Jurassic Bark
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| Futurama episode | |
| "Jurassic Bark" | |
 "For a thousand summers, I will wait for you..." |
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|---|---|
| Episode no. | 61 |
| Prod. code | 4ACV07 |
| Airdate | November 17, 2002 |
| Where |  United States |
| Writer(s) | Eric Kaplan |
| Director | Swinton O Scott III |
| Opening subtitle | NOT AFFILIATED WITH FUTURAMA BRASS KNUCKLE CO. |
| Opening cartoon | Hiss and Make Up Merry Melodies |
| Guest star(s) | Tom Kenny |
| Season 4 January 2002 – August 2003 |
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| List of all Futurama episodes... | |
Jurassic Bark is the 61st episode of Futurama, airing November 17, 2002. It was nominated for an Emmy Award.
As of mid-2006, it is the most fan-reviewed episode on the Can't Get Enough Futurama website, and is considered to be one of the best Futurama episodes by fans. It is also regarded as one of the most poignant episodes in the series.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
Bender and Fry visit the Natural History Museum exhibit of a 20th century pizza parlor. Fry finds out that it is actually Pannuci's Pizza, the old pizza parlor where Fry used to work. Within the exhibit, Fry finds his old dog, Seymour, fossilized and on display in the exhibit. After a lengthy protest, the museum gives Fry the fossilized dog. Fry starts to treat Seymour like an actual dog, but Bender, however, grows jealous of Fry's nonstop devotion to Seymour. At Planet Express, Farnsworth reveals that he can clone a version of Seymour that Fry knew and loved. In the basement, just before Seymour's cloning process is completed, Bender, in a jealous rage, throws Seymour's fossilized body into the lava pit in the basement. Farnsworth reveals that because Seymour's fossil was enclosed in dolomite, he might survive the hot lava. Bender, feeling remorseful and being 40% dolomite, decides to go after the dolomite dog. After a long while, Bender resurfaces with Seymour intact. While cloning Seymour the second time, Farnsworth reveals that Seymour was 15 years old when he died, leading Fry to think that Seymour must have lived a full life and likely even forgotten about Fry after he was frozen. Fry destroys the machine and leaves Seymour fossilized.
Throughout the show, flashbacks are shown revealing how Fry and Seymour met, how they acted together and how Seymour lived after Fry was frozen. The final scene in the episode shows that Fry had been wrong about Seymour---since Fry's last command to Seymour had been to "wait for Fry" in front of the pizzeria, Seymour had spent the majority of his life there, being cared for by Mr. Panucci, before finally dying 12 years later.
[edit] Trivia
- The paleontologist who discovers Seymour is named "Dr. Ben Beeler," presumably a reference to producer and prolific writer Ken Keeler.
- The last part of the episode where Seymour is waiting outside on the sidewalk was originally set to the theme of 2001: A Space Odyssey, but it was exchanged with the song "I Will Wait For You" from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg as sung by Connie Francis, which writer Eric Kaplan's parents sang and played on the piano while he was a child.
- The tour guide appears to be the same person who was eaten by an elephant in "Less Than Hero".
- This is one of the only episodes that elaborates on the workings of Pannuci's Pizza. It is also implied that the owner would "discipline" Fry by paddling him.
- In an original version of the script, it was Fry's mother that was found fossilized. The staff, however, found this upsetting.
- At one point in the episode, we see Fry being frozen again from "Space Pilot 3000". Like in SP3000, we see a shadow under the desk. This time, however, we see two shadows; one looks like Nibbler (as seen in SP3000) and one that looks like Fry. This is later explained in "The Why Of Fry".
- It is also possible to see Nibbler's top eyeball poking out of the trash can for a brief moment as Fry places the pizza box on the desk before he is frozen.
- This episode was nominated in 2003 for an Emmy in Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour).
- The episode's emotionally powerful ending recalls two real life dogs who became famous for their enduring faithfulness after their masters' death: Scotland's Greyfriars Bobby and Japan's Hachiko. The ending is one of the more emotional and poignant scenes in Futurama, which differs from its usual comedic style (see also "The Luck of the Fryrish" and "Time Keeps on Slippin'," which some fans have also noted for their sad endings).
- This episode draws parallels to the story of Argos, Odysseus's dog, who waits for Odysseus for the twenty years that he is away from Ithaca in Homer's The Odyssey.
- When Fry is dancing on the sidewalk, a person in the crowd resembles Fry's girlfreind, Michelle.
[edit] Quotes
- (Opening scene, Bender is practicing a magic routine)
Fry: That's why they call you "Bender the Magnificent"!
Bender: No, it isn't.
(Later, Bender has saved Fry's dog by diving into red-hot molten rock)
Bender: And that is why they call me "Bender the Magnificent". (Eyes melt) Hey, where'd everybody go?"
- Group of protesters (protesting to give Fry his dog): What do we want?
Fry: Fry's dog!
Group of protesters: When do we want it?
Fry: Fry's dog!
- Professor Farnsworth: Know ye now what it feels like to be dog GOD!
- (Fry is dancing to The Hustle to protest not being allowed to take possession of his fossilized dog)
Leela: Fry, it's been three days - you can't keep boogieing like this. You'll come down with a fever of some sort.
- (In response to the knowledge Seymour led a full life after Fry was frozen)
Fry: He probably even added new songs to his repetoire.
Bender: But Fry, that's a good thing! "Walking on Sunshine" sucks noodles!
- Robo-puppy: Robo-puppy commencing two-hour yipping session. *yap* *yap* *yap* *yap* *yap* *yap* *yap* *yap* *yap* (Bender kicks Robo-puppy) *yap* *clunk* (siren sounds) Robo-puppy mistreatment alert! Robo-puppy mistreatment alert!
- Leela: Acting like a moron won't bring your dog back!
Fry: Then all hope is lost!
- Bender: Let's clone us some dog!
Fry: Yeah!
Professor Farnsworth: Very well! Let this abomination unto the Lord begin!
- Yancy Sr.: I'm telling you the Y2K computer's got him. We'll face burning roads, rivers explodin', calculators transformed into scud missiles; there's nothing we can do.
- Professor Farnsworth: I just have to set the cloner from human mode to dog mode
Cloner: The dog says, "Moo".
Professor: This may take a while.
- Leela: (prepared to jump into the lava after Seymour's body) I'm going in after him!
Professor Farnsworth: (angered at everyone's lack of common sense) Professor! Lava! Hooot!!
[edit] References
- The title is a reference to the popular book/film series Jurassic Park, as is the idea of cloning a long-dead life form from DNA preserved in a fossil.
- At the history museum, a pimp is seen frozen in amber, another reference to Jurassic Park.
- Seymour is able to bark "I'm Walking on Sunshine." There are recurring references to this song in connection with Fry. He sings it in "The 30% Iron Chef" and "War is the H-word", and a bagpipe version of it was played at his funeral in "The Sting".
- Bender refers to a gorilla that loves a kitten. This is a reference to Koko the gorilla.
- The Professor says that only dolomite can withstand the heat of lava. While this is a real mineral, the context ("the tough black mineral that won't cop out when there's heat all about") suggests he is referencing Dolemite. The phrase he uses is a nod to Isaac Hayes' famous theme song from the film Shaft.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by: "Bender Should Not Be Allowed on TV" |
Futurama episodes | Followed by: "Crimes of the Hot" |
