Futurama is a show that is certainly no stranger to finales, having had three before now. As they, Meanwhile is perhaps its greatest yet.
For a show about the future, its own has always been fairly uncertain, originally cancelled on Fox after four seasons. The story was continued in a series of direct to DVD movies, the success of which led to it being picked up by Comedy Central. Alas, the end came again at the end of two inconsistent seasons on its new home channel.
Season 7 finally saw some welcome progression to the Leela and Fry relationship, and this culminates in Meanwhile. Their relationship was the closest a show as irreverent as Futurama had to a core, and the constant back and forth was something of a personal annoyance. Some of Futurama‘s best episodes are those that explore the Fry and Leela relationship. The “will they, won’t they” is a constant of the sitcom, see Cheers‘ Sam and Diane or Friends’ Ross and Rachel (admittedly it was more of a “when will they on any kind of reliable basis” in the latter’s case). The occurrence of such a trope is not in of itself a problem, more the show’s reluctance to actually explore the possibilities of a change in dynamic as a result of the trope. It was nice to see then that there was some actual progress in this season.
Fry decides after a close call with Leela that he can’t live without her (hardly a shocking revelation after all this time, but the show does acknowledge this, “It’s all so sudden after 13 years”) and so decides to propose. He wishes to not only find the perfect moment, but then make said moment last forever. This is all made possible thanks to Farnsworth’s latest invention, a button which when pressed sends the individual ten seconds back in time. Complications ensue, leading to the button’s destruction and all but Leela and Fry to be frozen in time. They use this opportunity to spend eternity together, walking across oceans and other impossibilities in a beautiful montage.
Perhaps surprising about the episode is its approach to finales. It lacks the fan service element of Into the Wild Green Yonder, finale No.2, featuring instead only silent cameos from show favourites, even the Planet Express crew themselves feature very little. This is truly Fry an Leela’s time. This is not to say that fans will be left unsatisfied. Instead, Meanwhile employs the favourite tropes to give the show a send off, featuring time travel, zany inventions, Zoidberg abuse and Bender nastiness.
The Devil’s Hands are Idle Playthings was the show’s first finale, and is probably the better episode, honestly one of the show’s best. Meanwhile is probably the better finale however, feeling more definitive than its still hopeful predecessor. The aforementioned montage of our too leads spending eternity together has echoes of the incredible Up‘s Carl and Ellie, and their closing decision to “go around again” after the presumed dead Farnsworth reappears with the means to reset the clock ends the episode perfectly, leaving the possibility for further outings should Futurama survive again yet also feeling climactic in its own right. It may well be best to call it a day here, as much as I love Futurama, Meanwhile would be a tricky one to top come the final finale.
Any show is of course difficult to end, but animated sitcoms especially, existing in the endless temporality that they do. One struggles to conceive of a way to end The Simpsons, for instance. Fans not enamoured with Meanwhile have ample alternatives to look towards. Futurama fans enjoy a potentially unparalleled opportunity of being able to bid farewell to their favourite show in so many different ways, with all bar Overclockwise being totally fitting endings.
Patrick on the Box 