Summary
- Futurama has a unique blend of heart, humor, and mind-bending science fiction, showcased in episodes like "Jurassic Bark" and "Godfellas."
- Despite struggling to match The Simpsons' viewership, Futurama has been acclaimed by critics and has garnered a dedicated fanbase.
- Futurama explores deep themes, such as gender inequality in "Amazon Women in the Mood," and offers satirical takes on Hollywood and organized religion in episodes like "That's Lobstertainment!" and "Godfellas."
Futurama has plenty of great episodes exhibiting the show’s signature blend of heart, humor, and mind-bending science fiction. When the success of The Simpsons afforded him the chance to create a new animated show, Matt Groening decided to do something totally different from his iconic family sitcom. Together with David X. Cohen, Groening cooked up a sci-fi satire about a pizza delivery man who’s accidentally frozen in cryostasis in the 21st century and awakens in the 31st century. Despite struggling to match The Simpsons’ viewership figures, Futurama has been similarly acclaimed by critics.
In all its incarnations, Futurama has been one of the smartest animated shows on TV. After its initial run on Fox, the show was picked up for additional seasons by Comedy Central, and a decade after the Comedy Central run ended, it was revived by Hulu. No matter how many times it’s canceled, this fan-favorite cult classic refuses to die. From the devastating heartache of “Jurassic Bark” to the razor-sharp religious satire of “Godfellas,” there are many classic Futurama episodes that never get old.
25 Space Pilot 3000 (Season 1, Episode 1)
The pilot episode of Futurama is one of the greatest ever made. It opens in 1999 as Fry delivers a pizza to a laboratory and ends up being cryogenically frozen for 1,000 years. In the future, he meets Leela, Bender, and all the other beloved characters when he’s assigned a job at Planet Express. The Futurama pilot sets up all the characters and their dynamics while also setting up this oddball satirical vision of New York in the 31st century. Futurama’s very first episode established that the show would be both a great sitcom and a great science fiction series.
24 Amazon Women In The Mood (Season 3, Episode 1)
When the Planet Express crew stumbles upon the matriarchal society of Amazonia in “Amazon Women in the Mood,” Fry, Kif, and Zapp are all sentenced to death by “snu-snu,” while Leela and Amy enjoy the advantages of a world without men. Like all the best Futurama episodes, “Amazon Women in the Mood” tackles a lofty theme (gender inequality) with plenty of crude humor.
23 Where No Fan Has Gone Before (Season 4, Episode 11)
After visiting the forbidden planet of Omega 3 in “Where No Fan Has Gone Before,” the Planet Express crew is court-martialed alongside the original cast of Star Trek. The episode reveals that, in the world of Futurama, Star Trek has been banned after it became a global religion in the 2200s, and its entire fan base was killed in the Star Trek Wars. With plenty of references and quotations from the classic TV series, “Where No Fan Has Gone Before” is a love letter to Star Trek fans.
22 The Cyber House Rules (Season 3, Episode 9)
“The Cyber House Rules” has both a great A-plot and a great B-plot: the A-plot sees Leela wooed by a shallow plastic surgeon from her orphanarium who gives her a second eye, while the B-plot sees Fry and Bender adopting 12 orphans in an attempt to make money. The episode carries a sweet message about the importance of looking past physical imperfections when Leela realizes her new boyfriend only likes her because she now has two eyes. Leela’s romantic arcs are always fun – especially when they reinforce her self-confidence like this one – and Bender’s role as an adoptive father showcases the character’s rarely-seen soft side.
21 My Three Suns (Season 1, Episode 7)
During a delivery on a planet with the blistering heat of Arrakis in “My Three Suns,” Fry unwittingly drinks the emperor of a water-based lifeform and becomes the new ruler of their empire. The power immediately goes to his head and he refuses to listen to Leela’s warnings that every previous emperor was assassinated so he’ll probably meet the same fate. “My Three Suns” brings out the best in Fry by showcasing his worst qualities, and this was one of the first times that Leela showed she really cares about Fry.
20 Anthology Of Interest I (Season 2, Episode 16)
Futurama set up its own version of The Simpsons’ “Treehouse of Horror” Halloween episodes with “Anthology of Interest I” (although they only ever did two “Anthology of Interest” installments). “Anthology of Interest I” presents three imaginary what-if scenarios involving the characters. Whereas most “Treehouse of Horror” episodes are hit-and-miss, “Anthology of Interest I” has three great stories: a monster movie spoof starring Bender and Zoidberg, a Leela-centric whodunit, and an alternate history in which Fry was never frozen.
19 The Day The Earth Stood Stupid (Season 3, Episode 7)
It’s up to Fry to save the world when Earth is invaded by flying brains in “The Day the Earth Stood Stupid.” The Brainspawn debilitate humanity by attacking their intelligence – but since Fry’s intelligence is so limited, he’s immune to their mind control. A lot of Futurama episodes show Fry to be comically useless, but “The Day the Earth Stood Stupid” highlights his capacity for heroism and quick thinking.
18 The Problem With Popplers (Season 2, Episode 18)
After discovering an intergalactic delicacy, the Planet Express crew takes Earth by storm with the next big fast-food craze in “The Problem with Popplers.” However, their new business venture gets complicated when the popplers turn out to be sentient beings – the babies of the Omicron aliens – and the Omicronian leader Lrrr wants vengeance. “The Problem with Popplers” is an unexpectedly thoughtful meditation on the ethics of consuming animal products.
17 That's Lobstertainment! (Season 3, Episode 8)
Futurama tackled Hollywood in “That’s Lobstertainment!,” in which Zoidberg helps his fading movie star uncle Harold Zoid launch his comeback movie: a political thriller called The Magnificent Three, starring All My Circuits’ Calculon. The episode brilliantly satirizes the unscrupulous nature of Hollywood filmmaking and the politics and disingenuousness of the movie industry. It ends on a sweet note as Zoidberg rushes the stage at the Academy Awards and gives his uncle an Oscar he didn’t earn to lift his spirits.
16 A Flight To (Season 1, Episode 10)
A second version of the Titanic sets off on its maiden voyage through space in “A Flight to .” Much like the original Titanic, this luxury cruise liner is doomed. Instead of hitting an iceberg, it gets sucked into a black hole. The episode is a hilarious spoof of James Cameron’s Titanic, with Bender playing the Leonardo DiCaprio role and his wealthy love interest, Countess de la Roca, playing the Kate Winslet role.