Warning: Spoilers ahead forFuturamaseason 12, episode 8, “Otherwise.“Futuramaseason 12’s finale, “Otherwise,” introduces a fresh take on the show’s multiverse concept, and while the sci-fi trope has appeared in the sitcom once before, “Otherwise” retroactively alters the conclusion to the classic episode in 2003. Just likeFuturamaseason 11’s ending,“Otherwise” ends its season’s run with a high-concept finale. It’s perhaps the most important of all theFuturamaseason 12 episodes, as the ripples it creates impact the show’s past as well as its future. While it may not have been the intention,Futurama’s other multiverse episode has arguably received an incredibly delayed update.
Season 5’s “The Farnsworth Parabox” is hailed by many as one of thebestFuturamaepisodes. The installment includes a rare foray into the multiverse. It may be anoverused sci-fi trope in TV shows, butFuturamararely visits other realities. However, “Otherwise” adds to the sitcom’s sparse tally of basing its story on other universes. It’s an interesting writing decision but also makes the risky move of potentially retconning a beloved episode.
The Main Reality In 2003’s “The Farnsworth Parabox” May Not Be Futurama’s Regular Universe
The squashed reality may still be like that in some other part of the Futurama multiverse
At the time of its broadcast, “The Farnsworth Paradox” inarguably began by being set within the show’s main reality. When the story took theFuturamacastthrough many alternate universes, it was a thrilling adventure before ultimately returning to their original world at the end of the episode.It ends with Fry sitting on the box that contains the universe shown, resulting in it being humorously squished along with its container. When the episode was first aired in 2003, this was almost definitely a last-minute visual gag. The twist in “Otherwise” changes that.
After Fry’s mistake, it could be that almost every episode that aired after took place in an alternate - albeit very similar - reality, or that they were set in the same world as all the episodes before “The Farnsworth Parabox.”
Obviously,the universe isn’t squished in the episodes that follow “The Farnsworth Parabox.“So, the 2003 multiverse episode could be the only installment set within that universe. If so, that world could have been permanently squished and remains that way, even now. After Fry’s mistake, it could be that almost every episode that aired after took place in an alternate - albeit very similar - reality, or that they were set in the same world as all the episodes before “The Farnsworth Parabox.” In other words, skipping the episode could be argued to have no impact on the show’s continuity.
The Ending Of “Otherwise” Fixes Every Futurama Plot Hole
Every Futurama writing error can now be explained by setting the episode in another reality
Futuramaseason 12’s endinggives the writers an unfortunately accessible way of explaining any irregularities inFuturama’s overall plot. Becausethe show has been on and off the air since 1999, there are bound to be several plot holes that have opened up over time. Thankfully, theFuturamawriting team generally pays a huge amount of attention to making sure the sci-fi elements of the show all make sense and don’t conflict with one another. That being said, the nature of a long-running TV show means it does and has happened. However, none of those discrepancies matter anymore.
Now, if an episode contains a storyline that clashes with reestablished canon, or will not gel with a plot in the show’s future, it can just be said to be set in another universe ofFuturama’s multiverse.
Now, if an episode contains a storyline that clashes with reestablished canon, or will not gel with a plot in the show’s future, it can just be said to be set in another universe ofFuturama’s multiverse. Of course,this has potentially always been the case since “The Farnsworth Parabox,“except that the 2003 episode made an effort to make each reality distinct. “Otherwise” doesn’t repeat this framework, which makes it possible for two realities to be almost impossible to tell apart. Such a get-out clause for a team of writers that are often so careful sets a risky precedent.
Futurama’s New Take On The Multiverse Also Changes All The Playful Anthology Episodes
The sitcom’s spoofs and short stories are now canon too
When Fry is struggling with perceiving so many snippets of different realities in “Otherwise,” it’s not just the sitcom’s canon episodes that are shown. Snippets from anthology episodes, likeFuturamaseason 12, episode 7, “The Futurama Mystery Liberry,” are also established as part of the sci-fi sitcom’s elaborate multiverse. Before this moment,the anthology episodes could easily have been viewed as fun little diversionsfrom the main show without worrying about their impact on the main canon.
Futurama Season 12’s Multiverse Retcon & Graveyard Of Ships Reveal Explained
Futurama’s big season 12 multiverse storyline changes how that concept works within the wild sci-fi setting, setting up season 13.
While that is still largely true, it’s quite a big revelation that those parodies and spoofs did actually happen within the world of the show. When the professor’s method of reality hopping in “The Farnsworth Parabox” is accounted for, the possibility of traveling to these creative realities comes to life. It’s an odd concept to imagine ever actually taking place during an episode, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t one thatFuturamacan utilize in the future.
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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.
