The Honking

"The Honking"
Futurama episode
File:Futurama ep31.jpg
Episode no.	Season two
Directed by	J. Stewart Burns
Written by	J. Stewart Burns
Original air dates	November 5, 2000
Episode features
Opening cartoon	Unknown

The Honking is episode 3 in series 2 of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on November 5, 2000.

Plot

After spending a terrifying night in his late uncle Vladimir's castle in Pennysylvania, Bender is run down by one of the most feared of robot monsters, a were-car. Back on Earth, Bender begins to have nightmares about cars running people over, and starts to have blackouts. Seeking advice, he consults the fortuneteller robot, who tells him that he has become a were-car himself, and that he his fated to kill his closest friend. The only way to break the curse is to destroy the original were-car.

That night, a restrained Bender breaks out of confinement, transforms, and almost kills Leela. The next morning, Fry, Leela, and Bender set out to track down the original were-car. Their search starts back at the castle, leads to the arctic, and then to Hollywood. There, robot actor Calculon informs them that he was given the curse by the original were-car.

Acting on Calculon's information, the crew heads off to find Project Satan, the most evil vehicle ever made. When they arrive at the abandoned automotive plant, they confront Project Satan, but the clock strikes midnight, and Bender takes on his were-car form. While trying to kill Leela, Project Satan accidentally skids into a giant furnace and is killed. The curse lifted, Fry enjoys Bender's last beer, and Bender once again tries to kill him.

Quotes

• Bender: B-E-N-D-E-R! BENDER! B-E-N-D-E-R! Gimmie a B! E! N! Deeeeeee-"
• Professor Farnsworth: Pfft. Superstitious robot mumbo-jumbo.

Robot: Mumbo, perhaps. Jumbo, perhaps not! With all your modern science, are you any closer to understanding the mystery of how a robot walks, or talks? Professor: Yes, you idiot. The circuit diagram is right here on the inside of your case. Robot: I choose to believe what I was programmed to believe!

• Fry: Poor Bender, you're seeing things. You've been drinking too much. Or too little. I forget how it works with you. Anyway, you haven't drunk EXACTLY the right amount.
• Calculon: I upgrade my appearance every few decades to avoid suspicion. I was all of history's great robot actors. Acting Unit 0.8. Thespomat. David Duchovny!
• Professor Farnsworth: Yes...that sequence of words I said makes perfect sense!

References

• The title comes from The Howling series of werewolf movies.
• One of the robot ghosts chasing Bender is the Microsoft logo.
• This episode references several horror movies: Christine, The Haunting, The Shining and The Howling.
• While staying in Vladimir's castle, Bender is alarmed to see the binary code 0101100101 in a mirror (resulting in 1010011010). 1010011010 is the binary representation of 666, the Number of the Beast.