Episode Recap: Mars University

The Professor informs his staff of the need to ship a crate to Mars
University. The contents of the crate are part of a project he hopes
will net him the Nobel Prize. The Professor claims the mysterious
creature housed within is harmless. But when the crate suddenly rocks
violently, the Professor fires a tranquilizer dart. The beast within
drops with a thud. Later, the Planet Express ship lands on Mars. Fry is
impressed with the surroundings, which have been terra-formed and can
support human life. Bender comes upon a chapter of his old robot
fraternity, Epsilon Rho Rho. He strikes up a friendship with his
mechanical frat brethren, Gearshift, Oily and Fat-Bot. Bender's name is
legendary, as he consumed a keg of beer, streaked across campus and
crammed fifty-eight humans in a phone booth all in one night. Gearshift
begs Bender to teach the frat members how to be cool. Using a ladder,
the robots spy on a sorority, but are more interested in a desktop
computer than the scantily clad girls within. Dean Vernon places the
frat on multiple secret probation. Meanwhile, Fry tells Leela that he
dropped out of college after three weeks. He determines to enroll in
Mars University so he can drop out all over again. But he soon discovers
that his dormitory roommate is Guenter, a talking monkey who wears a
tiny bowler hat.

The Professor explains that Guenter is his secret experiment. His
intelligence stems from his electronium hat. Unfortunately, Fry and
Guenter take an immediate dislike to each other. Later, the Professor
meets Guenter during Parent's Weekend. In honor of the event, the
Professor presents Guenter with a special surprise: his parents. Guenter
reacts with alarm and humiliation when he sees his caged parents. Fry
takes the opportunity to unlatch the cage. The monkeys leap out and go
berserk. Embarrassed, Guenter runs out of the room. When Fry and Leela
return to the dorm, they discover Guenter sitting in the dark. The
monkey explains that he has tried his utmost to fit in, but seeing his
parents made him realize he is only a primitive beast. A tear rolls down
his cheek. Fry attempts to cheer the animal by suggesting that he return
to the jungle. But Guenter believes running away would be unfair to the
Professor. During an exam, Guenter has a change of heart. He tosses off
his hat and suddenly runs off into the jungle. The Professor looks
stricken.

Leela suggests that she, Fry and the Professor journey into the jungle
so they can allow Guenter to decide what is best for him. The threesome
make their way through the woods and eventually emerge on a river bank,
where Guenter sits on a nearby rock. Meanwhile, Bender, Gearshift, Oily
and Fat-Bot sign up for a raft regatta. Dean Vernon explains that
whichever house wins the race becomes the head of the Greek Council…and
any probation shall be lifted. As the robots use their raft for some
water skiing, they send a huge wave crashing down on Fry, Leela and the
Professor. They are swept into the raging river. Bender and his cohorts
plummet over a waterfall and end up winning the race. Meanwhile, Fry,
Leela and the Professor call to Guenter, hoping he will put on the hat
and save them from going over the falls. Eventually, Guenter dons the
hat and, using a log tied to a vine, pulls the threesome out of the
water. The rescue, however, leaves Guenter dangling partway over the
falls. As Guenter debates whether or not his life is worth living, the
vine snaps. Guenter plummets over the side. Guenter survives the drop.
He notices his crushed hat nearby, and credits it for breaking the fall.
The monkey tells the Professor he no longer wishes to wear the hat…and
has decided to transfer to business school. The Professor reacts with
horror. During a series of freeze frames, it is revealed that Fry
dropped out of school; Guenter received his MBA and started a pyramid
scheme; Fat-Bot caught a virus in Tijuana and had to be rebooted; and
Bender stole everything of value from the Robot House.