The Why of Fry

Act I: Without me, there IS no mission!
Fry is disappointed because Leela and Bender went on a mission without him (and without his services as Delivery Boy), and because Leela is going out with another man - Chaz, the Mayor's aide. Fry is down in the dumps because he thinks himself unimportant. Meanwhile, Leela and Chaz are going to Elzar's Fine Cuisine, where Chaz manages to get a table without a reservation - Leela is genuinely impressed. Fry has adjourned to O'Zorgnax Pub to drown his depression in alcohol, however, Leela and Chaz enter and Leela tells him she may not make it back to her appartment tonight, and she needs him to walk Nibbler. Fry gets fined as Nibbler unloads a pile of Dark Matter on the sidewalk, just in time for Chaz to make a showy appearance in his car with Leela. Nibbler, however, reveals his intelligence to Fry and takes him to his spaceship, both leave Earth and head for Planet Eternium where the Nibblonian Council informs Fry that he is the most important person in the universe, for the fate of the universe rests with him.

Act II: Now it's personal!
Fry is told that due to his lack of the Delta Brain Wave, caused by a genetic anomaly because he is his own grandfather, he is immune to the attacks of the Brain Spawn and therefore the only hope of the universe. The Brains have constructed the Infosphere, a monstrous memory bank that contains all information in the universe. Once they have acquired all information, they will make sure that there is no new information by destroying the universe. Fry is to infiltrate the Infosphere and plant a Quantum Interphase Bomb inside that will blast the sphere into an alternate universe from which there is no return, then escape the blast on a Scooty-Puff, jr. (Who's ready for safe fun?), a clockwork-powered scooter. As the Infosphere opens itself for a final self-scan, Fry can enter the structure undetected as the Brains cannot perceive him because of his special thought processes. Fry plants the bomb, but hesitates to trigger it as he wants some answers on intriguing questions, like what postal stamp glue is made of (toad mucus) and what really killed the dinosaurs (the giant brain at the center of the sphere). The unauthorized access triggers the alarm, and as Fry tries to make his getaway, the scooter breaks. The brains become aware of his presence, among them the Big Brain. Fry now triggers the bomb, leaving sixty seconds to detonation. Fry is pleased that he is helping good triumph over evil, or so he thinks. The brains in turn show him what really happened on the night of December 31st 1999 when Fry got frozen - Nibbler gave Fry's chair a push so he fell into the cryogenic tube. Fry is furious with the Nibblonians for wrecking his past life, but before they can elaborate on the subject, the bomb goes off and transfers the Infosphere to the alternate universe.

Act III: Here I come, future!
The Brains think of a way for Fry to return to December 31st 1999, so he can prevent Nibbler from shoving him into the tube and thus stop the Nibblonians from crossing the Brain's plan to understand and destroy the universe. Meanwhile, Chaz has taken Leela to the Rocket Skating Rink that he has reserved just for them - impressing her once more. But the reservation means that the orphans from the Cookieville Minimum Security Orphanarium can't take their turn on the rocket skating rink as planned and are missing out. Leela asks Chaz if the orphans can join them, but he refuses as he wants to impress her with his amazing influence. This leaves Leela extremely testy, and she makes him eat his own badge - the romance is over. Fry is transferred by the Brain Spawn to Old New York, to the night he was frozen, where Nibbler is then busy ordering a pizza as I. C. Wiener at Panucci's Pizza to the address of Applied Cryogenics. Fry materializes behind Nibbler under the desk his other self is sitting at and seizes him, telling him what brought him there. Nibbler explains that he did not come back in time, and that Fry is needed in a thousand years time, and that the Nibblonians were afraid he might refuse being frozen. Fry, on the other hand, loves the future and has nothing against being frozen, but is still mad because he does not like being used. Nibbler now asks Fry if there is nothing in the future that he wants, and Fry answers that it is Leela - but that she doesn't think much of him. Nibbler thinks she may be the Other One, and tells Fry not to give up on her - he offers his help in the matter. Fry is now left to choose between saving himself or the universe - and Leela. He makes his decision and tips the chair his other self is sitting on, sending him into the cryogenic tube - the future is saved. Fry has just enough time to say that Scooty-Puff, Jr. sucks before he fades - and so, a thousand years later, Fry manages to escape the vanishing Infosphere on the Scooty-Puff, Sr. (The Doom-Bringer). Nibbler brings Fry back to Earth and then deletes his memory of the incident to maintain his cover. Before that, he gives Fry a flower that he in turn gives to Leela, and for a moment, she is happy to see him, although he is not the most important person in the universe. As she gives him a kiss, Fry's final utterance is "YES!"

Trivia

 * This episode is the first to not feature Professor Farnsworth.
 * This episode was named #20 on IGN's list of Top 25 Futurama Episodes.

Quotes

 * Ken: Does he not know? Nibbler: He does not know. Fiona: He knows not? Nibbler: Knows not does he. Male Nibblonian 2: Not he knows? Ken: Enough!
 * Fry: I did do the nasty in the pasty.
 * Nibbler: Quite possible. We live long and are celebrated poopers. You will meet me when I'm a thousand years older.
 * Big Brain: Detecting trace amounts of mental activity. Possibly a dead weasel or a cartoon viewer.
 * Nibbler: Yes, incidentally, I need to remain undercover so I'm blanking your memory. Fry: (after his memory is erased by Nibbler) Hmm, did everything just taste purple for a second?
 * Fry: ...Alright, C'mon, you little poop machine.
 * Infosphere: (Scanning info) Beavers mate for life. 11 greater than 4. For quality carpets visit Caplan's carpet warehouse!
 * Fry: Is it true that postage stamps are made of- Infosphere: Correct, toad mucus!
 * Fry: What really killed the Dinosours? Infosphere: MEEEEEE! (The Giant Brain is seen blasting dinosaurs to death with its ray blasts)

Continuity

 * We get a lot of flashbacks from this episode, and the shadow from this episode is explained.
 * Nibbler mentions he will be stationed on Vergon 6, where they will meet in the future.
 * "The Why of Fry", along with "Roswell that Ends Well" explains why the universe was destroyed in this episode. Had Fry not been frozen because of his future self, it would create a paradox and destroy the timeline.
 * Nibbler asks Fry if he can remember when he defeated the Brainspawn.
 * Nibbler mentions that Fry is his own grandfather.
 * In this episode, we see two shadows knocking Fry into the tube during a flashback, we get the explanation for the extra shadow in the current episode.
 * The toy in the bag Zoidberg hands Fry looks a lot like the cat on the back of Leela's backpack in this episode.
 * Nibbler asks Fry if he can remember when he defeated the Brainspawn.
 * Nibbler mentions that Fry is his own grandfather.
 * In this episode, we see two shadows knocking Fry into the tube during a flashback, we get the explanation for the extra shadow in the current episode.
 * The toy in the bag Zoidberg hands Fry looks a lot like the cat on the back of Leela's backpack in this episode.
 * In this episode, we see two shadows knocking Fry into the tube during a flashback, we get the explanation for the extra shadow in the current episode.
 * The toy in the bag Zoidberg hands Fry looks a lot like the cat on the back of Leela's backpack in this episode.
 * The toy in the bag Zoidberg hands Fry looks a lot like the cat on the back of Leela's backpack in this episode.

Allusions

 * Amy reads the book "Martians are from Mars, Venusians are from Venus", an allusion to Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus.
 * Star Wars:
 * The Infosphere resembles the Death Star from Star Wars.
 * The mission to destroy the Infosphere (and destruction of it) is reminiscent of the mission to destroy the Death Star.
 * Nibbler states maybe she is the other in reference to Leela, however nothing more about this statement is explained. It is likely it is a reference to Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi where Yoda mentions that there is another which too is never explained.  While never explained, it is likely to assume he is referring to Princess Leia, however, it is doubtful that the writers of Futurama are trying to suggest that Fry and Leela are siblings.
 * Nibbler also says "Knows not does he!" Again, this seems to be a reference to Yoda messing up grammatical structures in Star Wars movies.

Alien Language Sightings
Time: 06:49

Location: Great Hall of Planet Eternium (pillars on either side)

Language: AL2

Translation: Fuzzy Wuzzy

Characters

 * Fry
 * Leela
 * Bender
 * Zoidberg
 * Narrator
 * Nibbler
 * Fiona
 * Ken
 * Amy
 * The Big Brain
 * Elzar
 * Warden Vogel
 * Smitty and Url
 * Debut: Chaz
 * Debut: Trash Can

Episode Credits

 * Writer
 * David X. Cohen
 * Director
 * Wes Archer
 * Voice Actors
 * Billy West
 * Katey Sagal
 * John DiMaggio
 * Frank Welker
 * Bob Odenkirk
 * Maurice LaMarche
 * DVD Commentary
 * Matt Groening
 * David X. Cohen
 * Wes Archer
 * Billy West
 * Maurice LaMarche
 * Special Guest
 * Frank Welker
 * Bob Odenkirk