The Exact Moment When Futurama Turns From a Quirky Freak Show Into a Heartfelt Drama

Futurama is one of the most popular animated series, probably the second one that comes to mind after The Simpsons. It's an animated science fiction series that revolves around several main characters minding their own business in the future.

The show is often praised for its outlandish humor and wacky characters, making it a perfect choice for those who just love absurd comedy and unlikely storylines involving robots, strange universes, aliens, time travel machines, and so much more.

While the show is mostly comedic, there are still moments in the series where it delves into deeper, more emotional territory that, frankly, takes viewers off guard. One such moment happened in episode 2 of season 5, called Jurassic Bark. The episode featured the devastating death of a character we didn't even know existed before.

In this episode, Fry’s dog, Seymour, becomes the center of a poignant and heartbreaking storyline that leaves a lasting emotional impact on the audience.

Well, we all know that Fry came to the future by accident, after being frozen in a cryogenic chamber. So the episode features him discovering a fossilized version of Seymour in his new universe and then trying to bring him back to life with the help of Professor Farnsworth.

A moment before it actually happens, Fry changes his mind and decides to let it go, realizing that after he was sent to the future, his dog had lived another 12 years and would have probably found a new owner and lived a happy life. Fry was afraid that Seymour wouldn't remember him and didn't want to spoil all the good memories he had.

Well, what seemed to be a pretty good finale showing Fry's growth ended up being a total gut punch because of the last scene of the episode. The creators revealed what kind of life the dog had during those 12 years. It appears that Seymour was waiting outside the pizza place (just like Fry told him) all these years, waiting for his return.

“I wish I didn't find out why Fry doesn't bring his dog back. That he falsely believed that Seymour got to live a full happy life. And then I watched, thinking about that, about how by all accounts, Seymour should have gotten a new, loving family. And instead, they show how he waits, and lives, just so he can see Fry again. But he will never get to, because Fry thinks he would have forgotten about him,” Redditor fictional_kay said.

Seymour's simple loyalty, transformed into a story about love, loss, and the inability to actually turn back time, is truly heartbreaking and echoes long after the credits roll. And this moment takes Futurama from a quirky cartoon to something far more human and relatable.

Futurama is available to stream on Hulu.