Summary
Futuramahas one commonly recurring horror background gag that hasn’t returned since the original season finale, but Hulu’s revival series has finally brought it back. DespiteFuturamabeing an animated sitcom, it is famous for its intricate worldbuilding and attention to detail, with the show maintaining a surprising amount of continuity. Onejoke from a recentFuturamaseason 12 episodemay have seemed out of nowhere because of this, but it is a clear callback to a classicFuturamarunning gag for viewers who are paying attention.
Futuramaseason 12, episode 5 sees the Planet Express crew head off to a music festival, and while the guys aren’t having a particularly good time,one character is left out: Leela. Because of this, Leela decides that it is time for her to make her own friend group, leading her to gather up some ofFuturama’s most well-known female side charactersand take them on their own adventure. Unfortunately, one of these characters ends up dying throughout the day’s wacky events, leading to Leela and the gang having to go to a strange 31st-century funeral home.
Vampires Existing Is A Subtle Futurama Running Gag
It Originated In Season 2
Although it seems like a strange addition toFuturama,the existence of vampires is a running gag that can be traced back toFuturama’s earliest seasons. The joke originally started back inFuturamaseason 2, which features an episode in which Mr. Panucci talks about the existence of monsters. Mr. Panucci says that most of these famous creatures aren’t real, with the exception of three: Dracula, Blacula, and the Son of Kong. Notably, two of these monsters are famous vampires, with this throwaway line coming back into play throughout the show.
ThroughoutFuturama, vampires can occasionally be seen in the background of shots and in large crowds. Thecast ofFuturamaeven visits several vampire-themed locations throughout the series, although they are mostly played off for laughs. While these vampiric appearances don’t happen too often, they are often enough to establish a pattern that vampires are just as real as humans, robots, or owls. However, their lack of major roles means that many viewers have missed these characters, especially because they are just now returning for Hulu’s revival.
Futurama Finally Calls Out The Show’s Worst Curse That Began 21 Years Ago
Futurama’s opening subtitle gag just called out the show’s most unfortunate trend, directly addressing one of the biggest problems it has faced.
Futurama’s Vampires Were Last Seen In The Show’s Emotional “Meanwhile” Finale Episode
It Took Place On The Vampire State Building
The biggest role that a vampire has had inFuturamaactually occurred in the show’s last finale. Before Hulu pickedFuturamaup for more seasons, the show originally ended its run with the emotional episode “Meanwhile,” in which Fry spends most of his time using a time loop device while waiting on Leela. Many fans remember the tall building setting that “Meanwhile” uses throughout, butmost have forgotten that this tall building is one of New New York’s vampire establishments.
The building thatFry waits for Leela on in “Meanwhile"is called the Vampire State Building, a strange mashup of the real-world Empire State Building with a vampire theme. Fry even interacts with one of the Vampire State Building’s vampire employees in the episode, highlighting how normal vampires are in the world ofFuturama. No references to vampires in Hulu’sFuturamarevival have been uncovered up until season 12, episode 5, where the show finally brings back this strange horror trend.
10 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching Futurama Season 1, 25 Years Later
Season 1 of Futurama has some missing elements and rough edges that make it hard to return to after the heights of the show’s later seasons.
Futurama Season 12 Strangely Introduces New New York’s Third Vampire Business
A Vampire Funeral Home
Futuramaseason 12, episode 5 continues this trend in a hilariously odd way, introducing New New York’s third vampire-themed business. The most famous of these three businesses is the Vampire State Building from “Meanwhile,” but it isn’t the only one.New New York also has a vampire bank known as the Cound Bankula Vampire Bank, establishing the trend of vampire establishments that is continued in season 12.
The newest vampire business inFuturamaseason 12, episode 5 is a vampire-themed funeral home, with the funeral of Leela’s friend being hosted by the vampires. Much like the other two establishments, which are based on vampire puns, it makes sense for a funeral home to be vampire-themed due to the association between vampires and coffins. The vampires are just one of many strange worldbuilding details that can be found inFuturama, and it is nice to see that they have finally returned in the show’s newest season on Hulu.
Futurama
Cast
Futurama is an animated science fiction series that follows Philip J. Fry, a pizza delivery boy from late-20th-century New York City. He is accidentally cryogenically frozen for a thousand years and becomes an employee at Planet Express, a delivery service in the retro-futuristic 31st century.
