The ‘Futurama’ Binge Season Is Stuffed With Sly Commentary and Sci-Fi Delights

Futurama’s new season is being called its 13th by Hulu, but the show, which premiered in 1999, has had a stop-and-start presence over the years across Fox, Comedy Central, and straight-to-video movies. The show’s latest season—its third on Hulu—is again treading new ground, getting an all-in-one binge release.

One consistent element across Futurama’s discombobulated history has been its loyal fans, so it seems unlikely that dropping the entire season in one go will be a strike against it. Still, the revolving message in the opening credits cautions viewers to “pace yourself” as the first episode begins.

That advice proves all too easy to ignore, though, as season 13 delivers a strong 10-episode punch full of clever writing and funny performances. While we’ve been fond of previous Hulu seasons, lucky 13 feels propelled by an extra jolt of energy. Now that Futurama is settled at Hulu, with season 14 already confirmed (and presumably the chance for more), you can imagine perhaps some of the pressure has lifted behind the scenes.

© Disney/Matt Groening

On-screen, that translates to a consistently enjoyable set of episodes; not all of them are instant classics, but even the lesser entries have goofy asides that make them more than worthy. As is Futurama tradition, the stories blend the quirks of life among the weirdos of far-future New New York with themes that feel plucked from more recent times, including screen addiction, greedy health care companies, monster movies, climate change, foodie culture, the great science vs. religion debate, and the unkillable “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory.

All the plot hijinks—deep-space missions, get-rich-quick schemes, professional and personal rivalries, interdimensional adventures, etc.—are made more resonant by the ways they draw on Futurama’s well-established characters, especially the dynamics between them.

Leela’s romance with Fry is a frequent touchstone, but we also dig into her complicated relationship with her kind but clueless sewer-dwelling parents. Amy and Kif’s marriage and children, especially the teenage Axl, figure prominently across the season; there’s also an emphasis put on Hermes’ attempts to connect with Dwight, his own teenage son.

Unattached characters like Professor Farnsworth and Bender—who put their flirting “skills” on display in separate episodes, aiming for very different sorts of would-be conquests—also get their moments in the spotlight. Even Dr. Zoidberg, a character who usually works best in small doses, gets an arc that shows some surprising emotional depth under all the dumpster diving.

Alongside some very funny guest stars we won’t spoil here, a lot of favorite supporting cast members also appear, including the insufferable Zapp Brannigan and mechanical fan favorites like the Robot Devil, Robot Santa Claus, Calculon, and Hedonismbot. As always, season 13 does an admirable job incorporating those characters in inspired ways, rather than just sticking them into episodes for no reason other than to have them show up.

If Futurama’s creators have any worries about the binge release affecting the show’s ratings—sure, there’s always the danger that people will watch the whole season in one or two days, then move on, never to return.

© Disney/Matt Groening

But Futurama has built its following on fans who’ve become accustomed to watching favorite episodes over and over. There was no better way to endure all those long, uncertain gaps between seasons; prior to the show’s Hulu revival, it had been almost exactly 10 years since the show closed up shop on Comedy Central.

Burn through season 13 once, and you’ll be entertained. But the real rewards come when you go through the episodes a second or third time, when those over-the-top Bender line deliveries, pun-laden background gags, or random references—Paul Lynde on Hollywood Squares; a Shawshank Redemption-endorsed rock hammer; the meanest yet funniest John Williams dig ever—really sink in.

It’s good to have you back, Futurama. The 31st century, you tease, has many terrible aspects, but at least they’re consistently amusingly terrible, and that brings its own kind of wacky hope. All of season 13 is now streaming on Hulu.

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