Futurama Season 11 Puts A Fan-Favorite Character (And His Star Trek Inspiration) On Trial
In a 2020 video interview with Vanity Fair, voice actor Billy West explained some of his creative decisions surrounding his multiple "Futurama" characters. For the blowhard Captain Zapp Brannigan, West imagined William Shatner, as if he — the actor, not Captain Kirk — were in charge of the Starship Enterprise. Zapp is a creature of pure ego and vanity, which is how West sees Shatner.
On "Futurama," however, Zapp Brannigan is more in line with a widespread popular interpretation of Captain Kirk. Kirk is often called a ladies' man and an incautious cowboy. Zapp wasn't a ladies' man, but he was a pathetic lothario who too often sexually propositioned Leela (Katey Sagal). He referred to his bedroom as "the love-nasium," and was obsessed with wearing velour clothing. Zapp also wasn't merely incautious, but blitheringly incompetent as the commander of the DOOP starship Nimbus. "It's an emergency, sir!" an underling would yell. "Call me when it's a catastrophe," Zapp would retort.
Like many other characters in "Futurama," viewers may have soon begun to wonder why anyone bothers to keep Zapp in a position of authority. If he's a walking human resources violation, why does he have a job at all? Why has he not been dishonorably discharged for failing nearly every mission? More importantly, why hasn't Zapp been imprisoned for his sexual impropriety?
In the latest episode of "Futurama," called "Zapp Gets Canceled," that question is finally answered. After being physically and emotionally abused by Zapp for many years, Kif (Maurice LaMarche) finally files a formal complaint (Zapp merely points out that Kif mispronounced "compliment"). Zapp is brought in front of a DOOP tribunal.
This story was a long time coming for Zapp, but it's also a way to interrogate the public's perception of Captain Kirk, the beloved "Star Trek" hero.
The popular image of Captain Kirk
It should be noted that the popular perception of Captain Kirk isn't wholly accurate to the way the character was depicted on "Star Trek." Watching old episodes of the '60s TV series reveals a character who is actually often stern, judicious, even cautious. He wasn't the "shoot first, ask questions later" character that many have assumed him to be. It was Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) who was passionate and reckless, and it was Scotty (James Doohan) who was quick to load the torpedo bays. Yes, Kirk kissed his fair share of lovely alien women, but his libido was never the factor that drove the plot, and it was rare that his masculine prowess affected the story directly.
Regardless, Kirk was the one who earned a reputation as a sexual dynamo and a regular breaker of the Prime Directive. That popular perception of Kirk led to the version of the captain seen in J.J. Abrams' 2009 "Star Trek" film, and certainly informed the behavior of Zapp Brannigan on "Futurama." It should be noted that the "reckless cowboy" version of Kirk was still, even if based on misconceptions, regarded as blusteringly heroic. Kirk may have been impetuous and oversexualized, but he was still held up as a masculine ideal, often discussed as a role model, a hero, perhaps even a character to emulate.
So when Zapp Brannigan is brought to trial in "Zapp Gats Canceled," what's really happening is an interrogation of the public's vaunting of "cowboy Kirk." It's a comment on how the heroes of our past often espoused ideas that were sexist, colonialist, hurtful, and often destructive. Zapp is the full-actualized version of the irresponsible side of Kirk.
Zapp Gets Canceled
Naturally, when Zapp's many acts of malfeasance are laid bare, he is ousted from DOOP and forced to undergo sensitivity training. Kirk, by extension, would be treated similarly in a modern milieu. One can likely make a supercut of all the times on "Star Trek" when Kirk was reckless or did behave inappropriately toward women, and construct a solid case for the character's being rightfully pilloried. In one icky case, Kirk even had to flirt with an underage girl to escape a desperate situation (see the episode "Miri"). This, "Futurama" seems to be arguing, is a generation's most notable sci-fi hero. He wasn't always a good guy.
Zapp is so far gone, however, that he doesn't fully perceive the extent of his crimes, and feels that he will merely get a slap on the wrist. This, too, is a commentary on "the old system." Zapp clearly still adheres to an old-world, pre-#MeToo "Boys Will Be Boys" mentality wherein men had openly committed acts of sexual assault or even racism (Zapp is also accused of performing in "greenface," offending Kif's species) under the assumption that other men would come to their defense and get them off the hook in a pinch. Systems like "sensitivity training" were, to Zapp's eyes, PR stunts. He didn't expect to become more sensitive.
Kirk, too, might be said to be the benefactor of a "let you off the hook" system that benefits people of his gender and race. Recall at the end of "Star Trek IV" how he had stolen the Enterprise and blown it up, all the rescue a personal friend? Did he ever face consequences for that? No. He was rewarded with a brand-new ship and a round of applause.
New episodes of "Futurama" premiere every Monday on Hulu.