Top 10 Times Fry was the Most Relatable Character on Futurama
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Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for our favorite instances of Fry being the most relatable character in the show.
#10: “Shut Up and Take My Money!”
When MomCorp[a] releases the new eyePhone, everyone at Planet Express is eager to get their hands on one, especially Fry. When he finally makes his way through the queue, he excitedly yells “shut up and take my money!” as he throws his cash at the sales assistant. We’ve all had that experience, when a shiny new gadget comes out and we know we don’t really need it, but we just have to have it. Fry perfectly captures the impulsive side of us that struggles to give in to consumer hype. The eyePhone is actually a scam, and his instant regret over his purchase is painfully relatable.
#9: Relationship Struggles
Fry’s love life has been a struggle, with the very first episode showing him face one of the most relatable feelings - heartbreak. On New Year’s Eve 1999, his girlfriend Michelle drives past him in a taxi, and casually dumps Fry on the street, since his life’s going nowhere. It’s a harsh blow, but many of us can understand the feeling that we’re not quite “enough” for our love interest. Throughout the show, his attempts at romance don’t get better, like his unrequited feelings for Leela, or his fling with Morgan Proctor. The latter is particularly hilarious, with Morgan being aroused by his messy room. Fry embodies the awkward side of dating that we’ve all struggled with before.
#8: Forgetting the Word Idea
Everyone has a brain fart from time to time, moments where our mind goes completely blank, and Fry is the absolute king of blanking out. The most iconic example is when Fry has “one of those things, you know, a headache with pictures.” Of course, the word he’s searching for is “idea.” It’s painfully familiar; we’ve all had those moments where the most basic word or concept escapes us entirely, even when it seems completely obvious. Another example of this is when Dwight tells him “alcohol makes you stupid” and Fry’s response is “no I’m.. doesn’t.” These seem like classic Fry being dumb moments, but we can all relate to these times when our brain can’t even remember the simplest words.
#7: Watching the World End
In one of the most hilarious episodes, Bender, Fry, and Farnsworth try out the Professor’s time machine that can only go forward in time. After realizing they can’t return home, they face an intense dilemma: being stuck rapidly advancing into the future, with no way to stop it. Sometimes, when things get overwhelming in life, instead of freaking out you just go with the flow. Fry and the guys perfectly embody this when they decide to crack open some beers, lay back, and watch the entire history of the cosmos unfold before them. This is super relatable for those of us who have found ourselves in a situation we can’t control, and instead of panicking, just ride it out.
#6: Giving Up Super Intelligence
A stupid move ironically makes Fry incredibly smart. When he purchases an egg salad sandwich from a gas station bathroom, it infects him with microscopic worms which give him super intelligence and make his body heal phenomenally fast. This allows him to finally express his feelings for Leela to her. Delighted with the new Fry, Leela tries to prevent Farnsworth from stopping the worm infestation. Ultimately, Fry decides he’d prefer for Leela to love his true self, rather than what the worms made him into. The episode reminds us it’s better to be loved for who we really are, and also to remain cautious about sketchy sandwiches.
#5: Office Laziness
We’ve all had days where we struggle to keep the energy up at work. Fry takes office laziness to a new level by living in the Planet Express office, decorating it with his stinky laundry and pizza boxes, and creating an aura of general slovenliness. He begins to treat the workplace like his own living room, which is something everybody can relate to. I mean, not to the same extreme, but we’ve all wished we could take a nap in our workplace. His behavior taps into that small part of our brains that always wishes it could get things done with the least effort.
#4: 100 Coffees
Everyone’s spent money irresponsibly in their lifetimes or had moments where they’ve been craving a boost to get them through the day. Fry takes both of these things to their extreme when he decides to spend $300 on 100 cups of coffee. His journey to complete the mission is a rollercoaster, with him initially zooming around the office and other spaces in his quest for java. He becomes more and more unhinged, starting to jitter and losing the ability to focus. This spiral is relatable to anyone who has accidentally had too many coffees when pushing through a long day. It also resonates with those of us who have spent our money on ridiculous things, like 100 cups of coffee, purely because we can.
#3: Anchovy Pizza
Everybody has experienced random and unexplainable cravings for foods before, which is a feeling captured wonderfully when Fry gets a craving for anchovy pizza. He embarks upon a quest to acquire anchovies, which are almost entirely extinct. Fry perfectly encapsulates this desire to satisfy a food craving, going to great lengths to placate his taste buds. When he finally gets his pizza, he shares it with Planet Express, but they all spit out the pizza. Fry just tells them anchovies are an acquired taste. His craving might be ridiculous, but it reminds us that it’s okay to embrace our quirks, even if it isn’t considered mainstream.
#2: Luck of the Fryrish
“Luck of the Fryrish,” which focuses on Fry’s quest to reclaim his lucky 7-leaf clover, just might be the greatest Futurama episode. It delves into his insecurities about how he’ll be remembered, and reveals his deep need for validation. He struggles to come to terms with being overshadowed by his brother, who seems to have stolen his identity and achieved everything Fry dreamed of. Ultimately, Fry discovers his brother held him in such high regard he named his son after him, a moment that requires great discipline not to cry at. Through his quest, we see a relatably tragic struggle for identity, which reminds us of the human desire to be seen, something we can all identify with.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Fry Spends His Saturday Night with No Date, a Bottle of Soda, & an All-Rush Mixtape
Fry Reveals to the Professor a 20th Century Device to Control Time
The Incident Where Fry Mistook a Radiator for an Alien.
#1: Can’t Let Go of His Past
Detailing Fry’s struggle to let go of his past, specifically his dog, Seymour,“Jurassic Bark” might be the most heart-wrenching episode in television history. Fry tries to clone Seymour to get a taste of what he missed out on. But he eventually changes his mind, thinking Seymour continued his own life without him. The episode teaches a heartbreaking, but necessary, lesson about accepting loss, and how difficult it is to overcome grief, something every human will resonate with. And Seymour’s dedication to Fry adds another level to the episode. While it’s painful to let go, the love in our hearts will continue forever.
Which Fry moment resonated with you the hardest? Why don’t you drop a comment letting us know!
[a]https://youtu.be/vvVuplNJ6oA?si=E_Wk_c0i0mKfulNf&t=5
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