“ | We either need more days of summer or more of us. | ” |
— Phineas Flynn |
Phineas and Ferb build robot versions of themselves, Phinedroids and Ferbots, to help out with their Big Ideas. Meanwhile, Dr. Doofenshmirtz tries to remove all the messages he left on his girlfriend's answering machine.
Episode Summary[]
The boys are sitting under the tree in the back yard, going through the candidates for what awesome thing they will do today. Among the choices are a completely food-based water park, a tunnel to the center of the Earth, a chamber of invisibility, and a microscopic zoo that rests on the head of a pin. As the realization sinks in that they have a lot of blueprints, models and schematics, a falling leaf prompts Phineas to comment that "summer doesn't last forever and we've got too many plans for just the two of us. We either need more days of summer, or more of us." Ferb hands over his plans for a robot, and that gives Phineas an idea: make Phinedroids and Ferbots.
At this moment, Phineas notices Perry is missing. Perry is up on the roof of their house, pressing bricks on the chimney. The chimney opens up to reveal an elevator. During the trip down to his lair, it makes a stop and Santa Claus gets in. Perry gets off, revealing a sign that says "Chimmney Vator". Major Monogram begins the briefing, telling Agent P that Dr. Doofenshmirtz has made 57 phone calls in the past hour, but he doesn't know to whom or why. Agent P points back towards the elevator door, but Major Monogram says it's not to Santa. As Agent P leaves, Major Monogram tells Carl, who is off-screen, that this is why he doesn't like using the Chimmney Vator, beside the fact that Santa owed him a pony.
Back in the garage, the boys are finishing up the robot-building device. Phineas places pictures of them on the scanner. Within moments, the robots are done in the new version of the device. The one sitting in the background is deemed an "old dinosaur". As pairs of the Phinedroids and Ferbots march out of the new device, Phineas starts to welcome them. He notices that Ferb's bullhorn is not on, even though Ferb isn't saying anything. He continues and asks the robots to each take a blueprint and report to the back yard. Phineas asks Ferb to do the honors, which is to select "dance mode" on the remote control. The robots begin dancing and sing Phinedroids and Ferbots. The boys join in and soon, everyone is "busting chillin' moves with their robot poses".
Meanwhile, at Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated, Dr. Doofenshmirtz is scrunched up in a red chair, muttering "why won't she pick up?" Agent P lets himself in the room using a key that Dr. Doofenshmirtz has given him. Dr. Doofenshmirtz thanks him. "Much more civilized than crashing through my ceiling, don't you think? Yes." Dr. Doofenshmirtz then tries to persuade Agent P that he isn't up to anything, just dealing with a "relationship bump" with his new girlfriend. Agent P glances over to the computer, where there's a plan for a crane-mounted magnet. It will help him erase the messages he's left on her answering machine. Agent P gives him a disapproving look, so Dr. Doofenshmirtz activates a rope trap. "Too bad for you. Too bad you don't believe in love", he says. As he drives off in the crane, he yells, "Too bad!"
Meanwhile back at the house, Candace is on the phone with Stacy. She can't watch Stacy get her ears pierced because she is in charge while Linda Flynn-Fletcher is over at Zippy Pics. A Phinedroid walks by the window, carrying a ladder. At first, Candace doesn't think this is unusual, until a second Phinedroid walks by, carrying the back end of the same ladder. Candace ends her call and goes to the backyard and is confronted by the sight of multiple Phineases and Ferbs. She concludes that her brothers are robots. "They're brobots!" She freaks out, runs through the house and climbs down the ladder into her Panic Room. Clutching Mr. Miggins, she calls her mom. "Phineas and Ferb, and and Phineas and Ferb, and and robots. Chamber of invisibility. Elephants." she squeaks.
Mom's heard this all before and tells Candace she'll see the robots after she gets home. Candace knows everything will be gone by that time. But as she talks to Mr. Miggins, she realizes that if she captures one she'll have proof. After donning protective gear, she sets out a can of oil as bait. A Ferbot takes a drink, and Candace catches it in a burlap bag. Candace dumps the bag in front of the house, then calls Stacy to let her know what she's done. She doesn't get very far because Stacy is crying. A few moments later, Stacy's mom comes on the phone so Candace pretends she didn't know anything about the ear piercing. Behind her, a garbage truck has picked up the burlap bag, followed by a Fred's Fertilizer truck dropping off a bag of fertilizer. Candace is thinking about "poor, mixed-up Stacy" and doesn't notice the change.
Back at Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated, Agent P pulls a can of Fancy Cheese Spray out of his hat. A mouse climbs down the rope and starts eating the cheese the Agent P sprayed on it.
Over in the backyard, Phineas and Ferb check on the robots' progress. The Chamber of Invisibility is completed. Phineas congratulates the Ferbot, then notes he'd normally tell Ferb that. Next is the microscopic zoo. Phineas climbs up the ladder and peers through the eyepiece of the giant microscope. That's a success, too.
As Phineas looks at the tunnel to the center of the Earth, he begins to realize that it isn't as fun when others do their projects for them. At this moment a Phinedroid delivers a new plan to him. It's for the hovercraft lounge chair, which the Phinedroid has already completed and rides away on. This was the plan that the boys were going to do the following week. Phineas sees it's getting worse. The robots have run out of projects and are designing their own. Phineas asks, "Have we learned nothing from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?" Then he notices the coffee stand. He pronounces the overpriced coffee stand as "so Nineties".
Just then, the coffee creates a new problem: the robots start going haywire. One can't sleep. When one falls down in front of him, Phineas decides to shut down the coffee stand. The Phinedroids and Ferbots don't like it. Phineas tries to execute the shutdown command but it doesn't work. The robots start closing in on the boys.
In a different part of Danville, Dr. Doofenshmirtz is driving the crane towards his girlfriend's house, singing along with the radio to "Gitchee Gitchee Goo". He's almost there, looking forward to erasing the embarrassing messages and leaving new ones. Just then he sees something in the road and stops the crane. It's Agent P. Dr. Doofenshmirtz realizes the mouse must have helped him escape. He warns Agent P to get out of the way or he'll drop the magnet on him. Agent P refuses to budge. After a couple of seconds, Dr. Doofenshmirtz releases the magnet. Just before the magnet lands on Agent P, Santa swoops by in his sleigh and catches the magnet on the sleigh's runners. Dr. Doofenshmirtz exclaims that it doesn't make sense because it's the middle of July. Santa replies that he's on a summer run. As Santa flies off, Dr. Doofenshmirtz says, "bah, humbug".
In the backyard, things are looking grim. Phineas laments that their creations have turned on them and says "if only there was a device that could stop them". Ferb pulls out the remote control and Phineas says he was just messing with Ferb. Phineas presses the dance button. The robots begin dancing again and singing the second part of Phinedroids and Ferbots. Phineas and Ferb dance with them as well.
Up on the front sidewalk, Candace proclaims, "Eighties music is so 2002". Linda arrives and wants to show Candace the photos, but Candace is in a hurry to show her what she caught. She dumps the bag in front of her mom and opens it. Linda peers in and says, "That's a very nice bag of manure, Candace". Candace looks at it and shrieks, causing Linda to drop the pictures. Suddenly, Candace hears some voices. Candace runs to the backyard. The robots are still there, so she tries to get her mom to see them. Neither of them see Santa flying overhead. As he flies over the backyard, the magnet lifts the robots out of the yard, leaving behind Phineas and Ferb, still dancing.
As Candace drags Linda to the gate, unaware of the disappearance, she says that even though she's done this nineteen other times, she's confident that there are robots, but when she opens the gate, all the robots are gone and only the real Phineas and Ferb, who are still robot dancing, are present. Linda sarcastically agrees that there are "Phineas and Ferb robots" in the backyard as Candace hangs her head in shame and Phineas and Ferb are shown robot dancing for a final time.
Transcript[]
Read the transcript of I, Brobot.
Songs[]
- "Morning Mood"
- "Gitchee Gitchee Goo" (Elevator music, radio version)
- "Phinedroids and Ferbots"
End Credits[]
A few minutes later, Mom wants to show off the pictures again. A picture of Candace slips out of her hands and floats into the garage, landing on the scanner. The robot-building device makes a robot of her image. Candace freaks out again and she yells "It's a Candroid!" running in circles around her mom and the boys. She runs back into the panic room. The Candroid is already there, clutching Mr. Miggins. Candace reclaims Mr. Miggins from the Candroid telling her to give it back.
Gallery[]
View the image gallery for "I, Brobot". |
Running Gags[]
The "Too Young" Line[]
None.
Ferb's Line[]
None, but his robot counterpart sings the song.
What'cha doin'?[]
None.
Hey, where's Perry?[]
Phineas: We can make Phinedroids and Ferbots! Hey, where's Perry? |
Oh, there you are, Perry[]
None.
Perry's entrance to his lair[]
Perry takes the "Chimney-vator" to get into his lair, an elevator inside the chimney of the boys' house. Santa Claus also uses the Chimmney-vator with Perry. Santa and Perry look at each other causing Perry to grin.
Evil Jingle[]
Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated!
Memorable Quotes[]
Phineas: We either need more days of summer or more of us. |
Major Monogram: Agent P, Dr. Doofenshmirtz is up to his old tricks. He's made fifty-seven phone calls in the past hour. We don't know to whom or why. (Perry points toward the Chimney-Vator) No, not to Santa! |
Major Monogram: See, Carl, that's why I don't like using the Chimney Vator. Besides, that guy totally owes me a pony from when I was five. |
Phineas: Phinedroids and Ferbots! We thank you for being here with us today. Please — uh, Ferb, your bullhorn's not on. |
Dr. Doofenshmirtz: Oh, hi, Perry the Platypus. Thanks for using the key I gave you, it's much more civilized than crashing through my ceiling, don't you think? |
Dr. Doofenshmirtz: I know there's an ordinance against it. |
Candace: Oh, here they come now. Phineas and Fer... uh, Phineas?! (gasps) I have to call you back! |
Candace: Stacy! Oh my gosh! Guess what? Ugh, Stacy, I can't understand you. Why are you crying? Yeah... crying, crying, it hurts, right, got that, uh huh— oh hello, Mrs. Hirano! What? Stacy got her ears pierced? Gee, what a terrible thing that I had completely no idea about! Anyway, gotta run, Mrs. Hirano, give Stacy my best! (While talking on the phone, the bag with the Ferbot inside it has been switched with a manure bag) Candace: Poor, mixed-up Stacy. |
Candace: Oh, wait 'til Mom finds out about Phineas and Ferb... and Phineas and Ferb... and...Phineas... and Ferb, and Phineas... and Ferb... Phineas?! Ferb?! Ferbias?! Phineferb?! (gasps) They're my brothers and they're robots! They're brobots! |
Linda: What is it, Candace?
Candace: Mom, I'm in the panic room... Phineas and Ferb, and-and Phineas and Ferb, and-and ROBOTS! (high pitched voice) Invisibility Chamber! (Shouts) Elephants! Linda: That's nice, honey. Well, the pictures should be ready soon and then I'll see the robots when I get home. Bye! Candace: But everything will be gone by the time Mom gets home... Isn't that right, Mr. Miggins? Unless... |
Phineas: Have we learned nothing from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein? |
Phineas: And now they started their own overpriced coffee franchise! (Pause) That is so 90's. |
Phineas: This is terrible! We have an entirely new problem! The coffee is making them haywire! (He points to the robots getting out of control) And that one is having trouble falling asleep! (He points to a Phinedroid trying to sleep, looking to an alarm clock every 2 seconds) Poor little guy. |
Dr. Doofenshmirtz: Well, as a lazy tailor would say, suit yourself! |
Dr. Doofenshmirtz: That...that doesn't make sense! It's the middle of July!
Santa: I'm on a summer run! Farewell, Perry the Platypus! Dr. Doofenshmirtz: Bah, humbug. |
Phineas: (Melodramatically, while hugging Ferb around the shoulders) So this is how it ends, Ferb... defeated by our own dopplegängers. If only we had some sort of device that could stop them from...
(Ferb pulls out the remote control.) Phineas: Heh, heh. I know, I'm just messing with ya. |
Candace: Ugh, 80's music is so 2002... |
Candace: It's a Candroid!
(Candace screams as she runs back into the Panic Room where the Candroid is holding Mr. Miggins) Candace: Oh, give me that! |
Background Information[]
- This episode shows that Santa Claus is part of the Phineas and Ferb universe. Santa was voiced by Dan Povenmire.
- Perry is shown to like Santa in this episode.
- Agent P keeps the key to Dr. Doofenshmirtz's living quarters inside a pocket in his fur. This was given to him by Dr. Doofenshmirtz to cut back on damage to the building, evidence of the growing relationship between Agent P and Dr. Doofenshmirtz.
- This episode contains the largest number of plans (8) in a single episode:
- Phinedroids and Ferbots
- Second-generation robot-building device
- Microscopic Zoo
- Chamber of Invisibility
- Tunnel to the center of the Earth
- Hovercraft lounge chair
- First-generation robot-building device (appears to have been completed prior to this episode)
- A completely food-based water park (discussed but not built)
- Ironically, Candace's voice actress, Ashley Tisdale, did five covers of 80's songs in 2008.[1]
- Candace does not say anything when she discovers the brobots disappeared. This is the first episode to show that kind of matter.
- Dr. Doofenshmirtz developed a plan for a tunnel to China, which would have also gone through the center of the Earth, as seen in "Candace Loses Her Head". The Phinedroids and Ferbots solved the problem of dealing with the molten lava at the Earth's core while Dr. Doofenshmirtz did not.
- Second time Ferb does not talk. First was in "The Fast and the Phineas".
- This episode marks Candace's highest speaking pitch at F when she screams, beating a D in "The Fast and the Phineas".
- Candace tries to bust her brothers despite the fact she does not interact with them in this episode.
- This is the first time Candace gives the Big Idea (or part of it) its name. The second time will be in "Lotsa Latkes".
- Fourth episode where Candace does not stutter ("Flop Starz", "The Fast and the Phineas", "Raging Bully").
- It's ironic for Phineas to say Ferb's bullhorn isn't on even though Ferb doesn't speak much.
- This is the first episode to have very few running gags.
Production Information[]
- First episode that Isabella does not appear in terms of broadcast order.
- Episode description from the original Phineas and Ferbruary 2008 press release:
- In the episode "I, Brobot," airing Wednesday, Ferb-ruary 6, Phineas and Ferb realize they have a lot of projects they want to get done before the summer ends and not a lot of time or manpower to accomplish them, so they get started by cloning themselves. Soon there are robot versions of Phineas and Ferb running all over town, and Candace is beginning to think she's lost her mind. Meanwhile Dr. Doofenshmirtz has created a large magnet to hover over his girlfriend's house and erase all the crazy messages he recorded on her answering machine.
International Premieres[]
- February 22, 2008 (Disney Channel Latin America)
- January 18, 2009 (Disney Channel Spain)
Errors[]
- Although the Phinedroids and Ferbots were removed by Santa Claus, it was never shown what happened to the remaining completed projects. Therefore Linda should've seen them.
- When Santa says "Ho ho ho, hold that elevator!" his mouth doesn't move at all.
- When Mom says "Who wants to see pictures?" her mouth doesn't move at all.
- The number of brobots shown varies in each scene, though six Phinedroids and six Ferbots is the most commonly-seen amount.
- At the time they were created, seven pairs of Phinedroids and Ferbots emerge from the robot-building device.
- When Phineas shuts down the coffee stand, 10 Ferbots can be seen advancing on the boys, with enough spacing in the semi-circle for an additional 4 to 6 Ferbots off screen.
- When the boys activate "dance mode" a second time, one Ferbot is missing from the circle, which would be the Ferbot that Candace captured.
- At the end, Santa flies over the back yard with the giant magnet, pulling up six Phinedroids and eight Ferbots.
- Chimmney-Vator is spelt wrong, as it should be spelt Chimney-Vator.
- The live video feed from inside the Chamber of Invisibility is from a totally different angle than the video camera shown on the frame of the chamber.
- Even though the robots disappeared, the robot making machine doesn't; therefore Linda should've seen it.
- Candace's phone worked perfectly in the panic room under the basement, where she should have gotten either minimal or no reception at all.
- Every time Candace enters and exits through the small door, it has the living room inside it, usually that door leads to the kitchen.
- When Phineas is first seen typing commands into the computer, the connecting cord and the second generation robot making machine are missing. His mouth briefly doesn't move at all whilst he is talking in this scene, but this only lasts a short period of time.
Continuity[]
- Gitchee Gitchee Goo elevator music is heard again ("Flop Starz").
- Doofenshmirtz sings along with Gitchee Gitchee Goo while driving his crane. Also, when Perry is going down in the Chimmneyvator, it is heard as elevator music.
- When the robots run out of plans that the boys gave them and started creating their own, a Ferbot is seen designing a rollercoaster. It is the same design that Ferb came up with in the episode "Rollercoaster".
- Candace tells Linda, "I know I've done this nineteen other times" when attempting to show her mother what the boys are doing. Since this is the 18th episode produced, that would make training monkeys to juggle bicycles the first plan Candace tried to bust her brothers for, which is mentioned in "Rollercoaster".
Allusions[]
- Frankenstein - Phineas directly references the book when he says to Ferb, "Have we learned nothing from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?"
- I, Robot - The name of the title is a parody of the Isaac Asimov novel and the 2004 film based on it.
- A Christmas Carol - When Santa takes the Giant Magnet, Doofenshmirtz says "Bah, humbug", similar to Ebenezer Scrooge.
- Journey to the Center of the Earth - The tunnel to the center of the Earth is probably a reference to this famous novel and film.
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone - The entrance to the Chimney Vator, where you tap certain stones, is similar to the entrance to Diagon Alley.
- The music played as the leaf drops in the beginning when Phineas realizes summer doesn't last forever is Morning Mood by Edvard Grieg. It is also heard in "Bowl-R-Ama Drama".
- The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf - The name of the Brobots' coffee franchise, Robot Bean and Tea Leaf, is a parody of this Californian coffee franchise.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - When Candace says "80's Music is so 2002", she may have been referring to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City as it was set in the 1980s (1986 to be specific) and was given a full 80's soundtrack. As it was released in October 2002, it also introduced 80's music to a younger generation.
Trivia[]
- Candace has a panic room in which she keeps her stuffed bear, Mr. Miggins. She will later use this room in "Invasion of the Ferb Snatchers".
- Candace said she tried busting nineteen times (which is a reference to the production order of the series), but she actually tried it twelve times on screen (as there was only seventeen previous stories in the production order and she doesn't try to bust her brothers in "Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror", "Lights, Candace, Action!", "Get That Bigfoot Outa My Face!", "Tree to Get Ready", and "A Hard Day's Knight"). She could've been exaggerating.
- Though she does drag Linda around multiple times in some episodes.
- Also the episodes are not in chronological order, as "Candace Loses Her Head" takes place in July, while "Summer Belongs to You" happens in June and "When Worlds Collide" in late May, despite airing at later dates.
- Doofenshmirtz claims to have left 57 messages to his new girlfriend. This could be in reference to the fact that he shares his first name, Heinz, with an American food processing company known for having 57 different products.
- This episode is not on Disney+, with "Rollercoaster" taking its place instead.
- As of mid-2020, the episode was included.
Cast[]
- Main article: Credits
- Vincent Martella as Phineas
- Ashley Tisdale as Candace
- Thomas Sangster as Ferb
- Caroline Rhea as Mom
- Richard O'Brien as Dad ♦
- Dan Povenmire as Dr. Doofenshmirtz
- Jeff "Swampy" Marsh as Major Monogram
- Dee Bradley Baker as Perry
- Malcolm McDowell as Grandpa Fletcher ♦
- Jane Carr as Grandma Fletcher ♦
- Dominic Wood as Charles ♦
- Tim Curry as Stubbings ♦
- Additional Voices: Dee Bradley Baker, Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, Tim Curry, Dan Povenmire
- ♦ designates a character that did not appear in this episode
References[]
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