BONUS: Xmas Story ("Tales Of Futurama" Patreon Exclusive)

You've been very naughty, Brian Leila. I check my list. We'll check
it twice. I perform over fifty megachecks per second. You're both naughty for
disregarding each other's feelings. But we said things right for I even risked his
life to get me a present. But what about your other co workers?
Did either of you ever stop to think about doctor Zoidberg's feelings? No,
I swear good news everyone, I'm back baby. Welcome to this very festive
episode of Tales of Future. I'm aware this week we're here to review episode
two ac V zero four. Ahead in the polls ID guy, and I'm
very confused. Yes, no, no, it's Christmas time. And Dano,
as we all know, is father. It's not Christmas time. This
Tales of Futurama, Sir, it's experst time. Ah okay, then fine,
it's excellist time. And Dano, as we all know, is father.
Excellas he just loves everything mule Tide and you know, Santa related and
all that kind of business. So yes, it did. It makes sense
that we'll be talking about xCE me story and you know, skipping ahead a
little bit or skipping around in the schedule. A little bit. Yeah,
so the next episode we're going to go back into a head and the polls,
just so we haven't skipped that one. And then we just thought,
cause it's Christmas time, here is ex mes story with your good old friends
Guy and Dano. But this episode here, it's a really really fun Futurama
spin on Christmas time. I'm just gonna say chrismas it just comes naturally,
just will say Christmas time. I don't know they say excess in the episode.
They managed to incorporate a Santa story. But I love the evil Santa
aspect. It just seems to fit so perfectly that Santa's this evil robot that
wasn't meant to be evil, but he was just a human error turned him
into this evil being. Yeah, technology run a muck thanks to human error,
of course, as is often the way it makes the robot Santurine.
Is even better the fact that it's voiced by John Goodman. Correct. Yes,
now it's a scientific fact everybody that John Goodman has never given a bad
performance, just the best actor there is, and yeah, incredibly good as
Santa Claus, just running a muck being both either insanely jolly or jollily insane,
but you know, it's wonderful, and it's just that little bit of
nutmeg to the eggnog that spit on the character and the fact that it was
an evil santur and not not violent but just it's a little scary at times,
kind of for a future on episode, Fox were concerned about this and
they thought, I'm not sure this is really suitable for the time slide that
we'll put futuramor in. I'm thinking, what's like, that's what's going on
here. But then as a result, next Xmas Story episode, The Tale
of Two Sanders, got pushed back a year and and at a later time
frame. As a result, I'm thinking, this is what happens when you
don't get the Brooks deal. Guys. Look, people get so people get
very bunched up around the what's appropriate at Christmas times? Like, no,
everything's got to be just like a lot of people celebrate Christmas in a lot
of different ways, and a lot of people have different attitudes and different approaches.
And I think, you know, some people would like say Gremlins,
which has you know, a set of Christmas time and has a slightly darker
take on things, or something like this, which has a slightly violent take
on it. It's great, you know, let people celebrate Christmas how they
want to celebrate Christmas. I like that Christmas still exists in the year three
thousand, but it's still different in ways, like it still feels like Christmas,
but there's just little things, but little things that to someone like Fright
feel like a big deal. Like the tree, Oh yeah, like that's
not a Christmas tree, of course, it's a Christmas tree. Or the
new words to Santa Claus is coming to town, So it was that Santy
Claus is gunning you down in new song. Things like that. They're really
clever in the way they take what we perceive as just a tradition and make
it their own, but still feel like it's still the same tradition very much.
So. Yeah, it's one of the hallmarks on the show, how
clever it is in doing those little tweaks and twists. Yeah, this was
actually one of the first ideas that Matt Groening and David x come and came
up with before the show was put into production. It's one of the real
the ideas they pitched. Yeah, besides, this is the pilot with the
two ones, they sort of went, this is what we want to do.
These are two episodes ideas that we have and they must have liked it,
and then once they made it, they're like, we're not to show
shirt this shit. Well, for kids, there's nothing in here that's really
scary besides the fact that Sander's perceived as evil is that it's not scary but
some good action sequences, doesn't They sort of get gunned down or chased down
and things like that. But if it wasn't Santa, but it really matter.
I don't think so. No, And I'm wondering what sort of kids
they think thing about it. I mean, how old are the kids who
would be I mean, I imagine like a kid Elliot's age or Hoies age
would probably be like no, that's and you know, get a bit confused
and a bit maybe a bit upset. But you know, those kids shouldn't
be watching futu around anyway. It's past their bit time. And even single
digit age kids who think themselves don't get a step and watch future around,
I don't think they're going to be like, oh no, not sand or
anything like that. I don't think that's going to happen. So I wonder
who the suits are protecting. It does give you a good insight though,
into why Futurama failed in the end, because Fox just fucked with it.
Oh yeah, out of order and different time slots and as soon as you
as soon as you move time slots, it's a it's a death trap,
it really is. You've got to have a little faith because I remember featuring
it just being so hard to follow in Australia anyway, add on channel seven.
I think it started on Channel ten because that's what the Simpsons were,
but it was on Channel seven, and then sometimes it'd be on Mondays at
like ten at night, and then it'll be on Thursdays at seven thirty,
and you're like, what do you what is what's going on here? Haven't
haven't you know you think that people anyone associated with Futurama would be able to
say, just one small adjustment can mess with the whole time. Yeah.
That was what happened to Firefly, right, it was. Yeah, that
was all out again. Yeah, a very similar Fox situation. It all
out of water, time slots shifted around similarly, similar similar time as well.
Yeah. Yeah, so I don't know you thought you think those guys
would have worked it out by then, but no they did not. No,
No, But as we're saying, John Gorgan was just fantastic as Robot
Santa. But we also get a an appearance from Conan O'Brien doing some stand
up equally good in fact, Yeah, probably one of my favorite parts of
the episode, the whole the whole Conean appearance, and but also the way
that everyone reacts to him. No one's got any time for Gunn and O'Brien.
Nah, and no, it's is that Colone O'Brien is probably the kind
of person that would pitch that, you know, make sure they don't like
me, say that I'm not funny, say that I'm an idiot, because
he doesn't care that he's just he's a genius. But the animator is actually
because of the perception is that he's going to giant ahead. They drew his
head too big for the jar, so he'd his head was sticking out of
the jar. Parannimators did not like that, right, No, no,
because they got their template to draw people in a jar, and now they're
going to readjig, tinker with it a little bit and make his head appear
out of the Top. But also we mentioned in the last podcast Frank Welker
he voiced Nibbler. He also voiced the parrot in this and voice stripe in
Gremlin, So they're all connected in the great circle of fourthing a discount.
Oh my god, that unifying theory of four thing a discount is coming true
again. It's starting to get a little weird. If he asked me,
h, so we've got here. Also a small visual joke. I got
this offt the Infosphere, a good website for future I'm a fans, check
out the Infosphere, says. A small visual joke that was added was that
the clock tower is shown at the end of the episode, and at the
time on the clock is the same of the as the actual time that that
scene would have been airing during its original run. How cool is that?
That's it's pretty smart. It's pretty fucking awesome. I mean, no one
who would actually have even realize that, but that knowing now that it's there,
I appreciate it. Yeah. Yeah, I don't know how many people
would have been watching this episode when it first ran, or ran at that
time, but you know, imagine there's probably just one person who looked at
the you know, caught it out the corner that I on the screen and
looked at their own watching Wait a minute, wait what Look, it's the
same time. What's going on? Yeah, I would have just made their
night. As we've said before here on the show, Future Rummer was a
show that you knew it was made for geeks and made for people who look
for the Easter eggs. So by this point in season two, as a
viewer, if you're one of those people, you're looking for things like that.
So yeah, it's just it's just I love that kind of aspect that
they into the show. But I like this episode in the sense that,
you know, it's a traditional Christmas episode. It's got some heart, it's
got some wackiness, it's got a whole bunch of everything. But I like
how they poke fun at the materialism of Christmas time and the present giving,
and they sold their hair to get it wasn't clips, was it? Was
it clips? That That's what Yeah, Yeah, I think that's something we've
talked about on maybe on four Finger discount in the past. But yeah,
the old o Henry story of the Gift of the magi, Yeah, yeah,
maybe the wollen the gift of the magi. Yeah, yeah, because
the gist of that is you've got this loving couple who he's got this lovely
antique pocket watch that was like a gift from his father. She's got beautiful
long hair, and they love each other so much, and for Christmas,
she cuts off all her hair to you know, donate to a wig maker
so she can buy a chain for his lovely pocket watch. He sells his
lovely pocket watch so you can get comb for his wife's lovely hair, and
they both oh man. The story actually ends with them saying what the fuck
know that it doesn't, But it's it's a sweet and sad story, and
y'all I like the riff that they do want to hear. It's like,
well, we'll get to it when we get to it. All works out
well for Zoidberg. I loved how much Zoidberg was in this episode. But
then I like Zoidberg a lot, so it's it's one of my favorite moments.
I'll just say here, I love Santa's love for Zoidberg, except here's
a bogus everything's there. Everything works out for Zoubeger this episode, which is
nice. It's one of those things where he's usually the butt of jokes.
But being a giving episode, a festive episode Christmas, it's giving time,
it's important that the character gets he does that is correct? Yeah, it's
funny. I mean, I know that Zoidberg is kind of presented as the
one that everyone rags on, but it doesn't I don't know the episodes we've
watched, it doesn't really feel that way so much. He's just kind of
a sad sack and it doesn't feel like it was going to a fuck is
Zoidberg. It's been like he's kind of ignored and kind of sidelined and and
he's kind of used that. Hey, it's sometimes they so I think,
what was the one with the when aliens attack? It's like way to overact
Zoidberg like things like that, but it's not overly cruel. I can't record
and it's overly cruel. He's not the whipping boy. No, no,
not not anyway. And the next episode in the series, which is not
the one we're going to be reviewing, but the next one is called why
Must I Be a Crustacean in Love? Which is all about Zoidberg. You'll
really enjoy that one. That one's really really good. But yeah, as
I was saying, I like that they poke fund the materialism of Christmas,
but also they support the Christmas spirit in this episode as well. I've got
to say, it looks really nice a planet express HQ around Christmas time.
It does, doesn't everyone's crazy. You've got the fire going, decorations are
up. Even Bend is sitting there with Nibbler in his arms. Yeah,
you know, there's a whole feeling of well being and you know, enjoying
on earth and goodwill to all people. It's lovely. Yeah, it definitely
is. Plus in this episode, we also get some advancement with the Leela
Fry will they won't they story. They nearly do in this one. Nearly
lands a big smooch on the lips, but it's because they both realize that
he's lonely for the reasons he came from nine Time nine. She's lonely because
she's the only known person from most species, so they're sort of going to
be lonely together. So that found a common ground there, and I thought
it was a very nice way of bringing them together but still leading you on.
Yeah, they didn't quite give you what you want. Well, yeah,
but it's good. Ye mean, they are both outsiders in this this
environment, so yeah, it makes sense they would sort of gravitate towards one
another. I don't know if I'm buying and just yet, but yeah,
I appreciate that they're they're taking their time with this courtship. The good thing
too, was that when they pull the rug out and they don't give you
the kiss moment, they do it with something that sort of doesn't leave you
disappointed. So the parrot with the missile, it's like, you're not going
ah, you focus on You're focusing on the fact that parrot savings and it's
a funny moment. You know, Oh, it's my favorite robot. It's
me, no one else look in this mirror. What were your favorite moments
from ex me story? What did I ANDROI? Well, you know,
anything with John Goodman there you go, Yeah, can't complain about that.
But also, yeah, do you think it sounded like John Goodman? Or
was it Once you realize it was John Goodman, You're like, oh,
yeah, that sounds like John Goodman. I knew it was John Goodman going
in okay, and then you know when he first appeared and first started talking,
it's like it could be anybody but then you hear sort of certain inflections
in certain rule it's like, oh, yeah, that's definitely John Goodman.
Yes, oh that's Fred Flintstone from the nineteen ninety three smash it film Flintstones.
Correct. Was it ninety three that film? I want to say ninety
four ninety four, Maybe it was ninety four year right, Yeah, but
re visit that long because that's a film that I loved as a kid,
and I've always kid. Yeah, but I remember it being a good incarnation
of a TV show. Remember, I actually kind of liked the sequel.
I love the sequel in Viva Rock Vegas is awesome. It's really good,
and I mean it's gotten none of the people from the original Flintstones. But
I remember I remember running in my review after seeing It's like, I never
thought I'd say this, Steve Barney Rubble maybe the role that Stephen Baldwin was
born to play. It was really funny because it was Rick morandas in the
first one, wasn't it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean the
the Flintstone I mean the Yeah, Flintstones maybe had a really good cast.
I got to say between you know, John Goodman, Rick moranis Elizabeth Perkins
and Rosie O'Donnell, Elizabeth Taylor is in it, Hallie Berry and who was
who was? It was a chicken from Alian McBeal. She was the and
that was that was the Barney's wife. And the second wasn't she? Yeah
it was the woman from Third Rock as Wilma. Yeah. Jane Krakowski from
Allen Bell in thirty Rock. Yeah, Jane Krakowski is. And the fact
I from Full Monty was Fred he was and did pretty good, did pretty
well. Yeah, let's let's a sequel. We should probably watch a sequel
rather than rather than the John Goodman. But I remember thinking Viva Roth Bakers
was actually really enjoyable. Yeah, much to my surprise. What else did
I enjoy? Yeah, the cone and dissing when they're all walking, when
they're walking out of the gig and just sledging him. I thought it was
great. We've been seeing a lot of Peanuts shout outs on various that we
cover, so the Simpson's yeah, yeah, all the shows we cover under
the Forefinger discount umbrella, and this of course had another one as well where
the kids are skating around the pond. You've got the sort of Peanuts esque
piano music, and then of course Bender just ruins it all. So I
love that. How long they stretched that out? I think I went for
like a good ten seconds before Bender actually fell, waiting to the point where
you're like, is he gonna fall? And it boo. I think they
want to also wanted you to make sure it's like, you know, we're
doing Peanuts here, right, I guess so yeah, And this is a
bit of an odd one, just the professor's weird noises that he was making.
He'd occasionally made these weird sounds like yes, which gave me a tickled
me somewhat. So yeah. They were some of my favorite things from this
episode, how about you, dan it. I really enjoyed the Cool Runnings
reference the Jamaican Bobs, their team, true inspiration for the children. They
came last, and they just sold booze true inspiration for the children. Very
funny. Cool Runnings was was huge there for a while. That was that
was also about like I only three, or maybe that was ninety three.
I'd love Cool Runnings. Man, John Candy, that is so great.
M yeah, man, Cool Running Month. Yeah, Lucky Egg, the
Lucky Egg. I mean that movie has so many quotes so that was like
for someone who grew up in the nineties, that was like right up there.
We loved eggs, Yeah, we loved it. Also, I love
that when Leela saves Fry, I'm gonna get you so many lizards that shouldn't
be a romantic lion, but it was yeah, yeah. And then as
I've just got her satus love for Zoidberg. You're been very naughty, except
you Zoidberg. And then Zoberg just bouncing around the purpose stick was very good.
I want to ask you a question. All right, it's time for
some trivia, but before then, giving that it's the festive season and the
giving time of the year, some of some shoutouts of our patrons, since
they are the ones who are funding this show and the reason it is still
going. So shout outs to the following people, starting with our fifty dollars
patron of the month, mister Andrews, as well as our twenty dollars patrons,
Pete Anderson, Steam Dam Champion, Dylan Haggett, Jordan Molman, Richie
Congratulations on the wedding, My good Sir Christopher Darby, plain Old Matt Andrew
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Nick Shannon Hooferrhyese Roberts, George Mcmaermee, Stephen Roberts, Sewn Dve Bella
Winderbank, Tom Pickering, Mark Boston, Burgess Grund Skipper, Noah Deklan,
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Scorpio. Thank you so much everybody for your ongoing support. Also shout outs
to the newest members of the four figure Discount family Michael Doug Chris Leonard,
Patrick Lauer and Jordan Macy Smith. You guys are legends. And a huge,
huge shout out to our man Elliot j O'Neil from the Simpsons Index podcast.
He is our one hundred dollars patron of the month. He's continued to
support us here at four figure Discount, So support him by going to the
Simpsons Index podcast and hitting that subscribe button. Guy myself we're on the show
a few weeks back to check out that one as well, but hit subscribe
to the Simpsons Index Podcast. I'm sure you're going to love it. Merry
Christmas to all those people as well. We don't we say Mary Christmas,
Happy Holidays, Happy whatever you do, whatever however you celebrate this part of
the you enjoy it. Indeed, season's greetings, one might say, and
a happy New Year to all of us. Exactly right. Okay, what
my first question is what number was professor when he was skiing? You see
when he arrives and he's asleep, and he's got the bronze medal around his
neck. He holds it up and you see what number a vest he's wearing.
Well, I certainly didn't. It was okay, so you would have
been you would have been this age when Corel Runnings was released. Oh okay,
twenty four twenty four. Hey, that was That was a very good
prompt. My first question to you, where could you catch Conan O'Brien's act
next time? Or the andropter hut chuckle hut You got it? Chuckle hut,
Yes, the chuckle hut. Yes, that was one of my favorite
names for a comedy venue, and I always use it disparagingly, you know,
whenever I see someone trying to riff, and I'm like, you're doing
your type five with the chuckle Hut. Did you get it from this or
do you? I don't think so. I think I've heard it somewhere before.
But it's such a great name for like a shitty comedy. Yeah,
see it, the chuckle Hut. It sounds like the kind of places attached
to some tourist like casino or something, isn't it or you know a pub
that can't quite find it's vibe. Yeah, all right, we're got a
comedy night, follow trivia. When Wednesday night is comedy night at the chuckle
Hut, Thursday State Night, Friday trivia, Yes, Thursday night is Palmi
night. Tight as Tuesdays? I have to explain to Nicol what tit as
Tuesdays was the other day? Once she saw She's like, what's Titus Tuesdays?
And I was like, where do I go with this? Where do
I go with this? I could? I could head off in any number
of directors. Wafully. You took the right one, Oh I did.
The next one was my question is what number was bender Son number? What?
Oh damn it, it's not ten eighty two? Is got one of
those numbers? In it, Well, two of those numbers, it's seventeen
twenty nine, seventeen twenty yeah, because it's a it's a it's a geeky
scientific reference. Is its a reference to something called the hardy ramanuin number?
Yeah? Which, okay, that's and I read the explanation. I was
like, I can't I know two of these words. I'm not going to
read this out. That's above my pee. Agree, Yeah, exactly right.
Yeah, what's the next one? What is the name of Zoidberg's cousin.
Oh, good question, and I do not know what is it.
It's Zoid Farb zoid fab of course on the card. Yes, yes,
And my final question is what year did the Friendly Robot Company build a robot
Sander? Oh? Was it twenty two something? No? Add six hundred
to that, so it's twenty eight something two eight four to two. No,
it is basically two hundred years prior to this episode, twenty eight hundred
twenty oh one, because I think they're gone through a new year. I
believe maybe they haven't yet, but it's twenty eight oh one. Yes,
okay, I have one more question for you, if you wanted what were
the ingredients in Fry's dad's eggnog ah, yep, I know this. It's
ice cubes and bourbon of bourbon or something that is right, yes, all
right, that is trivia for ex MEAs story. Let's get into our review.
The original edit of this episode it was December nineteenth, nineteen ninety nine.
It was written by David X. Cohen and directed by Peter Avanzino.
The opening caption was based on a true story and the opening cartoon was Alma
Fudd in Fresh Hair from nineteen forty two. The episode kicks off at the
Catskills Lodge, Ladies and Gentlemen Conan O'Brien's head. Thank you, thank you.
Let's get started, Max, play me over a looks like someone forgot
to feed Max. So people are getting pretty worried about this y two k
problem. Huh Now they fixed that nine hundred years ago. Just bear with
me, sir. Anyway, I'm walking to work this morning. I got
it. Listen, pal, I may have lost my freakishly long legs in
the War of twenty twelve, but I've still got something You'll never have a
soul, eh and freckles. Well, I'm out of material. You can
catch me next week. At the andenrama to chuckle hut, enjoy your breakfast.
I think many freckles me. Yeah, not anymore when I was younger.
Yeah yeah, I think time just sort of wears them off, just
washed them off in the shower. Now I've just got spots. He's all
finished, and he says, check me out the end. Drop it a
chuckle hut. As you said, Bender, they're walking off. Benda's comedy
is a dead art form. Now tragedy. There's the future in there,
Professor says, let's go do some scheme to forget about the moldy old antics
of Conan O'Brien. I'm just so it's so great that Conan has that connection
to the future. Rummer and Simpson's staff, you know what I mean,
Like he's he's he's said recently that that March versus Monoail episode is probably his
biggest success. What do you think is his biggest success, Conan O'Brien,
What do you think he'll be remembered for the most Well, they're all connected,
aren't they really? I mean, I mean, I think it's it's
going to be the talk show. I'd say, when when that when it
comes right down to it, you know, when and when that sad day
comes when we're writing. Conan O'Brian's a bit true like, you know,
late night talk show host, but you know, sort of multi talented late
night talk show host. Well he changed late night, didn't he. He
made it more of he made it more of a comedy, didn't he.
I think I think Letterman's sort of started with that. But although Letterman was
working with a format that was kind of pre existing, and Conan did sort
of start his own thing. He had the puppet. It was a dog's
name, the puppet. Remember the Triumph the insult comic dog. Yeah,
there's a lot of weird absurd ship on Conan's the mouth, I think the
mouth dag, Yeah, you know, Pimp pot I think Pimp Bom was
kind of hilarious. I think he'd probably be membered as the as the talk
show host. But you know, yeah, certainly the writing is definitely going
to come in there. Because he's got just a couple of really classic Simpsons
episodes to his name and all that kind of stuff. I guess he's I
guess his perception might be that, you know, nobody's talking about the interview
he did in nineteen ninety seven with Kevin Costner. But everyone's still talking about
Marchers of the Monorail. Yeah, now I'm going with I'm sticking to my
guns. I'm gonna say but because he really did, if not reinvented and
certainly reinvigorate Late Night in a lot of ways. So yeah, I'm gonna
go with that. But you are not incorrect by saying, yeah that he
wrote Marches of the Monorail, that's pretty good thing to have on your don't
his toombs. I should just say mono equals one and rail equals rail,
and that concludes this funeral. But the we get discussion here about global warming.
Glad never happened. I know it did, just the nuclear winter canceled
it out. Then we get the just basically, this was just similar to
the episode when Aliens attack when they go to the beach, except that it's
the crew at the ski lodge. And I always like this when they're just
going out and sort of hanging out as a unit, because you don't really
do this all that often with your workmates, go out and hang it as
a unit, No, but when there occasion when you do, and it's
actually kind of fun. I remember when you and I were working together at
Pop Culture we had the was it the Easter party that we were in bowling?
Yes, that's right. Remember that got really drunk and wellly did Yeah,
drunken bowling. That's good times. Yeah, but you know that all
of us were together and no, we're just having a lot of laughs.
Yea good fun occasion playing with people that you normally haven't spoken to, and
you're like, we've seen you. What's in the same premises that you've for
you has never spoken to you? Cool chick, cool, not bad person.
Yeah. So the skal that's is broken, Zberg stuck up there with
with Hermes. Then we see Farnsworth. He's he's killing it, but unfortunately
he's asleep, he's escaping, he's sleeping. Then we get the trees down
gag. I like this, just simple trees down, say trees up up.
Then Bender is skiing well with his Jester hat. I love his just
hat. There's no need to be wearing a just a hat, but he's
wearing one. He gets warned that he's going off the trail. Lick my
frozen metal ass and straight off the cliff, gets his comeuppings and he falls
into the pond, much like Peanuts. Obviously this doesn't happen in the Peanuts
Christmas Special, but that's a future on a spin. Then Zoiberg mocks Hermes
for trying to your own a bobslade now that I'd like to see. And
then as you were saying earlier, yeah, I remember, then it came
last and retired alcoholic beverages. True inspiration for the children children. Then Hermies
tries to go bobsledding. Of course Terrible just goes upside down. Little help
Zoibeg doesn't happen by getting him out, he pushes it and then as Zoibeg's
laughing, he sinks down there as well and was like, oh fuck.
It reminded me. I don't know whether you ever had one of these as
a kid, but we called it a slip and slide. I'm well aware
of a slip in side. I've never had one. I maybe used one
once or twice, and I think they're more fun on the packaging than they
actually are. They're very fun. Just make sure there's no rocks in the
grass that you put it down on, because if you go over at rocks,
it's just not good. You don't do it at all anyway. So
we're back at the lodge and Amy is comforting a guy with a broken leg,
but then she sees the guy with more injuries, more of a turn
on and Farnsworth and arrives asleep still and he wakes up. If you had
a bronze medal he somehow won the skiing contest, or he's coming third,
and everyone's just happy. Everyone's just in the festive Christmas spirit. Mood I
was like, this is what I was saying. Do I say in this
podcast what I say in the last one we did that. I went to
my old work today and everyone was just stressed and sad, and I was
like, this isn't what's Christmas is all about? This for retail. It
is for retail, But like I like, when you're with your family most
of the time, unless you've got some sort of previous tragedy or it's just
people aren't very nice. Most of the time, people are happier, and
you sort of always Christmas time, we always go we should do this more,
we should, we should, we should have more catch ups, you
know, and then you don't see it for twelve months. But the idea
if we did see them. Three months later, people go, h,
I like you all that much. Yeah. Yeah, once a year,
you're fine. More than that, not so much. But yeah, I'm
always happy at Christmas time and the year. I enjoy that. It's good
that the kids are starting to get into it now. It just makes me
I'm living character through the children again. It's great. Like Elliott the other
day when he saw Santa, he got so nervous because you were walking past
and he's like Santa and I was like, wave to him, and he's
like I was like you wave to him. He's like okay, and he
waved to him and he sends a way back, and it was just like
it's like you've just seen a god. So nice to see it. Anyway,
it's wonerful when you're when you're a kid like that and you've still got
that youthful innocence. I remember my back in seventy seven when Star Wars came
out, and you know, I was just the ultimate little Star Wars nerd.
Yeah, my dad took me down to like some toy shop and like
really early in the morning. They were doing it really early in the morning
for some reason because there was some guy dressed as dove Vader there. Oh
wow, you know I was in the paper. There's like, dove Vader's
gonna be at this toy store. Dad, Can I get it? Can
I get a man of infinite patience? Bobby Davis? For goodness sakes,
this brat of the sundown waking up early to take me down as some toy
shop so I can see some out of work act. That was some toy
shop employee. It was just it was just some chick in a costume.
Yeah yeah, but I was looking at this dude in a star or this
person in a in a Star war in a in a darve Vader outfit,
and it was just like me, you feelish be weaking. I was literally
kind of just star struck by someone who was some minimum weight slub yeah in
a darve Vader costume. It's crazy. Like when I walked around at during
Halloween this year with my Scuby Do costume, because kind of a mascot costume,
like at the theme parks, kids were walking up to me thinking,
oh, Scooby Doo, and I was like, well, now that I've
worn this, it is now my duty to fulfill because they don't want to
meet Scubby Doo as a prick like they love Scooby Doo. They've walked up
to me, they're excited. I'm gonna give high fives and played the part.
Now I want to think that I left those kids happy, you know.
Oh fuck? It was tiring though, man. Anyway. So yeah,
so it's everyone's in the Christmas spirit. And would they say expost spirit
far I think you mean Christmas spirit. It's no, no, no,
it's it's it's it's ex MEAs ah. Nothing like a warm fire and a
super soaker, a fine cognac. Yeah, it really puts you in the
Christmas spirit. Watless Christmas you know x m as Oh you mean x mess.
You must be using an archaic pronunciation, like when you say ask instead
of x x mess. Huh ah. You know this will be my first
x mess away from home. Hey, hey, let me ax you something.
Would it cheer you up if we went and cut down an Xmas tree?
Yeah, an old fashioned Xmas tree? Hey, these aren't Xmas trees.
Oh halla, there's supposed to be some kind of you know, pine
tree. Pine trees have been extinct for eight hundred years. Fry gone the
way of the poodle and your primitive notions of modesty a risk. They go
to cut down an Xmas tree. It's not an exmis tree. It's a
well, not a pine tree, as Fry says, because they've been extinct
for eight hundred years. Much like the poodle and the sense of modesty,
how goes this brisk did? One thing I did appreciate about this episode was
fun's worth willingness to get nude. Yeah, that's the thing. We're so
anti nude as a society, aren't we. I wonder if that will ever
change it ebbs and flows, like so many things I think. I mean,
yeah, you hear about the seventies, and you know, nudism was
just kind of in, you know, among regular ass people and people who
weren't even in great shape. It's just like, no, it's good to
be free, man. So you know, you could have a big old
beer gut or whatever, a big butt and just be walking around showing it
off. It's let the good times roll, you know. Then people get
modest and it comes back, and then it'll go again. So maybe twenty
twenty three, you and I should make a concerned effort to bring back public
nudity as long as long as it's brisk out side, I'll do it.
No, yeah, natural, But Fry is sad and everything's changed. She
doesn't feel like Christmas. And I can sort of see from Fries's perspective,
because we all have our our ideas of like, you're not really into Christmas,
but Christmas time. There's certain things about Christmas time that reminds you of
Christmas. So they were taken away. They're only little things, but taken
away. It's like it doesn't really feel like Christmas. Kind of like when
someone in the family passes away and they're not at the following Christmas, it's
like it's never quite the same. Non No, But Leilah cuts down there.
She says, nothing's changed all that much. She cuts down a tree
with an axe, but uses the laser out of the handle. They then
arrive back at HQ with the tree attached to the ship and homage to which
film, Mister Davis, which one was it? It'll be the Griswolds.
Oh, I was thinking vacation, but oh, there you go, so
it is. I mean, I just like vacation. I mean, I
know a lot of people love Christmas vacation. It's not really one of my
faves. I have never seen any of them. It's interesting because I think
they got they got a little. The first two were kind of risk something
Ribald, no doubt. Really. Yeah, it was a lot of a
lot of shirt off action in the What the Grizzwold films. Yeah, really,
I didn't know that. A lot of boobs in both Your in Vacation
and European Vacation, but I think they toned it down to a PG thirteen
for Christmas Vacation. They commensated by putting Julie Louis Drivers in it. But
yeah, I've watched it once or twice. I'm like, it's fine,
it's funny enough, I guess, but when it comes to the Adventures of
the Griswolves, it's the first vacation. That's it. Okay, well,
but they're definitely films that we will check out for the movie Guys in twenty
twenty three. Correct. So they arrived back and I like, Bendy here
he's holding nibbler and he's singing, oh X mystry, oh x myst try.
Then he just goes because so many people don't have X line. Oh
yeah, it's Christmas tree. It's just what people do. They don't know
the words. All these Christmas songs are so iconic? Can we hear them
every year repeatedly? But we know like one or two lines in them.
You know the tune, and that's enough if you can you sing just enough
to like, oh, that's the song they sing. But then it sounds
even nice when you're humming it. Every Christmas, my mom would get a
fresh goose for gooseburgers, and my dad would whip up his special eggnog,
got a bourbon and ice cubes. This dumb holiday just makes me think of
all the things I left behind. Let's just stop talking about Xmas Poppy,
Xmas, xmos people, x mus cads have arrived, xms Amy, there
you go, fry Professor Zoidberg, A mighty hold for bender. Yes,
I got the most I win ex meus on the last, but not least,
the sweet flower of the office me hermi is Conrad, hmmm ah,
a picture of my mommy. What's this? Cards from my cousin's wide farbe.
Instead of clause, he writes clause. Now that's humors to those comedians
got learning from this card. Then Leela is very sad. She pulls at
the photo while this is pretty heartbreaking property all those sad picks. What was
it the senior problems? He's holding out their hands holding nothing. Oh mate,
Oh in that ten seconds, they make you feel more sympathetic for the
leading character than anything they've done previously. I think, oh, absolutely,
it's like wow, and now it is. It's because Exmas time is meant
to be a time we sort of get with fam in friends. And then
they're really emphasizing here she's actually got nobody, and then you're like, a
shit, imagine having nobody, Imagine having nobody not fine at all. So
you really feel sympathetic towards her, and Fris like, ah, well,
at first he's like, I have but a bit of sympathy here. She
runs off crying and it Amy explains that she was an orphan and she's the
only one of her species. So then Fry starts feeling sorry for her,
and then Bender tries to cheer him up. Doesn't work. It all needs
to work on his act, Fry. He says, he's then feeling like
a rat because he was winding like a pig. And then Leelah's lonely,
like lonely is a frog, So you know, I kick myself, so
Amy kicks him. Then we get Farnsworth and he says, you know,
you have to be blind not to see that Leela's a cyclops. Then we
get bender will make Christmas Eve? Oh, x Mas Eve, another pointless
day of accomplishing nothing. Christmas Eve is kind of like that. It's like
it feels like it's close to Christmas, but it's like it's just a day
to get out of the way until Christmas time comes. It's like, can
we just get to Christmas already? Please? You are honestly like a child
at Christmas. Give me get the Yeah, it's not the presence of the
I open my presence now. By the way, I hope we haven't forgotten
the apology dance. Maybe I have no, No, not yet, No,
it's coming up. It's coming up. Yes. So we get the
news report first and the oathening is not yet nor the meaning of suffering.
And she said that she visited a shelter for down and out robots, and
the only thing that'd be sad of that would be drowning puppies, and it
would have to be a lot of them. So Benda says he's going to
go help them out. He's like, you don't charity, you don't help
out people. There's at one time I gave blood. Who's I don't know
some guys. Then Zoiberg suggests the apology dance. Go mister Davis. We're
doing a podcast. I can't actually do there, but it's yeah, it's
just it's funny. Fryer says he's going to go out and get her the
perfect Express present so she'll forget all about it, and Hermi says, make
sure we come back before dark. A lot on this fryline, it's just
maybe I like to haggle. I like to haggle. I like that.
And they warned him about about Santa Claus. I know about Santa Claus.
Wink wink, A good joke for the adults watching the show without make him
too obvious for the kids. They handed it very well. I'll go out
and get her the perfect Axmus present, something so great she'll never want to
be unhappy again. Just be back my son, Dawn. One Well,
see, I like to haggle. You can't stay out on xmus Eve You'll
be killed. Say what, good Lord? He doesn't know about Santa Claus.
I know about Santa Claus. Back in twenty eight oh one, the
Friendly Robot Company built a robotic Santa to determine who'd been naughty and who'd been
nice and distribute presence accordingly. But something went wrong. Wow twenty eight oh
one anyway, wait two four. Due to a programming error, Santa's standards
were set too high, and the invariably judges everyone to be naughty. If
he catches you after Dirk, he'll chop off your head and stuff your neck
full of toys from his sack of horse nice meeting you. Bender then arrives
at our motherboard of Mercy Liquor Kitchen, and the priest from the previous episode
where Benda gets all religious. He greets him at the door. He just
says, show me the free booze, so shows him there. Then we
get Alien Overlord and Taylor. I like the fact that is usually a line
this time of year for the suicide booth. Oh god, a very bleak
gag, that one, a very bleak gag, but you know, very
funny. It's funny that we're talking about this and we just recorded our Gremlins
review for the movie Guys, where they you know, Phoebe Kates's character and
that of course has a reason to dislike Christmas. But she said something along
the lines of a lot of people get depressed at Christmas. Some people are
opening up their presence. So they were opening up their wrists, Like holy
shit, that's a dead line. There's something about the whole wrist I hate
even hearing about. It's like, no one want to talk about this,
but my precious wrists. He suggests the surface to Santa rocket missile. Then
we get bender you filter, the hoboes know how to live, and he
steals the alcohol from the robot next to him. Then poor little tinny tim
he arrives for some some beer, that poor kid that laughs at him.
Now at Joe's Archpet Store, and we've got the dog with many legs,
we've got grainings, Bongo bongo, the one he had rabbit, yes,
yep, and a mini giraffe in a cage. But he suggests the electric
snail fries on a fan of that. But then he says, way about
a parrot of five hundred lizards. Then we get we get this gag lot
future I've noticed there. So he's like lizards, parrot, yes, no,
no, no, they did this in the slam one they did it
in another recent one as well, so yeah, they did this sort of
a lot. But he ends up buying the parrot, and the guys very
close to getting the lizards though, because girls like girls like swarms of lizards,
right, We've all made that mistake indeed. And then as Fry leaves,
the guy locks up quickly, of course, because Sandy's going to be
on his way soon, so sort of emphasizing it's dangerous, dangerous kind.
By the way, we forgot to mention that I loved Amy's description of how
terrible Santa Claus is, Like, you know, he'll cut your head off
and stuffy a neck full of toys from his sack of horror. Yeah,
sack of horror. But then the parent ends up biting Fry and flying away,
and then I know where you live, so now everyone's setting up Christmas.
It's just, as you say, very nice, nice vibe in the
Planet Express offices at this point in time, even if you do have fans
Worth and HER's playing chess. Nude, yeah, nude, chest of course.
I don't know if you were hanging out of your mates and they're just
like, is getting dude and they didn't care, did you do it,
would you be fine with that? I think it'd have to be under different
circumstances, like unusual seems like, say we're camping, yeah, and you
know someone just rocked out of their tent nude and they're like, guess what
doing this all day? Maybe? But you know, if it makes sense
if he went around to their house though, and they were just sort of
sitting around noon like it makes elf comfortable, mate, get your year on,
like gotta go back way through the hedges? Is that the time got
to guess? But I think if you're in circumstances different from your the every
day, you might be like, well, let's shake things up a little
bit. Yeah. Literally, Well yeah, Leela walks in and they tell
her that Fry's going to buy a present. His life's in danger. Why
I'm telling you why Santa Claus is coming to town. Fry then sees the
parrot's flying the way. It's flying up into the clock. He's on the
dangerous ledge. No banana peals allowed us. It's on the sign. He's
on the door there, and he's crawling out to get out to get the
parrot. The parrot tiptoes away just before he jumps on, it flies off,
and he grabs the numbers here, which I thought was a really funny
gag, grabbing the numbers and following on the number seven. Yeah, hi
there, Leila. Oh my god, you saved my life. I am
gonna get you so many lizards. You didn't need to buy me a present,
Fry. I just wanted to do something to make you happy. I
mean, I miss my family, but you never even had a family.
It's okay, you're lonely and I'm lonely, but together we're lonely together.
Mary X, miss Leela, mary X miss Oh boy, it's Santa.
They're coming together, gonna go all the way. You know they're gonna go
all the way yet, it's too early in the series, but they're gonna
get there eventually. And this is why Santa Claus arrives, and I thought
it was a very cool transition of him looking happy to looking angry. Yeah
the whole No. We get back and Santa explains that they tell them the
chick's list again. I check a fifty men, get checks a second,
and she they've both been very naughty for not considering the feelings of each other.
You don't ever think about Zoeberg's feelings. No, I swear, so
he says hes got something special in his sack for them, and pulls out
a gun well as he says, I've got something special in here for you.
Fry looks excited. He's like something good, better than takes the robots
caroling, and they go to the old lady's house. The confused old lady
they said, come invite us in for some cider. I said that's enough,
get her purse. They then Santa's now chasing Friar and Leela through the
streets of New New York, and they suggest, we'll give you some milk
and some cookies. You dare bribe if you were Santa. What would you
want to be bribed with? Apple pies? And what a nice glass of
whiskey and a McDonald's apple pie. There we go. McDonald's would love your
Santa Claus. They said it fris like, man, I don't think it's
how going to be gone down by Santa. I honestly, I didn't see
it coming. So they both say the goodbye is they're going to be destroyed
and shot by Santy Claus Dow under the missiletoe. They're about to smooch and
your your missiletoe is no match for my toe missile, so he shoots it.
Parrot gets hit. A nice way of bringing the stories together. I
thought the parrot being the one to save him in the end, sort of
tying it all in something else. I really enjoyed about these scenes when Santo
sort of running rampant. Was it's Christmas music with sort of an action a
Futurama spin. What's that? It's like a future It's like a spin on
the Futurama theme. Almost, yeah, it is, but it's also really
but done like diehard music. I really got to kick out of that,
plus the animation as well the three because when he's flying around it looks it
just looks futuristic for nineteen ninety nine. Anyway, it looks really good.
And Santa doesn't doesn't realize at this point that he hasn't killed them, because
he starts flying off. Then we get the robots singing what their two former
husbands and they send the shoe down the sewer. The guy thanks them from
the last episodes on the yeah, the people are now part of the of
the future of the universe. Yeah, And he sees Fry and Leeler.
Well they see frying Leila. Should we rob them? Ah, they've got
nothing. This is where Santa Claus arrives. Bender blames the kid. You
dare blame this child, So he adds him to his list and as he's
doing that, they escape whilst he writes it down on the list. Meanwhile
we get the the O Henry Gay here was zoieberg Amy and Hermes. I
just love the payoff. I think it's very very funny. That's a great
line. It's very good. Everyone's arriving at the at the HQ and Professor
says they're going to be killed on their doorstep. The trash doesn't get picked
up to January third, so Santa starts coming down the chimney. They try
to stop him by pushing the big guard in front of the in front of
the fire, but unfortunately they're too late. He gets inside. You've all
been very knotting, very naughty, indeed, except you, doctor Zoidberg.
This was for you. I'm poor Ghostic. How's for the rest of you.
I'm going to tear off your skin like wrapping paper and duck the holes
with your guts. Yeah, well, I don't believe in Santa Claus.
Come on, everybody, if you don't believe in him, he can't hurt
you. Oh God, the pain. Time to get jolly on your naughty
asses. I like this line here, This is great reading from John Goodman.
The time to get jolly on your asses. And he's about to he's
about to blow is overly jolly. And then so Zoeber cuts the lights and
the cable will let you coots them. Lea kicks him into the into the
fireplace and explodes up the chimney. And you think that's the end of Santa
Claus. But not quite. I Meanwhile, on Christmas Day, Benda has
cooked a lovely Exmas dinner, which is the power hurt. I know,
I'm sure I how there's anything left. I've been shot with the missile.
But anyway, No, that tinny tim gets the toenail, that nibbler that
hates it all. The food's not what's important. I'm so hungry. I
use that quote all the time, and I forgot where it came from.
And Fry says he's never felt more at home, despite the fact there all
such a mishmash of people here here. Now, let's all of us shut
up and sing he knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you're on
the can. He'll hunt you down and blast your ass from you to Paktisttan,
you better not breathe, you better not move, You better rock down.
I'm telling you, dude, Santa Claus is gunning you down. Very
exmus everyone, and it's just a very pleasant way to end the episode.
And over the credits we get the return of Robot. Santa is gonna come
back and releast expect it next Christmas. And he's incorrect because the fuckheads at
Fox, the executive's pushed it back. Yet. If there's anyone who could
if there's only one power that could mess with the you know, the goodness
of Santa, it's the fuck heads at Fox exactly right. But yeah,
so that is Xmas Story, a very very fun future episode of Future On
that I watched every year, not necessarily on Christmas Eve, but at some
time around this season I always watched this episode. The next one's good,
I don't remember. I don't remember enjoying the second one as much as this
one. The second one doesn't have John Goodman in it for whatever reasons,
maybe the scheduled conflict or whatever, and John Demancio takes over right. Yeah.
Yeah, And if you had said to me, John Demajio did this
one, I would have bought it anyway. Kind of sounds like John Demagio
a little bit, But yeah, I thought this is it's just a really
good way of incorporating all opinions of Christmas. You've got the materialism, so
the people that don't like Christmas, the people who don't have anybody on Christmas,
they get a mention here as well, and how we can find a
way to unite and sort of be together over the Christmas season when you feel
like you've got nobody, but also just that Christmas spirit where the giving attitude,
like with the hair and the cones and things like that. Normally Hermes
is cruel to zoibe, but it's Christmas time you've got to give a present.
So I just thought they covered Christmas very, very well in this episode.
They did indeed that as we pointed out, you just want to hang
out at Planet Express during the Christmas season. It looks so cozy and so
warm and welcoming. Yeah, but you're right, the whole episode just has
a very it doesn't feel saccharin or sappy or anything like that. But it
just feels like it feels like a nice, warm Christmas hug. It does
indeed, So I hope you guys enjoyed our review of Exmas Story. The
next one's going to be the one previous ahead and the pile you're going to
be doing that one that's going to be in the new year. So I
hope you guys enjoyed this. Thank you so much for your support here on
the Patreon here in twenty twenty two. Make sure he continue to do so
on twenty twenty three so we can continue to bring you this show and all
the others will do here on the fourth in your discount network. But like
I said, thank you so much for your support. It is truly appreciated.
I hope you will have a fantastic holiday season, whoever you choose to
celebrate it. Mister Davis, any final words for those amazing listeners out there,
Merry Christmas everyone,