at risk for disease and so forth.  Leela was able to find Frys only living relative using a DNA database in the pilot.  I would think as a citizen she would be put into it eventually.  If so, then it would determine her to be human not alien. 

[Reply #19 on:]

Unless her DNA fingerprint was simply put into the database with her name, and not analyzed.  It's unlikely that a society that would database every inhabitant's DNA would go to the extra expense to actually look at it and analyze it, unless absolutely necessary.

Also, before it was revealed Leela was a mutant, she was considered to be a humanoid alien.  I'd bet that Bender, in his confused state (after all, he had just taken a .30 caliber slug to the head) would lable any biped as a human.

[Reply #20 on:]

 

Originally posted by Evil Abe:
I would think that DNA test is a routine medical produce in the year 3000.  Used to tell if you are at risk for disease and so forth.  Leela was able to find Frys only living relative using a DNA database in the pilot.  I would think as a citizen she would be put into it eventually.  If so, then it would determine her to be human not alien. 

(This is not to be contrused as reading into futurama in any way. I'm just setting the record straight)

DNA tests arent as thorough as You'd think. They simply compare parts to other parts.
You could look at Many lines of DNA and not be able to tell which animal its from.

Besides, If they could get away with swapping career chips without anyone noticing then obviously DNA identification isnt overly popular.
GOD1 I've done it again.   

[Reply #21 on:]

I'm going with the theory that the mutants are humans, just...  slightly different DNA to make them their mutated form.