Futurama (TV Series) The Sting (2003) User Reviews

Possibly the best episode in the entire series

[UnicornMaiden · 10/10 · 22 April 2007]

No matter how funny a comedy show is, its best moments are always defined by it serious episodes. Along with "Godfellas" this is my favorite episode in the series. Bender, Fry, and Leela are sent on the same mission which killed Professor Farnsworth's previous crew: collecting honey from killer space wasps. Although Fry does not want to go, Leela forces him. As they are completing their mission, Fry jumps in front of Leela, taking the wasp sting that was meant for her. Following Fry's funeral, Leela suffers terrible guilt.

"The Sting" is a pivotal episode as it shows the deep emotional bond that Fry and Leela share. Although it does have moments of classic Futurama comedy (including the main cast breaking into a rousing rendition of "Don't Worry, Be Happy"), this is a really deep, serious episode, which will likely bring viewer to tears.

But Not Schmaltzy.

[robin-414 · 10/10 · 28 December 2007]

I concur with the previous contributor - this is a beautifully made episode. It has all the fun and brilliant animated artwork one might expect from this series, and the ultimate absence of cynicism gives what I can only describe as an uplifting emotional jolt. Fry sacrifices his life to save Leela from being stung by a giant bee - or so it seems - and for most of the episode, we are taken through a series of dreams and hallucinations experienced by Leela. I was absolutely carried away by the story, and don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it - but now it's one I can put on at any time, and still enjoy it. It isn't schmaltzy - the creators of Futurama are too intelligent and too human to do that to their public...but it shows real heart, and it's definitely something to watch if you're feeling down.

Outstandingly surreal and beautiful episode

[gizmomogwai · 9/10 · 16 January 2009]

Some time ago I wrote a review on Futurama as a series, which predictably was rated by fellow-users as "not useful," inevitably since I only gave the series 8 stars when most others were giving it 9s and 10s. Perhaps I should explain: 9 is typically as high as I go, for what I consider to be outstanding, and I put Futurama a notch below because so many of its episodes fall just short of that. However, there are some episodes that succeed brilliantly. The Sting is definitely one of them. I see a fellow-reviewer called this episode "Easily the best episode of the series," and I think if Futurama was the best show of all time, choosing the best episode should be harder. But make no mistake: I think The Sting is one of the best episodes I've seen from any series, ever. It was nominated for the Emmy for outstanding animated program. It lost, and although I haven't seen what won, I doubt it was as good.

Here, the delivery crew go on a mission that killed the Professor's last crew- to collect honey from deadly giant space bees. (Although according to Futurama's Pilot, the last crew was actually killed by space wasps.) Fry, Leela and Bender take some honey, only for a bee to sting Fry and Leela simultaneously- apparently killing Fry and leaving Leela mourning and feeling guilty for his death. She begins to dream that Fry is still alive some how, and slowly seems to be losing her mind. She eats the space honey, only later being told that eating too much of it could cause her to sleep forever. It turns out that Fry is alive, and that the sting had put her in a coma, in which she dreamed the whole thing.

As always, Futurama's animation is beautiful. Here it's used to take us to a giant bee hive, and then on a sleigh ride through an ice world- the animation brings Leela's surreal dreams to life. Futurama, like some of the greatest episodes of The Simpsons, manages to be funny and moving at the same time. Here we can laugh at the Professor's age (he loudly says he's lying to comfort Leela), his guillotine, his making himself feel bad. The laughs aren't major, but this episode isn't aiming to be the funniest Futurama. It moved me to tears, not at Fry's apparent death, but at the end where Leela almost gives up on real life and almost overdoses on the honey, while Fry's spirit urges her to fight. That's a powerful scene, making this a most impressive episode, and making Volume 4 of Futurama a great addition to my DVD collection. 9.4/10

Easily the best episode of the series

[leturtle · 11 January 2008]

The writers of this show are absolute geniuses. They make a cartoon which is very often hilarious and sometimes moving and powerful. This particular episode is a great example of their talent.

Leela and the crew are sent to collect honey from giant bees- which is how the previous Planet Express crew died. Eventually, Fry and Leela get stung by one of the bees. Leela gets a small scratch but Fry got the full impact and she feels extremely guilty and depressed for causing his death.

What then follows is a series of bizarre hallucinations (including a hilarious scene where they all suddenly burst into song) and dreams and she becomes more and more certain that Fry is still alive.

This is an incredibly clever episode, with a great twist in the end and truly touching ending. I won't give away anything- but if you haven't yet seen this one, do so! It is the best work the crew of Futurama have done to date.

The Most Beautiful Episode Ever

[ridiculonius · 10/10 · 9 November 2008]

Futurama is supposed to be worse than the Simpsons, but it's episodes like "The Sting" that make it truly superior. This is a very touching and powerful episode, which proves, once more, that Matt Groening is very capable of producing the funny and the beautiful.

When Professor Farnsworth sends the Planet Express Crew on a dangerous mission (that killed his previous crews) to collect space honey from a gigantic hive of deadly bees, Fry and Bender are reluctant but Leela is determined to prove that they are better than the last crew and forces them to come. When a bee launches itself towards Leela to sting her, Fry throws himself in front of her, getting impaled by the stinger, apparently killing him. Leela only gets pricked by the point. Guilt-ridden, she begins taking space honey, which is supposed to calm you, and suffers a series of hallucinations and strange dreams that lead her to believe that Fry is still alive.

This is the best Futurama episode ever and is a really moving demonstration of the love that Fry and Leela share. I actually almost cried at one point (hehe...).

The tragic 'death' of Philip J, Fry

[Tweekums · 10/10 · 18 July 2012]

When the Professor tells the crew that they aren't good enough to collect Space Honey because the Space Bees that make it are bigger and uglier than most Buicks and killed the previous Planet Express crew Bender and Fry are relieved but Leela insists that they are up to the job. They set off and find the bees and set about harvesting the honey; while doing that Leela picks up a baby queen bee so that they can start their own hive. It isn't long before they are fleeing for their lives but the do manage to escape. Once onboard the ship the danger hasn't passed though; the baby bee stings Fry and Leela; Leela only receives a scratch but Fry is killed!

After the funeral Leela has difficulty accepting that Fry is really dead; every time she sleeps she dreams about him and just as she believes that he is really alive he tells her to wake up; she does and realises it was just a dream. As this continues she starts to think that perhaps he is alive some how; that might be a result of all the Space Honey she ate; her dreams are getting more trippy each time! Of course by the end it is established that Fry is indeed alive but I won't spoil the details.

This is one of the best episodes of Futurama showing that the creators can deal with both comedy and tragedy... viewers expect laughs and they will get plenty in the first half of the episode but tragedy is rare in western animation... although after 'Jurassic Bark' we shouldn't be too surprised. Leela's apparent breakdown is both tragic and convincing; if I didn't know that there was no way they'd really kill Fry I'm sure I'd have shed a tear! While the section after Fry's apparent death is obviously more down beat it still contains some good laughs. Most episodes can be enjoyed by anybody, whether they have watched the series before or not, however I think this is one for regular viewers as you have to know and care about the characters to appreciate the full emotional impact of the story.

Working on Leela's character

[durcek · 10/10 · 13 July 2010]

I was kind of carried away by the way this episode builds up the tension and excitement, even though I guessed what happened as the words -wake up!- repeatedly made it clear that something was up -and it involved a hospital-. Still, so beautifully written that I now love the show even more.

Because, in this episode, we get to know another, more intimate Leela, whose feelings of compassion and responsibility mix with love and become stronger than ever in the plot. She's in dead-sleep but her feelings have opened up. We get to see Leela's love for Fry. In the earlier episodes, the relationship between the two remained sunny and funny, while energies mismatched in some way.It was as if Bender was always involved between Leela's and Fry's relationship. Now, in this episode, the third-person/robot goes back into the background, and it becomes a lovely show of what some Futurama viewers awaited for so long. I guess.

An episode that perfect from most of the other Futurama episodes

[poppygrace · 10/10 · 23 September 2019]

Futurama is know for their weirdness, crazy unorthdox words, phrases, almost all the time, but they weren't like that with the ending of this episode. When Leela wakes from her coma, it's so heart-warming for an episode from a unorthodox TV Show. Those who don't prefer the show should watch it.

I never acknowledged this

[reidyq · 9/10 · 4 October 2021]

After I watched this i thought it was above average but didn't think much of it, then I realized on my second watch how great this is, I wish I acknowledged how emotional and great this episode is.

the best episode of the series

[joshuacarlbrucks · 10/10 · 9 October 2023]

This is the best small scale TV episode ever (yes, even better than Breaking Bad's "Fly") It was a heart wrenching story about love and loss and connection that is exceptionally hard to write. It surpasses every other episode of the series, even the all time greats like The Late Phillip J Fry, Space Pilot 3000, and The Luck of the Fryish. The twist at the end made so much sense and was so emotionally gut churning, that it still sticks with many, including myself. This is the episode that best shows the relationship between Leela and Fry. Great sci-fi, perfect writing, a clever foreshadowing of the twist with the vr golf within vr golf, and the greatest emotional payoff in the show.

Very Overrated Episode by the Fanbase.

[cheap_sunglasses-41587 · 2/10 · 29 January 2023]

This episode is all over the place. It has some great jokes mostly by bender and professor farnsworth early on. You get some fun bits at Fry's funeral where his exes show up and a few other characters we don't normally see when we see New New York citizens get together for bigger events. The issue is this episode is very tough for rewatches because it uses a very big gimmick and it doesn't have proper payoff.

When I see tons of classic Futurama Episodes like Less Than Hero, Obsoletely Fabulous get a 7 when they should be getting 9's. I have to rate this Lower to iffset the nonsensical hype. Really it should be a 6 or a 7.