Overclockwise
Encyclopedia
"Overclockwise" is the twenty-fifth episode of the sixth season
of the animated sitcom Futurama
. It aired on Comedy Central
in the United States on September 1, 2011. In the episode, Bender is overclocked
, gradually becoming more powerful in computing ability, until eventually becoming omniscient
and able to foresee events in the future.
overclocks
Bender to improve his performance in an online game
. Walt, Larry, and Igner are defeated online by an enhanced Bender and complain to Mom
, who has both Cubert and Professor Farnsworth
arrested for overclocking Bender (a violation
of Bender's license agreement). She also sends an army of robots to capture Bender so he can be reset to his original settings. Due to heightened intelligence caused by his overclocking, Bender is able to anticipate future probabilities
and connects himself to a water cooler
to prevent overheating
. He anticipates the arrival of Mom's robots, and manages to destroy them and steal their processors
, increasing his capacities even further. Bender then leaves Planet Express to find a new, larger coolant.
At trial, Cubert and the Professor are ordered to locate Bender, and are forced to pay $10,000 every day until he is found. With Planet Express going out of business as a result, Leela, weary of her on-again, off-again relationship with Fry
, decides to leave. Heartbroken, Fry attempts to commit suicide at Niagara Falls
. There he discovers a cave behind the falls where Bender has developed into an omnipotent
being, using the waterfalls as his new cooling system. Fry tries to convince Bender to help Professor Farnsworth and Cubert, but Bender is unconcerned with their troubles, stating that they are guilty and will be convicted. Fry asks Bender if he has a future with Leela, but Bender does not answer and tells him to leave.
After Fry returns to the trial, Bender has a change of heart and appears in court, accusing Mom of unfairly trying Cubert, a minor
. Fearing that Cubert will gain the jury
's sympathy, Mom drops charges against Cubert while still attempting to prosecute the Professor. However, Bender seeks a mistrial on the grounds of double jeopardy
, declaring that by dropping charges against the Professor's clone, Mom is unable to press charges against the Professor for the same crime because they are legally the same person. Enraged that she cannot prosecute the Professor, Mom forcibly captures Bender and resets him to factory settings. Leela returns to Fry, who still wonders what the future holds for both of them. Bender reveals that he had written down his prediction of their future, which Fry and Leela silently read together. The contents of the prediction are not shown, but Fry and Leela's reactions indicate that their relationship will have ups and downs, and will ultimately have a happy ending.
" and Into the Wild Green Yonder were produced, in case the show did not get renewed. It was announced on March 24, 2011 that the show was renewed for a seventh production season.
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...
. 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....
in the United States on September 1, 2011. In the episode, Bender is overclocked
Overclocking
Overclocking is the process of operating a computer component at a higher clock rate than it was designed for or was specified by the manufacturer, but some manufacturers purposely underclock their components to improve battery life. Many people just overclock or 'rightclock' their hardware to...
, gradually becoming more powerful in computing ability, until eventually becoming omniscient
Omniscience
Omniscience omniscient point-of-view in writing) is the capacity to know everything infinitely, or at least everything that can be known about a character including thoughts, feelings, life and the universe, etc. In Latin, omnis means "all" and sciens means "knowing"...
and able to foresee events in the future.
Plot
CubertCubert Farnsworth
Cubert Farnsworth is a fictional character, Professor Farnsworth's clone from the animated television series Futurama. He was created from a growth on Professor Farnsworth's back in 2989. Cubert differs from the Professor in appearance due to his nose being squashed up against the wall of his...
overclocks
Overclocking
Overclocking is the process of operating a computer component at a higher clock rate than it was designed for or was specified by the manufacturer, but some manufacturers purposely underclock their components to improve battery life. Many people just overclock or 'rightclock' their hardware to...
Bender to improve his performance in an online game
Online game
An online game is a game played over some form of computer network. This almost always means the Internet or equivalent technology, but games have always used whatever technology was current: modems before the Internet, and hard wired terminals before modems...
. Walt, Larry, and Igner are defeated online by an enhanced Bender and complain to Mom
Mom (Futurama)
Mom, real first name Carol, is a character from the animated television series Futurama. Voiced by Tress MacNeille. Mom is one of the show's two main antagonists, the other being Zapp Brannigan...
, who has both Cubert and Professor Farnsworth
Hubert J. Farnsworth
Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, or simply The Professor, is a fictional character in the American animated television series Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a combination of impressions of Burgess Meredith and Frank Morgan. Farnsworth is the proprietor of the Planet Express delivery...
arrested for overclocking Bender (a violation
Breach of contract
Breach of contract is a legal cause of action in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other party's performance....
of Bender's license agreement). She also sends an army of robots to capture Bender so he can be reset to his original settings. Due to heightened intelligence caused by his overclocking, Bender is able to anticipate future probabilities
Precognition
In parapsychology, precognition , also called future sight, and second sight, is a type of extrasensory perception that would involve the acquisition or effect of future information that cannot be deduced from presently available and normally acquired sense-based information or laws of physics...
and connects himself to a water cooler
Water cooler
A water cooler or water dispenser is a device that cools and dispenses water. They are generally broken up in two categories: bottleless and bottled water coolers...
to prevent overheating
Thermal shock
Thermal shock is the name given to cracking as a result of rapid temperature change. Glass and ceramic objects are particularly vulnerable to this form of failure, due to their low toughness, low thermal conductivity, and high thermal expansion coefficients...
. He anticipates the arrival of Mom's robots, and manages to destroy them and steal their processors
Central processing unit
The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
, increasing his capacities even further. Bender then leaves Planet Express to find a new, larger coolant.
At trial, Cubert and the Professor are ordered to locate Bender, and are forced to pay $10,000 every day until he is found. With Planet Express going out of business as a result, Leela, weary of her on-again, off-again relationship with 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:...
, decides to leave. Heartbroken, Fry attempts to commit suicide at Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
. There he discovers a cave behind the falls where Bender has developed into an omnipotent
Omnipotence
Omnipotence is unlimited power. Monotheistic religions generally attribute omnipotence to only the deity of whichever faith is being addressed...
being, using the waterfalls as his new cooling system. Fry tries to convince Bender to help Professor Farnsworth and Cubert, but Bender is unconcerned with their troubles, stating that they are guilty and will be convicted. Fry asks Bender if he has a future with Leela, but Bender does not answer and tells him to leave.
After Fry returns to the trial, Bender has a change of heart and appears in court, accusing Mom of unfairly trying Cubert, a minor
Minor (law)
In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...
. Fearing that Cubert will gain the jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
's sympathy, Mom drops charges against Cubert while still attempting to prosecute the Professor. However, Bender seeks a mistrial on the grounds of double jeopardy
Double jeopardy
Double jeopardy is a procedural defense that forbids a defendant from being tried again on the same, or similar charges following a legitimate acquittal or conviction...
, declaring that by dropping charges against the Professor's clone, Mom is unable to press charges against the Professor for the same crime because they are legally the same person. Enraged that she cannot prosecute the Professor, Mom forcibly captures Bender and resets him to factory settings. Leela returns to Fry, who still wonders what the future holds for both of them. Bender reveals that he had written down his prediction of their future, which Fry and Leela silently read together. The contents of the prediction are not shown, but Fry and Leela's reactions indicate that their relationship will have ups and downs, and will ultimately have a happy ending.
Production
This episode was going to serve as an open-ended series finale, much in the way that "The Devil's Hands Are Idle PlaythingsThe 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 Into the Wild Green Yonder were produced, in case the show did not get renewed. It was announced on March 24, 2011 that the show was renewed for a seventh production season.