Ep 9. Why Must I Be a Crustacean in Love

Why Must I Be a Crustacean in Love - Futurama Season 2 Episode 9

The episode starts off with the crew of Planet Express being sent on a delivery mission to the planet of Trisol, which contains a very dangerous liquid known as "Trisolian water". This liquid is so volatile that any contact with it can cause the person to turn to water, and hence, it is stored in extremely secure containers. Fry, Leela, and Bender are all apprehensive about the delivery because they don't want to turn into water, but the Professor assures them that it's perfectly safe if they follow precautions.

Upon arriving on Trisol, the crew is greeted by an alien race of lobster-like creatures known as Decapodians. The Decapodians are a patriarchal society that values strength and aggression over anything else. Fry, who has always been unlucky in love, falls for a female Decapodian named Edna, and decides to boldly declare his affection for her. Little does he know that in Decapodian culture, the female is supposed to be the aggressor and the male is supposed to be passive. So when Fry tries to kiss Edna, she beats him up and he is left with no choice but to prove his worth by participating in the traditional Decapodian mating ritual.

The mating ritual involves Fry and his rival, Zoidberg, fighting to the death while standing on a platform over a boiling pool of liquid. The winner of the fight gets to mate with Edna. Fry is apprehensive about the fight because he doesn't want to kill Zoidberg, but Zoidberg is willing to fight to the death because he too has feelings for Edna. Bender, who is also on the planet, decides to place a bet on Fry because he thinks that Fry is the stronger of the two.

The fight begins and Fry and Zoidberg engage in hand-to-hand combat while trying not to fall into the boiling liquid below. Fry is initially hesitant to fight because he doesn't want to hurt Zoidberg, but when Zoidberg starts taunting him, Fry begins to fight back with great ferocity. To the surprise of everyone, Fry wins the fight and gets to mate with Edna.

Meanwhile, Leela is forced to babysit the Decapodian emperor's son, who is a mischievous little creature with a habit of getting into trouble. Leela takes the child on a tour of the planet and tries to keep him entertained, but the child keeps getting into trouble and causing chaos. Eventually, Leela loses the child when he sneaks off into a maze and she has to use all her wits to find him.

The episode culminates with Fry mating with Edna and then discovering a shocking secret about her. He is forced to make a difficult decision about his feelings for her and ultimately decides to break up with her. The crew then leaves Trisol and returns home, with Fry feeling a mixture of relief and regret.

Overall, "Why Must I Be a Crustacean in Love" is a hilarious and heartwarming episode that explores themes of love, loyalty, and friendship. The Decapodian culture is brilliantly realized and the fight between Fry and Zoidberg is both ridiculous and intense. The episode also has some great moments of humor, such as Bender's betting habits and Leela's struggles with the emperor's son. Ultimately, the episode is a great example of Futurama's unique brand of sci-fi comedy and is a must-watch for any fan of the show.