Futurama/The Cyber House Rules

The Cyber House Rules
Season 3, Episode 11
Airdate	April 1, 2001
Production Number	3ACV09
Written by	Lewis Morton
Directed by	Susie Dietter
← 3x10 Luck of the Fryrish	3x12 → Insane In The Mainframe
Futurama — Season Three

The Cyber House Rules is the eleventh episode of the third season of Futurama, and the fortieth episode overall. In the episode, Leela gets into a relationship with her childhood crush, but when he only seems to like her after she gets surgery to separate her one eye into two, she must decide whether or not he's worth sacrificing her identity for.

Guest Stars: Tom Kenny (Adlai Stevens), Kath Soucie (Albert), Nicole St. John (Sally), Lauren Tom (Amy), Phil LaMarr (Hermes), Dave Herman (Kirk), Maurice LaMarche (Morbo)

Plot Overview

At Planet Express, Leela receives a mysterious basket that sounds like it has a baby in it. It turns out to be an invitation for the Cookieville Minimum-Security Orphanarium reunion. But, Leela is wary about going because the other orphans constantly picked on her. But, Fry convinces her to go so she can lord how successful she is over them and so he and Bender can eat all their food. Unfortunately, at the reunion nobody seems to care and mocks her anyway until Adlai breaks it up. While the two flirt, Mr. Vogel attempts to pawn some orphans off on Fry. However, it's Bender who gets interested upon mention of the government stitement check of 100 dollars per week per orphan. Adlai offers to perform phaser eye surgery on Leela and separate her one eye into two normal ones. Back at Planet Express, Fry protest's Leela's desire to change herself but decides to get the surgery. The surgery is a success, other than the false pupil of her eye falling off and being replaced with a dot from a marker.

After being released from the hospital, a montage of things that require two eyes plays which includes throwing out monocles, buying sunglasses and applying eyeliner. Back at Planet Express, Bender comes in flaunting his $1200 stitement check from the government. Later on, Adlai comes by to perform a check-up exam and to ask her out on a date, much to Fry's dismay. Back with Bender, the children are quickly wearing on his patience, this time they foil his attempts to score with a cheep floozy with love. After Leela and Adlai's date they have dinner with the crew where Fry continues to complain about Leela's being complacent with being normal. At the same restaurant, Bender is scamming Elzar for free food. Watching Bender and the orphans skip out on the check prompts Adlai to mention having children and his desire to settle down with Leela.

Back at Bender's apartment, he discovers that he's losing money because of the kids and decides to get rid of them through either selling them to needy familys or as food. Adlai and Leela, incidentally, decide to adopt because they were both orphans. The two see the orphans at Bender's apartment but before they can make a decision, he's busted by the police. At the police station, Leela decides that she wants to adopt the child with an ear on her face. Adlai doesn't agree and decides that they could adopt her but only if he performs an operation to make her "acceptable." This sets Leela off and she demands that he put her back the way she was. Finally, Bender donates his check for $1200 and the orphans to the Orphanarium which changes its name to honor him.

Notes

Alien Language Sightings

• Sign Behind Blind Man: "Humane Human Traps"

Referbacks

• 3x06 - Bendless Love: Bender's middle name, "Bending," is confirmed in this episode. It was first revealed in a previous episode when Bender's history was revealed.

Trivia

The Show

• Opening Caption: Please Rise For The Futurama Theme Song

Behind the Scenes

• Media Access Awards: This episode was nominated for a Media Access Award for positive portrayal of a handycapped or otherwise differently-abled person.
• Adlai's House: Adlai's house was designed to look like the house from Leave It To Beaver.

Allusions and References

• Eye of the Beholder: The scene in which Adelai takes the bandages off of Leela's face is an exact parody of a scene from the Twilight Zone episode, "Eye of the Beholder."
• Pretty Woman: The song that plays during the montage of Leela doing things that require two eyes is "Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison.
• The Cider House Rules: The episode title is a parody of the movie/novel "The Cider House Rules." Another reference to it is made later on in the episode when Bender says "you kings of New New England."

Memorable Moments

• The montage of Leela doing two-eyed things set to Pretty Woman
• Zoidberg's constant use of his ink pouch.
• Bender and the kids being chased by Elzar when they run out on the check.
• The orphanarium being rededicated in such a way to honor Bender.

Quotes

• Fry: You guys are crazy. Leela doesn't need surgery. You look great the way you are.
  Leela: Oh, that's so sweet, Fry. But for once in my life, I just wanna look normal.
  Fry: But you're better than normal, you're abnormal. If you ask me, you shouldn't care what other people think.
  Leela: You're right! I'll start by not caring what you think.

• Amy: Ohh, they're so cute. What are their names?
  Bender: Kids have names?
  Nina: My name's Nina, and his name's Albert, and...
  Bender: And from now on you're all named Bender Jr.

Reviews

• Overall Grade: N/A with 0 reviews
• Review Breakdown: A+: 0 A: 0 A-: 0 B+: 0 B: 0 B-: 0 C+: 0 C: 0 C-: 0 D: 0 F: 0

• Be the first to review this episode!