Bendin' in the Wind
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| Futurama episode | |
| "Bendin' in the Wind" | |
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|---|---|
| Episode no. | 45 |
| Prod. code | 3ACV13 |
| Airdate | April 22, 2001 |
| Writer(s) | Eric Horsted |
| Director | Ron Hughart |
| Opening subtitle | FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITS CHANGING THE CHANNEL |
| Opening cartoon | unknown |
| Guest star(s) | Beck |
| Season 3 January 2001 – December 2002 |
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| List of all Futurama episodes... | |
"Bendin' in the Wind" is the thirteenth episode in season three of Futurama. It originally aired April 22, 2001. The title comes from the Bob Dylan song Blowin' in the Wind.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Fry gets a free Volkswagen microbus, excavated from the ruins of Old New York. He pushes it back to the Planet Express office, and has to fuel it with whale oil, which replaced gasoline. Bender lifts the barrel of whale oil to the can opener, and is caught by the opener's magnet and horribly damaged.
At the Cedars-Sinewave Robot Hospital (a play off of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center), the doctor informs Bender that he will never move again. Bender falls into a state of depression, which is not helped by Patchcord Adams, but when he finds out that Beck's disembodied head is occupying the bed next to him, his spirits are lifted. Beck loans Bender a set of neck-mounted robotic mini-arms. Using the arms to scrape across his mangled body, Bender earns the position of Beck's washboard player.
Bender goes on tour with Beck, and Fry, Leela, Amy, and Dr. Zoidberg pile into Fry's van to follow them. While on tour, Bender is insulted by the treatment of other broken robots. As the tour continues, Bender writes a song about broken robots. Together with Beck, he decides to put on a benefit concert in San Francisco, to help all the broken robots.
Fry and the crew catch up with Bender, who is relaxing in a San Francisco hotel. To everyone's shock, they discover that Bender has miraculously been fixed. To keep his music career, Bender decides to fake still being broken. The concert goes on as planned, but when the time comes to perform Bender's song, he can not restrain himself, and dances around the stage. Bender, having been found out, runs off with the oversized benefit check in Fry's Volkswagen.
Bender, being pursued by an irate Beck, drives the microbus into San Francisco Bay. Beck catches Bender, and recovers the check, but he does forgive him since Bender has done so much for broken robots. The crew floats back to New New York in the microbus.
[edit] The United States in 3000
In the shot of the United States map it is shown that some states have been renamed in the future including "Nukevada", "East West Virginia", "'Ucky", and "WyΩing". Ohio is called eHIO. California is split into "HighCal" and "LoCal" (which contains the San Andreas Gorge rather than a fault line) and the state of Pennsylvania has become the "Penn Republic" and "Sylvania" - a parody of Czechoslovakia splitting into the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. One state (contiguous with present-day Utah) is named, in the alien language, "Human Farm". Conflicting issues involve the fact that despite this episode, Washington D.C. is referred to as such, rather than Washington A.C. and "New New Jersey" is often referred to as just "New Jersey". Additionally, in the episode The 30% Iron Chef, Bender references Eugene, "Oregon", differing from "XORegon", also Idaho is shown as "UserID:aho". Presumably these state parodies were only thought up for this episode as they are not used at any other point in the series.
[edit] Music
- The song "My Broken Friend", performed by Beck and Bender, was written by Christopher Tyng, Eric Horsted and Ken Keeler.
- At one point the score of Bender's song is shown. It is actually the theme from Beethoven's 5th symphony.
- The two other songs played during the episode are "Where It's At" from the album Odelay and "Sexx Laws" from Midnite Vultures.
- While playing "Where It's At", Bender sings a mock-up of the line "I got two turntables and a microphone" by singing "Got a washboard stomach and a microphone." Also, instead of singing "That was a good drum break", Beck sings the line "That was a washboard break".
[edit] Production notes
- Becks Tour Bus closely resembles the Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2.
- After Beck gives bender the neck hands, he says "Bender, I want you to be my new washboard player" even though Bender never told Beck his name.
- After everyone's shirts are tie-dyed because Zoidberg's shell was thrown in the wash, he threatens that if he were ever turned on he would crush his friends, followed by him howling and clacking his claws. Despite not wearing his shell, his claws still made the clacking sound.
[edit] Cultural references
- The title is a play on the Bob Dylan song Blowin' in the Wind.
- The chase scene at the end is inspired by the movie Bullitt, and the part of the chase in Chinatown could refer to a scene in the video for Beck's "Devil's haircut". The green Volkswagen Beetle that is seen throughout the chase is a reference to the green Volkswagen Beetle seen throughout the chase scene in Bullitt.
- When the Bus is dug up Bender asks if it is one of "Those Led Zeppelins I've heard so much about." Leela later asks if it is a Jefferson Starship. A reference to the two popular bands Led Zeppelin and Jefferson Starship.
- Cylon and Garfunkel is a reference to the Cylons of Battlestar Galactica and 1960s folk duo Simon and Garfunkel.
- The concert Bend-Aid is a reference to the famine relief effort Band Aid.
- Bender lands at "Fisherman's Worf", renamed after the Star Trek: The Next Generation character Worf. This is similar to the parody of a prison on "Commander Riker's Island" in the Season 2 Episode "Brannigan Begin Again", which is a parody of both the prison, Riker's Island, in New York, and the First Officer, Commander Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Along with the brief appearance of Jonathan Frakes, who played Riker, in "Where No Fan Has Gone Before" these are the only references to Star Trek: The Next Generation, as the show mainly focuses on the original series.
- The Robot "Patchcord Adams" is an obvious parody of Patch Adams. He even sounded similar to Robin Williams.
- When Bender eats the chips dug up by the hole project, he defecates bricks, which is a reference to potato chips made with the fat substitute Olestra, which was rumored to severely upset the bowels.
- The name of the whale oil used is Mobil Dick, a reference to Mobil Oil and Moby Dick
[edit] "My Broken Friend"
Lyrics as performed by Beck and Bender: Bender: People say my broken friend is useless.
- But I say his mind is free.
- There's lots of things my mangled robot friend could be.
Beck: Kick it!
Bender: Well he could make a good hat rack,
Beck: He only has to stand there.
Bender: Or a cheap doorstop,
Beck: He doesn't need to move.
Bender: Or a great big giant thermos with a twist off top,
Beck: That would be good for soup.
Bender: He could be a storage closet for outdated pants.
Beck: I like 'em tight.
Bender: My broken friend could do it all,
Beck & Bender: Just give him a chance!
Bender: That robot has a tragic secret
- That I'd like to share.
Beck: For real?
Bender: My broken friend is closer to me than an ass to a chair.
Beck: Mmmm.
Bender: That robot's name I never told you...
Beck: What's that?
Bender... you could not foresee.
Beck: C'mon, give it up.
Bender: I say it loud and sing it proud,
Beck & Bender: His name is you and me!
Bender: Don't melt me down into a crowbar,
Beck: It suffers alone,
Bender: Just 'cause I can't move my arms and legs.
Beck: Hey!
Bender: Or toss me into a trash can,
Beck: Bender, what are you doin'?
Bender: Just 'cause I can't cook you ham and eggs.
Beck: What are you doin'?
Bender Don't crush me into an anchor,
Beck: Yo, what's the dilly-o?
Bender: Just 'cause I can't jump and dance and sing
- I'm telling you, my broken friend...
- Put your hands in the air like you just don't care!
- I'm telling you my broken friend
- Can do most anything!
- Yeah!
Beck CUT IT! (crowd boos) Bender: (spoken) Curse my natural showmanship!
