Futurama Season 12 Officially Ends A Big Leela Story That Began In Season 1

The following contains spoilers for Futurama season 12 epiosde 5, “One Is Silicon and the Other Gold,” now streaming on Hulu

Futurama season 12 brings Leela into the spotlight, and resolves a plot thread that’s been present since the earliest days of the series. Ever since Leela was introduced in Futurama, she’s been one of the show’s central characters. As the moral and steadfast captain of the Planet Express Ship, she plays an important straight man role against the more over-the-top adventures of Fry and Bender. Her biggest storylines have centered around the mysteries of her origins, the identities of her family, and her long-simmering romance with Fry.

However, there have been other aspects of the character that have remained a key element of the character for decades but have never been resolved. Season 12 of Futurama has finally addressed one important element of Leela in “One Is Silicon and the Other Gold.” It’s a clever way to address a long-standing element of the character, and highlights the sheer growth the character has experienced over the years. Here’s how Futurama‘s Hulu revival resolved a major Leela storyline, and how it should impact future episodes.

Leela’s Futurama Season 12 Storyline Finally Gives Her Friends

How Leela Gets A Long Overdue Social Circle

“One Is Silicon and the Other Gold” gives Leela a group of friends that should become a recurring element of Leela’s storylines going forward. The fifth episode of season 12 resolves a lingering problem with the Hulu Futurama revival by shifting focus to Leela. Specifically, the episode deals with the lack of close friendships Leela has in her life outside of a chatbot named Chelsea she’s been secretly talking with. To help amend this, Amy brings Leela along to her book club, which includes Futurama supporting characters like Hermes’ wife LaBarabra, the mutant Vyolet, and Doctor Lauren Cahill.

The episode also introduces Phoebe, who is eventually revealed to be a robot controlled by Chelsea. As the episode progresses, the group becomes increasingly close. Leela, who past seasons portrayed as closed off emotionally from others, opens up and allows herself to be vulnerable with the group. Their friendship is cemented after Chelsea seemingly kills Phoebe, with the women all coming together at the latter’s funeral (and then working together to destroy her when she reveals the truth). It’s a sweet turn of events for Leela, who’s always been lonely in Futurama.

Leela’s Loneliness Has Been At The Core Of Her Character Since Season 1

Futurama Season 12 Helps Leela Get Over Her Inital Solitary Nature

Leela’s solitary nature has been a key element of the character for years. Even in the series premiere, “Space Pilot 3000,” Leela empathized with Fry’s loneliness on a deep level. Flashbacks to her time as a young orphan highlight how she was ostracized by her peers and grew up without any close relationships. Her time at Planet Express has changed all that, especially when compared to the way she acts around her former colleagues from her last job. She’s found love with Fry, discovered her family among the mutants, and connections to characters like Bender and Amy.

However, Leela has remained largely friendless. Compared to someone like Fry, whose birthday in “Quids Game” was attended by two dozen characters, is still isolated in her social life. That’s what makes her friend group in season 12 all the more exciting as a plot development. It gives Leela some other characters to interact with outside of her work connections, and helps cement her place in the world. It also highlights how much Leela has grown as a character, transforming from the solitary character of season 1 to a more emotionally open and mature woman in season 12.

Leela’s Friend Group Needs To Return In More Futurama Episodes

Futurama Season 13 Should Bring Back Leela’s Book Club

Leela having a core group of recurring friends is an exciting development for Futurama, as it opens up a wider range of possibilities for the character going forward. It gives Leela other characters to bounce off, and a nautral reason to bring them all together. It helps that the group is largely composed of established characters, setting up their unique dynamics to bounce off one another. This could be a great way for Futurama to further explore the female members of the cast, especially since the show’s second most prominent female character (Amy) is also among them.

The dynamics between the group could also be explored further. Leela and Vyolet both being mutants, but with very different experiences in that community, could easily be a strong emotional premise for another episode bringing them all together. It could be a chance for the show to expand on LaBarabra, who has only ever been a supporting player. Leela’s friend group is a good idea and a greay way to showcase Leela’s growth over the course of the series. This is exactly the kind of development that the new seasons of Futurama could use to expand the universe.