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"Thank God there're plenty of escape pods. We won't have to dress up like women and children!"
Professor Farnsworth

"A Flight to Remember" is the tenth episode of production Season 1 and the season premiere of broadcast Season Two of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on September 26, 1999.

Plot[]

Returning from a mission from the planet Cannibalon, Bender, Fry and Leela announce their resignations to Professor Farnsworth. They reconsider when the Professor tells them he has scheduled a company vacation as thanks for not reporting him about his disregard for employee safety. He tells them the vacation is a cruise on the maiden voyage of the largest space cruise ship ever built: the Titanic. No one suspects anything dangerous, despite the sinking of the first luxury ship to have that name. As they board, they are stopped by Zapp Brannigan, the honorary captain of the Titanic for its maiden voyage, who attempts to seduce Leela again.

Fakekiss

Leela kisses Fry while Zapp watches.

In an attempt to avoid Brannigan's unwanted advances, Leela claims she's engaged to Fry. On the way to their room, Bender meets the Countess de la Roca.

On the bridge, Brannigan diverts from the ship's original course and through a suicidally dangerous swarm of comets. At the buffet, Amy unexpectedly runs into her parents, Leo and Inez Wong, who immediately attempt to set Amy up with a date, one who's very unsightly to her. In order to redirect her parents' attention, Amy claims that Fry's her boyfriend, not realizing that Leela told Zapp that Fry's her fiancé.

At the ship's casino, Bender meets the Countess again and pretends to be rich to become her friend. At first, he really wants her money and jewelry, until he realizes he loves her. She then realises he's bankrupt after he tries to get a round of drinks from the bar for free, security bet him up for it, but she claims she still loves him, she pays for the drinks.

In the swimming pool capsule, a Limbo competition is being held. Hermes is urged to limbo, but declines, remembering a traumatic incident from twenty years ago. He was on the Earth Olympic limbo team, but during the 2980 Olympics, a boy ran onto the field, wanting to be just like his hero Hermes. He tried to limbo under an Olympic level bar, but broke his spine in half and died. Hermes has never limbo-ed since then. Brannigan takes time off from steering the ship to judge the limbo contest and declares Leela the winner, despite her not having entered. "No matter, I know from personal experience just how horizontal you can get", Brannigan says. As a prize, she and Fry are invited to dinner at the captain's table.

Bravekif

"No, it's noble of you, Kif. As of now, you're in command!"

At dinner, both Zapp and Amy's parents are present and demanding that Fry kiss his date. Before the fake relationships can be exposed, Kif calls Brannigan back to the bridge. The new course has placed the ship in danger. Brannigan's attempt to correct the problem results in the ship flying towards a black hole. Realizing the danger he has put them in, Brannigan promotes Kif to captain so that he can go down with the ship while Brannigan escapes. Bender heads off to save the Countess, while the rest of the crew make their way to the lifepod bay. On the way, an airlock door begins to close, blocking the crew's escape. Zoidberg holds it from closing all the way, but the door release is on the other side and no one can reach it. Hermes resurrects his old limbo skills to squeeze under and hit the door release. Arriving at the lifepods, they meet Amy's parents, who have found Amy a new boyfriend they feel is suitable: Kif. After waiting as long as they can for Bender, the crew launches the lifepod. Bender leaps from the Titanic, with the Countess in tow. He grabs onto the lifepod, but accidentally makes it overweight. The Countess sacrifices herself, falling into the black hole to allow the others to escape. Bender is heartbroken and, as he gets inside, Fry consoles him, stating that it may be possible that the Countess is still alive in another dimension: Farnsworth thinks not, as he confides in Zoidberg. Bender says he still has her diamond bracelet to remind him of her. However, Hermes examines the bracelet and reveals that it is fake therefore worthless, causing Bender to start crying.

Ongoing Themes[]

Fry & Leela[]

  • Leela hesitates before selecting Fry as her fake fiance. Given her choice consisted of Fry, the repulsive Zoidberg, and the Professor - a man old enough to be her messiah, this shows that - at this point - she doesn't consider Fry to be a promising candidate where dating is concerned.
  • For his part, despite fully knowing that it is a ruse, Fry unsuccessfully flirts with Leela for much of this episode.
  • It is in this episode that the first mutual romantic sparks fly between Fry and Leela.
    • At first, the appearance of romance is just a part of the ruse to keep Brannigan at bay, but when Leela sees Fry kissing Amy, she becomes (unexpectedly) jealous.
  • For his part, Fry - pretty openly - prefers his fake relationship with Leela over the one with Amy.
    • Notably, at no point on-screen, does Fry flirt with Amy, while he does so multiple times with Leela.
  • Later, Fry and Leela almost share a genuine kiss before being interrupted by a gravitational jolt from the nearby black hole.
    • In the preamble to this, Leela nakedly expresses the jealousy she feels after Fry's, extended, kiss with Amy.

Hermes & Zoidberg[]

  • Hermes is relatively friendly with Zoidberg throughout this episode. He does not complain about sharing a room with him, and asks him nicely - without any insult - to lower the door.
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