The Cyber House Rules
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| Futurama episode | |
| "The Cyber House Rules" | |
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|---|---|
| Episode no. | 41 |
| Prod. code | 3ACV09 |
| Airdate | April 1, 2001 |
| Writer(s) | Lewis Morton |
| Director | Susie Dietter |
| Opening subtitle | PLEASE RISE FOR THE FUTURAMA THEME SONG |
| Opening cartoon | Unknown |
| Guest star(s) | Tom Kenny |
| Season 3 January 2001 – December 2002 |
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| List of all Futurama episodes... | |
"The Cyber House Rules" is the ninth episode in season three of Futurama. It originally aired April 1, 2001. The title comes from the John Irving novel The Cider House Rules
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Leela is invited to a reunion at her old orphanarium. She initially dreads seeing the people who made fun of her eye as a kid, but she decides rubbing her success in their faces would be very satisfying. Leela attempts to wave her impressive lifestyle in the other orphans' faces, but they quickly resume making fun of her eye. But Adlai Atkins (voiced by guest star Tom Kenny), the only other success story from the orphanarium, shoos them away. Adlai, now a phaser eye surgeon, offers to rework Leela's face to make her look normal, and she jumps at the chance, in spite of Fry's objections. Meanwhile, Bender adopts twelve orphans for the $100/week/child government stipend.
The operation is a success, and Leela adapts to her new, normal-looking life. Adlai asks the two-eyed Leela out, which causes Fry to exhibit signs of jealousy. In short order, Adlai tells Leela that he's ready to settle down and have kids. A receptive Leela suggests that they should adopt, and Adlai agrees. They go to Bender, who is finding that government stipends aren't a good get-rich-quick scheme and is now selling the twelve children. Leela wants to adopt Sally, a girl with an ear on her forehead. Adlai objects, and then suggests that the child have an operation to remove the ear and make her "acceptable". Leela, horribly offended, demands that Adlai undo the surgery he performed and make her a cyclops again.
Bender, having been arrested by child services for crimes too numerous to list, returns the orphans to the orphanarium (which is subsequently named after him, though later episodes do not reflect this), and the one-eyed Leela goes back to her old oddball life.
[edit] Cultural references
- The title is a reference to the novel and 1999 movie The Cider House Rules.
- The shop "Eye Robot" is a reference to I, Robot.
- Adlai's profession as a Phaser eye surgeon is both a spoof on laser eye surgery and the phasers used in Star Trek.
- Morbo and Linda appear on the show Good Morning Earth, a parody of Good Morning America.
- The scene in which Adlai removes the bandages on someone he thinks is Leela, revealing instead a blond woman, is a reference to an episode of The Twilight Zone entitled "The Eye of the Beholder". The Gag has been reused in a Simpsons episode.
- When Leela comes out of Eye Robot the song Oh, Pretty Woman is playing.
[edit] Connections to other episodes
- When the Professor mentions Fry having "that brain thing," it may refer to the unusual brain circuitry mentioned in "The Day the Earth Stood Stupid" and "The Why of Fry".
[edit] Continuity
- As in some other episodes, Bender comments on taste (here of popsicle sticks) despite the fact he doesn't have a sense of taste.
