Insane in the Mainframe

Production Number: 3ACV11

Title Caption: Bender's Humor by Microsoft Joke

First Aired: April 8, 2001

Act I: Hooray for Zoidberg!
Following a celebration of Zoidberg's ten years with Planet Express, Fry realises that he hasn't planned for his future, so he opens a retirement account for $6. At the bank Bender meets his old friend Roberto and he and Fry accidentally help him rob the bank.

Act II: What do you say we plead insanity?
After a court case Fry and Bender are sent to a HAL Instituterobot asylum after Roberto threatens Fry's life if he testifies.

Act III: I find that offensive!
Fry finds the physical exam, designed for robots, quite painful, but is still thought to be a robot, due to the simple fact that the asylum is for robots. He is put in a room with Malfunctioning Eddie. Unit 2013 shows him around the building and introduces him to the others. Bender enjoys himself but Fry is taking the experience badly, and starts going insane. Eddie is discharged and Fry's new roommate is Roberto, who robbed the same bank again. Soon, Fry is "cured" and now believes he is a robot.

Act IV: I need to get a disguise!
Fry returns to Planet Express. Bender and Roberto escape the asylum. Fry meanwhile attempts to find his primary function. He soon drinks too much and passes out.

Act V: Fire lasers!
Roberto holds up the same bank a third time and he and Bender flee to Planet Express. Roberto uses Zoidberg, Hermes, Leela, Amy, the Professor and Bender hostage. He decides to kill some of them, but Fry wakes up thinking he's a battle droid and engages in battle. Roberto stabs him, but hits a can of pi-in-1 oil, which starts leaking and convinces Roberto that he is a battle droid. Roberto throws his knife at Fry and falls out the window. He is arrested. Fry notices the knife thrown cut him and that he's bleeding. This shows him that he is human.

Trivia

 * Electroshock therapy was once a common treatment in the past. In a robot asylum however, this is a pleasant treatment.
 * Hermes has a button on his calculator labelled "Carry The One".

Quotes

 * Roberto: Back off! I got hostages! Zoidberg: Hooray! I'm helping! Smitty: Do you have any better hostages?
 * Whitey: Counsellor, what evidence do you offer to support this new plea of insanity? Hyper-Chicken: Well, for one, they done hired me to represent them. Whitey: Insanity plea is accepted.

Outside References

 * Nurse Ratchet is a reference to the character Nurse Ratched from One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest.
 * Another robot is modelled off the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland.

Characters
(In alphabetical order)
 * Amy
 * Bender
 * Fry
 * Hermes
 * Hyper-Chicken
 * Judge Whitey
 * Leela
 * Malfunctioning Eddie
 * Professor Farnsworth
 * Debut: Roberto
 * Smitty and Url
 * Victor
 * Zoidberg

Episode Credits

 * Writer
 * Bill Odenkirk
 * Director
 * Peter Avanzino
 * Voice Actors
 * Billy West
 * Katey Sagal
 * John DiMaggio
 * DVD Commentary
 * Bill Odenkirk
 * David X. Cohen
 * Matt Groening
 * Peter Avanzino
 * Rich Moore