Futurama Season 12 Confirms the Heartbreaking Story That Never Gives Up Despite Two Cancellations

The following contains spoilers for Futurama Season 12, Episode 3, “The Temp,” now streaming on Hulu

One of the most important aspects of Futurama Over a dozen seasons and several cancellations, the sweet development of the show’s saddest story arc has been a constant, and Season 12 has reinforced that theme in some effective ways. On the surface level, Futurama is a satirical and wacky science fiction take on the workplace comedy archetype. However, the characters have undergone steady character development over the course of an ever-evolving but usually consistent continuity. These themes reflect the show’s fundamental views on philosophy and life, just beneath the surface of the silly technology glitches and sci-fi riffs.

Three episodes in season 12 of Futurama has looked to its past to advance its future (including the upcoming Futurama Season 13). This continues in “The Temp,” which highlights one of the show’s most enduring story arcs. It’s one of the show’s sweetest elements, and it’s quietly moving to see that the important character development of the show’s main character continues to be the driving emotional force of the series.

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Futurama will never give up on Fry’s emotional arc and friendship theme

Futurama Took care of Fry’s growth for the most part

FuturamaThe focus on Fry’s growth in the face of tragedy remains a central aspect of the showeven after twelve seasons and several revivals. One of the most important aspects of Fry has always been his separation from his home time, which caused dark laughter in the early episodes. In contrast, in the world of the 31st century, Fry has found a very close-knit family and has steadily developed more emotional ties. The Squid Game The parody “Quids Game” revealed that dozens of people from different worlds and backgrounds consider Fry to be their friend and a part of their lives.

“The Temp” goes even further in this directionwith the crew more or less ignoring his replacement but eagerly awaiting Fry’s return from vacation. While their forgetfulness about the temp is played as dark comedy, it also has a sweet undertone. The episode underscores Fry’s importance in their lives and hers in his. For a character who couldn’t feel at home in their presence, Fry has developed relationships that have secured his place in the 31st century world.

Season 12 of Futurama highlights the importance of Fry’s connections and loved ones

Fry’s connections save him in “The Temp”

Season 12 has relied heavily on the connections Fry shares with other people. In “The One Amigo,” he risked his safety and freedom to help Bender regain his self-esteem. In “Quid’s Game,” he sacrificed his personal ethics and code of conduct to try to save Leela’s life. “The Temp” makes these connections even clearer by revealing how much he needs his friends. The plot of “The Temp” gives Fry the chance to prove how much everyone means to him by revealing that he carries individual pictures of each member of the Planet Express crew in his wallet.

In a show that notes that traditional photography is more or less extinct, it underlines the importance of Fry’s friendships and romances in Futurama. Fry was established as a loner and loser in the 31st century and came into the series with an egocentric and selfish side that was best demonstrated in the first season of Futurama. The character’s evolution into a sweet and goofy version of the Chosen One archetype was explored by highlighting his emotional maturation and reflecting the layers he gained by becoming a part of Planet Express and embracing his friends.

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“The Temp” proves that Fry belongs in the 31st century despite his ultimate tragedy

Fry has become a better person and found a better life

Episodes like “Quid’s Game” focused on the loneliness Fry felt during his birthing phase. While later episodes like “The Luck of the Fryish” and “Game of Tones” showed him dealing with the pain of losing his entire family to time, the 21st century Fry has always been portrayed as a lonely guy with bad impulses. Over a dozen seasons of episodic adventures and consistent characterization, Fry has found love, purpose, and acceptance from those around him, mostly by proving his good heart and growing as a man.

It speaks to one of FuturamaThe biggest thematic leitmotifs. The universe is vast and grand and dangerous and unpredictable, but what matters most is who is around you. The show has frequently explored themes like the importance of friendship and empathy, and that’s what saves Fry in “The Temp.” Although the show is blunt about the losses he has suffered as a result of his journey into the future, season 12 of Futurama has proven that Fry belongs in the 31st century and in the home he has built there.

Futurama

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Futurama follows the adventures of Philip J. Fry, a pizza delivery boy from 1999 who is cryogenically frozen for 1,000 years. When Fry awakens in the year 3000, he befriends a cyclops named Leela and a mischievous robot named Bender. The three find employment at Planet Express, an interplanetary delivery service. Their work takes them to all corners of the universe, exploring space and the future as imagined by Matt Groening and the creators of The Simpsons.

Pour

Katey Sagal, Billy West, Lauren Tom, Maurice LaMarche, David Herman, Tress MacNeille, John DiMaggio, Phil LaMarr

Release date

March 28, 1999

Authors

Matt Groening

Directors

Matt Groening

Showrunner

Matt Groening

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