The Three Best ‘Futurama’ Episodes, According to John DiMaggio, the Voice Behind Bender
After a decade in the cryogenic chamber, Futurama will finally return later this year. While an exact premiere date has yet to be announced, Hulu has said the series will return in the summer, which means if you’re looking to binge all 140 episodes beforehand, now would be a good time to start.
However, if you’re looking for just the best of the best (or a good place to start), voice actor John DiMaggio, aka Bender himself, was more than happy to provide us with his top three episode recommendations…
‘Amazon Women in the Mood,’ Season 3, Episode 1
Plot: The Planet Express crew is stranded on a planet populated by giant Amazonian women led by a Femputer, voiced by Bea Arthur.
What DiMaggio Says: “This one is a favorite because I got to work with Bea Arthur. I’d already recorded my part, but they were having her in and they asked me, ‘Will you do us a favor and come in and read with her?’ I was like, ‘Are you fucking kidding me? Of course I’m coming in!’
“She was really sweet and very reserved. We started reading together, and she was great. About 15 minutes in — in a break between lines when they were talking in the booth — she said to me, ‘Am I doing okay?’ I looked at her and was like, ‘Ms. Arthur, you’re doing everything they want perfectly. I know you can’t tell, but they’re so thrilled.’ She just said, ‘Thank you, dear.’
“We were also making fooling-around noises together. She was the Femputer, and I was Bender. I finished with ‘Oh yeah baby! Gimme some of that!’ I said that to Bea Arthur! The best part was that she got the jokes — she was as dirty as the rest of us.”
‘Roswell That Ends Well,’ Season 3, Episode 19
Plot: Fry goes back in time and meets his grandfather, who just began dating Fry’s grandmother. Fry eventually ends up accidentally killing his grandfather and impregnating his grandmother, becoming his own grandpa in the process.
What DiMaggio Says: “This is an incredible episode. When Fry is talking to his grandfather, and his grandfather says, ‘You ever get the feelin’ you only like girls cuz yer s’posed to?’ and Fry says, ‘Whaaaaaaaat!?’ It’s so good.”
Every ‘Anthology of Interest’ Episode
Plot: The Futurama equivalent of The Simpsons’ “Treehouse of Horror” episodes, only featuring shorter, “what if” stories.
What DiMaggio Says: “Third place goes to all of the ‘Anthology of Interest’ episodes. They’re so ridiculous. Like, seeing Bender as a human being was genius; so was everyone in video-game form. The anime one was great too, and the one where everyone is elephant seals. There are just so many good ones.”
