14 Great Futurama Characters In Only One Episode

Who knew Bender’s secret skill was tap dancing? Better yet, who knew Bender would find friendship with a 6-year-old girl?

In Stench and Stenchability, Bender accidentally discovers his skill of tap dancing after frantically stepping on an attack of bugs. Randy Munchnik scouts out his talent and invites him to a dance competition. Bender is ready to dominate the competition but is rivalled by Tonya – an adorable young girl, similar to Shirley Temple with the ‘sob story’ of having a severe heart condition, making her extremely popular.

The competition whittles down to just Tonya and Bender in the final, and given her extreme talent, he plans to sabotage the little girl by putting rusty tacks in her shoes. But Tonya overhears him and smashes his knee, causing an injury unfit for the finals.

Just before the final, the two make undercutting insults towards each other and Bender calls Tonya “an evil, heartless troll” before then realising they have a lot in common and could have been friends in another life. In a face-off tap dance, the two fiercely try to out-do each other in their performance whilst continuing to mock one another. Tonya is the winner and, in a fury, Bender claims he’ll dance on her grave someday.

During her winner’s speech, Tonya has a heart attack and dies. In perhaps Bender’s most evil moment ever, he literally dances on her chest rather than waiting for her grave. Though at first very shocking for everyone witnessing the moment, his dancing actually resuscitates her and brings her back to life, and Bender becomes a hero. The two decide to join forces by robbing people under the appearance of street performers.

Bender and Tonya were truly meant to be together as evil doers – a match made in hell.