Futurama is undoubtedly one of the greatest sci-fi comedies of all
time — but despite its surprisingly tight and well thought-out timeline,
the series didn't answer every question it raised. For example, what became of Bender's son,
Ben? What happens to Fry and Leela after the time-bending events of the finale?
Is Fry's old girlfriend, Michelle, still going out with the reanimated body of Pauly Shore?
"'Tis better to have loved and lost, n'est pas? Ngngyyahagah!"
The answers to all of these questions could make for intriguing episodes;
ones we'll likely never get to see. And while we can all live with a little mystery in the
year 3000, there's one lingering question, in particular, that stands out as particularly
irksome. What is the Other, and why is she so important to the universe's future?
We know who the Other is, of course. It's Leela. That's revealed in the season four episode
The Why of Fry, which is arguably one of the most important Futurama episodes ever made.
In it, Fry learns that the accident that landed him in the cryogenic [kry-oh-JEN-ick] freezing
tube and sent him to the future wasn't actually an accident at all.
It was part of a scheme by Nibbler, who spills Futurama's big secret during the episode:
Fry isn't just a doofus. He's actually the most important person in the entire universe.
See, because Fry is his own grandfather, the former pizza delivery boy is immune to attacks
by the evil Brainspawn, making him the only person who can stop their plans for galactic genocide.
In The Why of Fry, the Nibblonians give Fry a Quantum Interphase Bomb and send
him off to fight the Brainspawn, where he defeats them and saves the entire galaxy.
"Here we are, trapped for eternity."
"We could sing 'American Pie.'"
Unfortunately, there's a complication, as tends to be the case with anything involving the Planet
Express crew, and Fry ends up back in 1999, before he was frozen and sent to the future.
After some time-travel shenanigans, Fry goes back to that fateful moment when he became stuck in
the cryogenic unit. It may seem like a retcon, but if you go back to watch the Futurama pilot,
you'll see Nibbler's shadow underneath where Fry sat,
showing how the creative team behind the sitcom had their plan in place all along.
Back to Season 4, and Fry tries to stop Nibbler from sending his original body to the year 3000.
Nibbler protests, however, arguing that there must be something in the future that
Fry thinks is worth saving. That's where the crucial piece of dialogue comes in.
"She must be the other."
"The wha?"
"You must not give up on her."
Fry doesn't know what that means… and we don't, either. Sadly, it seems like we never will.
Fox canceled Futurama after its fourth season, and while it came back from the dead two times,
the writers never bothered to explain what Nibbler was talking about.
Given The Why of Fry's important place in Futurama canon, Nibbler's words seem like
they carry a lot of weight — or they would, if they were ever elaborated on. Of course,
in the absence of a real explanation, fans have concocted their own theories.
Many assume that the Nibblonians have plans for Leela that never made it to the screen. Meanwhile,
some think that Nibbler simply meant that Leela is the second-most important person in the universe.
As that theory goes, Leela essentially saved the galaxy by making Fry care. Ultimately,
Fry decides to send his past self to the future in The Why of Fry because he loves Leela. As such,
she's indirectly responsible for all of Fry's heroics. Fry is the one in the middle of things,
but Leela is the person who gives Fry something to fight for.
Other fans suggest that Nibbler might be referring to the series finale, in which Fry
and Leela live together as a couple for decades while everyone else around them is stuck in
time. Maybe it's even a Star Wars reference — Nibbler and Yoda have some similarities,
after all, although you've gotta hope that Fry and Leela aren't secretly brother and sister.
Whatever the case, fan theories are the only explanations as to
the Other's significance that we're going to get. By all indications,
Futurama isn't ever coming back — making this one big question that's bound to go unanswered.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus,
even more Looper videos about your favorite shows are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.