Who would have thought that even now, in 2021, the world would still be saturated in the Groeningverse? Matt Groening’s oldest show, The Simpsons, is still running strong on TV. His new one, Disenchantment, is happily streaming on Netflix. Ham sandwiched somewhere in the middle is the universally beloved Futurama. With the advent of all-access streaming services, there is no better time to binge the silly sci-fi comedy show.
Of all the hilarious and memorable characters, the real breakout star is undeniably Bender Bending Rodriguez - the show’s lovable wise-cracking heavy drinking carefree robot. Many fans would agree that the episode when he becomes a god lost in space is his best. With a deeper assessment, Bender is seen at his best, purest version of himself, in the episode where he becomes the pharaoh of planet Osiris IV. It is not only one of the funniest episodes in the show, but it is the best Bender episode of all.
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Futurama’s broadcast history is marked with highs and lows. It ran as a Fox animation from 1999 to 2003 when it was controversially canceled midway through season 4. It then went into syndication with Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, where they added four direct-to-DVD feature-length movies that were rejigged into a fifth season in 2006. A little while later, in 2010, Futurama was graciously picked up by Comedy Central for seasons six and seven, and then they canceled the show for a final time (so far). The final episode (at least, the fourth try at a final episode) aired in April of 2013.
Bender’s best episode lands early in season 3 episode 17, “A Pharaoh to Remember.” In it, Bender becomes obsessed with making a name for himself and his legacy. The crew of the Planet Express throw him a mock funeral, which he lambasts. They are then sent to a desert planet imitating Ancient Egypt to deliver a huge sandstone for the Pharaoh’s tomb. They are all captured and put to work as slaves. It is here where Bender learns the fast lane to immortalization!
Bender is a narcissist, a kleptomaniac, and a sociopathic liar who just wants to kill all humans. All these traits are put out for a feast for the audience in this episode. During his mock funeral, he berates his friends for mourning him incorrectly, or not passionately enough. While on planet Osiris IV, he actively supports his enslavement and that of his friends because he believes in the Pharaoh’s dream of magnanimous entombment.
His self-centeredness goes even further when he rigs the appointment of the succeeding Pharaoh in his favor. Then, as the new Pharaoh, he wholeheartedly wishes his slaves the worst. He demands they build him the largest most egregious tomb ever made – and in record construction time to boot. He uses Leela and Fry as his personal palanquin carriers, showing no regard for their health or well-being. Not even to Fry, his best friend!
Bender whips and coerces the slaves to work faster on his colossal memorial, only to demand they destroy it all and rebuild it when they finish. He is betrayed by the high priests and tossed into the tomb prematurely (along with Fry and Leela). His party hijinks are in full force when they discover the inside of the tomb is a grand casino with its own schnaps distillery. They escape by blowing up the 100-cubit colossus along with the little society around it. Bender regrets its destruction, as it is the greatest memorial to his life, but is consoled by Leela’s insistence that his reign of terror will be remembered in history forever.
While “Godfellas,” where Bender becomes a god (lower case g) and then meets God, has a better overall message (both for the show and for the audience), “A Pharaoh to Remember” is way more fun. In “Godfellas,” Bender grapples with the heady questions of omnipotence and the show examines the existence of a higher being. Its concluding argument (so far as the Futurama universe is concerned) is that there clearly is a god (Bender met him) but that he is only subtly, tactfully active. The only message “A Pharaoh to Remember” cares about is playing Bender's awful persona for pure laughs.
Special shoutout to Dr. Zoidberg’s rendition of “Danny Boy” during Bender’s funeral. His initial delivery and then exaggerating emotion are timelessly funny. That alone makes “A Pharaoh to Remember” a must-watch episode. Even though Futurama will likely never rise again, the world may still endlessly enjoy the seven great seasons on DVD, Blu Ray, HD streaming or beamed right into your head via Hypno-Vision. Bender would no doubt advise you to binge it irresponsibly.
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