One key element to a well-done tv relationship is the fake-out, the moment of clarity when fans believe that their time has arrived and all the suffering was worth it. Well, "Time Keeps on Slippin'" is perhaps the greatest relationship fake-out ever; Farnsworth inadvertently creates a rip in space time by building his Atomic Supermen to combat the Harlem Globetrotters in a no-stakes basketball game and culminates in our first glimpse at Fry and Leela's wedding. The time skips lead to some of the most genuine laughs that the show has ever created, from the rise and death of pop star Wendy within seconds to a happy birthday party for Amy that becomes a day of tears for Zoidberg. But it all comes to the closing moments of the show, where we see that when he wants to, Fry can pull off the most amazing romantic gesture in the universe; moving the galaxy itself to tell Leela how he feels. It's a punch to your gut when Fry's dreams are dashed, a truly heartbreaking finale.
9. Mars University
It's time to send the gang back to college, and Mars University is where they're headed. This episode has two fantastic stories running counterpoint to each other; Bender's "Animal House" inspired adventures with the fraternity known as Robot House and Fry's rivalry with a monkey named Guenter, which Farnsworth has outfitted with an Electronium Hat in order to make him a genius. Bender's story is a clear winner in this episode, as it comes back to the idea of just seeing Bender go and do crazy stuff. It's simple, but that's often what works with him more than anything else. The Fry/Guenter battle of the nitwits is also fun, as the primate's desire to be just a monkey of average intelligence is a nice reminder that being yourself is more rewarding than pretending to be someone else.
