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Futurama: Why "Jurassic Bark" Is Both Soul-Crushing & Therapeutic

Futurama Season 4 episode "Jurassic Bark" remains a masterclass in storytelling, capturing the loving bond between pets and their owners.


As we wrap up 2024, the usual regrets and triumphs surface as we gain perspective on what we gained and lost. For some, feelings take a little more time to process, especially when it comes to loss. Earlier this month, my golden retriever, Cody, had to be euthanized after an eight-month-long battle with cancer at the age of nine. As a species, we're often conditioned to prepare for the inevitable when it comes to terminal illness, but the struggles, helplessness, and final decision never make it easier. One thing that has helped me cope is the classic Futurama season four episode "Jurassic Bark," providing that masterclass in heartwarming love stories between a boy and his dog. Written by Eric Kaplan and directed by Swinton O. Scott III, the episode involves a relic from Fry's (Billy West) 20th-century past, the fossilized remains of his dog, Seymour Asses (Frank Welker).

Futurama: Why
Cr: 20th Century Studios

Why Futurama Episode "Jurassic Bark" Remains One of the Best Episodes of TV Ever

"Jurassic Bark" begins when Fry takes Bender (John DiMaggio) to a museum exhibit, shocked to find Seymour on display. As far as why he believes it's his exact dog beyond a reasonable doubt, you have to suspend some disbelief here in the magic of television. After lodging his protest, the museum relinquishes custody of Seymour's remains back to him, and Professor Farnsworth (West) reveals that the fossilization was so rapid that it is possible to extract a sample, clone the dog, and copy his memories over to the new body.

Throughout the episode, we see flashbacks of Fry and Seymour having the time of their lives as the latter brought the rare joy we haven't seen from him during his life in the 20th century. Even during the bulk of Futurama at this point, Fry fit the prototypical mold of a Matt Groening protagonist of a lovable loser bordering on a sad sack status and mind depression. While things did considerably improve in the series with his relationship with Turanga Leela (Katey Sagal), much of that didn't come to full fruition until long after their run on Fox ended.

Futurama: Why
Billy West and Frank Welker in "Futurama". Cr: 20th Century Studios
Seymour's life before he met Fry was that of a mangy, mongrel stray dog who struggled to survive in the street. In such a short period, given that Futurama is a 30-minute animated sitcom, audiences felt a lifetime of experiences confined to a microcosm of a simple episode. As Bender grew jealous and sabotaged Farnsworth's cloning procedure of Seymour, you can see the excruciating pain of Fry's life knowing what he suffered through and how much joy Seymour brought him all at once to the point where Bender felt guilty for hurting his best friend.

It seemed moot at the end of the episode that Fry learned Seymour's age when he died at 15, knowing he lived a full life assuming he found someone else to live out his 12 remaining years of quality life. The final moments indicated otherwise as Kaplan and Scott delivered the coup de grâce to the audience that Seymour spent his remaining years waiting for Fry at his place of employment, Panucci's Pizza, not knowing Fry was frozen in time as "I Will Wait for You" by Connie Francis plays.

"Jurassic Bark" is the type of standalone episode where it's so strong on its merits, that you wouldn't need to watch any other episode of the series to understand any of its context. It demonstrates the staying power and resiliency of Futurama even when it's on its 13th revival (I know I'm exaggerating) with its current run on Hulu. It doesn't even matter that EP David X. Cohen revisited the episode in Bender's Big Score to cheapen its legacy by providing a happier ending that saw a version of Fry reunited with Seymour. "Jurassic Bark" serves as a reminder to enjoy the life you have and cherish those who have loved you along the way, not to mention it also helped me develop an even deeper appreciation for the 1985 classic "I'm Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves.


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Tom ChangAbout Tom Chang

I’ve been following pop culture for over 30 years with eclectic interests in gaming, comics, sci-fi, fantasy, film, and TV reading Starlog, Mad & Fangoria. As a writer for over 15 years, Star Wars was my first franchise love.
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