The one that started it all, creating legions of fans around the world; "Space Pilot 3000" is one of the greatest first entries any series has ever had, making excellent use of its time to make your first trip into the world of Futurama memorable. A sequence of events that would eventually become a plot point of its own later trap Fry into a cryotube, capped with a brilliant scene that shows 1000 years of human evolution right before our eyes. It's a future that feels real and lived in, thanks in large part to the way the writers don't ever let it feel too removed from our own psyche. Because of that, exploring the future with Fry is half the fun and you really feel invited into this fantastical world thanks to the engaging writing. "Space Pilot 3000" is a timeless classic of television animation, featuring a great first meeting between Fry and Bender while also setting up its world brilliantly.
19. Anthology Of Interest I
Groening even manages to parody himself with "Anthology of Interest I", an obvious take-off on the Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror" episodes and shows various what-if circumstances regarding members of the Planet Express crew. Leela's murder spree of the entire crew after wishing to be more impulsive is the obvious highlight, a film noir-inspired tale of violence that has shades of the earlier Treehouse episodes. There's also a great send-up of The Iron Giant, as Bender's desire to be 500-feet tall results in a brilliant BFF montage set to "Mmmbop" by Hanson. It also reinforces the importance of Fry's trip into the future, as we would be permanently stuck playing D&D with Al Gore otherwise. And hey, if you can't be entertained by something that has a giant robot fighting a crab while tearing down buildings, you might wanna check your pulse.
