The Simpsons Reference You Likely Missed In Futurama

Considering that both shows are created by Matt Groening, it's no surprise that both "The Simpsons" and "Futurama" share plenty of similarities. They have a near-identical art style, with the only difference being the lack of yellow-skinned humans in "Futurama." They often share voice actors such as Dan Castellaneta, who voices both Homer Simpson in "The Simpsons" and The Robot Devil in "Futurama" (via IMDb). On top of that, the two shows also have a penchant for directly referencing each other.

Apart from their literal crossover episode, the two franchises are known for hiding little easter eggs throughout episodes that call back to each other. There are obvious examples of this, like in the "Futurama" episode "A Big Piece of Garbage," where Fry discovers a discarded pile of Bart Simpson dolls. However, the series has also been more subtle about how it makes callbacks. One "Simpsons" reference that you likely missed in "Futurama" happens twice, but unless you have an eagle eye and a good memory, you probably overlooked it.

The reference in question actually comes in the appearance of a minor character from "The Simpsons." Blinky the Fish, a three-eyed mutant fish that first appears in "The Simpsons" during the Season 2 episode "Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish," also appears in two separate episodes of "Futurama" (per Fandom). However, he is only ever treated as an easter egg, and his presence is never directly acknowledged.

The first time we see Blinky in "Futurama" is actually during the series' first episode, "Space Pilot 3000." When Fry takes the New New York tubeways (the future's alternative to New York's subway system), part of the winding glass tube goes underwater, where a green version of Blinky can be seen swimming in the waters around the Statue of Liberty.

Blinky then makes another appearance in the show's seventh season, during the episode "T: The Terrestrial." After Fry is adopted by the Omicronian child Jrrr as a pet, we see that Jrrr also has a pet fish sitting in a common fish bowl in his room. This fish is, of course, Blinky. Once again, Blinky doesn't do much. But, for the die-hard "Simpsons" fan, that doesn't quite matter. What matters is that the animators of "Futurama" are making an homage to a classic episode of Matt Groening's other series.