Futurama coming back to the airwaves has got to be one of the biggest things the human race has gotten right. Don’t get me wrong; we’ve had the criminalization of institutionalized racism, the decriminalization of homosexuality, women’s suffrage, incredible developments and advancements in the fields of communication, healthcare and space flight - all of which, broadly speaking, have advanced the standard of living on this pale blue dot we call home. The missing piece of the puzzle, though, was Futurama, long condemned to wander the wilderness while lesser animated comedies fought each other for bragging rights at the bottom of the barrel. Think I’m speaking out of my shiny metal ass? Then watch “The Prisoner of Benda”, the 10th episode of the 6th season of Futurama, and you’ll know why Futurama is one of the best shows ever.

Aching for days of adventure and excitement, Professor Farnsworth switches bodies with Amy, who longs for her days of eating butter and bologna. The only problem with this otherwise brilliant scheme is that the device that facilitated the transfer will not allow two people who just switched bodies to switch back to their original selves. This works just fine for Bender, who hatches an elaborate scheme to steal the crown of the visiting Robo-Hungarian Emperor Nicolai. Switching bodies with Amy/Farnsworth, Bender/Amy insinuates himself into the company of the emperor, where Nicolai confesses his boredom with the life of a monarch. Sensing an opportunity, Amy/Bender invites Nicolai to switch bodies with him. Unfortunately, Farnsworth/Bender, frustrated with his inability to restore his and Amy’s bodies back to their normal selves (and enjoying the strength Bender’s robot body gives him), runs off to join the circus. Desperate to switch bodies with the emperor, Amy/Bender alights on Scruffy’s wash bucket, Wash Bucket, as a suitable host. And that’s when things get really weird.

To be painfully honest, season 6 of Futurama has wobbled a bit getting to where we are now. “Rebirth” and “In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela” were great ways to take to the skies again after so many years in limbo, but the show started to lose focus with the pop culture-themed episodes “Attack of the Killer App”, “Proposition Infinity”, and “The Duh-Vinci Code”. Things turned around in a big way with “The Late Philip J. Fry”, and while “That Darn Katz!” and “A Clockwork Origin” were both perfectly decent and acceptable episodes, it’s amazing how far out of the park writer Ken Keeler has hit it with “The Prisoner of Benda”. Of course, it helps that Keeler has a PhD in mathematics, and it shows - lots of TV programs could easily do an “everybody switches bodies” episode, but only Futurama could make the resolution scientifically plausible.

Futurama has such a strong cast - everyone from Fry and Leela at the top, to Zoidberg and Scruffy at the bottom - that “The Prisoner of Benda” gives everyone a chance to shine. Like I said, “everybody switch bodies” episodes are a dime a dozen, but with such a strong cast, “The Prisoner of Benda” elicits almost a constant stream of out-loud laughter. You’ve got Amy pigging out in first Farnsworth, and then Leela’s bodies; Bender doing the moonwalk in Amy’s bikini-wearing body; Zoidberg, as Fry, still moving sideways (“A floor! We live like kings!”); Fry (in Zoidberg’s body) and Leela (in Farnsworth’s body) both trying to prove that they don’t find the other repulsive in their new forms - futilely, at first, but then with some intense, angry, lobster-18th decade-old human sex.

The only angle in this kaleidoscope that didn’t score as well as the others was Farnsworth/Bender in the circus, but that’s probably because the rest of the dimensions in “The Prisoner of Benda” were so side-splittingly funny that something had to lag. The inarguable, unbeatable, unquestionable triumph in this episode is the forbidden love between Scruffy and his lowly Wash Bucket - now in the sexy and scantily-clad body of Amy Wong. Any show that has the line, “I am Wash Bucket. I love you. Wash Bucket has always loved you”, followed by a passionate kiss, and Scruffy’s teary-eyed, noble rejection - I mean... mother of mercy, I’m out of words. The scene is just that good. The episode is just that good. 5.0/5. 6.0/5. A million/5. Just watch the damn episode.