Futurama is likely one of the finest animated sequence of all time.
And what?
Irrespective of how horrible this season or future seasons could also be, nothing modifications that.
When the present debuted in 1999, its lobster claw was on the heartbeat of wisecracking liberal escapism. The pure evolution of The Simpsons, Futurama represented the very best of Gen X and millennial humor.
It surpassed The Simpsons in some ways as a result of it might delve deeper into surrealism and even apocalyptic (however humorous) situations. There was no “internet” of a nuclear household to fall again on.
This was the world, the unbridled creativeness of Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, and the probabilities had been countless.
These days, 25 years later, many of the forged remains to be alive, the present has a brand new deal on Hulu, and since reboots and returns are stylish, the present has new momentum going into Seasons 13 and 14.
Why, then, do Futurama’s latest plotlines really feel exhausted?
Futurama Season 12, Caught In Standby Mode
They’ve resorted to utilizing retcon episodes (“Assault of the Garments,” “The One Amigo”), through which they reimagine character origins or present bizarre facet flashbacks that don’t slot in with the remainder of the present.
It’s a Simpsons cliche, sadly. If you run out of latest plotlines, simply begin exploring various realities of the characters you thought you knew.
The Simpsons kids grew up within the 2000s, don’t ? The person we thought was Seymour Skinner shouldn’t be Agnes’ actual son however is simply Armin Tamsarian impersonating the actual Skinner.
Okay. Certain. No matter you say, boss.
Futurama’s later seasons have been going this route, whether or not it’s taking Bender again to “Mexxxico” to satisfy his distinctly Mexican household or revisiting Fry’s eighth party — recreated by aliens in a squid recreation of dying. (After all)
Whereas these episodes haven’t “tanked” the present and ruined the sequence altogether, they’re removed from a number of the peak seasons of the 2000 period, to not point out characteristic films like Bender’s Massive Rating and The Beast With A Billion Backs.
Futurama Is Oblivious In regards to the Future
Probably the most good episodes of Futurama had been those that delved deeper into science fiction ideas and imagined our distant future. These had been futuristic situations based mostly on our personal current-day obsessions.
Newer episodes have tried to do that with standout moments like in One Is Silicone and the Different Gold.
Nevertheless, even this episode falls wanting any revelation, contemplating that a number of characters in Futurama are presumably already A.I.
Why precisely are robotic lifeforms reacting to AI prefer it’s nonetheless a brand new factor? For that matter, in The One Amigo, why are people nonetheless obsessive about NFTs? Haven’t we began to assume greater in 975 years?
I can’t criticize Futurama for counting on one-liners and slapstick gags. I’m suggesting that the present’s writers may spend a bit extra time analyzing our present world past *Breaking Information* mentality.
What’s the human race proper now when you removed all gratuitous conversations about dictators, pronouns, and copyrighted music?
What different deep conversations might we’ve, and why isn’t Futurama writing about a few of that?
They’re going shallow, whereas we, the viewers (the youthful era), are going deeper.
Anyway, if that’s too deep of a assemble, let’s break it down into 4 easy requests, lets?
#1: We Want Fewer Origin Tales, Extra Tales About Future Expertise
That is one thing that Star Trek — and even Star Trek parodies like The Orville — get proper.
What higher technique to inform a future story, even a comedy, than by leaping hundreds of years into the longer term to discover the know-how we are able to solely dream of right now?
Sure, I recall that Star Trek was banned within the Futurama universe, as detailed within the episode “The place No Fan Has Gone Earlier than.”
However why is a present set within the 3000s so behind the occasions? Shouldn’t they be dwelling on the flip of the century?
For that matter…
#2: Ease off on Bender Episodes – Discover Extra “New New York” Characters
Dwelling in a vastly totally different sociopolitical world, what has turn out to be of the Earth, the geography, and the tradition we as soon as held expensive?
I bear in mind Richard Nixon’s Head operating for president and “Mother” Carol Miller taking on the company world. However is there anything taking place?
Am I the one one who thinks the broader Futurama world is a lot extra attention-grabbing than simply the Planet Categorical employees?
Think about in the event that they gave the go-ahead to writers to completely discover the world of Futurama with the identical zest as Groening and Josh Weinstein had visited all of the totally different lands of Disenchantment.
Absolutely, there can be one other jar-head able to run for workplace by now.
#3: Write Extra Thoughts-Warping Episodes Like The Temp
I wouldn’t say The Temp was a traditional Futurama episode, however the introduction did give me just a few goosebumps. I liked the combo of slapstick meets Hitchcockian suspense.
The much less you clarify, the higher, no less than to start with. The extra the story progresses, the extra particulars you study, however solely as wanted.
Whereas the conclusion didn’t fairly stay as much as the premise’s potential, it did remind me of how Futurama can combine suspense and comedy in natural ways in which The Simpsons and even Rick and Morty can not do.
These exhibits are too enmeshed in parody and politics. Futurama is apolitical and free to discover extra cinematic ideas.
Perhaps in Seasons 13 and 14, they may discover extra suspenseful or emotive story arcs that warp our minds in fantastic methods.
#4: Don’t Mess Up Fry and Leela’s Relationship – Simply Refine It
When comedy exhibits run out of concepts, they all the time appear to hit the identical Go-Tos.
The couple breaks up. Ultimately, they get again collectively once more, or they keep damaged up as a reminder of how poisonous the connection was.
Or they’ve kids, as Futurama has already explored with Amy and Kif.
I can’t communicate for all of the fandom, however I don’t assume anybody significantly desires to see Fry and Leela’s relationship change.
With the “In the meantime” story, we basically noticed the top of the sequence, no less than so far as Fry and Leela go. This was their essence as characters and the conclusion to their distinctive and “timeless” love story.
As a substitute of making an attempt to retcon or devolve the connection, concentrate on refining particulars about their household ancestry, their motivations, and the way they affect others within the small however vital neighborhood of intergalactic buddies.
Reboots are difficult as a result of we don’t really need change. We don’t wish to lose parts of the present that gained us over within the first place.
Traditional TV exhibits — even when they’re ongoing for many years and have already peaked — have ingratiated themselves into our lives as digital buddies. They’re not simply tales to be instructed. They’re not simply experiences.
They’re buddies you wish to invite over, speak to, and speak with concerning the zeitgeist of the day.
Futurama gained’t final perpetually. However so long as it’s right here, no less than for 2 extra seasons, let’s hope the inventive crew can return to its roots and choose up on a few of that rebellious 1999 ambition that fueled its success.
It has extra tales to inform. It simply must take just a few extra inventive dangers.
What do you all assume? Are you having fun with Futurama to this point? How can Futurama’s future seasons reboot to greatness, or are its finest days behind us?
Hit the feedback part under to share your ideas!
