Difference between revisions of "I Dated a Robot"

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{{episode infobox
{{episode infobox 2
|name=I Dated a Robot
|name=I Dated a Robot
|no=47
|no=47
Line 6: Line 6:
|broadcast season=
|broadcast season=
|number=3ACV15
|number=3ACV15
|caption=No humans were probed in the making of this episode
|caption=No [[humans]] were probed in the making of this episode
|first aired=13 May, 2001
|first aired={{date|13 May}}, [[2001]]
|written by=Eric Kaplan
|written by=Eric Kaplan
|directed by=James Purdum
|directed by=James Purdum
Line 20: Line 20:
|broad prev=
|broad prev=
|broad next=Roswell that Ends Well
|broad next=Roswell that Ends Well
|other title=originally titled "'''J-Lo Dolly'''"
|last=broadcast
|guest-stars=[[Lucy Liu]] as [[Lucy Liu's head|herself in a]] [[head jars|jar]] as well as [[robot]] [[Liubot|versions of herself]]
}}
}}
"'''I Dated a Robot'''", originally titled "'''J-Lo Dolly'''",  is the forty-seventh episode of ''[[Futurama]]'', the fifteenth of the [[Season 3|third production season]] and the fifteenth and the last of the [[Broadcast season 3|third broadcast season]]. It aired 13 May, 2001 on FOX.  It guest stars [[Lucy Liu's Head|Lucy Liu]] as herself in a [[Head Jars|jar]] as well the [[Liubot]]s.  [[Philip J. Fry|Fry]] downloads Liu's personality illegally onto a "blank robot", and they start dating.  The discontent of the other characters leads to an investigation, which reveals the sinister nature of the corporation providing the celebrity personalities.
[[Philip J. Fry|Fry]] [[internet|downloads]] Liu's personality illegally onto a "blank robot", and they start dating.  The discontent of the others leads to an investigation, which reveals the sinister nature of the corporation providing the celebrity personalities.


== The Story ==
== The Story ==
<!-- Act headings should have the episode titles from the DVD releases. Leave
blank if unknown. Under each, give a brief summary of the major events of that
act. The acts begin and end at commercial breaks, and they also correspond to
the chapters of the DVDs.
If you know how, make links of the first reference to any other characters,
places, or things that have/should have their own articles.
-->


=== Act I: "I want to see the edge of the universe!" ===
=== Act I: "I want to see the edge of the universe!" ===
The crew is watching [[The Scary Door#Episode 2|The Scary Door]], [[Philip J. Fry|Fry]] enters to try to convince them that the future is far better than his time. They decide to do (almost) everything Fry ever dreamed of. After travelling to the end of the universe, blowing up a planet and riding a dinosaur, Fry decides the last thing he wishes to do is to be romantically linked with a celebrity.
The crew is watching [[The Scary Door#Episode 2|The Scary Door]], [[Philip J. Fry|Fry]] enters to try to convince them that the future is far better than his time. They decide to do (almost) everything Fry ever dreamed of. After blowing up a planet, travelling to the end of the universe and riding a dinosaur, Fry decides the last thing he wishes to do is to be romantically linked with a celebrity.


=== Act II: "On to the internet you go!" ===
=== Act II: "On to the internet you go!" ===
Line 52: Line 48:
=== Trivia ===
=== Trivia ===
<!-- Add any trivia here, in bullet-list form. -->
<!-- Add any trivia here, in bullet-list form. -->
*This episode [[:Category:Media featuring its title|features its title]].
*[[Pamela Anderson's head]] is now at kidnappster, having last been seen helping [[Mom's sons]] in "[[A Fishful of Dollars]]".
*[[Pamela Anderson's head]] is now at kidnappster, having last been seen helping [[Mom's sons]] in "[[A Fishful of Dollars]]".
*Other celebrities being held captive included Cheech Marin, Harrison Ford, George Michael, Nicole Kidman and Madeleine Albright
*Other celebrities being held captive included {{w|Cheech Marin}}, {{w|Harrison Ford}}, {{w|George Michael}}, {{w|Nicole Kidman}} and {{w|Madeleine Albright}}.
*Some of Fry's dreams are destroying a planet, riding a dinosaur, to be invisible in a chocolate factory, and to date a celebrity.
*Some of Fry's dreams are destroying a planet, riding a dinosaur, to be invisible in a chocolate factory, and to date a celebrity.
*The idea of love between a robot and a human being wrong as it does not produce children (as said in the propaganda film) refers to the sometimes argument put forward by those opposed to homosexuality.
*The idea of love between a robot and a human being wrong as it does not produce children (as said in the propaganda film) refers to the sometimes argument put forward by those opposed to homosexuality.
*The title for this episode was close to being "J-Lo Dolly", though it remains unknown why the crew changed their minds so late in the progress or whether the original title had implied an appearance by {{w|Jennifer Lopez}}, commonly known as 'J-Lo'.
*The title for this episode was close to being "J-Lo Dolly", though it remains unknown why the crew changed their minds so late in the progress or whether the original title had implied an appearance by {{w|Jennifer Lopez}}, commonly known as 'J-Lo'.
*The new hands that Fry buys later turn out to be the cause of his inability to play the [[Holophonor]].
*The new hands that Fry buys later turn out to be the cause of his inability to play the [[Holophonor]].
*The song played during the montage is "{{w|Love Machine (The Miracles song)|Love Machine}}" by {{w|The Miracles}}. Another song by The Miracles, "{{w|I Second That Emotion}}", was used as the title of [[I Second that Emotion|2ACV01]].


=== Quotes ===
=== Quotes ===
Line 63: Line 61:
{{q|
{{q|
<poem>'''Fry''': Oh, Lucy! You're just like I always thought you'd be from your movies.
<poem>'''Fry''': Oh, Lucy! You're just like I always thought you'd be from your movies.
'''Liubot''': My personality is mathematically derived from my movies, proportionally weighted by box office receipts.</poem>
'''Liubot''': My personality is mathematically derived from my movies, proportionally weighted by box office receipts.
'''Fry''': Aaawww... you say the CUTEST things!</poem>
<poem>'''Fry''': Far out! So there's an infinite number of parallel universes?
<poem>'''Fry''': Far out! So there's an infinite number of parallel universes?
'''Farnsworth''': No, just the two.
'''Farnsworth''': No, just the two.</poem>
'''Fry''': Oh, well, I'm sure that's enough.</poem>
<poem>'''Fry''': Oh, well,  I don't care if it was some dork in a costume. For one brief moment I felt the heartbeat of creation, and it was one with my own.
<poem>'''Fry''': Well I don't care if it was some dork in a costume. For one brief moment I felt the heartbeat of creation, and it was one with my own.
'''Amy''': Big deal!
'''Amy''': Big deal!
'''Bender''': We all feel like that all the time. You don't hear us gassin' on about it.</poem>
'''[[Bender]]''': We all feel like that all the time. You don't hear us gassin' on about it.</poem>  
<poem>'''Leela''': Oh no! They are forming a human pyramid... of robots!</poem>
<poem>'''Leela''': They're forming a human pyramid of robots!</poem>
<poem>'''Fry''': She's more than just a piece of software.
<poem>'''Fry''': She's more than just a piece of software.
'''Liubot''': Would you like to take a moment to register me?
'''Liubot''': Would you like to take a moment to register me?
Line 77: Line 75:
'''Fry''': So, uh, what do you feel like doing?
'''Fry''': So, uh, what do you feel like doing?
'''Liubot''': Would you like to take a moment to register me?
'''Liubot''': Would you like to take a moment to register me?
'''Fry''': I said later!</poem>
'''Fry''': I said later!
<poem>'''Liubot''': I am Lucy Liu give me your spines!</poem>
</poem>
<poem>'''Liubot''': Take that! and This! and One of these!</poem>
<poem>'''[[Fighting Liubot]]''': I am Lucy Liu give me your spines!
<poem>'''Zapp Brannigan''': Now that's a wave of destruction that's easy on the eyes!  
'''Zapp Brannigan''': Now that's a wave of destruction that's easy on the eyes!  
<poem>'''Liubot''': I'll always remember you, Fry. ''[Robotic voice.]'' MEMORY DELETED!</poem>
'''Liubot''': I'll always remember you. ''[Robotic voice.]'' MEMORY DELETED!</poem>
}}
}}


=== Continuity ===
=== Continuity ===
Line 93: Line 89:


=== Allusions ===
=== Allusions ===
*Lucy Liu parodies her successful ''Charlie's Angels'' movies, reprising her role in the 2007 classic ''Charlie's Angels III: The Legend of Charlie's Gold'' (which features a vampire ''and'' an explosion)
*Lucy Liu parodies her successful ''Charlie's Angels'' movies, reprising her role in the 2007 classic ''Charlie's Angels III: The Legend of Charlie's Gold'' (which features a vampire ''and'' an explosion).
**The title is based on ''City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold''
**The title is based on ''City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold''.
*A large focus on the copyright infringement issues causing problems for Napster
*A large focus on the copyright infringement issues causing problems for Napster.
*"We would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for those meddling adults!" - similar line (with kids instead of adults) is found in most episodes of ''Scooby Doo''.
*"We would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for those meddling adults!" - similar line (with kids instead of adults) is found in most episodes of ''Scooby Doo''.
*''[[The Scary Door]]'' segment includes several references to ''{{w|The Twilight Zone}}'' episodes:
*''[[The Scary Door]]'' segment includes several references to ''{{w|The Twilight Zone}}'' episodes:
Line 101: Line 97:
**"{{w|A Nice Place To Visit}}" - A dead man thinking he's in heaven because he gets everything he wanted (a casino where he's actually winning) but finding out that's boring and maybe it's hell, also a {{w|Sebastian Cabot}}-like man
**"{{w|A Nice Place To Visit}}" - A dead man thinking he's in heaven because he gets everything he wanted (a casino where he's actually winning) but finding out that's boring and maybe it's hell, also a {{w|Sebastian Cabot}}-like man
**"{{w|The Man in the Bottle}}" - One of the main character's wishes was to be a world leader that can't be replaced, so the genie makes him [[Adolf Hitler]]
**"{{w|The Man in the Bottle}}" - One of the main character's wishes was to be a world leader that can't be replaced, so the genie makes him [[Adolf Hitler]]
*Fry and the Liubot visit [[Dinkin' Donuts]], which refers to the doughnut chain {{w|Dunkin' Donuts}} and former New York mayor {{w|David Dinkins}} (whose picture is on the store marquee).
*At one point, Bender acts in the manner of Archie Bunker from ''All in the Family'' and even sits in Archie's trademark living room chair.
*At one point, Bender acts in the manner of Archie Bunker from ''All in the Family'' and even sits in Archie's trademark living room chair.
*When Leela, Bender, and Zoidberg prepare to leave Napster with Lucy Liu's head, George Michael's head responds, "Please pick me up before you go-go". A reference to the Wham song "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go".


=== Goofs ===
=== Goofs ===
*The jar holding Lucy Liu's head seems to change sizes between scenes for the last act. It goes from being roughly the size of Bender's compartment when he tosses Pavarotti to make room for her, to being slightly smaller than the compartment when Lucy gives Fry the speech about illegal downloading, to being larger when Bender's holding her next to him after Fry erases the last Liubot.
*The jar holding Lucy Liu's head seems to change sizes between scenes for the last act. It goes from being roughly the size of Bender's compartment when he tosses Pavarotti to make room for her, to being slightly smaller than the compartment when Lucy gives Fry the speech about illegal downloading, to being larger when Bender's holding her next to him after Fry erases the last Liubot.
*After the Liubots tear through the cinema screen, the exact same scene as had just past is shown, albeit blurred onscreen. However, this may just be to make fun of the repetitive nature of the film.
*After the Liubots tear through the cinema screen, the exact same scene that had just happened is shown, albeit blurred onscreen. However, this may just be to make fun of the repetitive nature of the film.


=== Alien Language Sightings ===
=== Alien Language Sightings ===
'''Time''': 04:56<br />
{{q|
'''Location''': Computer screen before entering the [[Internet]]<br />
<poem>'''Time''': 04:56
'''Language''': [[AL2]]<br />
'''Location''': {{cat|Computer}} screen before entering the [[Internet]]
'''Translation''': AOL
'''Language''': [[AL2]]
'''Translation''': AOL</poem>
}}


=== Characters ===
=== Characters ===
{{chars-begin}}
{{chars-begin}}
*[[Amy Wong|Amy]]
*[[Dr. Amy Wong|Amy]]
*[[Bender Bending Rodríguez|Bender]]
*[[Bender Bending Rodriguez|Bender]]
*'''Debut''': [[Billy Everyteen]]
*'''Debut''': [[David X. Cohen's head|David X. Cohen]]
*[[Eric Kaplan]]
*[[Philip J. Fry|Fry]]
*[[Philip J. Fry|Fry]]
*[[Hermes Conrad|Hermes]]
*[[Hermes Conrad|Hermes]]
*[[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]]
*'''Debut''': [[Jackie Chan|Jackie Chan]] {{miso}}
*[[Ken Keeler's head|Ken Keeler]]
*[[Turanga Leela|Leela]]
*[[Turanga Leela|Leela]]
*'''Debut:''' [[Liubot]]
*'''Debut''': [[Liubot]]
*'''Debut:''' [[Lucy Liu's head]]
*'''Debut''': [[Lucy Liu's head]]
*[[Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth|Prof. Farnsworth]]
*[[Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth|Prof. Farnsworth]]
*[[Sal]]
*[[Sal]]
*[[Space Pope]]
*'''Debut''': [[Being of inconceivable horror]]
*[[Underwater house salesman]]
*[[Zapp Brannigan]]
*[[Zapp Brannigan]]
*[[Dr. John A. Zoidberg|Zoidberg]]
*[[Dr. John A. Zoidberg|Zoidberg]]
{{chars-end}}
{{chars-end}}
*'''Debut''' [[The Being of Inconceivable Horror]]


== Episode Credits ==
== Episode Credits ==
Line 163: Line 171:


[[Category:A plots focusing on Fry]]
[[Category:A plots focusing on Fry]]
[[Category:Media featuring its title]]
[[Category:Media wherein characters run away]]
[[Category:Media wherein characters run away]]

Revision as of 20:18, 5 February 2014

Season 3 episode
I Dated a Robot
I Dated a Robot.jpg
No.47
Production number3ACV15
Written byEric Kaplan
Directed byJames Purdum
Title captionNo humans were probed in the making of this episode
First air date13 May, 2001
Broadcast numberS03E15
Title referenceThe "I Dated a/an <archetype>" auto-biography title
Opening cartoon"Censored"
Special guest(s)Lucy Liu
Additional
Commentary
(Transcript)
Transcript

Pictures

Season 3
  1. Amazon Women in the Mood
  2. Parasites Lost
  3. A Tale of Two Santas
  4. The Luck of the Fryrish
  5. The Birdbot of Ice-Catraz
  6. Bendless Love
  7. The Day the Earth Stood Stupid
  8. That's Lobstertainment!
  9. The Cyber House Rules
  10. Where the Buggalo Roam
  11. Insane in the Mainframe
  12. The Route of All Evil
  13. Bendin' in the Wind
  14. Time Keeps on Slippin'
  15. I Dated a Robot
  16. A Leela of Her Own
  17. A Pharaoh to Remember
  18. Anthology of Interest II
  19. Roswell that Ends Well
  20. Godfellas
  21. Future Stock
  22. The 30% Iron Chef
← Season 2Season 4 →

"I Dated a Robot", originally titled "J-Lo Dolly", is the forty-seventh episode of Futurama, the fifteenth of the third production season and the fifteenth and last of the third broadcast season. It aired on 13 May, 2001, on Fox. It guest-stars Lucy Liu as herself in a jar as well as robot versions of herself. Fry downloads Liu's personality illegally onto a "blank robot", and they start dating. The discontent of the others leads to an investigation, which reveals the sinister nature of the corporation providing the celebrity personalities.

The Story

Act I: "I want to see the edge of the universe!"

The crew is watching The Scary Door, Fry enters to try to convince them that the future is far better than his time. They decide to do (almost) everything Fry ever dreamed of. After blowing up a planet, travelling to the end of the universe and riding a dinosaur, Fry decides the last thing he wishes to do is to be romantically linked with a celebrity.

Act II: "On to the internet you go!"

Fry and Leela go online and locate nappster.com, where Fry chooses to download Lucy Liu. The download is successful and Fry falls for the Liubot.

Act III: "Humans dating robots is sick!"

The crew considers the relationship sick. They try to make him end the relationship, and show him a propaganda film which shows that humans dating robots will lead to disaster. The film has no effect on Fry, who is busy making out with the Liubot. Leela, Bender and Zoidberg head off to shut down nappster.com, where it is revealed that the company (secretly known as kidnappster.com) is holding various heads in jars hostage in order to scan them to create the robot duplicates, Liu having been there 800 years. The three rescue Lucy Liu's Head and escape. Kidnappster sends Liubots to kill them.

Act IV: "Bender don't bend that way!"

The real Lucy Liu is apparently attracted to Bender. A swarm of Liubots begin attacking. They hide in a movie theatre, where they find Fry and his Liubot on a date. The swarm enters and continues its rampage. Fry leads Bender, Leela, Zoidberg, Lucy and his Liubot to the projection room. The Lius prepare to enter through the window, but are stopped by a huge quantity of popcorn, until the swarm begins shooting the popcorn back.

Act V: "Massive corn clog in port seven!"

Fry's Liubot sacrifices herself to destroy the others and save Fry. Bender and Lucy admit their feelings for one another, much to Fry's disappointment.

Additional Info

Promo pic of this episode

Trivia

  • This episode features its title.
  • Pamela Anderson's head is now at kidnappster, having last been seen helping Mom's sons in "A Fishful of Dollars".
  • Other celebrities being held captive included Cheech Marin, Harrison Ford, George Michael, Nicole Kidman and Madeleine Albright.
  • Some of Fry's dreams are destroying a planet, riding a dinosaur, to be invisible in a chocolate factory, and to date a celebrity.
  • The idea of love between a robot and a human being wrong as it does not produce children (as said in the propaganda film) refers to the sometimes argument put forward by those opposed to homosexuality.
  • The title for this episode was close to being "J-Lo Dolly", though it remains unknown why the crew changed their minds so late in the progress or whether the original title had implied an appearance by Jennifer Lopez, commonly known as 'J-Lo'.
  • The new hands that Fry buys later turn out to be the cause of his inability to play the Holophonor.
  • The song played during the montage is "Love Machine" by The Miracles. Another song by The Miracles, "I Second That Emotion", was used as the title of 2ACV01.

Quotes

    Fry: Oh, Lucy! You're just like I always thought you'd be from your movies.
    Liubot: My personality is mathematically derived from my movies, proportionally weighted by box office receipts.
    Fry: Aaawww... you say the CUTEST things!

    Fry: Far out! So there's an infinite number of parallel universes?
    Farnsworth: No, just the two.

    Fry: Oh, well, I don't care if it was some dork in a costume. For one brief moment I felt the heartbeat of creation, and it was one with my own.
    Amy: Big deal!
    Bender: We all feel like that all the time. You don't hear us gassin' on about it.

    Leela: They're forming a human pyramid of robots!

    Fry: She's more than just a piece of software.
    Liubot: Would you like to take a moment to register me?
    Fry: Uh, not right now.
    Liubot: I'll remind you later, you hot stud, you!
    Fry: So, uh, what do you feel like doing?
    Liubot: Would you like to take a moment to register me?
    Fry: I said later!

    Fighting Liubot: I am Lucy Liu give me your spines!
    Zapp Brannigan: Now that's a wave of destruction that's easy on the eyes!
    Liubot: I'll always remember you. [Robotic voice.] MEMORY DELETED!

Continuity

Allusions

  • Lucy Liu parodies her successful Charlie's Angels movies, reprising her role in the 2007 classic Charlie's Angels III: The Legend of Charlie's Gold (which features a vampire and an explosion).
    • The title is based on City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold.
  • A large focus on the copyright infringement issues causing problems for Napster.
  • "We would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for those meddling adults!" - similar line (with kids instead of adults) is found in most episodes of Scooby Doo.
  • The Scary Door segment includes several references to The Twilight Zone episodes:
    • "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" - Smith's "there's a gremlin destroying the plane, you gotta believe me!"
    • "A Nice Place To Visit" - A dead man thinking he's in heaven because he gets everything he wanted (a casino where he's actually winning) but finding out that's boring and maybe it's hell, also a Sebastian Cabot-like man
    • "The Man in the Bottle" - One of the main character's wishes was to be a world leader that can't be replaced, so the genie makes him Adolf Hitler
  • Fry and the Liubot visit Dinkin' Donuts, which refers to the doughnut chain Dunkin' Donuts and former New York mayor David Dinkins (whose picture is on the store marquee).
  • At one point, Bender acts in the manner of Archie Bunker from All in the Family and even sits in Archie's trademark living room chair.
  • When Leela, Bender, and Zoidberg prepare to leave Napster with Lucy Liu's head, George Michael's head responds, "Please pick me up before you go-go". A reference to the Wham song "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go".

Goofs

  • The jar holding Lucy Liu's head seems to change sizes between scenes for the last act. It goes from being roughly the size of Bender's compartment when he tosses Pavarotti to make room for her, to being slightly smaller than the compartment when Lucy gives Fry the speech about illegal downloading, to being larger when Bender's holding her next to him after Fry erases the last Liubot.
  • After the Liubots tear through the cinema screen, the exact same scene that had just happened is shown, albeit blurred onscreen. However, this may just be to make fun of the repetitive nature of the film.

Alien Language Sightings

    Time: 04:56
    Location: Computer screen before entering the Internet
    Language: AL2
    Translation: AOL

Characters

(In alphabetic order)

Episode Credits