by Nick Ferro, Contributing Writer
Futurama is back (again), baby! No, not like before. This time, it’s on Hulu! Jokes aside, this is not my first rodeo on the long, 24-year journey that has been Futurama. I first fell in love with the show the year it premiered all the way back in the late 1990s. Yes, children, gather ‘round and hear a tale from your elder. Let me regale you of what it was like when a satirical cartoon program, not called The Simpsons or South Park, stretched the boundaries of meta humor a decade before the style became popular. Back in those days, you may not remember, to find another soul who not only watched Futurama, but enjoyed it too, was rare indeed. So many people just scoffed that it was a Simpsons knockoff, or not as funny as Family Guy, the other new release of the year. This saddened me greatly, as I truly loved every minute Futurama had to offer, and longed for someone with whom it could be shared. It was so incredibly clever and full of smart humor, as well as ridiculously silly, dumb humor. At its core stood a heart of gold and the ability to draw forth great emotions. I was saddened further when it was cancelled after only four short years. But all was not lost! Upon entering my college life, I was graced with a gift passed down by the good people at Adult Swim, who picked it up for syndication, thus, entering us into the chaotic years.
From 2004 to 2006, reruns reigned supreme, and we were bombarded with a plethora of rumors that a special event consisting of four Futurama movies was being planned as a revival. The potential that this could lead to the show being brought back to life was exciting. In 2007 we were graced with Bender’s Big Score, the first of four movies released straight to DVD (which I still own to this day). It was all the best elements of Futurama: goofy humor, time travel, paradoxes, loads of irreverent meta-ness, and some heart. Over the next year, they released three more movies, all of which were of varying quality, but for the most part, successes. This lead to Comedy Central picking the show up and airing the four movies split up into 16 episodes as an official season of the show. Two years later, four more seasons would air on Comedy Central until 2013, when once again, the show was cancelled. Only this time, rather than being unceremoniously cast aside due to poor ratings and shortsighted FOX executives (funny how often that phrase gets used), the writers were allowed the time to give us a perfect ending to what is one of the greatest animated shows of all time!
My initial reaction to Futurama returning was excitement with only a tinge of concern. There was the controversy that Hulu would be moving forward without John DiMaggio, the original voice of the robot Bender. However, the studio came to their senses and worked out a deal to secure him for the show, of which I am very glad. It’s bizarre that they thought they could just replace him. The other holdup for me was the beautiful ending that we had already been given. I won’t spoil it, but it seemed rather conclusive, with the right amount of bittersweetness. I am happy to say that the new season does not gloss over that ending (for the most part). It’s handled the best it could be, but it does what all shows do: after giving it a proper few moments of explanation, the results of the previous season’s consequences are ignored moving forward. And if I’m being honest, I didn’t mind; in fact it is one of my only negatives of this new season overall. Since there are only a few, let me get them out of the way now. Only one is incredibly nitpicky — I promise.
The voice cast all does an amazing job, with some actors pulling double and triple duty plus. Everyone is back, and they give it their all. However, due to time and age, Fry, and to a lesser extent Zap Branigan, no longer sound like themselves. And let me make this clear: I am not saying Billy West does a poor job; he is one of the greatest voice talents of all time. But he’s also 20 years older and just can’t make himself sound like a 20-year-old anymore. Which is not really a negative reflection on Futurama so much as it is a negative reflection on the concept of time. It is a predator that will one day come for us all… I always felt a little sad hearing old Fry coming out of young Fry, as it was a constant reminder that I loved this show as a 15-year-old in high school, and now I am approaching my 40s. Soon, we shall all be nothing but dust on this earth… But Futurama remains constant for eternity.
Unless this really is all just a simulation.
My only other issue with this season is its length. Shorter seasons for shows in this day and age have left the creators with little space to try new things, and as a result they are boxed in to spending half their time playing the hits. What I mean by that is previous seasons would always do an “X-mas” episode, a time travel episode, or an episode where they go to a planet where it’s very reminiscent of the old west or colonial times or ancient Egypt. They would have episodes comprised of three smaller Twilight Zone-esque stories, or something poking fun at current events. Every single one of those set ups is in this season. Some of them work fantastically! Some of them feel like they are playing 10 years of catchup to make jokes they’ve had written down for ages. There is a whole episode about Covid that feels a little too late, and yet it still manages to feel original. More episodes could have spaced out the retreads and given creative team a chance to try new kinds of adventures. The only episode archetype that they fail to deliver on this season is the one where the entire audience bawls their eyes out. A season of Futurama without a gut-punch and tears just feels weird. However, credit where it is due, for the most part it manages to make even these familiar stories feel fresh, and they always left me laughing.
The best thing about Futurama is how confident it is with its identity. It doesn’t at all feel like it’s been six years since we last got a new episode of Futur- WHAT?! It’s been 10 YEARS?? Well, I take it back: It REALLY doesn’t feel like it’s been gone for a decade, because this cast and the writing team manage to make it feel like I was curling up with a warm blanket. I felt completely comfortable in their style of storytelling and their brand of humor. The topic of how comedy has changed in the last 20 years is not something I will address in depth here — as Pete Holmes would say, “scandal noted, let’s move on.” Futurama has adapted to the changing climate beautifully without losing its particular style. It never once feels like it is trying to be hip and modern, like so many reboot-quels tend to do. There was never a single episode where I thought, “this is no longer for me; it’s for the next generation.” And yet, as I watched the finale, my kids watched it with me, and they were laughing at the characters and the situations as much as me. They vibed with the humor and were interested in the story, which was surprising to me. They don’t typically find these types of shows funny, since most of the jokes go over their heads. Futurama transcends generations, because it knows how to be funny in many different ways.
So, “Good news everyone!” If you were a fan long ago, in the before times, a fan during the movie releases, a fan during Comedy Central revival, or brand new to Futurama, I truly believe this show will appeal to you. With an amazing creative team, crisp animation, an all-star cast, and hours of laughs, Futurama’s new season is sure to have something for everyone. Even Zoidberg. *In the distance* “HOORAY, I’M INCLUDED!”
Rating: Loved It
Futurama is currently streaming on Hulu
You can read more from Nick Ferro, and follow him on Twitter and Letterboxd