Xmas Story

"Xmas Story" is the seventeenth episode of Futurama, the fourth of the second production season and the eighth of the second broadcast season. It aired on 19 December, 1999 on FOX. It guest stars Conan O'Brien as himself in a jar and John Goodman as Robot Santa. It is the first seasonal episode. On Xmas Eve, Fry realises he has been a jerk towards Leela and decides to make it up for her, when they both run into Robot Santa, who is no where as nice as the former children's character was made up to be.

Act I: "He doesn't know about Santa Claus!"
The Planet Express crew are all on a company Xmas ski trip at the Catskills Lodge. Fry begins to feel sad, since it's his first Xmas in the 31st century. In an effort to cheer him up, they get an Xmas tree (a palm tree, since pine trees have been extinct for 800 years). Back at the office, everyone gets an Xmas card except for Leela, and we realise that Leela is just as lonely as Fry. Fry's moping affects Leela, and she runs off in tears.

Act II: "Girls like swarms of lizards, right?"
Fry feels guilty for upsetting Leela, and runs out to get an Xmas present. Everyone warns him to be back before dark, so the ruthless killer robot Santa Claus built in the 2800s doesn't get him. Bender goes to "volunteer" at a Liquor Kitchen, where he poses as a homeless robot to get free booze. Fry goes to the mall, and winds up shopping in the only store left open, Joe's Ark Pet Store, where he buys Leela a $500 parrot. On his way home, the parrot escapes, and Fry starts chasing it across town. Leela returns to Planet Express and learns Fry is out buying her a present; she runs out to find him. Fry, having chased the bird up a digital clock tower, falls off only to be saved by Leela. Before they can get home, they run into Santa!

Act III: "You dare bribe Santa?"
Bender and his new homeless robot friends go caroling, as an excuse to get into people's homes and rob them. Meanwhile, Fry and Leela are chased across town by Santa until they run into Bender. When Santa confronts Bender, he tries to blame the crippled orphan robot Tinny Tim. This is so incredibly naughty, Santa immediately adds it to his list, allowing Fry, Leela, and Bender a head start. They make it back to Planet Express, but Santa is right on their heels and gets inside. Santa gives Zoidberg a pogo stick, but attempts to kill everyone else for being naughty. Zoidberg, hopping on his new pogo stick, cuts a string of lights with his claws. The loose wire falls and electrocutes Santa, knocking him back into the fireplace. They slide the blast door closed before Rudolph explodes, blasting Santa out of the building. Everyone sits down to an Xmas dinner prepared by Bender - consisting of the parrot Fry had bought for Leela. They then sing "Santa Claus Is Gunning You down", while Robot Santa threatens that he'll be back next year.

Trivia

 * Bongo, the one-eared rabbit from Matt Groening's comic strip Life in Hell makes a cameo appearance in the pet store. The comic company that publishes the Futurama Comics is named for him.
 * The scene where Hermes and Amy give up their prized hair to buy each other hair accessories is a reference to the "Gift of the Magi," a short story by the author O. Henry.
 * The idea of Robot Santa Claus was partly inspired by the infamous 1984 slasher film Silent Night, Deadly Night, in which a young man comes to believe that he is Santa Claus, and begins murdering people who he deems to be "naughty."

Allusions

 * The palm Christmas tree tied to the top of the Planet Express Ship when flying from the lodge to the Planet Express building is reminiscent of the Grizwolds car and tree in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
 * The scene featuring children skating is a parody of the Peanuts special .

Goofs

 * Leela uses a laser hatchet to cut the tree down, but atop the planet Express Ship, the tree has it's roots, wrapped in a burlap bag.
 * Amy Shouldn't have had to sell her hair to buy combs, due to her family's money.
 * Leela states that global warming actually occurred, but in "A Big Piece of Garbage", Mayor Poopenmeyer said it turned out to be a scientific fraud.
 * After Bender serves the parrot to Tinny Tim, Nibbler steals the bird and sits in the corner. If you notice there is one frame where Nibbler's nose is all black.
 * Despite pine trees being extinct for over 800 years, they are clearly visible in the background at the beginning of the episode "Spanish Fry".
 * In the scene where Fry climbs to the top of the clock tower to retrieve the parrot, the time clearly reads, "04:24:xx." However, after Fry drops the bird cage off the ledge and the view zooms out, the zero is missing and it reads "4:26:xx."

Alien Language Sightings
Time:05:24

Location: Sign

Language: AL1

Translation: disposable office temps

Time:12:24

Location: Sign on shop's shutter

Language: AL1

Translation: joyeux noex

Characters

 * Debut: Alien Overlord & Taylor Clerk
 * Amy Wong
 * Another Unknown Homeless Robot
 * Bender
 * Debut: Conan O'Brien's head
 * Fry
 * Hattie
 * Hermes
 * Unknown Homeless Robot
 * Leela
 * LaBarbara
 * Linda
 * Morbo
 * Nibbler
 * Debut: Pet Store Clerk
 * Prof. Farnsworth
 * Debut: Robot Santa Claus
 * Reverend Lionel Preacherbot
 * Debut: Tinny Tim
 * Raoul
 * Zoidberg

Episode Credits

 * Writer
 * David X. Cohen
 * Director
 * Peter Avanzino
 * Special Guest
 * Conan O'Brien
 * John Goodman
 * Voice Actors
 * Billy West
 * Katey Sagal
 * John DiMaggio
 * Tress MacNeille
 * Phil LaMarr
 * David Herman
 * Lauren Tom