Line #24 Recap/FuturamaS3E7TheDayTheEarthStoodStupid


1	[[quoteright:960:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/971953.jpg]]
2
3	''[[CouchGag 80% Entertainment By Volume]]''
4
5	When giant brains attack the Earth, Leela learns that there may be more to her pet Nibbler than she thought. She also learns that the planet's only chance of survival lies in the hands of Fry!
6
7	!!Tropes
8	* AerithAndBob: With the Nibblonians, we have Nibbler, then Fiona and Ken, but they were using fake names for Leela's benefit.
9	* AliensAreBastards: The brain spawn destroys planets just because they can't stand listening to the thoughts of other sapient species.
10	* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: PlayedForLaughs. When Zoidberg pretends to be Bender's pet during the pet show, Bender verbally abuses him, attacks him with a whip and threatens to have him spayed.
11	* BigEater: It's a trait of all Nibblonians, as demonstrated by the Feast of a Thousand Hams, which they finish in seconds.
12	* BigNo: Stupid Leela lets out a Big No when Fry dies in the book he writes, while the Big Brain gives an EvilLaugh.
13	* BrainMonster: The brain spawn.
14	* CaptainObvious: Leela and Farnsworth, both made dumb by the Brains, when they try to retrieve a note from the fireplace.
15	-->'''Leela:''' Ow! Fire hot!\
16	'''Prof. Farnsworth:''' The Professy will help. [Reaches in, his sleeve catches fire] Yaah! Fire indeed hot!
17	* DisabilityImmunity: As the brain spawn render people stupid by attacking the Delta brainwave that facilitates higher intelligence, Fry is immune to their influence; he doesn't ''have'' a Delta brainwave but has somehow cobbled together a random assortment of other brainwaves into a working mind.
18	* DunceCap: Nibbler wins a conical hat for being the Dumbest Pet in Show. The hat has the word "DUMB" written on it.
19	* TheExactCenterOfEverything: At the very centre of the universe lies Planet Eternium, home-world of the oldest race of aliens in the universe in the Nibblonians.
20	* FateWorseThanDeath: The Big Brain plans to trap Fry and Leela inside a book. Fry manages to turn this around, trapping the Brain in a book he wrote ("A crummy world full of plot holes and spelling errors!").
21	* FencePainting: Tom Sawyer manages to trick the Big Brain, of all beings, into doing this.
22	-->'''Brain:''' Tom Sawyer, you tricked me! This activity has been less fun than previously indicated.
23	* FishEyes: Stupid Bender briefly sports these as he suggests joining the Reform Party.
24	* {{Flight}}: The brain spawn can all fly.
25	* ForgetfulJones: Everyone becomes this after being rendered stupid by the brain spawn. Bender in particular keeps forgetting that he's a robot, even seconds after Fry reminded him.
26	* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: Nibbler's true name takes longer than the lifespan of a trillion universes to say, so he chooses to go by his Earth name while time is of the essence. Leela thinks that's adorable.
27	* TheGreatestStoryNeverTold: Due to the effects of the brain spawn's stupid-rays, no one except Fry and the Nibblonians can recall how Earth was attacked. Fry ''tried'' to explain what happened, but no one cared enough to listen to him.
28	* HadTheSillyThingInReverse: Fry addresses the dumbed-down citizens of New New York by megaphone, only he's holding it backwards. A pigeon flies in and squawks into the megaphone, knocking Fry on his ass.
29	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Fry uses the Big Brain's PortalBook powers against him, writing his own book about how the Brain wins and leaves Earth for no reason, then tricking the Big Brain into acting it out.
30	* HulkSpeak: Several people talk this way after being turned stupid by the brain spawn.
31	* HypnoticCreature: The creature that wins the pet competition is - THE HYPNOTOAD! ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD.
32	* HypnoticEyes: The Hypnotoad, which uses them to cheat in a sheep herding contest, along with brainwashing the judges.
33	* HypocriticalHumor: Fry shouts at the dumbed-down New New Yorkers to "Stop acting so stupid!"... through the wrong end of a megaphone.
34	* IdiotBall: Everyone on Earth becomes stupid due to the brain spawn. Fry, who is already TheDitz, is the only one immune.
35	* IncomingHam: "I'M A GIGANTIC BRAIN!"
36	-->'''Other Party Guest:''' [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight Most ungentleman-like.]]
37	* KickTheDog: The pet show creates a special award of "World's Dumbest Pet" just to give it to Nibbler and laugh at Leela. [[LaserGuidedKarma They are promptly hypnotized by the Hypnotoad afterwards.]]
38	* LargeHam: The Big Brain is very loud and dramatic.
39	* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Leela loses all her memories of Nibbler's true nature and the brain spawn as a result of their attack on her intelligence.
40	* LoopholeAbuse: Given Captain Ahab and Queequeg both assume the Big Brain is a whale, Fry throws some of Tom Sawyer's white paint over it. This is enough to convince them that the Big Brain is Moby Dick, and they start trying to slay it.
41	* LotusEaterMachine: The Big Brain's tactic to stop Fry and Leela is to strand them mentally inside a book. Fry uses this to defeat the Big Brain, trapping his foe in a book Fry wrote himself.
42	* MedalOfDishonor: At the pet competition, Leela and Nibbler get the prize for Dumbest Pet in Show.
43	* NapInducingSpeak: At the end of the episode, the entire Planet Express crew falls asleep while Hermes is giving a meeting, which is ironically about employees sleeping during meetings.
44	* NoNameGiven: The female Nibblonian and the male Nibblonian who give all of the exposition. According to the production crew, their names are Fiona and Ken.
45	* NormalFishInATinyPond: The general situation in the second half of the episode has Fry's below-average intelligence turning him into a bulwark of wisdom in an environment of monosyllabic dullards.
46	* NotSoImaginaryFriend: After Fry comments about how much he loves the invisible dog leash gag, the invisible dog bites him.
47	* ObfuscatingStupidity: Nibbler's been pretending to be an idiot for the whole time he's been with the Planet Express Crew.
48	* OnlySaneByComparison: Although Fry is usually the show's main [[TheDitz ditz]], when earth is invaded by the brain spawn, Fry's [[DisabilitySuperpower lack of a delta brainwave]] makes him the only person on the planet who is immune to their powers, which turn everyone else into brainless morons. Although he's still very much an IdiotHero, he's the only person who can save the day by default. It's best demonstrated when he yells at the people of New New York to stop acting so stupid [[HypocriticalHumor through the wrong end of a megaphone.]]
49	* OverlyLongName: According to Nibbler, his actual name is so complex that pronouncing a single letter would take enough time for a trillion universes to be born and die.
50	* PaperThinDisguise:
51	** Stupid Hermes thinks he made himself invisible by hiding his face with a wooden board.
52	** The Big Brain, on entering the books, doesn't bother to disguise itself very much, if at all.
53	* PetContestEpisode: The beginning of this episode has a pet show. Leela enters Nibbler, despite him not knowing any tricks or having any real training. He ends up winning the award for "Dumbest Animal in Show" and gets a DunceCap as a "prize". Bender enters Doctor Zoidberg (who is a fully sentient HumanoidAlien) into the show with the intent of splitting the prize with Zoidberg. Bender gets the cash prize, Zoidberg gets the year supply of [[ExtremeOmnivore dogfood]]. Zoidberg comes in second place, which wins them an [[UndesirablePrize afghan (blanket) made from an afghan (dog breed)]]. First prize is naturally claimed by our glorious lord and master, the Hypnotoad.
54	* PortalBook: The Big Brain tries to destroy Fry and Leela by taking them into various books, like ''Literature/TomSawyer'', ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'', and ''Literature/MobyDick''.
55	* TheReveal: Nibbler isn't an animal, but a benevolent EldritchAbomination who is seventeen years older than the universe itself and is a member of a species that has been waging war against the brain spawn for billions of years.
56	* RewritingReality: Fry does this to beat the Big Brain by trapping it in the book he writes, "full of plot holes and spelling errors".
57	* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: The Nibblonians. And they hate it.
58	-->'''Leela:''' Aww, you're all so cute!
59	-->'''Ken:''' No, we're not. We're an ancient and powerful race.
60	* RougeAnglesOfSatin: [[LampshadedTrope Lampshaded]] by Fry, describing [[SelfDeprecation his own writing.]] Even more hilariously, the Big Brain begins speaking with these spelling errors.
61	-->'''Big Brain:''' The Big Brain am winning again! I am the greetest! Now I am leaving Earth for no raisin!
62	* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: Bender is not pleased that Zoidberg only got second at the pet show.
63	-->'''Bender:''' Second place? That's a fancy word for losing!
64	* SimpletonVoice: Leela after getting dumbed down.
65	* SmartBall: Fry, oddly enough. He manages to defeat the Big Brain on his own with a plan he devises himself.
66	* StupidScientist: Farnsworth becomes this due to the brain spawn.
67	* StylisticSuck: The story Fry writes to trap the Big Brain. While we don't see it directly, we see the Big Brain acting it out, complete with grammar and spelling errors.
68	* SuddenlyVoiced: Nibbler speaks coherently for the first of several times in the series. He is voiced by Creator/FrankWelker, who also does his noises.
69	* TakeThat:
70	** When everyone becomes stupid, Farnsworth says he wants to play the lottery, Amy suggests buying Internet stock and Zoidberg adds, "On margin. Zoidy wants to buy on margin!"
71	** When Fry realizes that everyone has become stupid, Bender announces "Let's all join the Reform Party!" On Comedy Central, the line is changed to "Let's all join the Tea Party."
72	** "The brain spawn hate all consciousness. The thoughts of others screech at them like the forced laughs of a billion art-house movie patrons."
73	** Upon learning that thinking hurts the Big Brain, Fry looks for the right book to do the job. He rejects ''Literature/NancyDrew'' for being too highbrow and ''Literature/TheHardyBoys'' for being too lowbrow[[note]]Neither of which are in the Public Domain[[/note]] before settling on ''Literature/TheBonfireOfTheVanities'', which causes the Brain to scream in agony.
74	** The Big Brain takes shots at both ''Literature/MobyDick'' and ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfTomSawyer'', describing the first as a "dense, symbolist tome" and the second as a "corny slice of Americana".
75	** Nibbler telling the story of the creation of the universe and the meaning of existence causes Leela to remark "So every religion is wrong!"
76	* ThirdPersonPerson: This is how several people talk after they are rendered stupid by the brain spawn.
77	* ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman: This is the episode that introduces the concept of the delta brainwave and Fry not having it, which makes him ImmuneToMindControl. Fry may normally be an idiot, but when everything more sophisticated than the average tree is out of commission, he's practically Einstein.
78	* TooDumbToLive: The brain spawn render people stupid to a lethal degree. For example, Hermes was about to drown himself by continuously staring up at a shower with his mouth open until Fry adjusts him (this is based on the myth that turkeys are so stupid that when it rains, they will drown themselves by staring up with their beaks open). It's implied this is what caused the destruction of the other planets the brain spawn encountered on their way to Earth.
79	* TranslatorMicrobes: When Nibbler arrives at the Nibblonian home world, he and the other Nibblonians transmit their thoughts directly into Leela's mind so that it appears that they are speaking her language.
80	* TheUnpronounceable: Nibbler still calls himself that for Leela's sake. "In the time it would take to pronounce one letter of my true name, a trillion cosmoses would flare into existence and sink into eternal night."
81	* TheUnreveal: Nibbler explains how the universe began to Leela, something that proves every major religion wrong, but since he's speaking his own language, we don't hear the explanation (and Leela apparently forgets it after the crisis is over).
82	* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: None of the party guests in ''Pride and Prejudice'' seem to care that there's a giant brain at the party, just that he's not a proper gentleman.
83	* WhamEpisode: The biggest one in the show so far. Nibbler is sapient, can communicate with others, is billions of years old, is in a never ending war with floating evil brains, and the only one who can stop the brains is Fry.
84	* YouNoTakeCandle: This is how people talk after getting dumbed down. Also, the Big Brain after Fry traps him in the world of the book he wrote.

Context Recap / FuturamaS3E7TheDayTheEarthStoodStupid