Pizza delivery boy Fry (Billy West) found himself 1,000 years in the future after being accidentally frozen in 1999 inFuturama. The animated sci-fi sitcom first aired on Fox in 1999 and ran for four seasons before it was canceled, at which point it returned as four direct-to-DVD movies, later re-cut into 30-minute episodes. It then moved to Comedy Central, where it lasted an additional three seasons. It was recently rebooted after a 10-year hiatus, starting with season 11, and has been renewed through Season 14.
While nothing quite matches the tone and strength ofFuturama’s original run,the newest revival seasons have still proven to be a smart, funny continuation of the beloved show, with some compelling episodes. Just as in its original run, the best episodes have combined high-concept sci-fi with quick-witted humor, and some have followed up on jokes and plots first mentioned years ago.
10"Children of a Lesser Bog"
Season 11, Episode 2 (2023)
In “Children of a Lesser Bog,” Amy (Lauren Tom) and Kif’s (Maurice Lamarche) children emerged from a swamp in Kif’s home world, 20 years after Kif gave birth to a clutch of tadpoles. As part of the process, some were attacked by predators as they emerged, leaving three surviving. The episode was a sequel to the Season 4 episode “Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch,” in which Kif became pregnant and Amy wasn’t ready to become a mother.
It’s not unusual forFuturamato revisit its earlier episodes, and in “Children of a Lesser Bog,” a gag from 20 years earlier finally paid off. It was refreshing to have an episode focused on Amy, and it showed her growth as she shifted to being ready to become a mother. On top of being a funny episode, it was also wonderfully heartfelt, especially as it came to an end.
9"Attack of the Clothes”
Season 12, Episode 6 (2024)
Farnsworth (West) created his own Frankenstein-like monster in “Attack of the Clothes,” for the purpose of winning a scientific fashion show. While initially headless, modelCara Delevingne—guest-starring as herself—loaned her head to the creation. Farnsworth then created clothes for his “monster” to wear, and his designs became so popular, they turned him into a fashion icon. His career in fast fashion put Earth in danger after he encouraged consumers to send their used clothes through a wormhole.
Great sci-fi often addresses social issues, andFuturamais no exception—“Attack of the Clothes” was among the latest of the show’s episodes with a larger point to make, specifically about the environmental impact of fast fashion. It was also a fun play on theclassic story of Frankenstein’s monster, where Farnsworth’s creation wasn’t so, well, monstrous with the head of a supermodel. It ended on a cliffhanger, rare for the series.
8"Planet Espresso"
Season 12, Episode 7 (2024)
Hermes (Phil LaMarr) was informed that his father died and he inherited his Jamaican coffee farm in “Planet Espresso.” The farm housed the remains of an ancient spaceship belonging to an alien race whose home planet was flowing with coffee and who were determined to “spread the sacrament of coffee throughout the galaxy,” which led to humanity’s biggest achievements. Meanwhile, Planet Express took advantage of the new business opportunity and became a coffee shop.
Like other episodes in the revival seasons, “Planet Espresso” focused on a character other than one of the main ones, this time, Hermes, and to great effect.The episode presented an alternate version of how coffee was discovered and played on its near-universally beloved status, with jokes about the need for caffeine and the elitism that can sometimes come from coffee enthusiasts—when asked about decaf, the aliens reply, “We’re aliens, not perverts.”
7"The Temp"
Season 12, Episode 3 (2024)
Fry was replaced with a completely different person in “The Temp,” but none of the other Planet Express crew members seemed to notice. It was ultimately revealed that his name was really Frank and he had hypnotized the crew. The episode also served as a sequel to Season 3 episode “Amazon Women in the Mood,” in which Fry decided to go on vacation, and Frank filled in for him, then was accidentally left behind on a different planet.
“The Temp” was a funny yet unsettling episode that felt like classicFuturamaand madea minor character a big partof the plot. Frank’s plan was diabolical, and although his actions weren’t justified, it was easy to understand them and sympathize with—being forgotten and left behind would certainly take a toll on a person. The episode was also yet another example of the show’s newer episodes turning to its past to expand on storylines and characters.
6"How The West Was 1010001"
Season 11, Episode 3 (2023)
At the urging of the Professor, who announced that they were bankrupt due to being in debt to the Robot Mafia, the Planet Express crew headed west to Doge City to cash in on the Bitcoin rush and started mining thallium to help Bitcoin miners run their rigs in Season 11 episode “How The West Was 1010001.” The episode played out as a parody of Westerns, with Dwight (Bumper Robinson) saving the day in the end.
“How The West Was 1010001” was one of the strongest episodes of Season 11, with quick dialogue and jokes. It put a fun, literal spin on Bitcoin mining by setting the episode in the Wild West and hearkening back to America’s past of gold mining. While the subject of Bitcoin had become a bit outdated by the time the episode aired, the way it was handled kept it from feeling out of place.
5"The Impossible Stream"
Season 11, Episode 1 (2023)
After a briefrecap of the finale “Meanwhile”from the Professor,Futurama’s reboot began immediately afterward with “The Impossible Stream,” in which Fry made it his life goal to binge-watch every TV show in existence. After watching much of the soap opera “All My Circuits,” his brainwaves were the same as the TV signal, and if the show ever ended, his consciousness would be severed. The only way to save him was to create more episodes of the show.
“The Impossible Stream” touched on the technological changes in the years it was off the air,including the sometimes overwhelming amount of content audiences have to choose from in the streaming ageand the practice of rebooting old shows, as well as the effect watching too much TV could have on a person. It was an appropriately meta episode to kick off the new, rebooted series, complete with a fictional version of Hulu.
4"Quids Game"
Season 12, Episode 2 (2024)
While throwing a surprise birthday party for Fry in “Quids Game,” the Planet Express was pulled off course and became trapped on a strange planet. Its alien inhabitants forced them to reenact all the games that were played during Fry’s 8th birthday party with a twist—they were to be played to the death. While Fry was determined not to cheat, Bender (John DiMaggio) took the opposite approach and was willing to do anything to survive.
“Quids Game” was an entertaining parody ofSquid Gamewhich made great use of some of the show’s minor characters—and the fact that many characters didn’t survive and were mourned by the ones who did made it an emotional episode. Like some ofFuturama’s best episodes in the past,it also had some heartbreaking moments, particularly from the revelation of the very different ways Fry and his mother experienced his birthday party.
3"I Know What You Did Next Xmas"
Season 11, Episode 6 (2023)
In “I Know What You Did Next Xmas,” Farnsworth sought to stop Robot Santa—who went on a killing spree due to an error—once and for all, andbecause Robot Santa neverlet his guard down, Farnsworth concluded their best chance was to attack him through time. Farnsworth traveled back in time to turn Robot Santa nice, while Bender and Zoidberg (West) went back in time for their own reasons.
“I Know What You Did Next Xmas” saw the return of Farnsworth’s time machine, now equipped to travel both backward and forward in time, plus the very rare teaming up of Bender and Zoidberg.The episode also included a reference to the crew’s past forays into time travel, specifically the incident that led to Fry becoming his own grandfather, as well as some sweet scenes of the crew enjoying the holidays with their loved ones.
2"All the Way Down”
Season 11, Episode 10 (2023)
In the Season 11 finale “All the Way Down,” the Professor created a simulation of the entire universe nearly identical to the real one. As a result, the crew began to question if their universe was actually a simulation, as well. In a quest for answers of their own, the residents of the simulation made their own simulation. Meanwhile, Bender started to get attached to the simulated versions of the crew.
“All the Way Down” was a standout episode of Season 11, as well as one of the best in the series overall.It was agreat episode for Benderin particular, highlighting his softer side. Like past classic episodes ofFuturama, it left an impression long after the credits rolled thanks to its high concept and great use of a well-known sci-fi trope—and the way it put a new spin on it with the show’s typical smart humor.
1"Otherwise"
Season 12, Episode 10 (2024)
In the Season 12 finale “Otherwise,” Fry is overwhelmed by the feeling of déjà vu after proposing to Leela (Katey Sagal). Then, when the Planet Express ship crashed, the crew took it into space for a proper burial, where they discovered a multiverse in the Graveyard of Ships. The episode was a follow-up to “Meanwhile,” the previous series finale in which Fry and Leela were frozen in time and lived out their lives together happily.
Fry and Leela’s love story has been an ongoing plot thread throughoutFuturama, leading to some of its best episodes—including “Meanwhile.”“Otherwise” was a fantastic follow-up and great way to end the season, yet another example ofFuturama’s seasons ending on a high note. It also introduced the concept of a multiverse in the series, creating the possibility for plenty of other stories moving forward, while also offering a possible explanation for any plot holes.
