Futurama Season 12 Review

Overview:

Good news, everyone! After enduring two cancellations, three networks, and a whopping twelve seasons, “Futurama” has made its triumphant return. The beloved crew of Planet Express — Fry, Bender, Leela, and company — are back for more chaotic adventures in the 31st century. Whether it’s pilgrimages to Mexico, perilous party games, jealous AI, or a fashion apocalypse, there’s plenty of madness to keep “Futurama” afloat this season. They’ve returned just as quirky and uninformed as ever, which is exactly how fans love them.

Oh, and the finglonger is back too. Rejoice!

Our Take:

With its latest reboot, “Futurama” has faced fair criticism for clinging too tightly to current trends, resulting in a show that can feel awkwardly outdated. While such elements were present in the original run, they were often woven skillfully into the narrative. However, the show’s various resurrections have become increasingly clunky, culminating in regrettable episodes like “Attack of the Killer App” and “Rage Against the Vaccine.” Still, despite these bumps, “Futurama” has managed to maintain a commendable level of comedic and narrative quality. Unfortunately, the twelfth season seems to scrape the bottom of the barrel, focusing too heavily on headlines like NFTs, ChatGPT, Fyre Festival, fast fashion, and “Squid Game.”

These topics aren’t intrinsically flawed as potential storylines. They could have been successful if handled effectively. The issue arises when the first two minutes of the season opener are devoted to explaining NFTs, halting everything else. This approach feels lazy and condescending, assuming the audience is uninformed instead of targeting smart, insightful humor. Regrettably, this trend continues throughout, making this possibly the weakest season yet. It’s not devoid of humor or rewarding moments, but it lacks the innovative spirit that once defined the series. As of now, one might be tempted to turn to “Solar Opposites” for cutting-edge sci-fi humor.

Season 12 of “Futurama” feels similar to later seasons of “The Simpsons,” where unpromising premises occasionally yield to better storytelling. As the season progresses, it finds a more natural rhythm, offering entertaining plots reminiscent of classic “Futurama.” Despite some good episodes, the series often fumbles its attempts to connect various elements. The “Squid Game” parody episode, “Quids Game,” is particularly disjointed, unable to build momentum due to erratic timeline shifts. Fry’s flashbacks, once deep explorations of his character, now serve up cheap laughs, reminiscent of a soulless autopilot version of classic episodes.

This season makes an effort to delve deeper into the characters’ histories. There’s a focus on Bender’s Mexican heritage, Fry’s troubled childhood, and Leela’s search for genuine female friendships. While these attempts at character introspection are well-intentioned, many episodes feel hollow, doing more harm than good. One standout episode, “The Temp,” recontextualizes Planet Express’s past in a creative way. Although it has promise, it falls short of becoming an all-time classic.

On the plus side, Season 12 distributes the spotlight more evenly among the cast, rather than focusing solely on Bender and Fry. This balanced approach helps maintain the ensemble dynamic. However, it sometimes detracts from stories that would benefit from a more focused narrative. The inclusion of Amy and Kif’s children—Axl, Mandy, and Newt—also adds new dimensions, but they feel somewhat secondary compared to the established cast.

Fry, Bender, and Leela remain central, but Professor Farnsworth unexpectedly shines as the secret MVP of the season. His character provides much of the season’s best dialogue and moments. While the established main cast continues to do well, many new characters feel redundant. Unlike memorable one-off characters from past seasons, these new additions fail to make a significant impact.

As a long-time “Futurama” fan, this is the first season I’ve found myself disliking actively. If you had issues with the first Hulu season or even the Comedy Central years, these ten episodes are unlikely to change your mind. While there are still enjoyable moments and certain charms present, the challenges increasingly outweigh the quality elements. Sadly, it seems “Futurama’s” golden days are behind it, despite the involvement of some original writers. Ironically, this futuristic comedy might be best left in the past.