8 Reasons Futurama Season 12’s Multiverse Twist Is a Huge Risk for the Future of the Revival

The following contains spoilers for Futurama season 12 episode 10, “Different,” now streaming on Hulu

Futurama It looks like it’s expanding their scope to an entire multiverse, but that comes with some specific risks for upcoming seasons. Futurama has always been willing to push the limits of its sci-fi setting for the sake of comedy or romance, with many universe-shaking events occurring over the past twelve seasons. The Futurama Season 12 finale “Others” broadened the horizon exponentially thanks to the formal introduction of a multiverse. The episode even ended with the main character of the show drifting between realities. On one level, this is an exciting prospect. It opens the door to a lot of storytelling possibilities.

However, there is also a fair amount of risk that comes from shifting the show in this direction. This new approach is well-trodden ground in modern sci-fi, and this embrace of wild opportunity can distract from the established continuity and characters that helped create Futurama So compelling. These are not necessarily safety, and the strength of Futurama Season 12 overall suggests that a full multiversal plunge for Futurama Would still be entertaining. yet, Here are the biggest risks Futurama Faces if it goes full multiversal In season 13 and season 14.

8

The Multiversal Adventures could further raise stakes

Futurama Being limitless realities can mean that there are no consequences

By opening up a multiverse of possibilities and possible red-cans, Futurama Might have just set up to lose any remaining character tension. There was already a stock problem in Futurama for yearsThanks to the show’s glib approach to death. Some characters died in Futurama And quickly brought back, either by outside intervention or unexpected plot twists in Futurama. This is gone Futurama Something underwhelming when it wants to shift into high gear and raise the stakes, because the natural tension that could potentially be produced in these sequences is largely non-existent.

There is little threat to characters like Bender in Futuramas regular continuity. The non-canon anthology episodes may actually present stakes for minor cracks with their versions of the main cast, but often for the sake of a dark joke instead of carrying on the overarching themes and plot of the story. Bring Futurama Crossing the multiverse could further undermine stakes. While the emotional story of Fry and Leela’s potential ending was well-crafted and compelling, it was somewhat undercut with the knowledge that a newly codified Futurama Multiverse can kill (and replace) anyone it pleases.

7

The multiverse could cost the show its supporting cast

Futuramas supporting cast could be lost if the show leaves the main reality

One of the more exciting potential beats in “Other” is the revelation that the Planet Express crew has effectively been carried out in the multiverse. This could shake up the show as a whole, allowing the creators to send the crew to exotic and inventive new locations. However, removing them from their primary setting also means that the show could lose the ability to easily deploy the massive gallery of supporting characters it has developed over the years. Season 12 episodes like “Quids Game” highlighted The sheer comedic depth of Futuramas supporting characters.

Leaving New York and the 31st century that has been established in the last twenty-five years may leave them behind. On top of the comedic elements it would leave hanging, it could also open up the genuine character development and relationships of characters like Amy and Hermes, who specifically grew during season 12 in relation to their loved ones not on the ship. . Simply ignoring the growth—especially with Amy, given her three children—would undercut the core’s emotional strength Of the letters that have always grounded Futurama Even when it embraces the weird.

6

The show may lose sight of their central arcs

Expanding to the multiverse could be problematic for Futuramas major emotional storylines

With the ability to go to any possible setting or time period Futuramas vast multiverse, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the show embrace a more liberated and experimental tone. however, This can have the unintended effect of drawing attention away from many of the show’s central arcs. Storylines like Amy and Hermes’ family struggles, Zoidberg’s few interpersonal connections, and Bender’s constant existential searches may take a back seat to a more formal sense of experimentation.

That would be a shame, as the genuine and steady character development at the heart of Futurama has always been a key part of what makes it so compelling. The show benefits from the detailed and emotionally resonant characters at the center of the series. Despite their wild sci-fi nature, the characters have relatable passions, flaws and strengths. If the series fully embraces the multiverse adventure without keeping some focus on the characters at the heart of the series, The emotional flow of the show may suffer.

5

Futurama could experiment with closure

One of the more interesting elements of “Different” is the way the episode played with Fry and Leela’s romance, finally showing one of the ways the series could come to an end. Although another version of Frey and Leela (along with the rest of the Planet Express crew) survive and go on a new adventure, the episode provides a sense of potential closure for Frey and Leela’s storyline. This may end up inspiring the creatives to explore other potential approaches to closure for the series.

This could push the series closer to actually finishing the plotlines baked into the show’s overarching narrative. The risk of this can already be seen in “Anders,” which turned out to be a very bitter-sweet finale for Fry and Leela. If the real authentic ending of their story in Futurama‘s inevitable finale fails to reach the heights of “different,” Then it may look even worse by comparison. The same can be said for any other explorations of the like Futuramas stories and characters could end, setting the show up to be compared to itself down the line.

4

Futurama may face accusations of imitations

Futurama would be exploring a concept that has become very common

Futurama has formally opened the multiverse forward, which is a fun concept. however, This is also a concept that has been increasingly tapped in recent years. shows how Rick & MortyWhich clearly took some level of inspiration from Futuramas approach to sci-fi and comedy, have permeated the multiverse for over a decade. The multiverse has been fodder for mainstream blockbusters like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and more artistic endeavors like Everything everywhere all at onceHighlighting different strengths of the narrative medium.

However, this means that Futurama Following a similar trajectory, it could be accused of being accused of a trend that has already had diminishing results in other franchises. The multiverse concept is a driving force for Futurama Forward can then feel like a retread of other sci-fi properties. While Futurama Has always found success in subverting expectations in the sci-fi genre, the multiverse has been played for comedy, drama, action and adventure. Futurama could find himself facing accusations of merely following a sci-fi trend instead of expanding on it.

3

Futurama may lose story cohesion and continuity

FuturamaS lore can become more confusing with alternate timelines in game

Although it was never afraid to break the rules it established for itself, Futurama has always benefited from a surprisingly consistent continuity. Elements like Frie’s status as the Chosen One or Leela’s mutant storyline built on previous seasons worth of development and growth. This helped give Futurama A sense of scope even while the show remained focused on the characters And the resulting comedy of their interactions with an absurd universe.

While the multiverse expands the scope more than ever before, it also sets up the potential that it could overshadow the more grounded character elements that have always benefited. Futurama. With the ability to jump from timeline to timeline, Futurama May lose some of that cohesion That’s always kept the internal timeline compelling and understandable. Potentially countless encounters with variants, each with very different timelines and variants, could cost the show some of the tighter story construction allowed for slow-burn learning.

2

Futurama may lose playing too much with genre

Too much experimentation can be bad for Futurama

Although Futurama always had a lot of fun playing with tone, The sci-fi setting of the show has typically served as the backbone of the show. Non-canon anthology episodes are typically a place to experiment more openly with genre, leading to snarky but loving parodies of everything from classic animation to the antics of Scooby-Doo. Season 2 “Anthology of Interest” highlighted how the show, when freed from typical canon and rules, could become an effective horror show. These are reasons to be excited for the possible multiversal adventures of FuturamaBut they also pose a risk.

The show may embrace experimentation to a fault, leaving behind the established mix of dark goofball comedy, high-concept sci-fi and emotionally grounded characters that have defined the series up to this point. If the multiverse proves tantalizing as a setup to experiment with, Futurama May lose its unique sense of goofy sci-fi identity. Although it can be a lot of fun to watch Futurama Filtered through different storytelling styles, it would be a shame to lose the distinct mixture of tones that has come to define the animated series.

1

Futurama May Hit Dangerous New Highs (or Lows)

Futurama Can only ignore major events if it leans too hard in the multiverse

FuturamaThe multiversal excursion could end up leading to a lot of things, including the kind of cosmic threats that endanger entire multiverses. These could introduce new heights for the show’s approach to action and adventure. However, there is also a risk that these types of stakes would feel insignificant compared to The majority of almost apocalyptic events Futurama Played with (and just ignored) for the past twenty-five years.

Major events and potentially show changing elements can easily be washed awaySimilar to how season 12’s “Attack of the Clothes” ended with the apparent end of the world which was just reversed by the next episode. Futurama May lose any remnants of excitement in the process, costing the show whatever drama and stakes it may unleash from time to time. The biggest risk of Futuramas Multiverse is that nothing ends up being important in the grand scheme of ​​the series, and allows the events of the show to merge and become lackluster.