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The Planet Express crew uncovers an ancient Martian calendar (that looks suspiciously like the one the Mayans created) that predicts that the world will come to an end in the year 3012 (which happens to be the current year).
Tropes:
- Always Need What You Gave Up: After it's revealed that the solar flare is going to hit Mars instead of Earth, Zapp tells everyone to head back to the ship...only for Kif to mention that he had used it to make the memorial statue.
- An Arm and a Leg: Fry and Leela both get an arm ripped off when the former tries to save the latter from being stranded on an exploding Mars. Their severed arms end up holding hands while drifting through space forever, explaining the title.
- Apocalypse How: Class X. The solar flare is predicted to destroy the planet it hits, but said planet manages to stay intact.
- Artistic License – Physics: When Mars is passing by Earth, neither planet's gravity affects the other, and only kicks in if an object happens to be closer to one planet than the other.
- Bamboo Technology: The evacuees use a ship made from rock to get off Earth. The Martian Chief is surprised that it actually worked.
- Brick Joke: Leela asks how Fry got her a ticket on the evacuation ship, to which he says “a magician never reveals his secrets, except the Great Revealo”, prompting a disdainful remark from Zoidberg. Later, the Great Revealo himself appears at the opening of the new city, to tepid applause.
- Call-Back: While panicking on Mars, Scruffy can be seen carrying Washbucket around lovingly.
- Death Glare: After learning that Mars is the planet that was going to be destroyed, everyone gives Amy this due to misreading the Doomsday Calendar.
- Explosion Propulsion: The solar flare sets the methane under the Martian soil alight, creating a plume of fire that sends the entire planet careening towards Earth.
- Failed a Spot Check: Amy translates the Martian calendar as saying that "a great cataclysm will destroy the world in the year 3012." No one stops to think that, perhaps, the Martian calendar was referring to Mars as "the world." There's even an inscription of the solar flare avoiding what's clearly Earth and destroying Mars.
- Good Luck Charm: Fry's pants, apparently. He uses examples of their luck by saying when he wore them, he found a dime in his ear, won a subscription to the magazine Redbook, and met Leela. Later, Fry is accepted to go to Mars because the machine likes his pants.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Fry gives up his chance to escape to Mars so that Leela can do so, and stays behind on Earth with Bender. It ends up getting subverted when it's revealed that Mars was the world that was really ending, but Leela assures Fry that she appreciates the sentiment behind the act nevertheless.
- Mile-High Club: Leela asks Fry if he would like to join the balcony club, meaning the same thing. They do start until Amy interrupts them, much to their dismay.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Amy's mistranslation of the Martian calendar causes a sizable population of Earth to be stranded on a dying Mars; a lot of people are not happy with her.
- Noodle Incident: The Planet Express prom, at which Bender dumped pig’s blood on Fry.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Somehow, Scruffy rescued Leela from Mars with a ladder.
- Planetary Relocation: A dangerous solar flare hits Mars instead of Earth as expected, causing the methane pockets to ignite and blast Mars out of its orbit. It just narrowly avoids colliding with the Earth before leaving.
- Plot Hole: Mars was supposed to be destroyed, but later episodes show it back to normal. The
DVD Commentary for "Viva Mars Vegas" said they were originally going to explain why, but it was cut for time. - Pre-Climax Climax: When it looks like the world was going to end and there is no way to escape, Fry and Leela attempt to spend their last moments this way. Amy lampshades this when she bursts in, saying "Stop the end of the world sex!"
- Puddle-Covering Chivalry: Fry does this when he and Leela are walking after it rained. He takes off his pants and covers the puddle for Leela.
- The Reveal: The solar flare isn't going to hit Earth, but Mars... which the cast just spent the entire episode evacuating to. Oops.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: When it looks like the Earth was doomed, everyone with a spaceship tries to do this, only to find the electromagnetic waves of the solar flare render the ships inert.
- Take That!: Leela's only regret is the time she wasted watching TRON: Legacy.
