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Anthology of Interest II is the 18th episode of the third season of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on January 6, 2002.

Plot

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Summary

Professor Farnsworth hauls out his What-if Machine again (see Anthology of Interest I), and the crew takes a look at three alternate realities.

I, Meatbag

First up is Bender, who asks what would happen if he were human.

The simulation opens with Professor Farnsworth announcing that he has invented a process of reverse fossilization, which can turn metal robots into organic life-forms. He uses his reverse fossilization machine on Bender, who is successfully transformed into a human.

After a short period of adaptation, Bender's self-control is overwhelmed by his new senses of taste, touch and emotional responses, and goes on a sensory input binge. A week later, at the Nobel Prize judging, the Professor presents Bender who has become a thousand-pound blob.

The committee initially condemns the Professor, but Bender begs them to consider his new lifestyle. The open-minded scientists spend the night in a state of wild hedonism. Just before dawn, the committee awards Bender his own Nobel Prize, but discover that he died shortly after the party started.

Raiders of the Lost Arcade

Next to ask a question is Fry, who wants to see a world that is more like a video game.

As the simulation starts, President of Earth Richard Nixon is preparing to sign a treaty with Ambassador Kong of planet Nintendu 64. Ambassador Kong attacks Nixon, and a state of war erupts.

Due to his extensive knowledge of video games, Fry is brought to the Milatari headquarters and introduced to General Colin Pac-Man. Before Fry can impart his wisdom to the military, the Nintendians launch an attack on Washington, DC, and they are forced into the escape tunnels that resemble a Pac-Man maze.

They emerge outside the Planet Express building, where the Nintendian space invaders, led by Lrrr, are blasting New New York. Fry situates himself at the controls of a rolling AAA platform, and begins destroying the alien ships.

Unfortunately for Earth, Fry is unable to destroy the last ship, which lands, conquering Earth. After Fry enters "ASS" as his initials for his high score, the invaders emerge. They demand millions of dollars in quarters, but the Earthicans refuse, as they need the quarters to do their laundry. A compromise is reached, with the Nintendians throwing their laundry in with Earth's.

Note: The song played during the Space Invaders portion is "Tom Sawyer" by Rush.

Wizzin'

The last person to ask a what if question is Leela, who wants to see her true home. When the Professor pulls the lever on the What-if Machine, he whacks her in the head, and she falls to the floor unconscious.

She wakes up at the helm of the Planet Express ship, which is caught in a tornado. It crash lands in a technicolor wonderland. The Cute Witch of the North (Amy) tells her that she should seek out the Professor, who lives in the Emerald Laboratory down Martin Luther King Boulevard, which is constructed from yellow brick.

While travelling, she meets a scarecrow (Fry), a mechanical man (Bender) and "the other guy" (Zoidberg). The Wicked Witch (Mom) sends her winged monkeys (Walt, Larry, and Ignar) to kidnap Leela and her friends. The Wicked Witch always wanted a daughter, and offers to take Leela in. Leela accepts, and as part of a celebration, Bender uncorks a bottle of champagne. Under tremendous pressure, the champagne shoots out of the bottle and lands on the Wicked Witch, causing her to melt.

Falling back to the original plan, Leela and co. make their way to the Emerald Laboratory. There they meet the great and forgetful Professor. The Professor tells Leela that she can go home by clicking her ruby boots together and wishing to go home. Leela decides that she wants to be the new Wicked Witch, and uses the boots' wishing power to that end. She turns the Professor, the scarecrow, and the robot into frogs. Her reign of terror is cut short by Zoidberg, who has encountered a problem with the Emerald Laboratory's upstairs toilet, and accidentally splashes water on her.

As she melts in the dream world, she wakes up back in the Planet Express building.

Quotes

• Farnsworth: There. I've finished fine tuning my "What If?" machine. It can answer any "What If?" question, accurate to within 1/10th of a plausibility unit.

Leela: That's so plausible I can't believe it!

• Nintendian: All your base are belong to us!
• Farnsworth: Good news, everyone. I've discovered a way to make Bender human using a process I call "reverse fossilization."

Leela: How does it work?
Farnsworth: Well, in regular fossilization, flesh and bone turn to minerals. Realizing that, it was a simple matter to reverse the process. I've already tested it by turning the toaster into a raccoon.

• Fry: Wait a second! I know that monkey! His name is Donkey!

Farnsworth: Hey! Monkeys aren't donkeys! Now quit messing around with my head!

• Bender (shouting): Goodbye moderation!
• Fry: All right. It's Saturday night. I've got no date, a two liter bottle of Shasta, and my all Rush mix tape. Let's rock.
• Hermes (from inside): Yes?
  Leela (outside door): We're here to see the Professor.
  Hermes (from inside): No one sees the mighty Professor!
  Farnsworth (from inside): Who's there Hermes? Is it visitors? I want to see them!
  Hermes (from inside, to Farnsworth): It's nobody! Now sign that will I gave you!
  (to outside the door): He's not in.
• Leela (after learning the power of the boots): There's no place like--- I want to be a witch!
• Narrator: You watched it! You can't un-watch it!
• Fry: What do you monsters want?
  Donkey Kong: One thing, and one thing only. Quarters! A million allowances worth of quarters! No slots or tokens!
  Nintendian 2: Fork 'em over, fork 'em over!
  Professor: But we need those quarters to do our laundry!
  Nintendian: But Space Invaders need to do laundry too. Just look at Donkey Kong, have you smelled his loin cloth lately?
  Zoidberg: Yes.
• Leela: I was having the most wonderful dream... except you were there, and you were there, and *you* were there.
• Q*bert: Ereh dnuora stnap emos teg yug a nac erehw? (Which is the phrase "Where can a guy get some pants around here?" backwards)

References

• The title of the segment I, Meatbag is a reference to Isaac Asimov's book I, Robot .
• The title of the segment Wizzin is from the musical The Wiz (based on The Wizard of Oz).
• The title of the segment Raders of the Lost Arcade is a reference to the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark.
• When the Nintendians are exiting their ship, one of them says "All your base are belong to us", a reference to the then-popular All Your Base catch phrase.

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