Top Ten Futurama Episodes

Set in a not so dystopian future in the year 3000, Futurama was created by Simpsons creator Matt Groening and David Cohen in 1999 as a sci-fi version of the former show. While Simpsons is essentially a family show, Futurama is more of a workplace comedy. The show follows the adventures of Fry, a goofy slacker from the year 2000, Leela, a badass cyclops, and Bender, an alcoholic, gambling robot as they try (and usually fail) to do their package delivery jobs and stay out of trouble. Although it never managed to achieve the popularity of Groening’s first show, it managed to survive a move to another network and two cancellations to deliver 14 years and 124 episodes of top notch quality. Choosing 10 from the many great episodes wasn’t so simple but it sure was rewarding in a weird way. Enjoy!

Ten

The Devil’s Hands are Idle Playthings

Season 4 Episode 16

Fry and Leela’s situationship provided one of Futurama’s longest story arcs as the show’s creators left viewers constantly guessing what the exact nature of their relationship. While Fry’s feelings for Leela were relatively established, her feelings weren’t always requited. Finding himself unable to truly express his feelings to Leela, Fry tries to play her a song on his holoponor. The only problem is he’s not very good. At Bender’s suggestion, he strikes a deal with the Robot Devil to give him robot hands to enable him play flawlessly. When the Robot Devil uses a game of chance to determine whose hands to give Fry, it ends up being his own. Aghast at ending up with Fry’s sloppy hands, the Robot Devil tries to convince Fry to renege on the deal with the latter refusing. But when Fry composes an opera (in Leela’s honor) with his new hands, the Robot Devil hones his attention on Leela. This season 4 finale was originally meant to be the series finale, and while it doesn’t necessarily wrap things up as neatly as the eventual last episode, it offered Fry and Leela shippers everywhere a sweetly, hopeful ending.

Fave Quote: “This opera’s as lousy as it is brilliant! Your lyrics lack subtlety! You can’t just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!” Robot Devil

Nine

Less Than Hero

S4 E4

When Fry and Leela work themselves sore putting together Professor Farnsworth’s contraption, they sooth their bodies with Dr. Zoidberg’s mystery ointment. As it turns out, this mystery ointment has miraculous effects on the duo and gives them super powers like super speed, super strength etc. Only problem is that these effects are temporary; their powers are restored after every rub of the miracle cream. Joining hands with Bender, they decide to don new superhero personas and become a crime-fighting trio who go around solving crimes in new New York. Things go well for them until Leela reveals her secret identity to her parents which compromises her new responsibilities and their safety. Unfortunately this all goes down when their supply of cream runs out. This episode not only works as a standalone story but as a tribute to superhero comics, flicks and movies.

FQ: “Wow! A superpowers drug you can just rub onto your skin? You’d think it was something you’d have to freebase.” Fry

Eight

Where No Fan has Gone Before

S4 E11

Showrunner David Cohen has always described himself as a huge sci-fi nerd. As such, getting the opportunity to work with the iconic cast of Star Trek: The Original Series must have been a dream come true. In this episode, Fry (who also happens to be a huge fan of the show), finds out that all the recordings of the sci-fi classic have been banned from the earth as a result of the overzealous Star Trek fandom. Seeking the help of Leonard Nimoy, the only cast member still residing on earth, the crew set out on a mission to Omega 3 to get all the recordings as well as the rest of the cast. As it turns out, both the recordings and the cast are been held captive by a powerful energy being who’s even more obsessed with Star Trek than Fry. Suddenly Fry’s encyclopedic knowledge of his favorite show proves useful as a showdown with this being determines the fates of the Star Trek cast forever. The episode is not just funny as it serves as a fitting tribute to one of the most iconic television shows ever.

FQ: “I am literally angry with rage!” Fry

Seven

Meanwhile

S7 E26

When Futurama finally wrapped up in 2013, there were some notable differences from the show’s start in 1999. After the Fox network had cancelled the original iteration of the show, it got a second chance on Comedy Central in 2010. That meant some old writers had to be replaced, a smaller budget for production and a slightly different feel to the show dedicated fans had grown to love. One of the biggest differences in the two versions of Futurama was the fact that Leela and Fry’s feelings were treated with more clarity and precision. They had finally gone from “will they/won’t they” to an actual couple. “Meanwhile” serves as a perfect finale for the show as Fry decides to propose to Leela. But when he foolishly toys with Professor Farnsworth’s time altering invention, he ends up screwing up the very fabric of time. As such, the entire world aside from him and Leela were stuck in suspended animation forever. We get to watch Fry and Leela grow old together while living fulfilling lives full of adventure. It is a fitting end to the longest story arc in the show and wraps things up in an emotional and beautiful way.

Six

Xmas Story

S2 E4

The first couple of Futurama seasons saw Fry struggle to adjust to life in new New York in the year 3000 with varying levels of success. In this episode, he finds out that Christmas as he knew it in the 21st century doesn’t exist anymore. In the year 3000, Christmas had given way to Xmas, a rebranded new holiday with new customs and traditions, the most bizarre of which involved the yearly rampage of a bloodthirsty robot Santa. This of course bums him out, until he realizes that this holiday actually hits Leela harder as she’s an orphan and the only cyclops on earth. The episode is action packed, hilarious and yet poignant as it serves to remind us that the holidays aren’t always so great for everybody.

Five

The Problem with Popplers

S2 E18

When the Planet Express crew discover an endless supply of a strange but tasty delicacy on a remote planet, they quickly put their entrepreneurial hats on and decide to sell this food for profit. They brand these tasty snacks ‘popplers’ and it doesn’t take too long for these snacks to become popular among new New Yorkers. All goes well until Leela discovers one of the week old popplers in the office can talk. As it turns out, these popplers are nothing more than the babies of the Omicronians (a race of scaly monsters) and the remote planet the crew discovered was a nursery. Unsurprisingly, the Omicronians want revenge for their eaten young and are prepared to feast on every poppler eater. Like the best Futurama episodes, “Popplers” is a hilarious but pointed critique of larger societal issues. In this case, the episode skewers the food industry, activism and fast food culture.

Four

The Late Phillip J. Fry

S6 E7

As Futurama is a sci-fi show at heart, the concept of time travel was obviously explored at several points with usually gut-busting results. Perhaps the best example of episodes handling time travel is season 6’s “The Late Phillip J. Fry”. The word ‘late’ in the title has two different meanings as it deals with Fry and Leela. At this point in the show, the duo are dating but Leela finds herself constantly frustrated with Fry’s tardiness for dates. She eventually gives him an ultimatum – either show up on time for her birthday dinner or risk being dumped. Fry takes this message on board and gets ready on time for their date but just in time to help Professor Farnsworth test his one-way time machine that can only go to the future. An accidental slip by the professor sees he, Fry and Bender transported many years into the future, far past the 31st century. Like the best Futurama episodes, it’s equally funny, poignant and smart as it handles the intricacies of time travel with respect while having fun with its conceptions of what future on the planet earth will look like.

Three

Roswell that Ends Well

S3 E19

Another time travel episode classic. When the Planet Express crew find themselves in need of a snack while watching a supernova, Fry attempts to microwave popcorn. Popcorn in a non-microwavable container. The combination of the microwave radiation and the elements of the supernova forces the ship to go back in time to Roswell, New Mexico in the year 1947. American history buffs will note that Roswell was where reports were made of a UFO sighting in 1947. The ship’s crash sends Bender’s body flying through the ship’s windscreen where he is then discovered by U.S. military personnel. It’s then up to the rest of the crew to locate Bender’s body and invent a time machine to return them to the future before they disrupt the past and change the future forever. This Emmy winning episode spoofed time travel movies like the Back to the Future trilogy and Terminator while smartly touching on the historical events of the Roswell UFO incident.

Two

Amazon Women in the Mood

S3 E5

Zapp Branigan’s attraction to Leela has been one of the longest and funniest story arcs in the show’s run. It always shapes up the same way: the crew run into Zapp and his assistant Kif, he brazenly flirts with her while she pays him dirt. Unfortunately for Leela, Amy has taken a liking to Kif and as such when Zapp proposes a double date between the foursome, Leela can’t say no. But when the date inevitably ends disastrously, the orbiting restaurant they’re in ends up crashing on planet Amazonia, a world populated by nothing but giant women. Fry and Bender set off to rescue their friends but without Leela to lead them, they naturally fail. When the Amazonian women consult their god, a man-hating computer, she sentences the men to death! By snu-snu i.e. violent sex. Even though the battle of the sexes angle isn’t a particularly fresh one for a comedy, it’s still insightful watching the Futurama characters play out their differences with hilarious results.

One

War is the H Word

S3 E2

When Fry and Bender sign up for the armed forces just to get a discount on gum, they end up getting drafted into service almost immediately. With Zapp Branigan presiding over earth’s troops, the soldiers set off to a mystery planet to engage in a mystery war. Upon finding out the army isn’t recruiting females, Leela dons a male guise and joins the troops in order to help protect her friends. With little to no information to work with, the troops are dropped onto a planet to fight a race of bouncing space balls. By the time Leela finds out what the war truly entails, Bender’s life is in mortal danger and there’s a race against the clock to save him. This episode skillfully parodies war dramas and comedies alike while making a larger point about America’s penchant for war mongering. It’s incredibly smart, layered and funny and is in many ways the perfect encapsulation of all that’s great about Futurama.