The following contains spoilers for Futurama season 12 episode 2, “Quids Game,” now streaming on Hulu
Summary
Futurama’slatest parody avoids a common criticism of the Hulu episodes of the sci-fi comedy’s current revival. Debuting in 1999,Futuramahas one of the most tumultuous runs of any animated television show.Futuramawas originally canceledafter four seasons, it was revived for a series of direct-to-video movies and eventually a few seasons on Comedy Central. Now, a decade after the show concluded on that network,Futuramahas been brought back on Hulu and has been met with some mixed reviews due to the comedy of the most recent episodes.
However, it appears that the series is actually following the kind of trajectory that had defined it’s previous revival with Comedy Central years ago. While some of the early episodes of theHuluFuturamarevival have been criticizedfor their approach to topical comedy and satire,the show’s latest parody provesFuturamacan still blend together referential humor with its own approach to storytellingthat fits within the show’s darkly comedic tone. Here’s how “Quids Game” avoids the problem that’s been bringing down new episodes ofFuturama.
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Futurama Season 12 Episode 2 Avoids The Premiere’s Outdated Humor Mistake
Futurama’s Best Parodies Feel More LikeFuturamaThan The Thing They’re Mocking
Futurama’s parody ofSquid Gamein season 12 is exactly the kind of parody that the show used to nail,highlighting a return to form after a misstep in the season premiere.Futuramahas faced criticism in the past for its approach to topical humor and social satire. The show’s deliberate riffs on established franchises are at their best when they take concepts from culture and filter it through their sardonic approach to sci-fi. They’re at their worst when they bring nothing new to the concept, just using a goofy coat of paint and references to real life for comedy.
This was a big problem with the season 12 premiere,“The One Amigo,“which relied too heavily on jokes about NFTsthat felt instantly dated. Luckily, the show has a much better time adapting the concept ofSquid Gameto the world ofFuturama. Instead of overloading it with direct references,Futuramauses the set-up as a springboard to tell a bizarre and traigc story. It’s similar to the satire of earlier years like season 1’s “A Flight to Remember” and season 3’s “I Dated a Robot,” which took cues from real events but filtered them throughFuturama’s unique sensabilties, which makes all the difference.
Futurama’s “Quids Game” Episode Is Their Best Parody In Years
What “Quids Game” Does That Other RecentFuturamaParodies Haven’t
The thing that separates “Quids Game” from the otherFuturamaparodies of recent years is the way it recontexualizes the original premise andfits it within its own silly sci-fi world. Although “Quids Game” shares some superficial elements ofSquid Game, the focus is entirely rooted on the darkly comic world ofFuturama. The characters poke fun at the lethal stakes, but also all act in-character and while contending with a version of events that could only really be inFuturama. As opposed to the more dated gags of “The One Amigo” or specific comedyseason 11’sDuneparodyin “Parasites Regained,” “Quid Game” works well as a stand-alone episode of the long-running series.
The best parodies are the ones that don’t require prior knowledge to work. While the comedy and references in films likeBlazing SaddlesorShaun of the Deadadd to the comedy, the characters and stories also work well on their own.This is what “Quids Game” succeeds at that otherFuturamasatires have failed at recently, keeping the references restrained while leaning into the darkly comedic, endlessly wacky, and surprisingly bittersweet elements that have always seperatedFuturamafrom its peers. “Quids Game” is more about Fry’s past trauma and his current relationships than it is aboutSquid Game, and that’s a huge boon for the episode
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Futurama season 12, episode 1 puts a spotlight on Bender’s family, but it forgets about the family members that the show has introduced previously.
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This Trend Bodes Well ForFuturama’s Future
Notably,this isn’t the only timeFuturamahas gone through this kind of storytelling cycle. WhenFuturamawas revived on Comedy Central, the first batch of episodes was infamously full of dated satires. Episodes poking fun at the release of the iPhone like “Attack of the Killer App” orDa Vinci Codewith “The Duh-Vinici Code” feel weighed down by the specific references and gags. As a result ofFuturama’s production schedule, the comedy felt dull by the time they were released. Meanwhile, the best episodes of that season were the ones that minded character relations for pathos (like “Lethal Inspection” or “The Late Phillip J. Fry”).
Over time, theFuturamarevival leaned more into those kinds of episode, rediscovering the special spark that makesFuturamaspecial. In a similar fashion,“Quids Game” is a far more effective parody than most of the episodes in season 11, which suggests the show is repeating that cycle amid its third revival. Hopefully, this means future episodes withinFuturamaadhere closer to “Quids Game” and its approach to pop culture, using it as inspiration for thier own unique stories. The parody elements are just the springboard for something far more compelling, and that’s whenFuturamashines.
Futurama
Cast
Futurama is an animated science fiction series that follows Philip J. Fry, a pizza delivery boy from late-20th-century New York City. He is accidentally cryogenically frozen for a thousand years and becomes an employee at Planet Express, a delivery service in the retro-futuristic 31st century.
