Talk:Roswell That Ends Well

Untitled
I could be wrong, but I think that a rocket that Fry and such shoot at Roswell has the words "Roswell That Ends Well" on it, but seeing as I don't have the DVD or TiVo, I can't see if this is true. So, if this could be proven, and added to the Trivia, thank you. JeramiahWindsor
 * Alas I can't prove it, but I've got the DVD and it's true (it also has Bender's head painted on it). Duly added. Tyrhinis 19:55, 23 June 2006 (UTC)
 * You are correct, the rocket does have "Roswell That Ends Well" spraypainted onto the side, as well as an image of Dr.Zoidburg:
 * Rocket
 * Redterror117 20:02, 22 July 2010 (UTC)

if fry didn't disappear when killed his grandpa doesn't that mean that he was supposed to become his own grandfather
 * Bender's head? I though it was Zoidberg on it. Xavius, the Satyr Lord (talk) 16:07, 19 September 2008 (UTC)

Fry's "Grandfather's" name
I played the episode on a dvd and the subtitles revealed that Fry's "Grandfather's" name is spelt "Enus," not "Enos." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.84.59.36 (talk) 16:14, 18 January 2008 (UTC)

I recently checked it, too -- because I was wondering if the name was actually "Ennis" (when you see the episode you'll understand why), but the captioning clearly says "Enos". And we hear the characters pronouncing it that way.

WilliamSommerwerck (talk) 00:33, 22 June 2008 (UTC)


 * DVD subtitles are not necessarily an accurate indication of spelling. Whilst the name is indeed spelled 'Enus' in the subtitles (on the UK release at least), there are a large number of spelling errors present in various episodes, such as the characters of Lrrr, Ndnd, Larry and even Leela. AJCham2097 (talk) 20:18, 7 February 2009 (UTC)

The pronunciation doesnt zell ist, how ist ITS written, since he is pronounced "Ee-nis" ( Like penis e.g.). Could be both, but Enos seems wrong to me, Enus looks more probable. KhlavKhalash (talk) 13:48, 22 February 2023 (UTC)

The paradox of Fry having both 25% and 100% of his own genes
The line *If he really did impregnate his grandmother, it would stand to reason that his father has 50% his genes.Thus, he is 25% his own genes, an impossibility since he should have 100% his own genes. was deleted for not making any sense, however it does make sense (at least as much as a paradox can.)


 * 1) Fry and Mildred each give thier son 50% of their genes
 * 2) Fry's son (Yancy) and his wife (I forget her name) each give their son (Fry) half of their genes
 * 3) Since Yancy had 50% of he father's genes and he give his son 50% of his own genes, his son (Fry) gets 25% of his paternal grandfather's genes
 * 4) Fry has 25% of his paternal grandfather's genes, and since he is his own grandfather, he has 25% of his own genes

Obviously someone cannot have 25% of their own genes, so their is a paradox


 * No. Fry inherits the same genes he passed on to Yancy, from Yancy. The same 50%. So technically he doesn't have any genetic relation to Mildred, since by pure chance he got none of her genes from Yancy. The other 50% of Fry's genes came from his mother. Zythe 18:19, 27 July 2006 (UTC)


 * I agree with the above described sequence of events, but I think there is more to it. First, Fry would be described as having these grandparents genes: 25% Mildreds, 25% Enos', 25% Yancy's Mother in Law, and 25% Yancy's Father in law.  Then, back in time, that would mix with Mildreds to make Yancy (who is 62.5% M, 12.5%E, 12.5% YML, 12.5% YFL).  Then, Yancy and Wife make Fry, who is now: 31.25% M, 6.25% E, 31.25% YML, 31.25% YFL.


 * The paradox is that the original Fry was equal parts from all his grandparents, but now he logically seems to have unequal parts, which is an absurdity, plus if Enos didn't meet Mildred, then how did his genes get in the mix? If Fry was the unequal make-up to begin with, then he is destined to have an even larger portion of Midlreds genes.  (Jvenator (talk) 02:13, 8 June 2008 (UTC))

I think the following is a "correct" explanation of how Fry can be (genetically) his own grandfather. Assume the half of the genes he contributes to the baby (his father-to-be) is A, and the half contributed by his grandmother is B. Now assume that, by sheer chance, Fry's father contributes exactly that same A set to his son (Fry). The odds are small -- about 1 in 8 million -- but (as Douglas Adams would say) not zero. Fry gets the B set from his mother, but they have no bearing on anything, because he didn't contribute them to his father -- his grandmother did. QED.

WilliamSommerwerck (talk) 00:41, 22 June 2008 (UTC)

Mother's Father?
I am proposing the possibility that Fry is his own mother's father rather than his father's father. I know that in the commentary on the DVD for this episode they say he is his father's father "just to make it interesting." It seem to make more since that he is his mother's father because they all(Fry, his mom and Enus) have red hair that points up in the front.

Also as far as his DNA being passed to himself goes: As long as his parent/offspring passes on the same 25% that Enus would have passed on, everything should be fine.
 * But Fry calls to his Dad when he yells at Enos's crotch. 70.17.167.74 (talk) 08:44, 18 January 2014 (UTC)

Bender's Inspiration
I have removed the comment about Bender's possible inspiration as this is already discussed in his article and it has no particular ties to this specific episode. -- Will Mak  050389  01:14, 5 July 2006 (UTC)

Episode In-Joke?
The crew go to Roswell - Area 51 - in this episode. Look at the Episode number: 51! A-Ha! I see what they did there!

Roswell is not the same as Area 51


 * They may not be the same, but both are strongly associated with theories of government conspiricies and alien activity, probably more so than any other two sites in the U.S. Not sure if it's intentional or not, but wouldn't doubt it with the number of in-jokes that are in Futurama. Marimvibe 02:55, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Plot Synopsis
I edited out the "In this episode" prelude, since none of the other plot synopses start that way. I also edited some of it to sound less ackward and to add more detail. I don't want to be called on vandalism, so that is why I'm saying it here, since I just watched the episode. --chewbacca1010

Even more incest:
Fry's parent (what ever one it was) inwhich fry himself fathered, would be engaging in incest of his own when concieving Philip and Yancy with their spouse who is also their own grandparent.

Ergo: if one of fry's parents has 50% of their son's genetic makeup they also have 25% of their own genetic makeup and 25% of their own spouses.--Greasysteve13 04:27, 21 August 2006 (UTC)


 * I am fairly certain that people have 100% of their own "genetic makeup" (Mendel's eyeliner?). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.144.191.133 (talk • contribs)
 * Well yes, but I'm talking about the origins of his genetic make up. As in a generational thing.--Greasysteve13 12:15, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Question about Fry's Potentcy
Just a quick clarification: The episode "Fry and the Slurm Factory" implies that the F-ray sterilized Fry. But later in "Roswell That Ends Well" Fry father's his father. Did he get his Fry's Potentcy back somehow? Or is it imposible that he is his own grandpa? 68.48.174.136 15:04, 30 November 2006 (UTC)
 * If I remember right, it has already been stated somewhere that Fry's sexual organs were repaired by the worms in "Parasites Lost." Go Futurama! Us e r:Sp3000 05:24, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

What is a 'pintow' ?
Ahem? Shenme 04:33, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

Maybe he meant "windows"? I'll check when I have the episode handy.

Yep, it's the windows on the opposite wall: Pintows Redterror117 (talk) 04:51, 11 July 2010 (UTC)

Pick Up the Pieces/Take Five
Directly after they crash, Leela's line, "Zoidberg, pick up the pieces. Everyone else, take five," has always struck me as a possible reference to the two songs, though I'm guessing I just made the connection myself. Thoughts? Marimvibe 02:52, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

"Take Five" is not a song (any more than Beethoven's Fifth is a song), it's a jazz composition (as self-contradictory as that sounds). The name comes from the expression "Take five" -- take a break for five minutes. 131.107.0.73 (talk) 12:12, 22 June 2008 (UTC)

Truman & canned eggs
Does anyone know what the reference is for Truman smashing himself out of the box labeled "canned eggs"? Jeff Carr 01:29, 12 June 2007 (UTC)

Episode Commentary
I was reading here that this episode has an audio commentary track specifically devoted to the animation of the episode. This could be the key to a nice production section for this article and an out-of-universe perspective. Anybody have the DVD and want to tackle a nice well referenced production section for this episode? I wish I could but I don't have this season (yet). Stardust8212 23:17, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Cultural references
I am moving the unreferenced portions of the "cultural references" section to the talk page as discussed at the Futurama Wikiproject. If these can sourced to reliable secondary sources then please re-add them to the article. Stardust8212 00:47, 16 December 2007 (UTC) This one added back in today, I've removed it again for the same reason: Stardust8212 01:50, 18 December 2007 (UTC)
 * Professor Farnsworth notes that the ship chronograph at one point is changed into a pinup calendar, with the actual picture resembling the famous portrait of pin-up girl Betty Grable.
 * The title of the episode is derived from the title of Shakespeare’s play All's Well That Ends Well.
 * The soylent products that Professor Farnsworth tries to order at a restaurant come from the 1973 movie Soylent Green.
 * Much of the plot parallels many episodes and films of the Star Trek franchise. The supernova/microwave oven's visual effect on the Planet Express Ship bears half of a striking resemblance to the V'Ger weapon's effect in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The crew crash landing in 1947 Roswell, NM and subsequently becoming the basis for the Roswell story follows the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Little Green Men" in which a trio of Ferengi are catapulted back in time, becoming the "Roswell aliens". In the DS9 episode "Trials and Tribble-ations" Dr. Julian Bashir contemplates the urge to become his own ancestor upon meeting a woman who may or may not be his great-grandmother. The fate of Bender’s head is a parody of the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Time’s Arrow" wherein Data’s head is detached in the 19th century and found in an archaeological dig in 2368.
 * After Fry attempts to remind Professor Farnsworth about the dangers of messing with the time line, the Professor yells at Fry, saying "Ooh, a lesson in Not Changing History from Mr. I'm My Own Grandpa".
 * In 1947, there is a "Hard Croon Cafe", a parody of Hard Rock Cafe and a reference to the fact that in 1947 rock and roll didn't exist yet.
 * When Leela and the Professor are sitting in the diner, we see the nuclear blast that kills Fry's grandfather in the background through the window. Typical for this era and locale, everyone in the town takes it in stride. Interestingly, so do Leela and the Professor.
 * A newspaper article is shown which looks similar to a famous photo of Gen. Roger Ramey and Col. Thomas Dubose.
 * The newspaper shown reporting the UFO crash is the Roswell Daily Record, the actual newspaper of Roswell, N.M. that famously reported the UFO crash in 1947. The masthead shown resembles the actual Daily Record masthead.
 * Fry's being his own grandfather bears similarities to Zaphod Beeblebrox's family line from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy.
 * The episode title is written on the side of the missile, along with a Kilroy was Here sign with Zoidberg in the drawing rather than Kilroy.
 * Among the accurately rendered 1940s-era aircraft seen at Roswell were P-51A and P-51D Mustangs and a demilitarised B-24 Liberator transport.
 * When the Professor learns that he is trapped in the 1940s, he laments that "we'll have to endure the terrible music of the Big Bopper and the horrible tragedy of his death!"
 * Fry accidentally killing his grandfather and impregnating his grandmother resembles the story of Oedipus, who unknowingly killed his father and married and had children with his mother.
 * The manner in which President Harry S. Truman arrives at Roswell (wooden box with "canned eggs" inscription is unloaded from military cargo plane) is spoof of Marshall Plan and powdered eggs, which was one its of main components.
 * The time vortex and accompanying music resembles that of British time travel science fiction series Doctor Who.
 * The ending of the episode, wherein Bender's head is left in the past and then retrieved and reattached to his body in the future, bears a notable resemblance to the ending of the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Time's Arrow".


 * hey, what about adding something like "* Nuclear blast test house scene blatantly ripped off by Lucas & Co. in Indiana Jones #4" ;) 96.52.130.129 (talk) 06:55, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

Enos was a chimpanzee launched on a Mercury Program test flight.Eregli bob (talk) 14:27, 31 January 2010 (UTC)

Why isn't the funniest joke in the show mentioned in the plot summary?
I hate to sound like a crank complaining about homophobia, but... The plot summary doesn't mention that Enos isn't sure of his sexuality -- "Didja ever think we date women just because we're s'posed ta? -- which sends Fry into a tizzy, and partially explains why he's willing to have sex with his grandmother (despite his justification that she really isn't). The scene of Enos flipping the calendar pages shortly before his death is one of the funniest moments in the series.

WilliamSommerwerck (talk) 00:46, 22 June 2008 (UTC)
 * I moved this to the bottom since that's where new posts traditionally belong Stardust8212
 * There are a couple things to consider in this question. First of all, who decides what the funniest joke is, I probably wouldn't choose that one but you would, it's difficult to include what every single person would think is the funniest. Also your analysis of the deeper meaning behind the joke is a bit like original research which is frowned upon. Also remember that this is supposed to be just a brief summary of the plot and some people say that means it should only be about 10 words per minute which in this case would be only 240 words! The article needs to have it's plot trimmed a bit since it is currently over 400 words so adding more jokes just isn't in the cards. Of course, if there is information in reliable secondary sources discussing this particular joke then it would definitely be worth adding that information to the article but I haven't seen those sources so it's hard to say. Well, that's how I see it at least, others are welcome to disagree. Stardust8212 01:04, 22 June 2008 (UTC)


 * In my opinion, it's much too obvious that Enos is pictured as gay, I wouldn't label this as original research. Why not just add something like "Enos (who, in addition, is implied to be gay) ..."? Antares Dbd (talk) 11:13, 4 February 2009 (UTC)

Fry's grandfather's name part II
In the Continuity section, the article cites another wiki that incorrectly states that Fry's father's father was named Yancy. The actual line is along the lines of (spoken by Fry's father): "me, my grandfather, and so on, all the way back to minuteman Yancy who blasted Commies in the American Revolution." There is no mention of Fry's grandather (his father's father) as being a Yancy. Anyway, the cited source is incorrect, but I'm not sure how to cite an episode, so maybe somebody can add that it. The episode is "Luck of the Fryrish". (Updated: After editing, it looks like there's nowhere to logically cite the episode in question) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Enharmonix (talk • contribs) 19:48, 6 January 2009 (UTC)

Actually, the line was "Me, My Father, His Father and so on", so therefore, Continuity is still being broken.Wild ste (talk) 14:54, 8 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Actually, the line is "Son, your name is Yancy, just like me and my grandfather and so on. All the way back to minuteman Yancy Fry, who blasted commies in the American Revolution." So there is no continuity broken.  Move along. --Svippong 15:27, 8 September 2009 (UTC)
 * See a transcript of the episode for clarification. Alternatively, watch the episode again for yourself and pay attention to what he is saying.  Then perhaps, you may not make so blatantly wrong comments in the future. --Svippong 15:29, 8 September 2009 (UTC)

In the Fry family calling elder son Yansy is a tradition. But like Phillip, grandpa Enus could be younger son, whos elder brother's name is Yansy. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.211.219.67 (talk) 17:04, 30 July 2010 (UTC)

Since Enus ist red-haired, he might actually be Fry's mothers father. KhlavKhalash (talk) 17:40, 22 January 2023 (UTC)

Bender Photo?
About halfway through the episode, just after Fry's grandfather is killed in the nuclear blast and he returns to the malt shop to tell the news to Leela and the Professor, there is a scene where Mildred is given the news over the phone. Above the phone is a picture, which as a close glance resembles Bender: Bender's Photo

Should this be added in as an Easter Egg? After all, Bender was broken apart shortly after the crash, so logically there would be no photo of him assembled as he should be. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.237.81.67 (talk) 04:42, 11 July 2010 (UTC)

It's a building, maybe the Empire State. It's certainly not worth mentioning in the article.86.21.49.244 (talk) 21:36, 17 December 2015 (UTC)

Grandfather Paradox
"Near-accidents cause Fry to become obsessed with protecting Enos from possible harm as the grandfather paradox means that Fry will cease to exist if Enos is killed."

This line in the plot section does not sound right. Ceasing to exist if your grandfather is killed before conceiving your father is basic causality, not the Grandfather Paradox. The Grandfather Paradox only deals with the paradox of being able to do things in the past that then result in the inability to do those things in the first place.

I will change the line to simply "Near-accidents cause Fry to become obsessed with protecting Enos from possible harm after the Professor tells him he will cease to exist if Enos is killed." unless anyone has any objections. --Kboyun (talk) 09:22, 16 July 2013 (UTC)

Carmageddon
"Roswell that ends well" is also a level in the computer game Carmageddon. Not sure if it's worth mentioning though. 94.214.185.213 (talk) 17:39, 8 July 2015 (UTC)

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