"Less Than Hero" is the fourth episode episode in the
fourth season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
of the American animated television series ''
Futurama
''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years a ...
'', and the 58th episode of the series overall. It first aired on the
Fox network
The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations an ...
in the United States on March 2, 2003. The episode was directed by
Susie Dietter
Susan E. Dietter, usually credited as Susie Dietter, is an American director, known primarily for her work on television cartoons. She has directed episodes of the popular series '' Futurama'', ''Baby Blues'', ''The Simpsons'', '' Recess'' and '' ...
and written by
Ron Weiner
Ron Weiner (pronounced ) is an American television writer. He has written for several shows, including '' 30 Rock'', ''NewsRadio'', '' Futurama'', ''Arrested Development'', ''Father of the Pride'', '' Help Me Help You' and Silicon Valley.
Weine ...
. The plot centers on
Fry,
Leela, and
Bender as they masquerade as superheroes after being granted superpowers through the use of 'miracle cream'. The subplot focuses on the relationship between Leela and her parents. The episode's title itself is a play on the
Brett Easton Ellis novel ''
Less than Zero'', as well as the 1987 film
of the same name.
Plot
Professor Farnsworth
Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, commonly referred to in-show as either Professor Farnsworth or simply Professor, is a fictional character in the American animated television series '' Futurama''. The mad scientist proprietor of the Planet Expres ...
orders a supercollider from
πKEA; after assembling it,
Fry and
Leela are left with sore muscles, so
Dr. Zoidberg
Dr. John A. Zoidberg, often referred to only by his last name, is a fictional character from the animated series ''Futurama''. He is a Decapodian, a crustacean-like species of alien, who works as the staff doctor for ''Planet Express'', despite hi ...
prescribes them "Dr. Flimflam's Miracle Cream". While Fry and Leela are returning the broken supercollider to the store, a homeless man attempts to mug them, but Fry and Leela fight back. They discover they are immune to laser fire and physical attacks, a side effect of the 'miracle cream'; they also gain the abilities of super strength and super speed. They form a team of
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
es, the New Justice Team, taking the names "Captain Yesterday", and "Clobberella", with
Bender joining them as "Super King".
Leela makes a visit to
Citi
Citigroup Inc. or Citi (stylized as citi) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services corporation headquartered in New York City. The company was formed by the merger of banking giant #Citicorp, Citicorp and financial ...
Hall, and procures a special one-day surface pass for her
mutant
In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It ...
parents from the sewers. Shortly after, the mayor summons the New Justice Team to deal with a criminal threat. The Museum of Natural History is going to be robbed of the Quantum Gemerald at 9 a.m. by a criminal mastermind called the Zookeeper, who uses trained animals to aid him in his crimes.
Leela, planning her day, schedules her parents' surface visit for 10 a.m. at the same museum. Her plans are ruined when the Zookeeper is an hour late for the theft. The New Justice Team foils the robbery, but the Zookeeper escapes. Leela's parents are convinced that Leela did not meet them because she is ashamed of them.
Leela makes a trip to her parents' home, where she apologizes. They forgive her, saying she could never disappoint them, but her guilt is too much for her to bear, and she reveals her superhero identity, so her parents understand why she did not meet them. Leela swears them to secrecy for their own protection, but
Morris
Morris may refer to:
Places
Australia
*St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia
Canada
* Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry
* Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba
** Morris, Manitob ...
cannot hold his tongue for long and tells his friends, and the word spreads. Planet Express receives a call from the Zookeeper, who has kidnapped Leela's parents. He is willing to ransom them for the Quantum Gemerald, which he demands they steal for him.
The New Justice Team resolves to steal the gem. They have run out of miracle cream and are forced to commit the robbery without superpowers. The museum guards still think The New Justice Team have superpowers, and the Gemerald is retrieved successfully. They give the Quantum Gemerald to the Zookeeper, who releases Leela's parents and escapes. Leela and her parents resolve their issues. Bender and Fry set off to commit a few more crimes while they still have their superhero costumes.
Broadcast and reception
In its initial airing, the episode received a
Nielsen rating
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rati ...
of 5.0/9.
[
]
Zack Handlen of ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' gave the episode an A, saying: "Seeing Leela, Fry, and Bender work together as a team nearly always makes for something grand, and on the whole, “Less Than Hero” doesn't disappoint. Its ambitions are modest, and it makes the most of them. Plus, it offers the rare chance to see super-heroes being ridiculous for no other reason than they want to. We could use more of that, really."
References
External links
*
*
Less Than Hero
"Less Than Hero" is the fourth episode episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Futurama'', and the 58th episode of the series overall. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 2, 2003. The ...
at
The Infosphere
''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
.
{{Futurama episodes, 4
Futurama (season 4) episodes
2003 American television episodes
Superhero fiction
Parody superheroes
Cultural depictions of Theodore Roosevelt