Futurama: A masterpiece

on Earth as a baby, she has no idea who her parents are or where her home planet is. This of course changes in season four when she discovers her parents are sewer mutants and that she is a mutant, not an alien. Despite this, Leela remains on the surface and al though she tries to live in the sewer, she eventually realises that she is out of place both underground and on the surface. And Bender, while a robot, has insecurities about his legacy and wishes to be remembered and loved. Although he is a robot that should generally have backup units (meaning he can never die) he discovers that he was built without one, changing his perspective on life.

The beauty of Futurama is that disguised in jokes and amazing sci-fi innovations, there are three tragic stories which each generally form the basis of each episode.

Another aspect of Futurama that sets it apart from the rest is its endings. Some shows decide that once credits start rolling, that’s the end. Not Futurama. The ending of several Futurama episodes demonstrates how much time and thought goes into each episode. The most tear-jerking ending for me is ‘Jurassic Bark’. In this episode, Fry finds the fossilised remains of his dog, Seymour, who was his best friend in the 20th century. After at first wishing to bring Seymour back from the dead, Fry decides against it after learning Seymour lived for several years after Fry disappeared, assuming that he’d moved on. The end of the episode shows Seymour waiting outside the with Maggie’s iconic bangs and Rizzle Kicks’ ‘Down with the Trumpets’ accompanying a party montage as a few examples to transport us back to the period. However, we know it is all fantasy now because four fresh graduates would never be able to afford a house in Camden in 2023. The creators really have brought Alderton’s memoir to life, which Alderton has made relatively easy with her holistic and realistic characters, who have imperfections that make them even more enjoyable to watch. For example, our protagonist Maggie, while frustrating at points, does develop throughout the show and we do end up seeing her with the career of her dreams, writing for a reality TV show. Yet, she calls Amara a ‘sell-out’ for ditching her dream of dance for the corporate world. Maggie’s privilege and naivety are singled out here, her assumptions about Amara and her relationship with dance show how sheltered Maggie has been for most of her life. In the end, she does realise and apologises for her ignorance. The audience learns alongside the characters and, as it tackles post-graduate fears, I would recommend it to everyone at university. It is gritty, real, and gut-wrenching, but its depiction of adulthood and soulmates (both platonic and romantic) is beautifully tragic.

IT IS GRITTY , REAL AND GUT-WRENCHING

pizzeria where Fry worked for the remaining years of his life accompanied with the song ‘I Will Wait for You’. Similarly, the ending of ‘Luck of the Fryish’ shows Fry realising the true impact of his disappearance on his family, specifically his brother, Clancy. Fry attempts to find a lucky seven-leaf clover which he had fought over growing up with his brother in the 20th century. Fry discovers that the clover had been given to his nephew Phillip, who had been named in honour of him, and that with it he’d been the first man on Mars. The tragedy of this episode highlights how despite Fry arguing with his brother and not enjoying his life in the 20th century, his brother desperately missed him, and his disappearance was devastating for his family. While I’ve only talked about a handful of episodes, there are so many more that demonstrate the beauty of this show such as ‘The Late Philip J. Fry’, ‘Meanwhile’, ‘Godfellas’, ‘Roswell That Ends Well’ (I could go on). Whether you’re a diehard sci-fi fan or just want to switch off and get lost in a new show, I really recommend you to have a look at Futurama (seasons three and four are the best IMO).