Ranking Every Single Futurama Series Finale From Worst to Best
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
A retrospective ranking of all six Futurama series finales explores how the animated classic has repeatedly closed its doors and which farewells truly stuck.
Few shows in animation history have mastered the art of the false ending quite like Futurama. As the series navigates another one of its signature farewells following recent comments from showrunner David X. Cohen, we have now reached a staggering six different potential series finales across its various runs on Fox, Comedy Central, and Hulu. Looking back at how the show has attempted to close its doors over the years offers a fascinating masterclass in television pacing, revival culture, and the challenge of giving a beloved crew a proper send-off.
While entries like the omnipotent Bender story in Overclockwise or the high-concept multiverse housekeeping of Otherwise brought plenty of clever sci-fi ideas to the table, they often struggled to balance grand scope with personal closure. Even fan favorites like The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings suffered slightly from the reality that the writers were hedging their bets on a sudden renewal. On the other end of the spectrum, ambitious outings like Into the Wild Green Yonder successfully scaled up the Planet Express crew's antics to feature film proportions, proving the universe could handle epic stakes without losing its comedic identity.
Yet the undisputed crown belongs to 2013's Meanwhile, a masterclass in emotional storytelling that utilized a time-freezing mechanic to let Fry and Leela live out a full life together. It remains the gold standard because it avoided feeling like a placeholder, delivering a poignant emotional punch that subsequent revivals still measure themselves against. As we look ahead to more animated specials on the horizon, it is clear that while Futurama loves a good final episode, topping its absolute best goodbye will be an uphill battle.
Tags: TV Shows, Animation, Sci-Fi, Streaming
Original article: Polygon