Futurama Season 11 Episode 8 Review: Zapp Gets Canceled

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Futurama Season 11 Episode 8, “Zapp Gets Canceled,” is perhaps one of the season’s funniest episodes while also being heartfelt and sincere in staying true to the characters. 

This episode, written by Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, and Shirin Najafi, focuses equally on Turanga Leela and Zapp Brannigan. That focus makes for some fascinating, hilarious, and heartfelt moments for these beloved characters. 

Despite the title being a bit standard compared to other titles this season, this episode contains only a handful of references to cancel culture. Unlike Futurama Season 11 Episode 7, “Rage Against the Vaccine,” which tried too hard to be relevant, this one primarily focuses on character work. 

“Zapp Gets Canceled” (at least partially) focuses on one of Futurama‘s most bizarre, complex relationships: Zapp and Kif (Maurice LaMarche). The writers smartly use this as the inciting incident for Zapp getting “canceled.”

Zapp has long been one of the show’s funniest characters, which is exemplified in his interactions with Kif, Leela, and others. Thanks to West’s on-point voice work, most of the laughs in this episode come from him. 

The writers should also be praised for providing Kif with some opportunity for change; instead of being used by Zapp in various intrusive manners (such as Zapp’s loofa as a defense mechanism), Kif reports Zapp for inappropriate behavior. 

It’s also great to see Kif and Amy (Lauren Tom) featured briefly, as the couple decided to become stay-at-home parents. 

This episode also prominently features Leela, who has long been viewed on Futurama by other characters as the most capable and intelligent person (captain or otherwise) among them. So, it’s no surprise that she is revealed as having been the only recipient of the “Employee of the Month” award. 

Leela’s new position also ties into a statement made by Glab (Tress MacNeille) about the company’s tendency to look like they care about hiring women. It’s a quick moment that fits with Leela’s character, who has long been a [sometimes unabashed] feminist.

In one scene, Leela removes a contact from her one giant eye, although we’ve never previously seen her wear contacts. It’s believable that she’d need them as she aged, and the way this is presented is amusing. 

Throughout Futurama‘s long run, Leela has often been heroic, exemplified in a slow-motion moment. Ultimately, her decisions stay true to her character and morals, which have always been one of the most endearing things about her. 

From Zapp’s claim about his supposed “locker room talk” to Kif announcing to a shocked courtroom that Zapp has put on “green face,” this episode contains plenty of references to modern technology.

When Zapp undergoes “sensitivity training,” he must also wear the letter “C” on his chest. This is meant to be akin to The Scarlet Letter, a clever way to comment on today’s cancel culture. 

The modern references also include one character mentioning a supposed “woke-ass seminar,” which is perhaps too direct with its commentary. Thankfully, these references are used sparingly, which prevents them from appearing overbearing. 

It’s strange that, after being recruited by Doop to be Zapp’s replacement, Leela allows Bender to take Professor Farnsworth’s spot as the ship’s science advisor. However, this isn’t all too surprising because she also chose her boyfriend, Fry, as her First Officer. 

What’s particularly neat about this episode is that it introduces some new creatures we haven’t seen, such as Dr. Kind, a hilariously in-your-face guy with both long and short legs. 

The Tactilians are also a brand-new species who are prone to groping, and their interactions with Leela are reminiscent of her time with the creatures featured in Futurama Season 8 Episode 6, “You Leela Leela,” — but the Tactilians are unique enough to separate them from that experience. 

Fry doesn’t do much on this episode, aside from doing what he often does best: getting into trouble while no one notices or seems to care. It’s okay for him to be sidelined, as this gives Leela, Zapp, and others room to breathe. 

Despite all of the hijinks — mostly courtesy of Zapp — what ultimately makes this episode stick the landing is Fry’s line to Leela: “You have what it takes to be Leela.”

This moment reminds us that Futurama excels at tugging at the heartstrings, sometimes when you don’t expect it.

Stray Observations:

• Kif’s signature sighs are used perfectly here, and LaMarche’s strong voice work helps with the authenticity of Kif’s narrative decisions. 
• It’s also a delight to hear lines like Glab’s “I’m going to allow this,” which works in context. 
• Farnsworth’s smell-oscope once again appears in an amusing cutaway type of moment.
• The Hyper-Chicken (LaMarche) also appears as a lawyer on both sides of Zapp’s trial. This character always delights, thanks to LaMarche’s voice work.  
• Comedian Kathy Griffin voices Captain Cranky, who hilariously throws food at people in anger. It’d be great to see her make an appearance.

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