Ghost in the Machines
Encyclopedia
"Ghost in the Machines" is the nineteenth episode of the sixth season
of the animated sitcom Futurama
, and originally aired June 30, 2011 on Comedy Central
. It aired as the third episode of season 6-B, sixteenth in broadcast order for season 6 overall. The episode was written by Patric M. Verrone and directed by Ray Claffey. American actor Dan Castellaneta
guest stars in the episode, voicing the Robot Devil. In the episode Bender, angry at Fry
for valuing human life over robot life, kills himself in a suicide booth. Afterwards, he becomes a ghost, and learns from the Robot Devil that he is in limbo
, and he cannot leave. Sharing a mutual dislike towards Fry, the Robot Devil offers to return Bender to his old body in exchange for using his new ghostly powers to scare Fry to death.
The episode was written by Patric M. Verrone and directed by Ray Claffey. From May 15 to May 19, as part of its "Countdown to Futurama" event, Comedy Central Insider, Comedy Central's news outlet, released various preview materials for the episode. "Ghost in the Machines" received mostly mixed to positive reviews from critics, who praised the episode's jokes, but felt that the resolution of the episode was predictable.
save a human, and not a robot, from being crushed to death. Incensed that Fry believes a human life to be worth more than a robot's, Bender goes to the nearest suicide booth. However, the Suicide Booth in question turns out be his ex-girlfriend Lynn who murders Bender for dumping her. Because of the "murder," Bender becomes a ghost
stuck in an infinite loop
in robot limbo
, where his software operates on the global wireless network
. Unable to interact with anything or communicate with anyone on Earth, Bender is annoyed until he finds that the Robot Devil can hear and see him. The Robot Devil declares his anger with Fry over having been stuck with his hands (in "The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings
"), and makes a deal with Bender that he will return him to his body if he scares Fry to death. If Bender fails, he will be damned to Robot Hell for all eternity.
Though initially unsuccessful, Bender discovers that he can possess machines, and does this to attack Fry at home and work. After an unsuccessful séance
with Gypsy-Bot, Hermes
calls in Reverend Preacherbot to perform an exorcism
. Preacherbot gives Fry a "sacramental firewall
" that wards off malicious software within a short range. While Fry sleeps that night, Bender possesses the device and uses it to frighten Fry, causing Fry to suffer a heart attack. Bender returns to Robot Hell to reclaim his body, but the Robot Devil informs him that Fry has survived. In the hospital, Bender prepares to deliver one last scare that will kill Fry, but stops when Fry tearfully reveals that Bender's death taught him the true value of a robot's life. Bender is touched and refuses to kill him. Fry, terrified of the mechanical possessions, moves to the Amish
Homeworld, where no machinery is allowed. Bender joins Fry, affectionately following him around as he adapts to his new life on the Amish Homeworld, but is unable to interact with his friend.
When the crew visit the homeworld, the Robot Devil covertly arrives and insists that Bender must kill Fry. Bender refuses, now believing that human and robot life are equally important. The bulls pulling an Amish buggy are able to sense Bender's presence and become spooked, causing a giant geodesic dome
barn to fall loose and roll towards an oblivious Fry. With no means of warning him, Bender possesses the Robot Devil's body (the only machine on the planet) and pushes Fry out of harm's way. The Robot Devil's body is crushed to death by the barn and both Bender and the Robot Devil descend into Robot Hell as ghosts. The Robot Devil inhabits a spare body and taunts Bender for giving up his one chance at corporeality. Bender remains unfazed, happy to have sacrificed his life for Fry. He then immediately ascends to Robot Heaven for his good deed, but irreverently possesses Robot God in an attempt to return to Earth. Robot God ejects Bender back to Earth, where he inhabits his former body, which has reassembled itself. Bender and Fry happily reconcile until Fry accuses Bender of causing the hauntings.
On June 15, series creator David X. Cohen
revealed that Dan Castellaneta
would be reprising his role as the Robot Devil. On June 28, two days prior to the premiere of the episode, Comedy Central released a two-minute clip depicting Bender's death.
. The Robot Devil is seen reading a magazine entitled Life in Hell, a reference to Futurama series creator Matt Groening
's comic strip of the same name
. At one point in the episode, Bender screams "Damn you, Obamacare!", a reference to American president Barack Obama
's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
. At another point, the Robot Devil reveals on a Wikipedia
article that Fry survived a heart attack. Reacting to his electric shaver coming after his armpits, Fry says "winter is coming!", a reference to the TV series Game of Thrones
. After being attacked by Bender, Fry attempts to call the Ghostbusters, the ghost-hunting team from the film of the same name
.
. In its original American broadcast, "Ghost in the Machines" was viewed by an estimated 1.921 million households with a 0.91 rating in the 18–49 demographic. The episode was down two tenths of a point from the previous week's episode "Benderama
".
"Ghost in the Machines" received mixed to positive reviews from critics. Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club
wrote, "This show manages to earn sentimentality by so often seeming incapable of it, and 'Ghost' made things a little too easy." He graded the episode B+, calling it a "solid double", but feeling that some parts of the episode were rushed and predictable. Sean Gandert of Paste
wrote, "It's not an instant classic, but "Ghost in the Machine" delivered on what an average Futurama episode should do." He gave the episode an 8.3/10, praising the episode's background gags and how the episode was able to fit in continuity. Matt Fowler of IGN
wrote: "'Ghost in the Machines', was solid, but basic," and gave the episode an 8/10. While he found the episode funny, he also felt it was weaker than the previous week's episodes "Neutopia
" and "Benderama
", and wished that the episode had "a little more to say than 'Fry and Bender will always be friends no matter what,' because we kinda knew that, right?".
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 originally aired June 30, 2011 on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
. It aired as the third episode of season 6-B, sixteenth in broadcast order for season 6 overall. The episode was written by Patric M. Verrone and directed by Ray Claffey. American actor Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
guest stars in the episode, voicing the Robot Devil. In the episode Bender, angry at 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:...
for valuing human life over robot life, kills himself in a suicide booth. Afterwards, he becomes a ghost, and learns from the Robot Devil that he is in limbo
Limbo
In the theology of the Catholic Church, Limbo is a speculative idea about the afterlife condition of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the damned. Limbo is not an official doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church or any other...
, and he cannot leave. Sharing a mutual dislike towards Fry, the Robot Devil offers to return Bender to his old body in exchange for using his new ghostly powers to scare Fry to death.
The episode was written by Patric M. Verrone and directed by Ray Claffey. From May 15 to May 19, as part of its "Countdown to Futurama" event, Comedy Central Insider, Comedy Central's news outlet, released various preview materials for the episode. "Ghost in the Machines" received mostly mixed to positive reviews from critics, who praised the episode's jokes, but felt that the resolution of the episode was predictable.
Plot
During an accident at the annual city Parade Day, Bender witnesses FryPhilip 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:...
save a human, and not a robot, from being crushed to death. Incensed that Fry believes a human life to be worth more than a robot's, Bender goes to the nearest suicide booth. However, the Suicide Booth in question turns out be his ex-girlfriend Lynn who murders Bender for dumping her. Because of the "murder," Bender becomes a ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
stuck in an infinite loop
Infinite loop
An infinite loop is a sequence of instructions in a computer program which loops endlessly, either due to the loop having no terminating condition, having one that can never be met, or one that causes the loop to start over...
in robot limbo
Limbo
In the theology of the Catholic Church, Limbo is a speculative idea about the afterlife condition of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the damned. Limbo is not an official doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church or any other...
, where his software operates on the global wireless network
Cloud computing
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
. Unable to interact with anything or communicate with anyone on Earth, Bender is annoyed until he finds that the Robot Devil can hear and see him. The Robot Devil declares his anger with Fry over having been stuck with his hands (in "The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings
The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings
"The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings" is the eighteenth episode in the fourth production season of the animated television series Futurama, and was aired for the first time in the United States on August 10, 2003 as the sixteenth episode of the fifth broadcast season...
"), and makes a deal with Bender that he will return him to his body if he scares Fry to death. If Bender fails, he will be damned to Robot Hell for all eternity.
Though initially unsuccessful, Bender discovers that he can possess machines, and does this to attack Fry at home and work. After an unsuccessful séance
Séance
A séance is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word "séance" comes from the French word for "seat," "session" or "sitting," from the Old French "seoir," "to sit." In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, speak of "une séance de cinéma"...
with Gypsy-Bot, Hermes
Hermes Conrad
Hermes Conrad is a fictional character in the Futurama animated series. He is voiced by Phil LaMarr.- Appearance and personality :Born in 2959, Hermes is a grade 36 bureaucrat from Jamaica. He manages the Planet Express delivery business with responsibilities that include paying bills, giving out...
calls in Reverend Preacherbot to perform an exorcism
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
. Preacherbot gives Fry a "sacramental firewall
Firewall (computing)
A firewall is a device or set of devices designed to permit or deny network transmissions based upon a set of rules and is frequently used to protect networks from unauthorized access while permitting legitimate communications to pass....
" that wards off malicious software within a short range. While Fry sleeps that night, Bender possesses the device and uses it to frighten Fry, causing Fry to suffer a heart attack. Bender returns to Robot Hell to reclaim his body, but the Robot Devil informs him that Fry has survived. In the hospital, Bender prepares to deliver one last scare that will kill Fry, but stops when Fry tearfully reveals that Bender's death taught him the true value of a robot's life. Bender is touched and refuses to kill him. Fry, terrified of the mechanical possessions, moves to the Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
Homeworld, where no machinery is allowed. Bender joins Fry, affectionately following him around as he adapts to his new life on the Amish Homeworld, but is unable to interact with his friend.
When the crew visit the homeworld, the Robot Devil covertly arrives and insists that Bender must kill Fry. Bender refuses, now believing that human and robot life are equally important. The bulls pulling an Amish buggy are able to sense Bender's presence and become spooked, causing a giant geodesic dome
Geodesic dome
A geodesic dome is a spherical or partial-spherical shell structure or lattice shell based on a network of great circles on the surface of a sphere. The geodesics intersect to form triangular elements that have local triangular rigidity and also distribute the stress across the structure. When...
barn to fall loose and roll towards an oblivious Fry. With no means of warning him, Bender possesses the Robot Devil's body (the only machine on the planet) and pushes Fry out of harm's way. The Robot Devil's body is crushed to death by the barn and both Bender and the Robot Devil descend into Robot Hell as ghosts. The Robot Devil inhabits a spare body and taunts Bender for giving up his one chance at corporeality. Bender remains unfazed, happy to have sacrificed his life for Fry. He then immediately ascends to Robot Heaven for his good deed, but irreverently possesses Robot God in an attempt to return to Earth. Robot God ejects Bender back to Earth, where he inhabits his former body, which has reassembled itself. Bender and Fry happily reconcile until Fry accuses Bender of causing the hauntings.
Production
The episode was written by Patric M. Verrone and directed by Ray Claffey. From May 15 to May 19, as part of its "Countdown to Futurama" event, Comedy Central Insider, Comedy Central's news outlet, released various preview materials for the episode, including a storyboard of Fry being given the key to New New York City, stills, and concept art of an Earthican Pride parade float.On June 15, series creator 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:...
revealed that Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
would be reprising his role as the Robot Devil. On June 28, two days prior to the premiere of the episode, Comedy Central released a two-minute clip depicting Bender's death.
Cultural references
A scene in the episode featuring Reverend Preacherbot standing toward Planet Express in the middle of the night is a reference to the 1973 horror film The ExorcistThe Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
. The Robot Devil is seen reading a magazine entitled Life in Hell, a reference to Futurama 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....
's comic strip of the same name
Life in Hell
Life in Hell is a weekly comic strip by Matt Groening. The strip features anthropomorphic rabbits and a pair of gay lovers. Groening uses these characters to explore a wide range of topics about love, sex, work, and death...
. At one point in the episode, Bender screams "Damn you, Obamacare!", a reference to American president Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
. At another point, the Robot Devil reveals on a Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
article that Fry survived a heart attack. Reacting to his electric shaver coming after his armpits, Fry says "winter is coming!", a reference to the TV series Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones (TV series)
Game of Thrones is an American medieval fantasy television series created for HBO by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Based on author George R. R. Martin's best-selling A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels, the first of which is called A Game of Thrones, the television series debuted in...
. After being attacked by Bender, Fry attempts to call the Ghostbusters, the ghost-hunting team from the film of the same name
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
.
Broadcast and reception
"Ghost in the Machines" originally aired June 30, 2011 on Comedy CentralComedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
. In its original American broadcast, "Ghost in the Machines" was viewed by an estimated 1.921 million households with a 0.91 rating in the 18–49 demographic. The episode was down two tenths of a point from the previous week's episode "Benderama
Benderama
"Benderama" is the seventeenth episode of season six of the animated sitcom Futurama, and originally aired June 23, 2011 on Comedy Central. The episode was written by Aaron Ehasz and directed by Crystal Chesney-Thompson. American comedian Patton Oswalt guest stars in the episode, voicing an...
".
"Ghost in the Machines" received mixed to positive reviews from critics. 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...
wrote, "This show manages to earn sentimentality by so often seeming incapable of it, and 'Ghost' made things a little too easy." He graded the episode B+, calling it a "solid double", but feeling that some parts of the episode were rushed and predictable. 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:...
wrote, "It's not an instant classic, but "Ghost in the Machine" delivered on what an average Futurama episode should do." He gave the episode an 8.3/10, praising the episode's background gags and how the episode was able to fit in continuity. Matt Fowler of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
wrote: "'Ghost in the Machines', was solid, but basic," and gave the episode an 8/10. While he found the episode funny, he also felt it was weaker than the previous week's episodes "Neutopia
Neutopia (Futurama)
"Neutopia" is the fourteenth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom Futurama, and the premiere of Season 6-B. It is the twentieth episode of the sixth season in production order, and the 102nd episode in broadcast order...
" and "Benderama
Benderama
"Benderama" is the seventeenth episode of season six of the animated sitcom Futurama, and originally aired June 23, 2011 on Comedy Central. The episode was written by Aaron Ehasz and directed by Crystal Chesney-Thompson. American comedian Patton Oswalt guest stars in the episode, voicing an...
", and wished that the episode had "a little more to say than 'Fry and Bender will always be friends no matter what,' because we kinda knew that, right?".