This episode is unlike any episode to date in that it effectively gives us three stories for the price of one. It opens with the Professor demonstrating his latest invention... the finglonger. He demonstrates it by using it to switch on another invention; his 'what if' machine... naturally people want to pose it questions.
First up is Bender who wants to know what would happen if he was 500ft tall. The machine shows how the giant Bender would come to Earth and befriend Fry; they would play in the park and have fun until a minor accident leaves thousands of Hanson fans dead. The army is called up to fight the metal menace but it is no good. Ultimately the Professor solves the problem by using his super-sizer device on Zoidberg; the two colossi battle it out, destroying much of the city in the process.
Second up is a reluctant Leela who, after a little cajoling, asks what it would be like if she was a little more impulsive. We then see her impulsiveness leads her to buy a new pair of boots which she uses to kick the Professor into a bit of man-eating anteaters! Desperate not to be caught she ends up killing the rest of the Planet Express employees until only Fry remains... she buys his silence another way.
The final question is posed by Fry; he wonders what would have happened if he hadn't been frozen a thousand years before. We are shown that this would have caused a tear in the universe; Vice President Al Gore and his action rangers; Stephen Hawking, Gary Gygax, Nichelle Nichols and chess playing supercomputer Deep Blue turn up to try to force him into the freezing tube but he would break it and cause the destruction of the universe.
The idea of having three short stories worked surprisingly well; there was no time wasted and each was packed with laughs and none dragged on too long. I personally found the first two stories the best as they weren't showcasing several famous guest stars like the third was; this is just a matter of taste though and I suspect overall each will be equally popular. Having the what if machine to link the stories also meant that regular characters could be killed off... after all they were only being shown 'What if?'
First up is Bender who wants to know what would happen if he was 500ft tall. The machine shows how the giant Bender would come to Earth and befriend Fry; they would play in the park and have fun until a minor accident leaves thousands of Hanson fans dead. The army is called up to fight the metal menace but it is no good. Ultimately the Professor solves the problem by using his super-sizer device on Zoidberg; the two colossi battle it out, destroying much of the city in the process.
Second up is a reluctant Leela who, after a little cajoling, asks what it would be like if she was a little more impulsive. We then see her impulsiveness leads her to buy a new pair of boots which she uses to kick the Professor into a bit of man-eating anteaters! Desperate not to be caught she ends up killing the rest of the Planet Express employees until only Fry remains... she buys his silence another way.
The final question is posed by Fry; he wonders what would have happened if he hadn't been frozen a thousand years before. We are shown that this would have caused a tear in the universe; Vice President Al Gore and his action rangers; Stephen Hawking, Gary Gygax, Nichelle Nichols and chess playing supercomputer Deep Blue turn up to try to force him into the freezing tube but he would break it and cause the destruction of the universe.
The idea of having three short stories worked surprisingly well; there was no time wasted and each was packed with laughs and none dragged on too long. I personally found the first two stories the best as they weren't showcasing several famous guest stars like the third was; this is just a matter of taste though and I suspect overall each will be equally popular. Having the what if machine to link the stories also meant that regular characters could be killed off... after all they were only being shown 'What if?'