Review: "Insane in the Mainframe" (Season 3, Episode 11)

"Yahoo! The system fails again!" - Bender.

Airdate: April 8th, 2001
Written By: Bill Odenkirk
Synopsis: Fry and Bender go to the bank to start a retirement fund with Fry's $6. While there, Bender meets up with an old friend, Roberto... who promptly holds up the bank. Giving Fry and Bender two sacks of dough for their troubles, they wind up tackled by the NNYPD. With Roberto threatening them during the trial, they go with option B - cop an insanity plea. Thanks to the robust evidence ("they done hired me to represent them"), the duo are sent to the Robot Asylum - Fry going because the human asylum is overcrowded thanks to the judge.

Review:

Alright, I'll disclose this before I begin - without this episode, this blog would not exist.

It was me watching this episode on Netflix on January 20th, 2015, that made me realize "this show has to be analyzed. I have to watch it episode by episode." It hit that perfect beat of social commentary, comedy, drama, and character development. Within minutes of finishing up, the Blog of Wonton Burrito Meals was established.

And for good reason - this episode is pretty damn horrifying. And brilliant.

"Insane in the Mainframe" focuses on Fry and Bender being locked up in a mental asylum. Why? Because, simply put, the law in this universe is screwed up beyond all belief. They face a trial led by a rich, callous judge - with justice getting a pair of glasses. The lawyer is incompetent, to the point where even he recognizes it and practically gives up by suggesting the insanity plea. And Roberto, a convicted felon, is able to get into the courthouse and threaten Fry with his life. The three combine to lock Fry and Bender up in the robot asylum.

What could be contrived in another universe works in Futurama due to the very cynical, cruel nature of the world which Fry and Bender live in. And given that this show works as something of an allegory concerning our own universe, it's left to show the holes in our own justice system - the fear of the witnesses, the heavier legal burdens the poor face, and just how messed up the victims become.

And then we get to the asylum itself. It is the stuff of nightmares. The Robots use logic to deduce that Fry is a robot under delusions of humanity - ignoring his pleas, his biology, the fact that his probing by the asylum resulted in pain. (What is this, the second time this season Fry was practically raped?) There is no mercy, no begging for a way out of this. The government has abandoned him to his own devices just to keep up the appearance of being tough on crime, and even his friends/relatives tend to downplay the issue and avoid it to the best of their ability. Not helping is that he's not really insane - he just copped a plea to avoid a jail term.

Then Roberto - a genuinely insane robot - is sent to the nuthouse. Completing the irony, he is roomed with Fry. With one thing after another piling up on him, a straw is bound to break the camel's back sooner or later. What is it?

Roberto: (As Fry is shaking after having a knife swing at him) "Geez, Red! You call yourself a robot?" (Keeps swinging the knife)

Fry: "I am not a robot! I'M NOT A ROBOT! AAAAAHHHHH!"

And that's when he breaks - finally convincing himself he's a robot. This is his "No Mas" moment - and it is among the most terrifying mental breakdowns in fiction (especially given the comic nature of Futurama). In trying to cure him of perceived robot insanity, the Robot Asylum actually brought him over the edge, past the event horizon, and across the line. Incompetence, plus a lack of support, plus a justice system run by jackasses, destroyed a man. In short, he would've been better off in the cooler.

Of course, the crew don't help much once Fry returns to Planet Express. Rather than supporting him, they just tend to belittle Fry's insanity, not comprehending the full scale of his mental breakdown. Only Leela comes remotely close to an appropriate response - appealing to Fry's heterosexuality by kissing him. On the lips. (Yes, this ship has sailed. Why do you ask?) Even then, it proves futile - only serving to stun Fry for a second before he goes back to his robotic inclinations of drinking beer to power his fuel cells.

Bender, meanwhile, treats the asylum like one huge vacation. He actually was the first to agree with the Hyper-Chicken's idea. Once inside, he finds that the place appeals to his hedonistic, manipulative, and loutish persona. In fact, he even embraces the insanity - dressing up and acting like Napoleon Bonaparte. ("Gonna sing a little tale about a battle called Waterloo!" Said as he passes a broken, hypnotized Fry.) The only reason he leaves is out of fear that Roberto is going to kill him.

In fact, I don't think I've talked much about Roberto yet. David Herman actually makes him come off as creepy as he actually is. Sure, there's quite a bit of humor to him (he robs the same bank thrice), but consider that he's both the catalyst and the final straw on Fry's path to insanity. Consider that he was able to get into a courtroom with a crappy disguise to threaten the people he framed. Consider that he beat up a doctor, nicked his costume, and crashed through the walls of the infirmary as an effective escape plan. Roberto is one of the most terrifying characters in Futurama, yet also one of the funniest. "Now stand back, I gotta practice my stabbin'!"

This all culminates in an ending that is equal parts hilarious and heart-pounding. Yes, status quo is god, and Fry snaps out of his insanity thanks to seeing his own blood but given what we've seen over the prior 18 minutes, the tension feels as real as it can be in a show as silly as this.

What makes this all amazing is just how well blended the episode is. Yes, it's funny, but it's simultaneously terrifying, tense, and tragic. And it doesn't feel like the episode is making dramatic shifts - the writers manage to blend it all into one fantastic piece.

In my opinion, it's one of the finest examples of Futurama's golden years. The only thing standing between it and a 10 score is the lighter character development compared to "Parasites Lost". But, hey, that ain't bad company. Without it, this blog wouldn't exist. Make of that what you will (by which I mean, not much.)

Tidbits:

• The idea of a WASP judge acting patronizing to poor people and punishing them for being poor has either gained a new level of horror or hilarity, depending on how you view the recent US election results. For me, it's an odd mix. ("Mental illness? We'll solve that by building the wall!")
• I love how the bank maintenance charge ultimately puts Fry down below $0.
• Oh, the Fry/Leela shippiness in this episode is hysterical. Yes, Leela kissing Fry was a tactical maneuver to get him to snap out of it. Still, this ship is sailing at full speed.

Favorite Scene: Fry's Breakdown is utterly horrifying.

Best Character: Roberto. Now stand back. I've gotta practice my stabbin!

Memorable Quote: "They done hired me to represent them." - The Hyper-chicken's evidence in favor of an insanity plea. Even better? It works.

Score: 9.5.