A Tale of Two Santas
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| Futurama episode | |
| "A Tale of Two Santas" | |
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| Episode no. | 35 |
| Prod. code | 3ACV03 |
| Airdate | December 23, 2001 |
| Writer(s) | Bill Odenkirk |
| Director | Ron Hughart |
| Opening subtitle | This Episode Performed Entirely By Sock Puppets |
| Opening cartoon | Unknown |
| Guest star(s) | Coolio as Kwanzaabot |
| Season 3 January 2001 – December 2002 |
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| List of all Futurama episodes... | |
"A Tale of Two Santas" is the third episode in season 3 of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on December 23, 2001.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
X-mas has rolled around again, and the Planet Express crew is locking down for the arrival of the murderous Robot Santa. The Professor, concerned as ever for the safety of his crew, sends them to deliver children's letters directly to Santa at his fortress on Neptune. The crew lands at Jolly Junction, Neptune, home of malnourished Neptunian toy makers. The crew enlists the aid of a pair of Neptunians in sneaking into the fortress.
The crew confronts Santa, and Leela presents him with a logical paradox intended to destroy him. Unfortunately, Santa proves immune to paradoxes, and he takes off after them with a missile launcher. The crew escapes the fortress, and is about to leave in the ship, but Santa has grabbed the engine, and is preventing it from taking off. The heat from the engine melts the ice under Santa's feet, and he sinks in and it refreezes around him.
With Santa frozen in ice, Bender takes over the role of Santa, and toy-making resumes in Jolly Junction. Bender takes off with a load of toys, and heads to New New York. There, he gets a less than welcome reception from citizens expecting a blood-thirsty killer. While taking a beer break, Bender is arrested and put on trial for Santa's crimes. Bender is found guilty and sentenced to execution by magnetic dismemberment.
Fry and Leela rush back to Neptune to bring in the real Santa to prove Bender's innocence. They carve Santa out in a large block of ice, but the ice melts, and Santa is freed. Fry and Leela escape in the ship, but Santa has hitched a ride back to Earth. The Planet Express crew tries one last attempt to save Bender, by pretending to be Santa while Zoidberg dresses up like Jesus. Their effort fails, and the execution device is activated.
Moments later, the real Robot Santa bursts through the wall, having recovered his sleigh. He rescues Bender and the two go on a proper Xmas rampage. At the end of the spree of destruction, Santa tells Bender that if he tries a stunt like that again, he will kill him.
[edit] Characters
Characters appearing for the first time in this episode:
[edit] Cultural references
- The title for this episode comes from the book A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
- This episode, as with many Christmas specials, references more than a few pieces of Christmas literature and song, including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, How The Grinch Stole Christmas and The Night Before Christmas.
- The dogs guarding Santa's ice fortress bark "Jingle Bells" referencing the parody song attributed to the "Singing Dogs"
- In the factory the speed control has "Lucy" as the fastest speed, a reference to the I Love Lucy episode where Lucy works in the candy factory.
- The scene where Bender is taken to his execution is a reference to the Stephen King book The Green Mile as well as the book and film "Dead Man Walking".
- Santa's ice fortress and the lightning flashing around it are references to the 1970 children's movie The Phantom Tollbooth.
- When the Planet Express crew all declare that they are Santa, it spoofs the famous "I'm Spartacus!" scene from Spartacus.
- A box labelled "Toys for Tots" is visible when Bender dumps the toys into the sewer.
- Part of the name of the court is "Original Ray's." This originates from New York City's multitude of pizzerias named "Rays," and they all claim to be the original.
- During Bender's execution, after the magnets are turned on, Bender sings the first two lines of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.
[edit] Goofs
- Just before Bender is torn apart by the super magnets, some metal items of the Mayor's are attracted to the magnet. This is unusual, as the magnet was not yet turned on.
- The Neptunians, on first meeting the Planet Express crew, deny that they are elves. However they refer to themselves as such twice in the musical number.
[edit] Production notes
- John Goodman was unavailable to reprise his voice role as Robot Santa for this episode; the voice was provided by John DiMaggio.
- In the DVD audio commentary for the episode, the crew state that the Neptunian elves are gay, a fact which is coyly mentioned once or twice in the episode.
[edit] Songs
- Neptunians: We are free and fairly sober, with so many toys to build
- The machines are kinda tricky; probably someone will be killed
- But we gladly work for nothing
- Fry: Which is good because we don't intend to pay
- Neptunians: The elves are back to work today! Hooray!
- We have just a couple hours to make several billion gifts
- And the labor isn't easy
- Leela: And you'll all work triple shifts
- You can make the job go quicker if you turn up the controls to super speed! (Turns the speed of the machines up to "Lucy"; song tempo increases)
- Neptunians: It's back to work on Xmas Eve! (panting) Hooray!
- Leela: And though you're cold and sore and ugly, your pride will mask the pain
- Fry: Let my happy smile warm your hearts
- Neptunian: There's a toy lodged in my brain! (has a wooden train through his head)
- Neptunians: We are getting awfully tired and we can't work any faster
- And we're really, really sorry
- Bender: Why you selfish little bastards!
- Do you want the kids to think that Santa's just a crummy empty-handed jerk? (kicks a Neptunian in his groin)
- Then shut yer yaps and back to work!
- Neptunians: Now it's very nearly Xmas and we've done the best we could
- Fry: These toy soldiers are poorly painted
- Leela: And they're made from inferior wood (toy soldier snaps)
- Bender: I should give you all a beating but I really have to fly
- Robot Santa: If I weren't stuck here frozen I'd harpoon you in the eye
- Neptunians: Now it's back into our tenements to drown ourselves in rye
- Leela: You did the best you could I guess and some of these gorillas are okay
- Neptunians: Hooray!
- Neptunian: "We're adequate!"
- All: The elves have rescued Xmas Day! Hooray!
