Movies - TV
Futurama Head Writer David X. Cohen's Favorite Episode Isn't A Happy One
By MICHAEL BOYLE
The cult classic animated series “Futurama” is predominantly a cheery and light-hearted show, and while it does tackle lighter social issues or tougher subjects, it tends to steer clear of tear-jerkers. There are a lot of beloved episodes, but for co-creator David X. Cohen, it's a Season 3 episode that makes the top of his list — and it’s a little surprising.
That episode, "The Luck of the Fryrish," explores why what happened to Fry is, at its core, a tragedy. In the episode, Fry searches for the lucky seven-leaf clover he had before he was frozen, and during his search, grows to wrongly suspect that his older brother, Yancy, stole the clover and took over his life after he disappeared; however, Fry eventually does learn the touching truth.
For Cohen, the story felt like a gamble: "We decided we would try with that episode a touching thing where Fry learns about his brother [...] and we didn't know if people were gonna go for it or not.” According to Cohen, the overwhelmingly positive reception helped them feel confident to make more episodes like it, which led to the heartbreaking sequel “Jurassic Bark.”