Futurama is back with a new season, much to the Planet Express fans’ delight. Season 11 episode 3 of the show took Fry and the others on more misadventures. But what’s the reference in the installment’s title, “How the West Was 1010001”? And who’s that popular character that returned? Here’s what you need to know. Beware of spoilers.
What’s the reference in Futurama “How the West Was 1010001?”
“How the West Was 1010001” references a well-known Western movie titled How the West Was Won.
Directed by Henry Hathaway, John Ford, and George Marshall, How the West Was Won tells the story of the westward expansion of the United States during the 19th century. In Futurama, Fry and the others travel to a Wild West look-alike planet to find thallium and mine Bitcoin after Professor Farnsworth goes bankrupt. All sorts of craziness happen during their journey.
What does 101001 mean in Futurama?
1010001 is 81 in binary.
While it is pretty clear what the first part of the episode’s title references, the number at the end is trickier. In addition to creating assonance between “one” and “won,” 81 is the atomic number of thallium, the precious metal the Planet Express needed to retrieve during their latest adventure.
Who’s Roberto in Futurama?
Roberto is an unstable robot that’s recurring in Futurama.
Futurama fans will be glad to hear Roberto is back in the new Futurama season. Like in the past, Roberto wanted to stab other people and unleash havoc, teaming with Dwight to rob a stagecoach. Eventually, he ends up kidnapped and secluded in a robot Bitcoin mine. Roberto’s latest appearance dates back to the finale of the Futurama second run, the episode titled “Meanwhile.”
For more Futurama-related content, check out which Planet Express crew are included in the Fortnite crossover. Also, here is the poster for the Hulu revival.
