Futuarma’sHulu revival has had one major problem, but season 12 finally fixed this issue that I have been frustrated with since the show returned. While I have mostly loved Hulu’s new seasons ofFuturama, I have had some problems with it, with it not faring well when compared to the original series in one big way. The earliest episodes ofFuturamaseason 12 were especially bad about falling into this trap, and while I was beginning to worry that it would never be addressed,Futuramaseason 12, episode 5just perfectly corrected course.
Futuramais known for its beloved characters, withthe show’s cast of Planet Express crew membersbeing some of my favorite animated characters of all time. Fry, Leela, Bender, and the rest of the gang have become iconic staples of adult animation, and nothing made me happier than when I heard that Hulu would be bringing them back in 2023 after 10 years off the air.I have loved seeing all of these iconicFuturamafigures back for new episodesthroughout seasons 11 and 12, but it has seemed like one character was getting sidelined way too much (until now).
Futurama Season 12 Finally Gives Leela A Leading Role In An Episode
After Sidelining Her For Several Episodes
Hulu’sFuturamarevival has done well with all of the show’s characters except for one: Leela. For some reason,it seems that Leela has been sidelined a lot throughout the revival seasons, with the show constantly mischaracterizing her and putting her in the background of many storylines. It is almost as ifFuturamahas forgotten that Leela is one of the main characters, as side characters like Zoidberg, Hermes, Amy, and Farnsworth have had more episodes focused on them throughout the two seasons than Leela has.
Luckily,Futuramaseason 12, episode 5 finally fixes this. In the episode, the guys from Planet Express go to a Fyre Festival parody called Inferno Festival, leaving Leela behind. This causes Leela to realize that she needs to make a friend group of her own. The episode mainly focuses on Leela’s attempts to create this new friend group and maintain it, with Leela and many ofFuturama’s most notable female side characters going on an adventure of their own. The episode even culminates with Leela facing off against an evil AI chatbot, adding some excitement to her big season 12 story.
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Leela Has Been Sidelined Throughout Hulu’s Futurama Revival
She Feels Out Of Character In Previous Episodes
Leela was owed a storyline like the one seen inFuturamaseason 12, episode 5, as she has mostly been sidelined throughout Hulu’sFuturamarevival. Admittedly, she did get some focus early inFuturamaseason 11, as the show’s earliest episodes were focused on developing Fry and Leela’s relationship. Outside of her relationship with Fry, however, she hasn’t done much,with this being an especially noticeable problem in season 12.
Leela is just another member of the heist in episode 1, she gets killed off in episode 2, she is mind-controlled in episode 3, andLeela’s environmentalism and activism are completely ignored in episode 4. Leela hasn’t had a major role in any of these episodes, leavingFuturamafans like myself hoping that she would get the spotlight once again soon. Season 12’s lack of focus on Leela has been incredibly strange due to her being the show’s female lead, and while she can’t be the main focus of every episode, she needs to have a greater presence more often.
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Futurama Season 12, Episode 5 Sets Up The Perfect Way To Tell More Leela Stories
She Now Has Her Own Cast Of Supporting Characters
Although Leela has been ignored up until now,Futuramaseason 12, episode 5 sets up the perfect way to tell more Leela-centric stories. The reason that Leela has been sidelined so much in season 12 is that she doesn’t have a particularly close relationship with Farnsworth, Bender, orotherFuturamacharacterswho have been the focus of episodes so far. In the past, she could really only be used if the episode was solely about her or about Fry, two things that the show has moved away from in its revival seasons.
However,giving Leela an entirely new friend group in episode 5 was the perfect solution to this. Even if the episode is focused on one of the aforementioned characters, everyFuturamaepisode now has the potential to feature a B-story focused on Leela’s new friend group. This means that she is no longer forced to stand around in the background if a story can’t figure out what to do with her, finally offering Leela a chance at being a leadFuturamacharacter once again.
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.
