Futurama

Futurama is one of my favorite shows, and over the break (and a little before) I worked my way back through the series (thank you Netflix). I was almost surprised to see that the original 4 seasons have weathered the last ten years well.

The show was timeless. The jokes they made weren't so caught up in cultural relevance that they've lost their kick, and the various moral-of-the-story moments were universal enough that it didn't feel stale. the show is amusing, and lampoons social issues without beating you over the head with it.

The show is also visually impressive with its unique (for its time) blend of hand-drawn and CGI elements. It gave a look that was new and innovative for its time, and one that has never really been copied. You could look at a frame from Futurama, and you'd likely recognize it from the show immediately.

The show kept itself more or less on track, but since a strong timeline wasn't really necessary (it uses the sitcom standard that things more or less return to normal at the end of an episode), they could change it up a bit. We see varying version of Fry's freezing, a couple possibilities about the life of his dog, and even the all-important career chips get largely ignored throughout the season.

This change to the "canon" is done without a lot of excessive justification. They just do it, and instead of weighing it down, just run too fast over the top of it for it to be jolting to the viewer. This jostling of the plot isn't meant to insult the viewer's intelligence, or try to break up the already fairly sturdy plot. The writers would just get a new idea of what happened in certain events and let it roll. Screw the paradoxes, and just go with it.

The humorous show wasn't without its tear-jerkers though. The episode (Luck of the Fryish) of flashbacks to the time Fry spent with his brother is poignant, but without becoming maudlin. The final episode of season 5, The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings, the series culminates with Fry finally being able to win Leela over enough that she at least considers and respects his feelings, and is a very tender ending to the series proper. And of course, the ending to Jurassic Park, as we watch Fry's faithful dog from the 20th century sit forlornly, waiting for his time-lost master to return has been said to be one of the saddest things on television.

The movies that followed, and wrapped up, the series were incredibly well done. In The Simpsons Movie as well, Matt Groening shows a knack for taking television shows to the big screen. Rather than trying to trump them up to Hollywood proportions, he makes them feel much more like extended episodes. All four of the movies were hugely entertaining, keeping both the moral lessons, and the jaunty humor rolling, ending with Fry and Leela finally confessing their love, and sharing their first kiss as the Planet Express ship flies straight into a wormhole.

It was a fitting end to the series, but when Comedy Central decided to bring it back, it was welcomed with open arms.While Fry and Leela's new romance altered the dynamic of the cast slightly, the show continued on, and managed to do so without having to repeat plotlines, and managed to come off as fresh as ever. Some fans have been disappointed, but that's only to be expected, I guess.

I'm not sure when the rest of season 6 will finish airing, likely next summer. But my DVR is waiting for it.