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Futurama returns for its 12th season July 29—a fact that just a few years felt like an impossibility. Thanks to Hulu, the oft-canceled and oft-revived series dropped its first new episodes in 10 years in 2023, and there are more to come even after this latest batch of 10. Its continuing existence is assured for now, so there’s only one question left to ask: is it still worth tuning in?
io9 watched the first six episodes for this (spoiler-free!) review, and the short answer is “yes.” There’s no new ground being broken here; taken as a whole, the episodes represent exactly what fans expect from Futurama, which is 31st century shenanigans galore revolving around the misfits of Planet Express.
Also present as usual are clever plots that reflect on 21st century culture, which this time around includes NFTs—a concept still so confusing in the far future that only the kid characters fully understand it—as well as the perils of chatbots, toxic-positivity co-workers, and fast fashion. There are also more timeless themes, including childhood trauma (cleverly viewed through a lens that borrows heavily from Squid Game), animal rights, the search for family roots, and the difficulties in building friendships as an adult.
And, of course, there’s all the stuff that really makes Futurama, Futurama: the hilariously weird asides, the pun-laden product names, the momentary gross-outs, and the lightning-fast oddball references that make you want to rewind to double-check your own eyes.
Along with that goes the fantastic cast, especially John DiMaggio as Bender, who finds ways to make even his character’s well-worn catchphrases sound funny every time, but also Billy West (who plays Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Zapp Brannigan, and Zoidberg), Katey Sagal (Leela), Phil LaMarr (Hermes), Lauren Tom (Amy), and the flexibly voiced Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, and David Herman as various other characters. There are, as always, guest stars in season 12, but we won’t spoil their reveals here.
Season 12 of Futurama, created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen, debuts July 29 on Hulu; it’s a weekly episode drop, so you’ll have to wait until the end of September if you want to binge it all at once.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
