The Silence of the Clamps

"The Silence of the Clamps", originally titled "Bend on a Wire", is the one hundred and second episode of Futurama, the fourteenth of the sixth production season and the fifth of the eighth broadcast season. It is scheduled to air on 14 July, 2011. The episode was for some time thought to be the broadcast season premiere, but the announcement that "Neutopia" would air on 23 June in its place proved otherwise.

Story
Bender joins the witness relocation program after testifying against the Robot Mafia. Clamps gets a job at Planet Express.

Production
Maurice LaMarche revealed in an update online that this episode will have a large focus on Clamps, indeed his great breakthrough episode. Episode writer Eric Rogers has also said, on his Twitter page, that "6ACV14 is directed by Frank Marino, not Ray Claffey".

The characters Bender, Billionaire Bot, the Queen of Yonkers, Mayor Poopenmeyer, Fanny, the Donbot, Bella, Calculon, Clamps, and Joey Mousepad appear in a clip from the episode hidden as an Easter egg on Volume 5. More characters can also be seen in the storyboard.

During May and June 2011, Countdown to Futurama released three items of promotional material for the episode: reused concept art of the Crushinator from "The Series Has Landed" (accompanied by two classic Crushinator clips) on 22 May, part of the storyboard showing the Donbot's trial on 23 May, and a video clip featuring Clamps arguing with Zoidberg on 17 June.

Trivia

 * This episode marks the first time an 'F' word is used (Four times by Clamps, twice by Zoidberg, all bleeped)
 * This is first time that Space Pope has a larger role and talks in the series.

Allusions

 * The title is a reference to (and ) The Silence of the Lambs.
 * The episode features censored but uncommon use of cursing. Given the subject matter, this could be a reference to gangster films such as ' and ', which became famous for their frequent use of "blue" language.  It is unknown whether this will be uncensored on the DVD.


 * The barn where Bender and Bella make out has the word "STABLES" on it, in the same font as the logo for office supply chain store.


 * the first mission that Clamps goes on is the same one that Bender went on in the episode "The Series Has Landed"
 * When ordered to take care of Bender (who is actually Billy West) Clamps says that they're in space where no one can hear you clamp. The tagline of is "In space no one can hear you scream".


 * The robot mistaken to be Bender was named Billy West, and Fry scoffs at that name.

Continuity

 * The Masked Unit appeared in this episode even though Bender killed him in "Raging Bender".


 * When Bender sees Fanny, she jogs his memory by mentioning they had an affair. They did indeed in Into the Wild Green Yonder.

Characters

 * Debut: Bella
 * Bender
 * Billionaire Bot
 * Debut: Billy West
 * Calculon
 * The Chain Smoker
 * Clamps
 * The Crushinator
 * The Donbot
 * Fanny
 * Professor Farnsworth
 * Fat-bot
 * Fry
 * The hair Robot
 * Hedonism Bot
 * Hermaphrobot
 * Hermes
 * The Hydroponic Farmer
 * The Hyper-Chicken
 * Joey Mousepad
 * Debut: Judge 723
 * Debut: Judge 724
 * Debut: Judge 802
 * Leela
 * The Masked Unit
 * Monique
 * Morbo
 * Mayor Poopenmeyer
 * The Queen of Yonkers
 * Robot Devil
 * Debut: Sheriff Earley
 * The Space Pope
 * Debut: Witness Relocation Robot
 * Zoidberg