When Dr. Zoidberg runs amok during the Decapodian mating season, Fry sets out to teach him how to woo a mate. Things backfire when Zoidberg's desired mate falls for Fry instead, and Zoidberg challenges Fry to a battle to the death.
WAR
66.8
Wins Above Replacement
“Why Must I Be A Crustacean In Love” ranks #25 of 170 Futurama episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 82.5 — Elite. The episode packs 89 scored jokes at 5.9 per minute, averaging 6.9 on craft and 6.6 on impact, with Zoidberg landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Zoidberg: You seem malnourished. Do you suffer from parasites?
Zoidberg Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Fry · Leela: It's a fight to the death! - Suddenly it's all about you! Sheesh
Zoidberg: We fight to the death over honor...and whether abbreviations count in Scrabble. They don't!
Edna · Zoidberg: I heard you became a rich doctor. - I've performed a few mercy killings
Zoidberg · Bender · Zoidberg: How do I look? - Like whale barf. - Then the illusion is complete
All Jokes — 89 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Commercial Narrator: Call Robo-Rooter if you flush a toWel / We also help With an impacted boWel
Fry: Now this is progress: A self-microwaving Bavarian Cream Dog
Fry Absurdist Observational Fry: Let's just pray I have the energy to get another beer
Fry Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Bender: What is this, the Middle Ages?
Bender Irony/Sarcasm Observational ★ Rewatch Leela · Bender: You've become a fat sack of crap. - Sack?
Leela: Bender, your beer belly's so big your door won't close
Leela Observational Visual Gag Bender: And that doesn't make sense
Bender Deadpan/Understatement Meta/Self-Referential Bender: For some reason, I'm frisky as a squid on Tuesday
Zoidberg: Crustaceans don't like steam. I'll work out with the Nautilus
Zoidberg Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Amy · Zoidberg: What up, Dr. Z? - Yo, yo. What's up? Give up the rock!
Fry: Co-ed steam rooms. I love the future
Fry Character Comedy Observational Leela · Fry: You're in the women's steam room. - Ah, futuristic
Leela: Look what life was like before genetic engineering. The poor 20th-century women
Leela Visual Gag Observational Woman · Fry: Hey, handsome. Have room for two? - You wish
Woman Fry Setup/Punchline Cringe/Discomfort Fry: Hey, Leela, look who's the super stud
Fry Irony/Sarcasm Cringe/Discomfort Leela: Someone must have turned down the gravity
Leela Observational Deadpan/Understatement Amy · Zoidberg: What's that jazz on your head? - Enough questions. More weight!
Amy: Maybe you could do more reps with less weight
Amy Setup/Punchline Reaction Beat Fry: Looks like Zoidberg's finally coming out of his shell! Get it?
Fry Wordplay/Pun Meta/Self-Referential Someone · Zoidberg: Is there a doctor in the gym? - I'm a doctor!
Amy: Fool me seven times, shame on you. Fool me eight times, shame on me
Amy Wordplay/Pun Escalation Amy · Bender: Maybe he has a parasite. - Maybe he is one
Bender: It's sad when a friend goes nuts...and you have to have a clambake and cook him
Bender Dark/Subversive Absurdist Professor · Zoidberg: Much better. You can remove these. - I'll do it
Leela · Zoidberg: Look out! - Moron!
Zoidberg: Give it to me straight. Is it fin rot? It's fin rot, isn't it?
Professor · Amy: You're just heavy with male jelly. - Blech!
Professor: A time when his behavior is run by the brain in his rump
Professor · Bender: There's one thing we can do. - I'll boil the water
Professor: which will soon erupt in an orgy of invertebrate sex
Bender · Professor: Oh, baby, I'm there! - Do you understand 'invertebrate'?
Bender: It's not the word I care about. No need to pack pants. Let's roll!
Bender Character Comedy Escalation Zoidberg Running Gag Character Comedy Callback Fry: That's how you say 'Zoidberg'?
Fry Observational Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Leela: You didn't have to point out his speech impediment
Leela Cringe/Discomfort Observational Zoidberg: I want a female swollen with eggs to accept my genetic material
Zoidberg Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Bender Character Comedy Reaction Beat Zoidberg: I used to hang out here as a larva. It looked much bigger then
Zoidberg: Who's the tough guy now, Vinnie?
Zoidberg Character Comedy Physical/Slapstick Zoidberg: We fight to the death over honor...and whether abbreviations count in Scrabble. They don't!
Zoidberg · Bender · Zoidberg: How do I look? - Like whale barf. - Then the illusion is complete
Leela: He's no different from you organisms...shooting DNA at each other to make babies
Leela Observational Cringe/Discomfort Fry · Female Crustacean: It's offensive! - Keep your jelly away from my eggs
Bender: He's a loser, that's why. The lobster equivalent of Fry
Bender Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Fry: I can get any girl, any time. I'm just too busy
Fry Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Zoidberg: My face was covered with barnacles
Zoidberg Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Edna · Zoidberg: I heard you became a rich doctor. - I've performed a few mercy killings
Edna · Zoidberg: Maybe a rock star. - Or a doctor?
Edna: I'm sorry. You're just an inferior male specimen
Edna Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Zoidberg: Did you see those guys? They were giant claws with bodies
Bender · Zoidberg: You didn't smell as bad. - You're right. My stink gland is weak. Smell!
Amy: If a guy ever did that, I'd know it. Wait a second. They've all done that. Even Sean!
Amy Escalation Character Comedy Zoidberg: She's not. She just has the largest clutch of eggs
Zoidberg Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Zoidberg: It's all so complicated. The romance and the lies upon lies
Zoidberg: Now there's a bird involved?
Fry · Zoidberg · Fry · Edna: You just want to talk. - I just want to talk. - That doesn't make sense. - That doesn't make sense. But okay
Zoidberg: You seem malnourished. Do you suffer from parasites?
Zoidberg Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Edna: Yes. Thanks for noticing
Edna Reaction Beat Absurdist Zoidberg · Fry: Look, she won't shut up. - It's normal. Just nod and say, 'Uh-huh.'
Edna: It's crazy, but when you talk this way...your obvious deficiencies seem less obvious
Edna Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Edna Character Comedy Absurdist Callback Zoidberg · Fry: Ask to mate? - Third date
Bender: Since then, I've been called 'Honest Bender'
Bender Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Fry · Bender: Turn it over. - Oh. 'Edna! Of all the gross crab monsters on this planet...you are the hottest.'
Edna · Edna: That's the most beautiful thing. - Yes. Well...excuse me. I must powder my flaps
Edna Edna Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Zoidberg Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Zoidberg: Is it love when you care for a female for reasons beyond mating?
Zoidberg: No. Must be some alien emotion
Zoidberg Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Edna · Leela: Do you have idiots on your planet? - Fry?
Edna: Words of such beauty came from the blowhole of that hideous alien?
Edna Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Edna: Can I interest you in some surf and turf?
Edna Wordplay/Pun Cringe/Discomfort Fry · Edna: He's got jelly out the wazoo. - That is where it comes out
Fry Edna Setup/Punchline Cringe/Discomfort Fry: I'm flattered. If I did it with a mudbug, you'd top the list
Fry Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Edna: We're in love, and we're mating tomorrow!
Edna Escalation Cringe/Discomfort Zoidberg · Zoidberg · Fry · Zoidberg: What?! - Fry! I challenge you to Claw Plock! - English, please? - A fight to the death!
Edna: And if you survive, we'll make sweet love
Edna Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Fry · Official: But I don't want her! - The tradition of Claw Plock can't be taken back
Official: It is a recent tradition, only 18 years old, but it is a tradition
Zoidberg: Of course I'm being irrational! I'm in love!
Leela: Yet I embrace celibacy to uphold our crazy traditions
Leela Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Zoidberg: Large bet on me in round one!
Fry: Today I got up and I had a piece of toast...then I brushed my teeth...
Fry Callback Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Fry Reaction Beat Character Comedy Fry · Leela: It's a fight to the death! - Suddenly it's all about you! Sheesh
Fry: but will killing someone with a nutcracker solve anything?
Fry Observational Visual Gag Zoidberg: You bastard! I'll kill you! You bastard!
Zoidberg Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy Zoidberg: Oh, my God! The frenzy! Oh, the greatest experience in life and I missed it
Zoidberg Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Zoidberg: The frenzy is over. How will I get rid of my jelly now?
Zoidberg Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy