I, Roommate

Production Number: 1ACV03 Title Caption: AS SEEN ON TV First Aired: 4/6/99

Act I: "Somebody's been leaving food around...and it's attracting owls!"
Hermes complains about Fry living in the Planet Express Headquarters. Everyone agrees, so Fry has to find a new place to live. Bender invites him to stay in his apartment, which turns out to be a tiny space only a couple of feet on a side. Since this doesn't work well for Fry, so Leela takes Fry and Bender apartment hunting. They finally find a nice rent-controlled place that belonged to a friend of the Professor.

Act II: "Fry, of all the friends I've had...you're the first."
Bender and Fry get settled in at their new apartment, but a problem arises - Bender's antenna interferes with the entire buildings' TV reception. Fry doesn't want to give up the apartment, so Bender is forced to move out. He can't move back in with Fry unless he cuts off his antenna, so Bender moves back into his old place, becomes very depressed, and stops drinking.

Act III: "Bender, you're blind stinking sober!"
Staggering around in a staggering stupor of sobriety, Bender, shows up at Fry's apartment and cuts off his antenna. Fry feels guilty, and they find and reattach Bender's antenna and move back into Bender's apartment. Bender reveals there is a "closet", which is actually an entire apartment.

Trivia

 * Hermes' line "We'll bill ya for the couch." was added after the animation was complete, and his mouth doesn't move when the line is heard.

Real-World References

 * Bender bending the clock and putting it on the edge of the table is a reference to Salvador Dal&iacute;'s painting, "The Persistence of Memory" (link)
 * Fry hitting the TV and going "Aaaay" when it turns on is a reference to Fonzie, who used to do the same thing with a jukebox (and making the same two-thumbs-up gesture).

Quotes

 * Leela: Look at that 5 o'clock rust! You've been up all night not drinking, haven't you?

Bender: What-room? Fry: Bathroom. Bender: Bath-what? Fry: Bathroom! Bender: What-what?
 * Fry: Where's your bathroom?


 * Bender: I'm trying to watch my input. I need plenty of wholesome, nutritious alcohol. The chemical energy keeps my fuel cells charged. Fry: What are the cigars for? Bender: They make me look cool.


 * Bender: Not enough room? My place is two cubic meters, and we only take up 1.5 cubic meters. We've got room for a whole 'nother two thirds of a person!

Mistakes

 * After Bender returns to his own appartment (time index 16:34), he casts a shadow on the back wall of his apartment, even though the light is in front of him (I.E., both the light and the shadow are in front of him).

Characters
(In alphabetical order)
 * Amy
 * Bender
 * Debut: Calculon
 * Debut: Hattie
 * Debut: Monique
 * Dr. Zoidberg
 * Fry
 * Hermes
 * Leela
 * Debut: Preacherbot
 * Prof. Farnsworth

Outside References

 * Bender and Fry's "Moving In" montage is a reference to "The Odd Couple."

Episode Credits

 * Writer
 * Eric Horsted
 * Director
 * Bret Haaland
 * Voice Actors
 * Billy West
 * Katey Sagal
 * John DiMaggio
 * Tress MacNeille
 * Lauren Tom
 * Phil LaMarr
 * Maurice LaMarche