Fry needs a rival!

[on:]

If Fry had a rival, what kind of character do you think he/she would be?  Obviously one that would work at a delivery service that's the polar opposite of Planet Express and is always two steps ahead of Fry.

Maybe when the new episodes begin, Fry probably will have a rival. 

[Reply #1 on:]

A hardworking young black man with style, panache, and a thing for one-eyed women. He works at InterGlobal Express (right next door to Planet Express), and is going places (literally). A snappy dresser with an eye for detail and a tendancy to say the right thing at the right time, the only reason that Leela rejects him in the end is that he doesn't like Nibbler.

His name? Yrf J Pilihp of course.

 

[Reply #2 on:]

He already has the brains! ... plus any boyfriend Leela picks up.

[Reply #3 on:]

Maybe one of Fry's old classmates from the past gets unfrozen, but have it be the kid who always got the best grades

[Reply #4 on:]

Fry's too much of slacker to have a rival!  Except specifically in Leela's affections, and the odd one-shot character (Alkazar, Adlai, Chaz, etc) serves well there.

But if he had one, his name should actually be...

Jiriph P. Llyf

[Reply #5 on:]

Sean.

[Reply #6 on:]

   Yeah.

Oooo, wait!  Günther!

[Reply #7 on:]

He has one named Zapp who is a bit ahead of him. Not sure if Kif is one or just an accident.

Fry might be OK if he can keep Leela off the Nimbus. There's something about that ship that has an effect on Leela.

[Reply #8 on:]

Ah yes, the good old Zapper. I don't think he stands a chance against Fry though. Remember Leela picked him over Zapp in AFTR.
Zapp's after her body. As he lusts for her.
Fry's after her love. As he loves her.

The only thing they share is corny pickup lines... though, Fry's seem a little on the cleverer side, you can still see the intention is the same.

'Welcome to my humble chamber. Or as I call it, "the Love-nasium". '
'Cause when we're in here together, baby, time will stand still.'

I think in the new series that Fry will try to stand up to Zapp, Zapp plays unfairly and nearly hurts Fry, Leela comes to Fry's rescue and then kicks Zapp's butt. Currently the closest thing to that is in WITHW. But it will get very personal.

Personally, Fry's pickup lines reduce me to high school girl giggles. Zapp's make me laugh, but it's a 'Hah! That's never going to work.' sort of laugh.

... yeah I'm done 

[Reply #9 on:]

Noo, I disagree, Fry is ok as he is, doesnt need any competition, bless him. I mean, cmon, humiliation from his peers isnt exactly uncommon...

[Reply #10 on:]

 

Originally posted by futz:
He has one named Zapp...

Huh? 

To be "rivals," both of them must have a reasonable chance of winning Leela's affections. As Zap's chances of winning-over Leela are exactly none, zero, nada, zip -
not gonna happen - he cannot be Fry's rival.

There's something about that ship [Nimbus] that has an effect on Leela...

Yes: Getting within a dozen parsec's of it's Commander sends her into a homicidal rage!   

Originally posted by Tastes Like Fry:
Ah yes, the good old Zapper. I don't think he stands a chance against Fry though.

I agree: Fry's chances are infinitely better then Zap's, but only because Zap's chances are zero!

Remember Leela picked him over Zapp in AFTR.

Yes: In a desperate act to fend-off Zap.

I think in the new series that Fry will try to stand up to Zapp...

Fry knows Leela would sooner beat Zap to a bloody pulp than talk to him.
There's no need for Fry to stand up to Zap.

[Reply #11 on:]

Don't know, it all sounds like Leela being poor little Fry-baby's mommy. "Here Fry, Leela will beat up the nasty big boy for you, and then we'll do the wild thing." Sounds pretty ickie doesn't it?

If Fry is any kind of man there are times he probably wishes he could get "rejected" like others Leela has encountered. Especially since he hasn't gotten anywhere with anything since the Liu-bot in Season 3. Tick, tick, tick.

[Reply #12 on:]

 

Originally posted by futz:
Don't know, it all sounds like Leela being poor little Fry-baby's mommy. "Here Fry, Leela will beat up the nasty big boy for you, and then we'll do the wild thing." Sounds pretty ickie doesn't it?

No...it sounds refreshingly non-sexist!  I LOVE it when a male character has no problem with having their bacon continuously saved by a woman who is admittedly and demonstrably more qualified to do the saving.  The fact that Fry unabashedly hides behind Leela (liked in MarsU, teaser) I find hilarious and adorable.

This doesn't stop him from throwing himself in front of Leela to protect her in cases where her superior fighting skills give her no advantage (Xmas Story, Sting, TDHAIP), so it's not at all about Fry's courage or affection being deficient.  Fry just has zero (zip, zilch, nada) interest in being macho, and no one can shame him into it because he has no shame.   


 

Originally posted by SpaceCase:
I agree: Fry's chances are infinitely better then Zap's, but only because Zap's chances are zero!

Yes!  As one of my housemates likes to say, - As long as Zapp Brannigan exists, Fry will never be at the bottom of the list. 

[Reply #13 on:]

 

Originally posted by futz:
If Fry is any kind of man there are times he probably wishes he could get "rejected" like others Leela has encountered. Especially since he hasn't gotten anywhere with anything since the Liu-bot in Season 3. Tick, tick, tick.

He's waiting for Leela to finish that deal she made. 'Everything he ever wanted to do'. Disclaimers added at the last minute don't count.

[Reply #14 on:]

Originally posted by futz:
Don't know, it all sounds like Leela being poor little Fry-baby's mommy. "Here Fry, Leela will beat up the nasty big boy for you, and then we'll do the wild thing." Sounds pretty ickie doesn't it?

• There may be some small mother/ child component to Fry and Leela’s relation, but not to the degree you seem to imply.
  
• When has Leela beaten anyone for Fry’s sake?

Not meant argumentatively, I really can’t recall a single time)

• When you frame it in such an incestuous setting, yeccha!

  If Fry is any kind of man there are times he probably wishes he could get "rejected" like others Leela has encountered. Especially since he hasn't gotten anywhere with anything since the Liu-bot in Season 3. Tick, tick, tick.

  if you mean Fry wants Leela to consider him a viable suitor, I agree.
  If you mean he wants Leela to reject him, no... If he had a dollar for every time She’s refused to go out with him, fended off his advances, or shot-down his attempts to impress her, he could have a cushy retirement! 

[Reply #15 on:]

 

Originally posted by Shiny:
Fry's too much of slacker to have a rival! 

BAM! Totally agree, he'd just be someone who Fry watches do work.

[Reply #16 on:]

Actually it's enough of an issue that Leela has expressed her concern about it. Can't tell you which particular episode but it's the seen where Leela asks Dr. Zoidberg about it. Then he responds with a you don't want to be lonely like me boo hoo.

Then there's Fry with and without the truck stop sandwich worms. Leela had no  reservations about the Fry that "beat up that guy" among other improvements. Fry sans worms (and macho, sensitivity, and intellect) got the old heave-ho.

I think it's going to take more from both of them to get the relationship somewhere beyond a re-enacting of job roles. Something different than a bossy meat creature and a cute pest.

[Reply #17 on:]

If fact, if you think about it Fry has gotten rid of Leela's other cheap boyfriends by being clever.

He followed the signs and found out that Alkazar was a fraud as well as a dirty liar. If he had not found that out, Leela's pity would have overtaken her and she would be in the clutches of that creep.

He envied Adelai, but that wasn't the only reason for disliking him. Adelai had teased her when they were young, he had a boring demeanour, plus he changed her physically to make her fit into his level of acceptance. Fry needed Leela to recognise this and did all he could.

Fry wouldn't go outright and punch a guy in the face. He'd try to stand up for her. (Parasites Lost, truckstop) But if that doesn't work, he'd go backstage to find some dirt/flaw.

Maybe he doesn't need a singular rival, but if a few of untrustworthy characters made an appearence he could get a few wins in.

Leela's the strength of body and knowledge
Fry's the strength of heart and mind

[Reply #18 on:]

Fry having a rival is done in every ep that Leela has a date, except AWITM cuz Zapp poses no threat....hmmmm....What if Zapp did pose a threat?

cogs in brain turning...

What if they some how made Zapp attractive to Leela? That would take some real doing though...

Hehe, just a thought.

Anywho, Fry doesn't need a steady rival because that would mean that Leela would have a steady boyfriend. That would just get boring.

[Reply #19 on:]

       

Originally posted by SpaceCase:
       

Originally posted by futz:
Don't know, it all sounds like Leela being poor little Fry-baby's mommy. "Here Fry, Leela will beat up the nasty big boy for you, and then we'll do the wild thing." Sounds pretty ickie doesn't it?

...There may be some small mother/ child component to Fry and Leela’s relation, but not to the degree you seem to imply.

Agreed, SpaceCase.

So - futz: when a man beats up some big, nasty jerk who harassed/threatened his girlfriend, and then she and he have hot wild adrenaline-enhanced sex afterward...is it because he feels like a father schtupping his daughter? 

OR....perhaps protectiveness comes into relationships other than just the parent/child variety.

And why is it okay for a man to give protection to a woman, but not okay for a man to accept protection from a (martial-arts trained) woman?  Seems to me that whoever has the better fighting skills should do the protecting, with no shame attached to either protector or protectee. 

Sure, we’ve all been trained to associate fighting skills with men, but now we know better - woman are plenty able to learn ass-kicking skills.  So why is a man “less than a man” if he not only lacks said skills, but allows a woman who DOES have them to save his ass?  Why is that more shameful than, say, allowing his old college buddy, the ex-Navy Seal, to pull his bacon out of the fire? 

     

Originally posted by futz:
Actually it's enough of an issue that Leela has expressed her concern about it. Can't tell you which particular episode but it's the seen where Leela asks Dr. Zoidberg about it. Then he responds with a you don't want to be lonely like me boo hoo.

That was "Time Keeps on Slippin'," and she was distressed about Fry's lack of responsibility, not his lack of punch-up training.     

       

back to SpaceCase
When has Leela beaten anyone for Fry’s sake?
Not meant argumentatively, I really can’t recall a single time)

Hmmmm...she beat up Url and Smitty in the pilot when they were whacking him with light-truncheons, and she also beat up the Russian guy selling organs and his hulking henchman in “My3Suns” to keep Fry from, ah, entering the guy’s inventory...also, she trashed Zapp most righteously in “War/H-Word” when he was trying to arrest Fry and her...though that was admittedly not just for Fry.  She was going to beat up the monks in “Godfellas” for him, but they turned out to be a nonviolent sect.         

Edit:rewordage for clarity

[Reply #20 on:]

TLF: Good point.

Shiny: I think you'd have to ask Leela why she liked mmm...tough guy Fry in spite of her own ability to deal with Sal. I doubt it was an intellectual process though.

[Reply #21 on:]

 

Originally posted by Shiny:
Hmmmm... she beat up Url and Smitty in the pilot when they were whacking him with light-truncheons, and she also beat up the Russian guy selling organs and his hulking henchman in “My3Suns” to keep Fry from, ah, entering the guy’s inventory... also, she trashed Zapp most righteously in “War/H-Word” when he was trying to arrest Fry and her...though that was admittedly not just for Fry.  She was going to beat up the monks in “Godfellas” for him, but they turned out to be a nonviolent sect. 

Thank you Shiny; you’re right as usual.

[Reply #22 on:]

Gracias, SpaceCase. 


 

Originally posted by futz:
Shiny: I think you'd have to ask Leela why she liked mmm...tough guy Fry in spite of her own ability to deal with Sal. I doubt it was an intellectual process though.

I didn't say Leela had anything AGAINST guys with martial skills...but she's also fine with those who don't have any (like Adlai, who pretty clearly was about as dangerous as Mr. Rogers, or Sean-the-pasty-and-hunched-musician). And Leela clearly has respect for competance in any area. 

However, I believe she mentioned the flowers and the gallant hand-over-the-puddle gesture as impressing her just as much as the violence...if you examine all three items, the common factor among them was the fact that Fry did them solely for Leela.  Clearly this suprised her, she had to ask him WHY he did them!  I think Leela has not had much experience with thoughtfulness. I myself believe it Fry's motive for beating up Sal that really touched her, rather than merely his ability to do so.  That and a purely biological reaction to a well-toned body....   

[Reply #23 on:]

Fry's rival should be ME. I'm a ruggedly handsome guy who's also from the 20th century, and I have my eye on Leela...

[Reply #24 on:]

All good ideas for rivals.  I was thinking a rival for Fry would be a punk goth girl who keeps wanting to beat him in contests and whatnot.  Plus, the punk goth girl could hit him, too. 

[Reply #25 on:]

Punk goth girl...Were you refering to me?  To beat Fry or steal him from Leela, tough call. Probably a bit of both from a female rival. A girl rival would beat Fry in everything execpt she'd do it to get Fry's attention away from Leela and onto her. I volenteer for the role 

[Reply #26 on:]

Fry has a lot of rivals, just not archenemy type rivals.

[Reply #27 on:]

Fry's got tons of rivals: zapp(kinda), everyone leela has ever dated, michelle's boyfriends, michelle, his family, society, etc.

[Reply #28 on:]

 

Originally posted by KurtPikachu2001:
All good ideas for rivals.  I was thinking a rival for Fry would be a punk goth girl who keeps wanting to beat him in contests and whatnot.  Plus, the punk goth girl could hit him, too. 

she could beat him in a video game contest that'd be funny

[Reply #29 on:]

You're describing me, I love video games!

[Reply #30 on:]

it would be funny cause everytime the punk goth girl (or jle, whatever) could hit Fry, then Leela could come in and beat her up, lol

[Reply #31 on:]

Let her try, I've taken Karate, kick boxing, normal boxing and a few judo lessons.

[Reply #32 on:]

hmm i'd like to see that, jle vs leela...
interesting

[Reply #33 on:]

 

Originally posted by Bending Unit 99:
hmm i'd like to see that, jle vs leela...
interesting

With apologies to Ralph Snart;

JLE1993 vs LEELA!
The Brit who won't quit and, the Lass who kick's ass!
TAKIN' ALL BETS!

I also offer video-poker! 

[Reply #34 on:]

 

Originally posted by SpaceCase:
JLE1993 vs LEELA!
The Brit who won't quit and, the Lass who kick's ass!

WINNER GETS FRY

Time to kick some ass

[Reply #35 on:]

Zapp needs to be made a more direct rival to Fry. In the current Futurama library Zapp for the most part is completely indifferent to Fry. It would be a stepping-up of the Fry/Leela relationship also if Fry began standing up for her against Zapp more often. I'd like to see the two become mortal enemies and come to blows. If there's one thing I've found that makes a woman love a man it's when he's willing to spill and/or shed blood for her.

...come to think of it, I might post that in the lovenasium thread as well...

[Reply #36 on:]

If Zapp ever went for Fry I swear I'd beat the crap out of him, nobody beats up my man cept me!

[Reply #37 on:]

I think they'd be fairly evenly matched in a fight. Zapp's a pudgy coward and Fry's a lazy bum.

[Reply #38 on:]

Yeah, except Zapp would cheat and Fry wouldn't

[Reply #39 on:]

I made a museum of Fry rivals:
EXIBIT A:Yancy Fry(older brother,you can figure out the rest)
EXIBIT B:Guenter(Monkey roommate from University)
EXIBIT C:Flexo(Best friends evil twin brother)
EXIBIT D:Sal(They just don't like eachother)
EXIBIT E:Polly Shoer(Dates Fry's secondary girlfriend Michael)
EXIBIT F:Lord Nibbler(Actually a friend I mean pet,but still frozed Fry in cryogenics lab
EXIBIT G:Robot Devil(in the end he left Fry with his stoopid fingers)
--------------------
Leela's boyfrends,men:
EXIBIT A:The Zapper(A little moment of pity and a big flight throw the night)
EXIBIT B:The never seen Sean
EXIBIT C:Alkazar(the last'cyclops')
EXIBIT D:Chaz the mayor's aide
EXIBIT E:Adlai Adkins(crazy eye surgent)
EXIBIT F:doug(Lizard tonque gui)
EXIBIT G:Scrunchy(Fry mentioned in Farnsworth's Parabox that he had a date with Leela on Nill Dimond's concert)
EXIBIT H:Kif(in areally nontraditional way)
EXIBIT I:Ipgee(boss from AG)