The Leela Reunion Scene Detail That Has Futurama Fans Pausing

"Futurama" was a show that knew how to make people laugh. The Planet Express crew always managed to get themselves into some hilarious scenarios, resulting in a barrel of laughs pretty much every episode. Anyone wanting to make a top 10 list of their favorite "Futurama" jokes would have a tremendous ordeal in front of them, but just because "Futurama" was funny doesn't mean it couldn't hit people in the feels. 

"Futurama" knew when it was time to pull at viewers' heartstrings. The most notable example of this is "Jurassic Bark," when Fry finds a fossilized specimen of his dog and has the opportunity to clone it. He decides not to go through with the procedure upon learning the dog lived a full life without him, and right when you think things can't get any sadder, we're treated to a montage of the dog waiting for Fry to return to his pizza shop, living out the rest of his days waiting for his owner to return.

It's heartbreaking stuff, and "Futurama" didn't even have to go all melodrama to achieve the desired effect. Sometimes, a background detail speaks volumes and takes on greater significance the more you think about it.

For years, fans wondered where Leela really came from. She adamantly believed she wasn't from Earth, and for the longest time, she referred to herself as an alien. But then, in Season 4's "Leela's Homeworld," she discovers the truth. She's actually a mutant, and her parents gave her up at birth because she was relatively normal-looking. The episode ends with Leela finally embracing her parents, and if you look behind the family, you'll see Fry looking positively emotional at the reunion, and that fact wasn't lost on fans. 

Redditor u/SketchySarah posted an image of the scene along with the caption, "I never noticed how happy Fry is when Leela finally meets her parents." No doubt plenty of people watching at home felt emotional at that scene, too, but "Futurama" fans speculated as to why the moment could've held particular significance for Fry. Redditor u/ImRedditorRick wrote, "I took it as him living vicariously through her since he can't see his parents." The user goes on to write, "It just makes too much sense that he at times wishes he could see [his parents] again and was fulfilled he was able to do that for Leela."

Until the very final episode (before Hulu renewed it), Fry cared deeply for Leela and wanted her to be happy. In the same way he could live vicariously through Leela, fans can feel what Fry did and feel grateful that he did something extraordinary for the person he loved most in this strange, new world.