Futurama was an iconic and entertaining series. Though sometimes it really knew exactly how to hit fans in the heart, either by surprising us with a depressing plot or by presenting us with some grand and beautiful romantic gesture.
But today we’re not going to talk about the sad moments (well, not all of them, at any rate). Instead, we’re going to focus on the ten biggest and best romantic gestures in the series. If you haven’t watched the series extensively, you may be hard-pressed to come up with that many to list. But any fan of the series can easily think of several.
Rebirth
Rebirth was a whirlwind of an issue worth celebrating. It was the first episode (not counting the movies) after years of cancellation. It was also an episode with a strong romantic plot, as Fry and Leela kept going above and beyond; both to try and protect the other, and to deal with their grief.
First, Fry shielded Leela with his body (though this wasn’t revealed until later). This put his body in a state where Farnsworth didn’t think he could bring him back. So Leela, lost in grief, made up a fake Fry to cope. She was then electrocuted by the robotic Fry, resulting in a swapped scenario. It all sounds very complex and crazy, but we promise that it was sweet as well.
The Big Question
Let’s talk about another episode from the newer seasons, shall we? During Overclockwise, Leela kept obsessing about what would happen to the two of them in the long run. It’s a conversation we’ve seen, and many have experienced.
At the end of the episode, Bender provided them with several pages predicting how their lives were going to play out. Their reading of it resulted in a couple of slaps, lots of smiles, and an endearing moment all around.
A Promise To Be Ready
Remember when Kif got knocked up? We’re the first to say that Amy didn’t take the news well – at first. This forced Kif to move on with the birthing process all by himself. That is, until Amy came to her senses.
She rushed through the wilderness and ultimately saved the day, allowing her and Kif’s babies (along with Leela’s DNA) get safely into the water. She then promised that one day, years from now, when the babies crawled from the swamps, she would be there with Kif to raise them. We’re actually a little bit sad that we never saw that moment.
Something Worth Saving
Let’s go back to a classic episode for a minute. The Why of Fry introduced many important elements to the series. Okay, it also introduced some new funny elements as well, but let’s move on from that for now.
When Fry was at his worst during this scenario, he was asked if anything good had come out of his forced time in cryo. The answer? Leela. Leela made it worth it. She also was worth saving, thus Fry did the impossible and saved the day.
U Leave Me Breathless
We all remember those horrible tasting little hearts given out on Valentine’s Day. Futurama certainly had things to say about those candies. But it was the basis for a very cute subplot. During a series of shenanigans that only make sense in the context of romance and the thematic holiday, Fry found himself in a position to save Leela.
But to do so, he’d have to put himself at risk. He didn’t even hesitate. Without even seeming to think about it, Fry sacrificed his air supply for Leela. This moment was made all the sweeter when he was revived, spitting out a candy with the perfect phrase on it: U Leave Me Breathless.
‘I Love You Leela’
Who can Forget Time Keeps On Skipping, where Fry finally got Leela to marry him? Unfortunately, for most of the episode, he doesn’t actually remember what he did in order to get her to fall in love with him…
That is, until the end of the episode, where it was finally revealed. He had literally spelled out his love for her in the stars themselves. Talk about grand gestures. Unfortunately, this gesture was less permanent than one would think, as they needed to blow up those stars in order to put time back into order. Poor Fry.
An Exchange Of Hands
The Devil’s Hands Are Idle Playthings is another iconic episode of Futurama, one full of romantic plot. Here we find Fry, so willing to court Leela that he’s ready to make a deal with the devil himself. The Robot Devil, that is.
Ultimately Fry gives up his hands twice. The first, to get the hands of the Robot Devil. The second time, to get his human hands back, all in order to save Leela from being forced to marry the Robot Devil.
Wake Up
If you’re looking for a tearjerker, check out The Sting. This is one of those episodes that’ll leave not a dry eye in sight. This is an episode full of space bees, fake outs, sacrifice, and devotion. Once again Fry proved his willingness to sacrifice himself for Leela, diving in front of a dangerous bee to take the blow for her.
Unfortunately, the toxin ended up inside Leela, sending her into a coma full of strange and alarming dreams. Fry’s constant begging for her to wake up seeped into those dreams, eventually getting through to her.
Giving Up The Parasites
It seems like there’s a common theme here, as Fry tries so hard to court Leela, but always ultimately giving it all up for one reason or another (usually also in the name of courting her). In the instance of Parasites Lost, Fry had finally found the way to win Leela’s heart.
Unfortunately, if he did this, he would never know if it was him or the worms she loved. So they had to go. It’s better to be loved for who you are, then what some worms turned you into, right? That was certainly Fry’s take on the matter. Even if he didn’t do the best job explaining it to Leela.
Best Time Of My Life
Finally, let’s talk about The Late Phillip J. Fry. Through a series of events, which naturally include time travel (but only forward time travel, no worries!), Fry finds himself stuck in the future, and thus he doesn’t exactly make it to his date with Leela.
This episode hit a truly emotional point when Leela realized that Fry didn’t die doing something stupid, but instead had been dragged into the future as described. The note she left for him was beautiful and gave Fry the peace he needed.
