Buzz
Futurama is famous for its cleverly hidden Easter eggs, many of which even the most dedicated fans might miss during their first watch. These subtle clues hint at future events and characters that only come to light in later seasons.
1. Leela's Parents Spotted in the Background
NY Mag
In the season two episode "I Second That Emotion," Leela's mutant parents make a brief appearance in a crowd scene. At this stage, Leela's background was still shrouded in mystery. It wasn't until the season four episode "Leela's Homeworld" that these same parents were officially revealed, uncovering the truth about her origins.
2. Nibbler's Shadow Hidden in the Pilot Episode
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In the very first episode, "Space Pilot 3000," Nibbler's shadow is subtly visible beneath Fry's chair. Although Nibbler hadn't been introduced as a character yet, his role is clarified much later in the season 4 episode "The Why of Fry," where it's revealed that he was responsible for pushing Fry into the cryogenic tank. Matt Groening, in the DVD commentary for the pilot, mentioned, "We aimed to include numerous small secrets in this episode that would eventually have significant payoffs."
3. The Menace of Killer Wasps and the Original Planet Express Team
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In the pilot episode, Professor Farnsworth collects Fry, Leela, and Bender's career chips from a package marked "Contents of Space Wasp's Stomach," hinting that the previous crew met their end at the hands of space wasps. This cleverly sets up the season four episode "The Sting," where the new Planet Express team narrowly escapes a similar fate from giant space bees.
4. The Enigmatic Number 9 Man
theinfosphere.org
A mysterious figure wearing a tunic labeled "Number 9" frequently appears in the background throughout the series. (He can be spotted in "Bender's Big Score," "My Three Suns," "How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back," and various crowd scenes.) First seen in the pilot, his significance isn't revealed until the 2010 Futurama movie, Into the Wild Green Yonder, where he emerges as the leader of the "Legion of Mad Fellows," a group of telepaths.
5. Futurama Was Foreshadowed by The Simpsons
The inception of Futurama was subtly hinted at in the 1993 The Simpsons episode, "The Front." In this episode, a character resembling Futurama co-creator David X. Cohen declares, "I’m going to pursue my lifelong dream of writing a sitcom about a cheeky robot." Futurama, featuring the iconic sassy robot Bender, wouldn’t debut on Fox until six years later.
6. The Deliberate Exclusion of Fry's Grandfather
tvtome.com
In the episode "The Luck of the Fryrish," Fry's father mentions to Yancy that the name has been passed down through generations, from his great-grandfather to his grandfather, then to him, and finally to Yancy. Notably, he skips over his own father (Fry and Yancy's grandfather), suggesting he bore a different name. This omission is explained in the following season's episode "Roswell that Ends Well," where it’s revealed that Fry becomes his own grandfather.
