Futurama (TV Series) The Late Philip J. Fry (2010) User Reviews

An insightful view into the future of planet earth and the universe

[ryansam2000 · 10/10 · 31 July 2010]

The beauty of this episode in particular, is that it is a piece of television that anyone of any age can watch and enjoy, even if you're unfamiliar with the characters. Whatever age or gender you are, The Late Phillip J Fry will provoke your thoughts, grip your stomach and create feelings for fictional characters which you may have before thought impossible from a simple television show.

As always, Matt Groening and friends have provided us with a storyline which could almost seem plausible and because of that, this episode is somewhat believable. Revolving around the three central characters, (Fry, The Professor and Bender the robot) the plot unfolds around the testing of Hubert Farnsworth's latest invention, a time machine, which only goes forward in time. The three characters embark on a journey which takes them through various dates in Earth's future, ever hopeful that they will find a time in which civilization has invented the backwards time machine so they can return to their period in history.

Full of depictions of Earth's timeline, messages from the past and a sense of harmonious loneliness and togetherness, Groening has created an insightful view into the future of planet earth and the universe, no other show has quite captured such plausible bleakness.

This episode could extend itself into almost a TV Movie, however the current series of Futurama seems to be producing stand alone episodes. At first I was upset that I might not be able to see how the characters would change after being involved in such events, but if Groening can give us such fine viewing in 25 minutes, why not wait until next week and see what other explosive symphonies he has installed for us?

If you have enjoyed Futurama in the past, in any forms it has taken, you will adore and fully appreciate this episode. If you have never heard of Futurama you will be stunned by the creativity and thinking behind it and be left wanting more. This episode is for anyone, and it needs to receive the acknowledgement that it deserves.

This is the best episode of Futurama since "The Luck of the Fryrish."

[HoldenJ_C · 10/10 · 12 August 2011]

"The Late Philip J. Fry" is an absolute classic. It is hilarious, mind-boggling, romantic, epic, endlessly thought-provoking, and undeniably the correct choice for the 2011 Outstanding Animated Program Emmy.

This episode will take your mind and your imagination on a trip that only Futurama could, and right when it ends you'll want to immediately watch it again. It is that good, and I think it is arguably the best episode of Futurama ever. This episode is one of the many reasons why the world is a better place now that Futurama is back. I'm so glad it has been renewed through 2013. Keep the new episodes coming.

One of the series' best

[drltoo · 10/10 · 3 August 2010]

Evidently some of the fans of this show, as seen by the low ratings given to each and every one of the new episodes, believe this show has not returned to form/nor can it ever be/nor does it have the "right" to (I guess it's cool to have that attitude, especially when others do). If one actually views the new episodes with an unbiased mind, and grades them on the content on the screen, the ratings would be higher. But I digress...

This episode deserves a 10/10 because of its unique and inventive plotting, poignancy, humor, terrifically obscure (and in-jokey) references, and its clever exploitation of a terrific sf premise.

There. I just gave a review for something and explained my reasons for giving it. Reasons that were actually related to the episode at hand.

It isn't tough.

best of the season so far

[cinematicus · 8/10 · 5 August 2010]

This episode is classic Futurama - something that's been missing since the series' end and in this season/series so far.

It's got the elements that made Futurama such a good show: an amazing voyage, a decent dose of actual science, a sentimental element that somehow lingers for eons of time (in the story), humour in the face of the universe, and bender being impossibly annoying.

i don't recall ever wanting to kick bender's shiny metal a** as much as in this episode. if you watch you'll know why.

the writers for this episode cannot be the same ones that wrote the previous six. I wish they would write more of the episodes since their material so obviously is the essence of Futurama that made the show such a hit in the first five seasons.

One thing i miss however is that the graphics could have been more elaborate particularly for the big bang.

Most likely the single best episode of animated television

[gageboothe · 10/10 · 11 August 2020]

This episode is only rivaled by Bojacks Horseman's The View From Halfway Down. This episode is near perfect despite being in the worse seasons of the show(Comedy Central). I think this episode fit the characters and had real emotion without feeling forced.

Just outstanding!

[Lory10_01 · 10/10 · 11 December 2021]

It's remarkable how we just get... I don't know, maybe 30 seconds per age, but at the end of this travel, you feel like you saw the entire future history. And it's mindblowing to see how much it changes, and to think about that, even though we think in the future there will be tech and innovations, something big and horrible may happen, throwing us back thousands of years.

This episode is deep and amazing, really makes you think. Bravo!

Fry is late for a dinner date with Leela very late

[Tweekums · 10/10 · 21 July 2017]

Fry has a problem with punctuality; first he is late for work then he is late for Leela's birthday lunch. Promising to make amends he offers to take her out to dinner and assures her he won't be late. Just as he about to leave for his date the Professor insists that he first helps him, and Bender, test his new invention; the 'Forward Time Machine'. They only intend to travel forward one minute but inevitably things go wrong and they end up a thousand years in the future. This being a 'Forward Time Machine' they can only go forward in time; in an attempt to go back they keep heading forward hoping to find a civilisation that has invented the 'Backwards Time Machine'. Back in the 'present' Leela thinks Fry stood her up to accompany Bender and the Professor to Hedonismbot's party and died in the tragedy that took place there. Thinking they are dead she moves on with her life and leads Planet Express to success… then she learns the truth. The question is how will the two be reunited?

This was one of the best episodes of Futurama for quite some time. The story provided plenty of laughs, some nice film references and an amusing reworking of Zager and Evans' 1969 song 'In the Year 2525'. These references are a bonus to anybody who spots them but in no way detract from the story if you don't. There are elements of poignancy as we see how Leela's life progresses in the years after Fry disappeared. The way they finally return is not too obvious and provides some more good laughs; most notably in a scene involving Hitler and the scene where they finally get back and briefly meet themselves. Overall I was most impressed with this episode; it is right up there amongst my favourites.

Great reminder of how amazing the show can be

[yasmar-02224 · 10/10 · 8 April 2022]

This is great reminder of how amazing this show can be. Season 6 has definitely been a rocky one but I'm glad to see that the writers haven't completely lost their touch and can still deliver a classic.

It's 2022, and still hold up

[aaaaaron-frannnnnnnn · 10/10 · 6 December 2022]

Reviewing this in 2022. Still 100% hold up. And going over all the best episodes of animated-comedy shows of all time, this episode is easily top 3. Honestly, this episode, along with the Devil's Hands Opera Episode, as well as the Luck of the Fryish make up 3 of the best episodes of all time.

Everything from the time travel aspect, to the comedic irony of going needing to go around the universe's time again, to the tear jerker of when Lela get's Fry's card and him finding her message. I am 31 years old, and still moves me to tears every single time. I personally think this episode has more emotional impact than any other episode.

Loved it

[faharis · 10/10 · 15 September 2021]

Very well written and directed, this episode definitely deserved the awards it received.

On of the best episodes of the series

[ugnx · 10/10 · 3 August 2020]

Season 6 was pretty disappointing until this episode.

Interesting episode, but not great

[roshanjbhattacharya · 7/10 · 12 March 2024]

I know I will probably get a lot of criticism for my rating of 7/10, but it really didn't hit me like some other episodes did.

I want to get things straight and make it clear that I am a fan of futurama, and I'm not writing this review just to be critical. That being said, this episode was not my favorite. One of the reasons I didn't like it, is the way that Bender acts. I know that most of the episodes portray him as selfish and arrogant, but it's just something about the way he can't get over himself when things don't go his way and can't be happy for others. For example, when they found a time where they had a backwards time-machine, and the year before was Benders favorite, Bender hit the lever because it was not what he wanted. I know he's a robot and can't really have emotions, but the last episode(Lethal Inspection) really showed his vulnerable side, which draws you closer to the character, and this episode kinda ruined that for me.

The second reason why I didn't like this episode, is because they created a time paradox. Personally, I have not finished the series, so I do not know if this gets fixed later on or not. That being said, I can't help but wonder about the original Leela, Hermes, Zoidberg, Amy, Cubert, and Scruffy; are they not important anymore? Yes I know that there were flashbacks to what happened to them, but it doesn't sit right with me that after they left they never came back and just killed third big bang Bender, Fry, and Professor. It just crated one big paradox problem that was unnecessary, but of course bender had to have it his way. Plus the message Leela left was just perfect, and Fry still didn't at least try to go back to the original universe and original Leela added a depressing feel to the episode, even after they "came back."

Now that I got that out of the way, I can focus on some of the positives. This episode really was an interesting view of what the futurama's future universe would look like. In addition to that pro, at the end of the first big bang universe, Fry, Bender, and the Professor really had a nice moment of friendship, maybe the best that's happened so far.

One of the best.

[reidyq · 9/10 · 29 September 2021]

Although I like the episode before it more, (Lethal Inspection) I think this episode is great and definitely one of the best. Crazy how two episodes in a row can be some of the best ever, while the rest of the season is only decent.