REVIEW: ‘Futurama’ Season 11 Feels Too Focused On The Past

First airing in 1999, Futurama was the second major animation series created by Matt Groening (The Simpsons), and followed its protagonist, Philip J. Fry (Billy West) a thousand years into the future as he experienced the bizarre places technology would lead humanity. After 10 previous seasons and two cancellations, the series returns to once more follow Fry and his friends, Torunga Leela (Katey Sagal), Bender (John DiMaggio), and more in Futurama Season 11.

The original four seasons of Futurama are some of my favorite seasons of comedy television of all time. I’ve bought them multiple times and still regularly have them running as background noise when I’m reading, playing games, or writing reviews. And while the last relaunch of the show back in 2009 delivered mixed results for me, the ending the series delivered was one of the best ever. With that positive note ringing in my mind, I came into Futurama Season 11 hoping for a return to its former glory. While it does have some fun moments scattered through its run, it never manages to quite hit the heights of the past. This is largely due to its fixation on that very past.

I would expect a series with a nearly 25-year history to indulge a bit in self-referential humor and nods back to what has come before, but this newest season largely builds everything upon it. While some of these elements are clever, like finally getting to meet Amy and Kif’s children, much of the reference-making only succeeds in delivering a momentary reminder of how good the show once was, instead of building on that goodness. This keeps the series an enjoyable experience for long-time fans, but that is oftentimes the best it can muster.

When Futurama Season 11 does shift its focus to new things, it manages to have some fun with many of our modern-day problems through its quirky sci-fi lens. Things like NFTs and the problems with Amazon’s growth and influence are looked at through the show’s irreverent humor. The highlight of the series manages to come when the show delivers its most skillful fusion of old and new.

In one episode, we get an excellently crafted Dune parody, complete with spice trips, and gifts of moisture. The animation and alien design further help to make this episode a standout. The fusion of the show’s classic look with the nods to what it parodies works wonderfully. This story exhibits the closest the new season ever gets to recapturing the fun and uniqueness that made the series a favorite.

Another thing that hurts the show is inconsistencies with some of the voice performances. While most of the core cast sounds as I remember them, side characters, like Leo Wong, sound distractingly different at times. These jarring moments feel extra noticeable given how deeply the show steeps its plots and much of its humor in the past.

The overall visual presentation of the show is another mixed bag. While there is lots of great visual design work present throughout Futurama Season 11, there are a few moments of animation that look poorly implemented, which pulls the viewer out of the scene. These moments are unfortunate, especially given how well the rest of the presentation is.

Ultimately, Futurama Season 11 delivers a decent amount for fans to enjoy. Its nods to the past and heckling of our present bring lots to make a viewer smile, but rarely illicit genuine laughter. Its obsession with its own past ultimately holds it back from being the forward-thinking, ground-breaking comedy it once was.

Futurama Season 11 starts streaming on Hulu July 24th.