Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences
Encyclopedia
"Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences" is the eleventh episode of the sixth season
of the animated sitcom, Futurama
and is the 99th episode in production and broadcast order. It aired on Comedy Central
on August 26, 2010. In the episode, the ruler of the planet Omicron Persei 8, Lrrr experiences marriage trouble with his queen, Ndnd. He departs for Earth, invading it in an attempt to overcome his mid-life crisis
and reignite his marriage.
The episode was written by Patric M. Verrone and directed by Crystal Chesney-Thompson and guest stars Battlestar Galactica
s Katee Sackhoff
and cartoonist Sergio Aragonés
. Series creators and producers Matt Groening
and David X. Cohen
make cameos in the episode.
and is mistaken for a costume contest participant and leaves dejected. Concurrently, Fry
attempts to author a superhero
comic book
featuring himself as the superhero saving a captured Leela from a malevolent alien. The crew is unimpressed with the comic, with the exception of the back page of novelty toy advertisements
, including the Professor's disintegration guns, which are actually only teleportation guns. Leela's criticism leaves Fry to figure out how to make the story more compelling.
Back on Omicron Persei 8, Ndnd learns of Lrrr's failure and kicks him out of their home. Lrrr returns to Earth, seeking shelter at the Planet Express building. The crew diagnoses Lrrr and his marriage problems as symptomatic of a mid-life crisis
. Leela encourages Lrrr to recommit himself to his marriage with Ndnd, but he listens instead to Bender and gets plastic surgery, flashy new clothes, and goes out to a club to meet new women. There he meets an attractive female Omicronian named Grrrl. While on a date with her, she reveals that she is actually a human woman from the Comic-Con wearing an Omicronian costume. Though she is very attracted to real Omicronians, Lrrr rejects her and seeks Leela's advice on how to win back Ndnd.
Leela and the crew help Lrrr stage an invasion of Earth using a fake broadcast with the help of the head of Orson Welles
à la the 1938 The War of Worlds
radio broadcast. Ndnd is fooled, but so are the Earthican army, who surrender Earth immediately to Lrrr. Leela scolds Lrrr, demanding that he end the charade and tell Ndnd the truth, but he hesitates due to Ndnd's renewed romantic interest and forces the citizens of Earth into slavery. While enslaved, Leela constantly nags Lrrr about telling Ndnd the truth, which causes Ndnd suspicion about their relationship. She confronts Lrrr, demanding to know if he is having an affair. Grrrl reappears, announcing that she loves Lrrr and will fight for him, brandishing a disintegration ray. Ndnd quickly takes the weapon and shoots Grrrl. Ndnd reveals that she is not upset that Lrrr may have been minutely romantically involved with Grrrl, but that Lrrr allowed Leela to nag him, which Ndnd feels is her role as his wife. Lrrr is reluctantly forced to prove his love for Ndnd by shooting Leela, whom he values as a friend, with the disintegration ray.
As he fires, Fry leaps in front of Leela, sacrificing his life. Ndnd is moved by Lrrr's demonstration of love and the two happily depart back to Omicron Persei 8. Leela is devastated by Fry's sacrifice. However, as the Omicronians depart, Grrrl reappears, shocking the crew. She reveals that the disintegration gun is merely one of the Professor's novelty teleportation guns that she purchased from an advertisement in the back of a comic book. Realizing that Fry is alive, the crew find him back at Planet Express, putting the finishing touches on his comic. Inspired by his own heroic actions, his super hero counterpart attempts to rescue "Leela" from the malevolent alien by leaping in front of its ray gun. Leela is pleased with the new ending and commends the comic book, giving Fry a kiss on the cheek.
as Grrrl, "the future's equivalent of a furry
", and Sergio Aragonés
, Matt Groening
, and David X. Cohen
as themselves.
Bongo Comics
published a tie-in comic book, Delivery Boy-Man, as a free give-away at Comic-Con 2010. The comic is drawn in the same crude style depicted in the episode and features a fake letters page with fan mail from Bender.
. Self-references include cameos from series creator Matt Groening
, co-producer and head writer David X. Cohen
, and episode director Crystal Chesney-Thompson, premiering a futuristic animated program named "Futurella" while attempting to dodge questions about Groening's other successful animated series, The Simpsons
. The episode also references the series' former television broadcasting company, Fox
, and its cancellation policies. Cultural references include the annual comic book convention
Comic-Con, Orson Welles
, and his famous 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds
. The episode makes a brief reference to U.S. President Richard Nixon
with the phrase "Peace with honor"
, which was a phrase President Nixon used to describe the Paris Peace Accord to end the Vietnam War in a speech on January 23, 1973.
on August 26, 2010. In its original American broadcast, it had an estimated 1.981 million viewers, up more than 200,000 than the previous week's episode, "The Prisoner of Benda
". It also received a 1.1/2% Nielsen rating and a 1.1/3% rating in the 18–49 demographic, up three tenths of a point, matching the season high, not including premiere week.
Merrill Barr of Film School Rejects gave the episode a positive review, stating, "Like some other episodes this season, everything worked. There wasn't a single joke that fell flat, and I'm glad to see Futurama running at 100% capacity." Sean Gandert of Paste
gave the episode a mixed review with an overall rating of 7.2. Gandert notes that after the recent run of excellent episodes his expectations made this episode a letdown. Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club
gave the episode a B+, noting that he would prefer an episode which "pushes itself a little harder". Handlen and Gandert both note that the main plot of the episode has been done many times on previous sitcoms. However, where Gandert finds that the use of Lrrr and Ndnd drags the episode down, Handlen praises the fact that Lrrr is getting more screen time. Both reviewers also praise LaMarche
's Orson Welles impersonation which led to a 2011 Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance.
Futurama (season 6)
Futurama sixth production season originally aired on Comedy Central from June 24, 2010 to September 8, 2011 and consisted of 26 episodes. The season marks the change of networks from Fox to Comedy Central.David X...
of the animated sitcom, Futurama
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
and is the 99th episode in production and broadcast order. It aired on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
on August 26, 2010. In the episode, the ruler of the planet Omicron Persei 8, Lrrr experiences marriage trouble with his queen, Ndnd. He departs for Earth, invading it in an attempt to overcome his mid-life crisis
Mid-life crisis
Midlife crisis is a term coined in 1965 by Elliott Jaques and used in Western societies to describe a period of dramatic self-doubt that is felt by some individuals in the "middle years" or middle age of life, as a result of sensing the passing of their own youth and the imminence of their old age...
and reignite his marriage.
The episode was written by Patric M. Verrone and directed by Crystal Chesney-Thompson and guest stars Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
s Katee Sackhoff
Katee Sackhoff
Kathryn Ann "Katee" Sackhoff is an American actress known mainly for playing Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica. In 2004 she was nominated for a Saturn Award in the "Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series" category for her work in...
and cartoonist Sergio Aragonés
Sergio Aragonés
Sergio Aragonés Domenech is a cartoonist and writer best known for his contributions to Mad Magazine and creator of the comic book Groo the Wanderer....
. Series creators and producers Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
and David X. Cohen
David X. Cohen
David Samuel Cohen , primarily known as David X. Cohen, is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons and he is the head writer and executive producer of Futurama.-Early life:...
make cameos in the episode.
Plot
On his birthday, Ndnd becomes fed up with Lrrr's lack of motivation to conquer other worlds. He reluctantly invades Earth. However, he arrives during Comic-ConComic-Con
Comic-Con, Comic Con or ComiCon may refer to any of the following Comic book conventions, none of them affiliated to any other:*San Diego Comic-Con International, annual fan convention in San Diego held since 1970, also known as Comic-Con or San Diego Comic-Con*Dallas Comic Con, annual fan...
and is mistaken for a costume contest participant and leaves dejected. Concurrently, Fry
Philip J. Fry
Philip J. Fry, known simply as Fry, is a fictional character, the main protagonist of the animated science fiction sitcom Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a version of his own voice as he sounded when he was 25.-Character overview:...
attempts to author a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
comic book
American comic book
An American comic book is a small magazine originating in the United States and containing a narrative in the form of comics. Since 1975 the dimensions have standardized at 6 5/8" x 10 ¼" , down from 6 ¾" x 10 ¼" in the Silver Age, although larger formats appeared in the past...
featuring himself as the superhero saving a captured Leela from a malevolent alien. The crew is unimpressed with the comic, with the exception of the back page of novelty toy advertisements
Novelties
A novelty item is a small manufactured adornment, especially a personal adornment.- Novelty item :This term covers a range of small manufactured goods, such as*antiques*collectables*chocolates*esoterica*executive toys*gadgets*tools and implements...
, including the Professor's disintegration guns, which are actually only teleportation guns. Leela's criticism leaves Fry to figure out how to make the story more compelling.
Back on Omicron Persei 8, Ndnd learns of Lrrr's failure and kicks him out of their home. Lrrr returns to Earth, seeking shelter at the Planet Express building. The crew diagnoses Lrrr and his marriage problems as symptomatic of a mid-life crisis
Mid-life crisis
Midlife crisis is a term coined in 1965 by Elliott Jaques and used in Western societies to describe a period of dramatic self-doubt that is felt by some individuals in the "middle years" or middle age of life, as a result of sensing the passing of their own youth and the imminence of their old age...
. Leela encourages Lrrr to recommit himself to his marriage with Ndnd, but he listens instead to Bender and gets plastic surgery, flashy new clothes, and goes out to a club to meet new women. There he meets an attractive female Omicronian named Grrrl. While on a date with her, she reveals that she is actually a human woman from the Comic-Con wearing an Omicronian costume. Though she is very attracted to real Omicronians, Lrrr rejects her and seeks Leela's advice on how to win back Ndnd.
Leela and the crew help Lrrr stage an invasion of Earth using a fake broadcast with the help of the head of Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
à la the 1938 The War of Worlds
The War of the Worlds (radio)
The War of the Worlds was an episode of the American radio drama anthology series Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was performed as a Halloween episode of the series on October 30, 1938, and aired over the Columbia Broadcasting System radio network. Directed and narrated by actor and future filmmaker...
radio broadcast. Ndnd is fooled, but so are the Earthican army, who surrender Earth immediately to Lrrr. Leela scolds Lrrr, demanding that he end the charade and tell Ndnd the truth, but he hesitates due to Ndnd's renewed romantic interest and forces the citizens of Earth into slavery. While enslaved, Leela constantly nags Lrrr about telling Ndnd the truth, which causes Ndnd suspicion about their relationship. She confronts Lrrr, demanding to know if he is having an affair. Grrrl reappears, announcing that she loves Lrrr and will fight for him, brandishing a disintegration ray. Ndnd quickly takes the weapon and shoots Grrrl. Ndnd reveals that she is not upset that Lrrr may have been minutely romantically involved with Grrrl, but that Lrrr allowed Leela to nag him, which Ndnd feels is her role as his wife. Lrrr is reluctantly forced to prove his love for Ndnd by shooting Leela, whom he values as a friend, with the disintegration ray.
As he fires, Fry leaps in front of Leela, sacrificing his life. Ndnd is moved by Lrrr's demonstration of love and the two happily depart back to Omicron Persei 8. Leela is devastated by Fry's sacrifice. However, as the Omicronians depart, Grrrl reappears, shocking the crew. She reveals that the disintegration gun is merely one of the Professor's novelty teleportation guns that she purchased from an advertisement in the back of a comic book. Realizing that Fry is alive, the crew find him back at Planet Express, putting the finishing touches on his comic. Inspired by his own heroic actions, his super hero counterpart attempts to rescue "Leela" from the malevolent alien by leaping in front of its ray gun. Leela is pleased with the new ending and commends the comic book, giving Fry a kiss on the cheek.
Production
This episode features a variety of guest stars including Katee SackhoffKatee Sackhoff
Kathryn Ann "Katee" Sackhoff is an American actress known mainly for playing Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica. In 2004 she was nominated for a Saturn Award in the "Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series" category for her work in...
as Grrrl, "the future's equivalent of a furry
Furry fandom
Furry fandom is a fandom for fictional anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and characteristics. Examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, the ability to speak, walk on two legs, and wear clothes...
", and Sergio Aragonés
Sergio Aragonés
Sergio Aragonés Domenech is a cartoonist and writer best known for his contributions to Mad Magazine and creator of the comic book Groo the Wanderer....
, Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
, and David X. Cohen
David X. Cohen
David Samuel Cohen , primarily known as David X. Cohen, is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons and he is the head writer and executive producer of Futurama.-Early life:...
as themselves.
Bongo Comics
Bongo Comics
Bongo Comics Group is a comic book publishing company founded in 1993 by Steve and Cindy Vance, Bill Morrison, and Simpsons and Futurama creator Matt Groening. It publishes comics related to the animated television series The Simpsons and Futurama, along with original material...
published a tie-in comic book, Delivery Boy-Man, as a free give-away at Comic-Con 2010. The comic is drawn in the same crude style depicted in the episode and features a fake letters page with fan mail from Bender.
Cultural references
The episode makes various cultural references and self-references. The episode title is a play on the title of the film Irreconcilable DifferencesIrreconcilable differences
The concept of irreconcilable differences provides a possible ground for divorce in a number of jurisdictions.In Australian family law with no-fault divorce it is the sole ground, adequate proof being that the estranged couple have been separated more than 12 months.In the United States it can be...
. Self-references include cameos from series creator Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
, co-producer and head writer David X. Cohen
David X. Cohen
David Samuel Cohen , primarily known as David X. Cohen, is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons and he is the head writer and executive producer of Futurama.-Early life:...
, and episode director Crystal Chesney-Thompson, premiering a futuristic animated program named "Futurella" while attempting to dodge questions about Groening's other successful animated series, The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. The episode also references the series' former television broadcasting company, Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, and its cancellation policies. Cultural references include the annual comic book convention
Fan convention
A fan convention, or con , is an event in which fans of a particular film, television series, comic book, actor, or an entire genre of entertainment such as science fiction or anime and manga, gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and...
Comic-Con, Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
, and his famous 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds (radio)
The War of the Worlds was an episode of the American radio drama anthology series Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was performed as a Halloween episode of the series on October 30, 1938, and aired over the Columbia Broadcasting System radio network. Directed and narrated by actor and future filmmaker...
. The episode makes a brief reference to U.S. President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
with the phrase "Peace with honor"
Peace With Honor
"Peace with Honor" was a phrase U.S. President Richard M. Nixon used in a speech on January 23, 1973 to describe the Paris Peace Accord to end the Vietnam War. The phrase is a variation on a campaign promise Nixon made in 1968: "I pledge to you that we shall have an honorable end to the war in...
, which was a phrase President Nixon used to describe the Paris Peace Accord to end the Vietnam War in a speech on January 23, 1973.
Broadcast and reception
"Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences" premiered on Comedy CentralComedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
on August 26, 2010. In its original American broadcast, it had an estimated 1.981 million viewers, up more than 200,000 than the previous week's episode, "The Prisoner of Benda
The Prisoner of Benda
"The Prisoner of Benda" is the 10th episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom, Futurama. It aired on Comedy Central on August 19, 2010. In the episode, Professor Farnsworth and Amy build a machine that allows them to switch minds so that they may each pursue their lifelong dreams. ...
". It also received a 1.1/2% Nielsen rating and a 1.1/3% rating in the 18–49 demographic, up three tenths of a point, matching the season high, not including premiere week.
Merrill Barr of Film School Rejects gave the episode a positive review, stating, "Like some other episodes this season, everything worked. There wasn't a single joke that fell flat, and I'm glad to see Futurama running at 100% capacity." Sean Gandert of Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
gave the episode a mixed review with an overall rating of 7.2. Gandert notes that after the recent run of excellent episodes his expectations made this episode a letdown. Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave the episode a B+, noting that he would prefer an episode which "pushes itself a little harder". Handlen and Gandert both note that the main plot of the episode has been done many times on previous sitcoms. However, where Gandert finds that the use of Lrrr and Ndnd drags the episode down, Handlen praises the fact that Lrrr is getting more screen time. Both reviewers also praise LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche is an Emmy Award winning Canadian-American voice actor and former stand up comedian. He is best known for his voicework in Futurama as Kif Kroker, as Egon Spengler in The Real Ghostbusters, Verminous Skumm and Duke Nukem in Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Big Bob Pataki in Hey...
's Orson Welles impersonation which led to a 2011 Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance.
External links
- "Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences" at MSNMSNMSN is a collection of Internet sites and services provided by Microsoft. The Microsoft Network debuted as an online service and Internet service provider on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 operating system.The range of services offered by MSN has changed since its...