Futurama’s new season continues its examination of 3023 by way of 2023 with next week’s “How the West Was 1010001,” which sees the gang heading to, ahem, Doge City to cash in on the bitcoin mining craze. Like most places they visit, they encounter absurdities, even more puns, and some very shady robot characters—including the return of the stab-happy Roberto!
Hulu’s released a pair of clips teasing some hijinks on the lawless frontiers of crypto country. (The “galoot” that’s mentioned is Fry, obviously.)
And here’s Dr. Zoidberg, interrupting Roberto’s much-needed anger-management therapy. Notice the knife-shooting gun: very on-brand for Roberto!
Here’s Hulu’s lengthy official summary for episode three, “How the West Was 1010001;” it curiously doesn’t mention one of the other major themes of the episode—which is, of course, the importance of knowing how to limbo.
“The Professor unwisely invested in bitcoin and lost everything. Now, he’s in debt to the Robot Mafia. His one slim hope: the crew will need to join the gold rush of people flocking west to seek their fortune in the bitcoin mining frenzy. The Professor’s plan is to mine for the rare mineral Thallium, needed to make advanced computer chips used in the bitcoin operations stationed near the mines. They re-outfit the Planet Express ship as a wagon and journey west to “Doge City.” There, massive bitcoin farms use such gross amounts of electricity that there is no power at all for the mining camps… so life is much like in the old west, with campfires, horses, whiskey, poker, player pianos, panning for nuggets, etc.
Several intertwining stories take place in the old west town: Fry joins forces with a renowned gunslinger, the Borax Kid. Leela takes a job in the local saloon. Hermes tries to keep his son Dwight from a life of crime. Zoidberg becomes a frontier doctor, and Bender buys a donkey. And all the while, insane robot Roberto terrorizes the town with his patented knife-gun. Things come to a head when Amy discovers the largest Thallium nugget in history… enough to pay off the ransom. But… they have to guard it through a long, tense night from Roberto before it can be weighed and sold. The climactic scene features a sci-fi gunfight for the ages.”
You did indeed read that right: Bender buys a donkey. Watch this episode of Futurama Monday, August 7 on Hulu.
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