Futurama season 12 provides a harsh reminder of a major series-long fry tragedy

The following contains spoilers for Futurama Season 12 Episode 7, “Planet Espresso,” now streaming on Hulu

Futurama Season 12 highlights a series long tragedy that has haunted Frey since the early seasons of the show. In the heart of Futurama is Phillip J. Fry, an average guy from the late 20th century, who serves as the show’s audience surrogate in the weird and comically dark world of the 31st century. at the time, Futurama Twists sent early traveling through time, pitting him against ancient aliens, and saving the universe multiple times. Despite this, Free remains a comical set on everyman, especially compared to the other characters in Futurama.

It is an element of the character that is repeatedly pronounced in several episodes of Futurama Season 12, with “Planet Espresso” doubling down on that element of the character for comedic effect. While Fry is a relatively minor character in the episode, his role in the episode highlights a series-long thread for the character that remains prevalent. Even though it can be hard to see early on after dealing with a problem that has always haunted him, it is also an important element of what makes this character so compelling and relatable.

“Planet Espresso” makes Fry the most underappreciated Futurama character

Even Zoidberg is treated with more respect in Planet Espresso.

Futurama Season 12’s “Planet Espresso” reinforces a series-long run with free, Highlighting how he remains unappreciated even in an era he has adjusted to and embraced. “Planet Espresso” sees the Planet Express crew shifting their jobs once more, this time becoming a coffee company. Thanks to the strong coffee produced on the farm owned by Hermes’ late father, the team quickly becomes immensely popular in New York. Unfortunately, the coffee venture’s only real employee is Free, who is quickly overworked and sleep-deprived.

When he tries to call out the unfair treatment, the rest of the crew goes on strike, claiming Frey has to accept even worse treatment. This is a quiet sad moment, especially when compared to Zoidberg. Although Zoidberg is Futurama‘s favorite punching bag, he spends much of the episode enjoying himself on Hermes’ field clipping beans. He even has a casual relationship with Hermes, who typically despises Zoidberg. rather, All of their friends and co-workers don’t care about Frey’s plight and abused his position in society. This is also far from the only time Frye has been criminally underappreciated.

Frey never got the recognition he deserved

Fry is constantly put down Futurama

A recurring theme in Futurama It has always been Fries’s inability to be recognized for his talents in a proper way. Episodes like season 4’s “Future Camp,” season 5’s “The Why of Early,” season 8’s “Law and Oracle,” and season 12’s “The Temp” reinforced this theme, with Fry is constantly ignored at best and littled at worst for his work. His friends laughed at him for it, including his best friend and his longtime love. This leaves Free as a source of audience sympathy even after years of being the main character in the series.

IT allows Free to remain the underdog Even when the study of the show has confirmed that he is much more important than anyone gives him credit for. However, in episodes like “Planet Espresso,” it can feel strangely targeted and mean — especially just a handful of episodes after “The Temp,” which highlighted the importance of Fry’s connections with the crew and their empathy for one another. It even led him to leave Planet Express in the past, albeit briefly. It is still a tragic situation that Free has to keep, and that has been haunting him for over a thousand years.

Early was never appreciated in Futurama, especially in his time

Early’s original time period never felt like home

No matter the challenges and tragedies early faces in the present day, it largely pales in comparison to its treatment back in the late 20th century. Futuramas long-running emotional plot arc, Frey was completely underestimated and underappreciated by the people of his era. Season 12 Squid games Parody “Quids Game” revealed that his friends all left him when they mistook his genuine enthusiasm and ignorant happiness for cheating. His girlfriend Michelle is often shown to be a bad partner, actively cheating on him during their romance.

the main thing Even Price’s family didn’t think much of him — explaining why his mother went out of her way to rig his childish birthday games in his favor in “Kid’s Game.” Frey’s parents both felt early on lacking any true intelligence, and his brother only openly professed emotion for his brother after he was frozen and believed dead to the world. This disconnect with the world of the 20th century may be due in part to Frye’s failures as a young man, but it remains a powerful reminder that the world he lost was not necessarily made for him.

His “Chosen One” status is even better

Fry is underestimated even after saving the universe multiple times

What makes Frey’s constantly underappreciated status in episodes like “Planet Espresso” all the more compelling is the way It subverts typical sci-fi conventions around the “chosen one” archetype. In many franchises, a character’s discovery that they are fated for universal importance becomes a major source of drama or character development. The story shifts around them, and other characters in their orbit must deal with this reality. This is not the case in FuturamaWhich has been teasing Frey’s importance since season 2 and has seen the character save existence more than once.

despite this, Frey is specifically a character that the universe doesn’t care about. His memory (and the memories of others) are often blank after these massive adventures, ensuring his average status remains for much of the show. Even when it becomes more obvious that Fry has importance, others pay him little attention and still treat him like the lowest employee in a minor shipping company. Futurama Highlights how Frey’s more unassuming side is one of his best qualities, ensuring his status as the “Chosen One” doesn’t go to his head. Being unappreciated makes its importance all the more compelling.

Frey’s work Woes reinforces his tragic role in Futurama

Frey will never get the credit he deserves (and Futurama is better for him)

Futurama has always been a smart comedy and a surprisingly sweet show amidst all the epic sci-fi subversions. It was also quietly a bittersweet show at timesHighlighting the characters’ losses as free while still allowing them to be silly and fulfilled. Fry’s lost connection to his home time is only saddened when it becomes clear that his parents’ doubts about him would be erased if they could see the things he’s accomplished in the future. His colleagues constantly underestimate him, even as his actions have helped ensure the future of their universe continues.

Fry being underappreciated highlights what makes the character compelling and admirableDespite his comical inabilities and more selfish moments. He continues to stand by his friends and their unexpected missions even if they brush him aside in the process. That Frey is so under-appreciated plays into the show’s overarching approach to cosmic importance, undercutting it whenever possible and reinforcing the importance of an important person like Frey still being a good person. It is an important element of Futurama And a key element of Fry’s role in the show.