The WhimWham

I’ve been lukewarm on the new Futurama—there’s been a couple of good episodes, some mediocre ones and some really bad ones as well. But the last episode (“The Late Philip J. Fry”) was outstanding.

Why? Oh, let me count the ways…

• it actually addresses real questions in cosmology and metaphysics
• it references everything in science fiction from the writings of H.G. Wells to the films of James Cameron
• it has moments of tenderness and pathos, as well as soul-crushing despair
• it acknowledges past continuity in funny, relevant ways

And finally, there’s a hilarious parody of Zager & Evans’ “In the Year 2525″ that is a work of genius.

The team behind the show’s original run obviously haven’t lost their touch. (The new writers, on the other hand…) This episode is probably in the top 10 for me, and while it isn’t as mind-bending as “Roswell That Ends Well” or as heartbreaking as “Jurassic Bark”, it recaptures the essence of those episodes. At its best, Futurama was (and is) possibly the best comedy, the best science fiction and the best animated show to ever hit TV screens.

Here’s a clip from “The Late Philip J. Fry”: