# Where should I start with Futurama? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 6, 2011, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024 "2011-07-06T13:09:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/1 "2011-07-06T13:09:27Z")
I’ve always heard good things about Futurama, but I never got around to watching it. Now I’ve got room on my Netflix queue. So should I start with Season 1, Episode 1? Did the show take a season or two to really start getting good, like so many other shows? ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/2 "2011-07-06T13:15:13Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > So should I start with Season 1, Episode 1? Did the show take a season or two to really start getting good, like so many other shows? Start right at the beginning. Episode 1 is a classic. Episode 2 will have you singing about Whalers on the Moon. It pretty much only gets better from there. If you’re getting dvds in the mail, don’t skip on special features…A bunch of the math formulas and alien languages are addressed in those, which is just entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/3 "2011-07-06T13:20:07Z")
I’d start right at the beginning & watch them in order. There are some great Season 1 episodes - “Fishful of Dollars”, “When Aliens Attack”, “Fry and the Slurm Factory”. And there is some continuity & callbacks, so you don’t want to be watching “The Why of Fry” without first having seen “Space Pilot 3000”, “Love’s Labours Lost in Space” and “The Day the Earth Stood Stupid” ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/4 "2011-07-06T13:40:23Z")
Season 1 is slower compared to the others, but it’s important for world building. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/5 "2011-07-06T13:42:05Z")
> [@Double\_Foolscap](#): > > Season 1 is slower compared to the others, but it’s important for world building. And still very, very good. Not just as comedy or animation, but as actual science-fiction story-telling. Futurama just didn’t need any time to find its stride - it’s an amazing accomplishment. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/6 "2011-07-06T14:01:48Z")
Also, it’s important to watch them in order because the show was apparently planned way, way, way in advance … there are tiny things in the very first episode that only make sense when you watch season two. Not REALLy a spoiler, as you won’t even know it when you see it: Shadow of the Nibbler! ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/7 "2011-07-06T14:03:42Z")
Welcome to the wooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrld of tomorrow! ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/8 "2011-07-06T14:49:41Z")
Why do you always have to say it that way? ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/9 "2011-07-06T14:49:44Z")
Everything you need to know can be summed up thusly: Bender is the Greatest! oh - and bite my shiny metal ass! ---
**Author:** ![Ura-Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/51bf81/32.png) [@Ura-Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ura-Maru)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/10 "2011-07-06T16:40:25Z")
Start right at the beginning. There are a few minor tone changes as the series goes on, (The earlier episodes do more SF satire, the later ones are a bit more sitcom-ey) but there’s none of the common first season drag. Also, if you do go the DVD route, this show has arguably the best comment tracks in the history of comment tracks. There’s one for\*\* every \*\*episode, and I haven’t heard one yet that I didn’t enjoy listening to. – The really amazing thing is how consistent the good stuff is. While there are some good episodes and some great ones, even the rare ‘bad’ (the superhero one, the ‘battle of the sexes’ episodes, or of the several where bender gets turned into a woman) are still good. Just slightly less good. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/11 "2011-07-06T16:45:15Z")
This is a series to best watch from beginning to the current episode, and then keep watching each new one. There is a least one segment of exceptional animation in each episode. If you can’t watch all the episodes, stick to the stories about Bender. He is the star of the show. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/12 "2011-07-06T16:58:05Z")
Yup, agreed. Start with the beginning and watch them in order. Otherwise you’re doomed. **DOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!!** ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/13 "2011-07-06T17:07:58Z")
It doesn’t matter at all where you start. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/14 "2011-07-06T18:03:14Z")
Start from the very beginning, the very best place to start. The first season provide important background for subsequent seasons, but it’s tons of awesome, not boring “required reading.” It’s my favorite show in the…whaddayacallit…universe. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/15 "2011-07-06T18:11:57Z")
Start with season 3 episode 3, watch the next two episodes then jump to season4 episode 9, immediately after that go to season 1, episode 4, but only watch half of it. DO NOT WATCH THE WHOLE THING! From there watch the the whole Season 1 Episode 4 from the beginning, but only now can you watch through to the end. Then Watch the final episode followed by the penultimate episode. Then watch all of season 2…backwards. Back to Season 1 episode 5,6 and 9, but not necessarily in that order. Jump to Season 3 episode 1 and 2 and then 6. Watch episode 1 season 1 again, but this time using the sound from episode 2 season 1. Or you could just start at the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/16 "2011-07-06T18:23:56Z")
> [@Frazzled](#): > > Bender is the Greatest! Not. ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNO-TOAD! (rhythmic clapping) ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/17 "2011-07-06T18:26:51Z")
As to the OP, I’d start at the beginning. I got into it partway into season 2 when it was running on Adult Swim and there were some references I didn’t get until I saw the first season later on. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/18 "2011-07-06T19:51:18Z")
Although there is some continuity with a bit of a larger overarching plot line, it’s not terribly important to the show overall. The majority of episodes work just fine as stand-alone stories as long as you have a vague notion of who’s who. But since there aren’t any episodes bad enough to need skipping, you might as well start from the start and go from there. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/19 "2011-07-06T20:14:17Z")
When television was invented, _Futurama_ was already _seventeen episodes old!_ ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024/20 "2011-07-06T20:40:05Z")
> [@Ura-Maru](#): > > Bender gets turned into a woman _Robonia… a couuuntry I didn’t maaaake uuupp!!_ Like everyone else, I say to start at S1E1. I think there’s some nicely subtle character growth which isn’t required viewing and doesn’t drastically change them but you appreciate it when you see it. Also, more episodes means more Zoidberg! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-start-with-futurama/588024.md?page=2)