In Futurama, One Episode Stands Above The Rest
When it comes to animated TV series, "Futurama" has a pretty stellar track record. The series had a good, long run of seven seasons, none of which received any universal hatred from fans. And, with a series revival currently in the works, fans are bound to see more of the animated sci-fi sitcom.
That being said, there are certainly episodes that stand out from the rest. Fans and critics alike have already flooded the internet with praise for "Jurassic Bark," the Season 4 episode in which we learn the tragic tale of Fry's dead dog. However, "Jurassic Bark" stands out only as one of "Futurama's" saddest episodes. It's still a great episode, but there's much more the series has to offer than sadness.
If you're looking for happy episodes, then one has several installments to choose from, including a heartwarming season finale. Though it may not be as highly regarded as other episodes, it is still considered one of the series' best. And, it just so happens to end on one of the sweetest notes of any "Futurama" episode. In that regard, it stands above the rest as an optimistic adventure in the lives of the Planet Express crew.
Fry and Leela finally get a positive look at their relationship
It's no secret that for much of "Futurama," Fry has an unrequited love for Leela. The perpetual lummox that Fry is, he spends plenty of episodes making half-baked moves on the cyclopean siren, only to be rebuffed at every turn. But every now and then, the two show genuine chemistry that eventually turns into a full-blown romance following the events of the film "Into the Wild Green Yonder." Before that, however, the best Fry and Leela episode has to be "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings."
Aside from "The Late Phillip J. Fry," which takes place after the two become an item, and "The Sting," which focuses on Leela's grief after Fry seemingly dies, "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings" is the highest-rated Fry-Leela episode on IMDb. It also happened to just miss the top 10 of Looper's own ranking of "Futurama" episodes. Nevertheless, it truly does stand out from other episodes for just how deeply it delves into Fry's crush on Leela without ending in total disappointment like many other similar episodes (looking at you, "Time Keeps on Slippin'").
The episode shows that Fry is willing to do anything for Leela
"The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings" focuses on Fry as he tries to learn the holophoner, a futuristic woodwind instrument that creates holographic images in addition to music, as a bid to romance Leela. The only problem is that he is terrible at it, and so he enlists the Robot Devil to get him new, better hands with which to play. By a stroke of luck, he gets the Devil's hands and soon becomes a renowned virtuoso.
However, further meddling from the Devil — who desperately wants his hands back — results in Leela losing her hearing. She then trades her hand in marriage for a set of working ears so that she may hear Fry's upcoming opera, which he wrote to be about her. In the end, Fry gives the Devil back his hands, sacrificing his fame and talent so that Leela might go free. In his final performance, he plays a rudimentary song for Leela expressing his love. It is one of the few times that Leela ever genuinely accepts and appreciates Fry's affection, and was an absolutely sweet note to end the series' fourth (and then-final) season.