Planet Express

Lore & Background

The crew of Planet Express is prone to constant infighting and accusations.

In Their Own Story

Frustrated by the crew's bickering, Professor Farnsworth hires business consultant Dan McMasters to conduct a team-building exercise. On the way to a corporate retreat, they pick up a random hitchhiker at McMasters's behest. The hitchhiker is used as the first "trust fall," but McMasters is apparently eaten by the hitchhiker, who transforms into a monster, crawls into the ventilation shafts, and shuts off the power. Scruffy's apprentice Jackie Jr. is soon eaten. The crew goes to the panic room, but the creature shuts off life support. Farnsworth splits the crew into three teams: Zoidberg and Hermes to restart life support, Leela and Amy to get the steering wheel from the bridge, and Bender and Fry to relight the pilot light outside the ship. Fry and Bender restart the engines, but Bender's gyroscope is damaged and he accidentally breaks Fry's helmet, causing Fry to suffocate. Bender stuffs Fry into his compartment, and Fry takes over Bender's body, creating "Frender." Zoidberg and Hermes restart life support, but Hermes gets stuck in a vent. Amy and Leela encounter the monster; Leela is captured, but Amy saves her with a golf shot. They retrieve the steering wheel and proclaim themselves "Lamy." They mistake Hermes' legs for the monster and attack him. Zoidberg, calling themselves "Hermberg," frees Hermes by squirting him with ink. Amy fixes Bender's gyroscope by hitting him with her club. The group faces the monster again and flees to the panic room. Farnsworth reveals the whole thing was an exercise in trust, but Hermes is abruptly eaten by the monster, who was disguised as Farnsworth. The monster also claims Scruffy and Farnsworth via shape-shifting. The surviving crew arm themselves with laser pistols. The monster eats various crew members until only Fry and Bender are left. They proclaim they trust each other, and Bender admits to using Fry's toothbrush. McMasters enters, assuring them it was all staged and the monster, Blorgulax, is his business associate. He invites them to a pizza party, but Fry and Bender kill him, convinced he is the monster. Too late, the crew reveals themselves alive and well. Bender disposes of McMasters' remains. Back on Earth, news reports on McMasters' disappearance. Linda states the police will give $1,000,000 for information leading to an arrest, or total immunity and $2,000,000 to whoever turns in the other in the event of two killers. Bender and Fry glare at each other and at the phone.

Reader's Guide

The episode "Murder on the Planet Express" is the twenty-fourth episode in the seventh season of Futurama, and the 138th episode overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central on August 21, 2013. The episode was written by Lewis Morton and directed by Frank Marino. The episode's title derives from Murder on the Orient Express and parodies Alien and The Thing. The plot involves the crew getting trapped aboard the Planet Express ship with a horrific alien creature. The episode received a B+ from Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club and an 8.8/10 "Great" rating from Max Nicholson of IGN, who said the episode "featured consistent laughs and one of the best storylines in recent memory." Lewis Morton was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Outstanding Writing in Animation at the 66th Writers Guild of America Awards for his script to this episode.

Did You Know?

• The episode title "Murder on the Planet Express" derives from Murder on the Orient Express and parodies Alien and The Thing.
• The episode originally aired on Comedy Central on August 14, 2013.
• Lewis Morton was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Outstanding Writing in Animation for this episode.
• The episode features a shape-shifting alien monster, simply referred to as a shape-shifting alien.
• The episode ends with a variant of the prisoner's dilemma, where Fry and Bender are offered $1,000,000 for information or total immunity and $2,000,000 for turning in the other.

The Core Trio's Dynamic

The narrative heart of Planet Express revolves around an unlikely trio forged in the chaotic streets of New New York. Philip J. Fry, a goofy and dim-witted pizza delivery boy from the late 20th century, finds himself cryogenically frozen for a millennium before waking up to join the company ironically as a delivery driver once again. He is paired with Turanga Leela, a competent one-eyed mutant who serves as the ship's captain and frequently saves the crew from disaster despite her deep-seated self-doubt stemming from an orphaned upbringing. Completing this unit is Bender Bending Rodríguez, a humanoid industrial robot designated Bending Unit 22. Described by Leela as an alcoholic, chain-smoking gambler, Bender acts as Fry's best friend and roommate while taking on various odd jobs like head chef. Their relationship evolves from strangers meeting at a suicide booth to a tight-knit family unit that navigates the retro-futuristic 31st century together.

Professor Farnsworth's Eccentric Leadership

The proprietor of Planet Express is Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, Fry's distant descendant and a mad scientist whose age exceeds 150 years. As the company owner, he oscillates between moments of brilliant scientific mastery and amoral senility, often falling asleep or sending his crew on what amount to suicide missions disguised as delivery jobs. Despite teaching a made-up course at Mars University regarding quantum neutrino fields, he demonstrates expertise in any field required by the plot, from linking disembodied heads to computers to creating atomic supermen. His leadership style is punctuated by catchphrases like "Good news, everyone!" which often precedes catastrophic events, and exclamations of "Sweet zombie Jesus!" when things go wrong. Farnsworth's history includes a bitter rivalry with Wernstrom stemming from a pop quiz grade given over a century prior, highlighting his long-standing presence in the scientific community.

Character Evolution and Depth

Beyond the main cast, the universe of Planet Express features a vast array of supporting figures who often transcend their initial one-time gag origins. Many characters introduced merely for background scenes or specific functions eventually gain expanded roles, personifying new responsibilities as the series progresses. This evolution is most evident in Leela's journey from a career assignment officer to a beloved captain, and Fry's transition from a dead-end job holder to an integral part of future history. The show utilizes these recurring and supporting characters to explore themes of identity and belonging, with figures like aliens, business owners, and extended relatives fleshing out the retro-futuristic setting. This dynamic casting approach allows for deep exploration of how individuals adapt to new roles, ensuring that even minor background elements can grow into significant narrative pillars over time.

Origins and Structural Framework

Created by Matt Groening and developed alongside David X. Cohen, this animated science fiction sitcom was produced for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The story is grounded in the premise of a late-20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy who is unwittingly frozen on December 31, 1999. Upon waking just before the year 3000, he discovers an interplanetary delivery company owned by his own distant descendant. The series strictly follows this protagonist's adventures as he navigates a world populated by mutants, robots, and aliens. While the show features numerous media personalities and villains, the narrative focus remains on the employees of Planet Express. This structural framework allows for a unique blend of time-travel comedy and futuristic satire, anchored by the specific historical moment of Fry's accidental cryogenic preservation.