Summary
Futurama’s highest-rated episodes on IMDb reveal an interesting trend while also goes some way to explaining why its most recent revival was arguably a huge mistake. Many ofFuturama’s best episodesare largely agreed upon by large portions of the viewership, with certain installments becoming instantly iconic and others gradually achieving legendary status. However,it could be argued thatFuturama’s golden age is over, and there’s evidence to suggest this is the case in the details of IMDb’s rating system.
Despite the show’s fluctuation in quality through the years,Futurama’s casthas remained intact throughout its run - despite being canceled and brought back twice. This level of consistency is likely part of what has allowedFuturamasuch a storied stint on TV, even if it’s also been a little intermittent. While not every episode has lived up the lofty heights of the show’s upper echelon, there have still been a handful of gems hidden in the most recent efforts. However, the rating of one episode in particular suggestsFuturama’s current comeback was ill-advised.
10 Best Futurama Characters Voiced By Billy West, Ranked
Billy West is one of the most important members of the Futurama cast, with many of his characters playing key roles in the story of the show.
80% of Futurama’s Top 10 Episodes On IMDb Are From Season 5 Or Earlier
Futurama’s earlier seasons are held in the highest regard
Futuramaseason 5’s final episode coincided with the show’s first cancelation. OnIMDb,eight of the top 10 highest-rated episodes come from before the animated sitcom was axed by Fox. There have now been more seasons ofFuturamaproduced since this event than existed before it, so the IMDb scores suggest the show has never managed to achieve the high standards it reached during its earlier years.
5
2
9.5/10
3
10
9.4/10
13
7
9.3/10
9
9.1/10
16
4
1
8.9/10
8
Godfellas
8.8/10
The two outliers on IMDb come inFuturamaseasons 7 and 10 respectively. The season 7 effort, “The Late Philip J. Fry,” is an impressively high-concept episode that has achieved the rare feat of working its way into the highest rankings. The top-10 episode from season 10, “Meanwhile,” was intended to end the show for a second time after Comedy Central cut ties withFuturama. While they both inarguably deserve to be ranked amongFuturama’s best episodes, it doesn’t change the obvious trend of the earlier episodes generally being better than the latter ones.
Some sources refer toFuturamaseason and episode numbers differently. This article uses the system on Hulu.
1 Futurama Season 10 Episode’s IMDb Rating Proves Reviving The Show Was A Mistake
“Meanwhile” was a very organic way of ending Futurama
“Meanwhile” is theFuturamaepisode with the third-highest rating on IMDb, although it shares its 9.4/10 score with the second-place entry, “The Luck of the Fryish.” Considering “Meanwhile” comes so deep intoFuturama’s run, it’s scored surprisingly highly. However, the episode is a perfect blend of comedy and high-concept sci-fi, and also provides a perfect happy ending for Fry and Leela. As the intended finale forFuturama, the show was very fortunate to pen a script worthy of recapturing what made it so popular in the first place, and it was the ideal way to end the saga.
After “Meanwhile” allowedFuturamato conclude on such a high, none of the episodes from the new era have managed to break into the top 10 on IMDB.
The rare quality of the episode and its prolific place inFuturamacanon should have been honored as the full stop to the story. However, Hulu brought the show back once again with a multi-season renewal. It was a risky move, and not one that has paid off particularly well so far. After"Meanwhile" allowedFuturamato conclude on such a high, none of the episodes from the new era have managed to break into the top 10 on IMDB. Therefore,Futurama’s legacy has been tarnished even further by undoing the fitting ending featured in “Meanwhile.”
Futurama Has Plenty Of Time To Redeem Itself
Hulu has made it clear that Futurama is back for the forseeable future
WithFuturamaseason 12 beginning on Hulu on July 14, 2025, the show appears to be safe for now. In fact, Hulu has ordered an additional two seasons ofFuturamaafter season 12. This means thatFuturamaseasons 13 and 14 are on the way. While theending ofFuturamaseason 11was well-received - with the finale snagging a respectable 8.1/10 on IMDb - the first run on Hulu was largely underwhelming. Hopefully, the next three seasons will show a marked improvement.
I Really Hope This Futurama Season 12 Episode Title Means Revisiting My Favorite Storyline From 21 Years Ago
One of Futurama season 12’s episode titles immediately caught my eye, as it suggests my favorite episode could be revisited more than 2 decades later.
Futuramaseason 11 was the first on Hulu, and had a slightly shorter run than its predecessor. It consisted of 10 episodes rather than the 13 that made upFuturamaseason 10.Futuramaseason 12 will also be 10 episodes long, so there’s no reason to believe why seasons 13 and 14 will deviate from this formula. Therefore,there should still be at least 30 episodes ofFuturamadefinitely on the way. If none of these upcoming installments manage to make it intoFuturama’s elite group of episodes, it may be time to end the long-running show for good.
Beauty and the Bug
One is Silicon and the Other Gold
6
Attack of the Clothes
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.
