The season 12 finale of Futurama gives Fry & Leela a completely tragic end

The following contains spoilers for Futurama Season 13 Episode 10, “Otherwise,” now streaming on Hulu

FuturamaThe end of season 12 gives Fry and Leela an absolutely tragic end. Futurama Season 12 took the series in some surprising directions. This highlighted the breadth of the show’s supporting cast and the emotional potential of the series. Many of Futurama Season 12’s best episodes highlighted the tragic elements that have always been at the core of the otherwise silly sci-fi comedy. This maintained a healthy balance between the series’ more emotional elements and its goofy approach to science fiction.

However, the Season 12 finale, “Otherwise,” took a more dramatic approach. While the episode still contains plenty of comedy, it’s also one of the most overtly sci-fi episodes of the series thanks to a major re-con of Futuramais multiverse. However, the emotional story at the episode’s core is far more tragic, bringing the romance between Fry and Leela to a potentially bittersweet conclusion. It is an amplification of Futurama‘s topics and gives a powerful ending to the show’s central relationship – even if they are still allowed to appear in seasons 13 and 14.

The tragic ending to Futurama season 12, explained

Futurama Gives Fry & Leela a tragic finale

The end of Futurama Season 12’s “Otherwise” reveals the tragic but moving way Fry and Leela would spend their final moments together. “Otherwise” follows the crew of the Planet Express as they decide to bury their broken ship in the ships’ graveyard. As a multiversal rift occurs in the universe, the crew eventually runs back onto the ship to save an unconscious Fry just before it crashes. At this point, the episode splits into two timelines, following a universe where the crew all escaped safely. Fry’s uncomfortable experience of alternate realities leads the crew’s new ship into a battle with a mysterious ghost ship – a battle they lose. die in the process.

Even in the face of death, the two focus on each other. As Zapp screams in fear and a dismissive Bender appears perplexed by his impending doom, Fry and Leela die in each other’s arms, happy to be together. The tragic ending is only tempered by the revelation that the ghost ship is actually the main crew of Planet Express, who were still on the ship when it fell into the multiverse. This allows the show to give Fry and Leela an endingbut allows basically identical characters to move the show forward.

Fry and Leela’s final kiss is one of Futurama’s saddest twists

Futurama Reveals how Fry and Leela’s ultimate fate could bring a tragic end to the show

Even if Futurama immediately reveals a backdoor to allow Leela and Fry to remain at the center of the story, the deaths of the variant Fry and Leela are yet to come a powerful reminder of the emotional core of the show. Essentially, these were the same characters that fans have followed since the first season in 1999, and one unfortunate fight ends it all. However, as long as they are together, they accept this, a defiantly romantic way to face death. The deaths of Fry and Leela in the episode underscore that death must play a role Futuramawhich adds a bittersweet flavor to potentially disposable options.

It’s far from it FuturamaThat’s the only sad momentbut it is among the most bittersweet. The show has mined many tragic stories for pathos over the years. Flashbacks to Fry’s lost life in the 20th century in episodes like Season 3’s “Luck of the Fryish,” Season 5’s “Jurassic Bark,” and Season 11’s “Game of Tones” are heartbreaking. Leela’s bittersweet upbringing and family reunion in season four’s “Leela’s Homeworld” tugged at the heartstrings. “Otherwise” plays on the bittersweet romance at the heart of Fry and Leela’s story, giving it a similar emotional power to Season 3’s “Time Keeps on Slippin'” or Season 10’s “Meanwhile.”

Why Fry & Leela’s Multiverse Ending Is Quietly Perfect

How Futurama Gives an end to Fry and Leela without having to kill them

A big, consistent theme of Futurama There has always been meaning and peace in a chaotic universe through each other. Every character in the main cast has been isolated in some way, be it from their family, their home, or their time. However, they have come together and created a new kind of family. Fry and Leela’s romance is one of the most prominent examples of this overarching theme: they find love together despite the dangers and complications of a bizarre universe. See that Love proves resilient in the face of death itself is a strong example of this Futuramais the central thesis.

Actually Futurama uses “Else” to give Fry and Leela feel a sense of possible closure. The crew survives and has more adventures in seasons 13 and 14, but the story of Fry and Leela, who are more or less the versions audiences have always known, has come to an end. It reinforces their previous endings where they face a potential end together, like in season six’s “Into the Wild Green Yonder” and “Meanwhile.” It’s a powerful reminder of that Futuramais the best emotional story arc and a vivid illustration of the central theme of the series.