Every so often, a show will produce an episode like "The Late Phillip J. Fry"; it's an infinitely compelling examination of what it means to love, the true purpose of our own existence and all of our little human eccentricities. Fry's accidental trip into the future with Bender and Farnsworth isolates him from everything, especially Leela. The humor doesn't come as furiously as other episodes, but that's a good thing for a story that needs the room to breathe. As the single best outing of the Comedy Central run, "The Late Phillip J. Fry" is a remarkable tale of the metaphysical journey that humanity is on. It isn't just funny, it's also inspiring in its message of something lost being found again and how our lives may not be as random as we think.
1. The Luck Of The Fryrish
If everything goes according to plan, the best episode of your television series will also be one that focuses on your main character, and the fan favorite "The Luck of the Fryrish" is an easy choice for the best episode ever of Futurama. A tale of two brothers, broken apart by circumstance, comes full circle in one of the most genuinely emotional episodes of any television program, be it animation or live-action. Any person who has ever lost a loved one can relate to the powerful message that this episode delivers, as we get to see the aftermath of Fry's disappearance and how it affected his family. Seeing Fry as a bawling baby and a young man, his interactions with brother Yancy, it paints a dark picture that haunts the episode. Just as Fry begins to believe that his brother stole his name, the reveal of his lost time being something as special as an uncle is a hard one to take. It's raw emotion, a reminder that Fry's happy-go-lucky times in the future are also standing in the wake of a tremendous loss and ends on a poignant use of "Don't You Forget About Me" by Simple Minds, made famous in The Breakfast Club. "The Luck of the Fryrish" isn't just the greatest Fry story ever told, it's also the single greatest episode of Futurama of all time. It has heart, humor and a powerful message that will always be at the core of the series. Good news, everyone! We've reached the end of our long journey, so now it's time for you to sound off in the comments. What episode of Futurama is your favorite? Which one did we leave off? Let us know below!
