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"Cold Warriors"
Futurama episode
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 24
Directed byCrystal Chesney-Thompson
Written byDan Vebber
Production code6ACV24
Original air dateAugust 25, 2011 (2011-08-25)
Guest appearances
Episode features
Opening captionWe're following you, But not on Twitter
Episode chronology
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Futurama season 6
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"Cold Warriors" is the twenty-fourth episode in the sixth season of the American animated television series Futurama, and the 112th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on August 25, 2011 on Comedy Central.[1] American actor Tom Kenny guest stars in the episode, voicing recurring character Yancy Fry, Jr., as well as astronaut Buzz Aldrin, voicing himself.

In the episode, Fry inadvertently reintroduces the common cold to the 31st century. The situation links to Fry's past, and flashbacks are shown depicting his entry in a NASA science competition and his relationship with his father.[2]

The episode was written by Dan Vebber and directed by Crystal Chesney-Thompson. On June 5 and June 6, as part of its "Countdown to Futurama" event, Comedy Central Insider, Comedy Central's news outlet, released two preview materials for the episode; a storyboard of Leela trying to escape the Planet Express building and a character design of Fry's guinea pig dressed in a spacesuit. "Cold Warriors" received generally positive reviews from critics, who enjoyed its emotional ending and felt that it recaptured the feel of the show's original run.

Plot

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Fry catches the common cold during an ice fishing trip, though the rest of the Planet Express crew are unaware of what the disease is as it was eradicated 500 years ago. Professor Farnsworth explains that the common cold virus had survived within Fry while he was frozen for 1000 years and has thus been reintroduced to mankind, which has lost all resistance to the virus. During this time, flashbacks to the year 1988 show Fry taking an ice fishing trip with his father, during which he falls through the ice and catches a cold. Later, egged on by his brother Yancy, he decides to enter a science competition judged by Buzz Aldrin in which the winner's entry will be launched into space in a satellite. His idea is to infect his pet guinea pig with the cold virus and see if can be cured by exposure to cosmic rays. A rival competitor, Josh Gedgie, learns of Fry's entry and decides to create an experiment about the common cold as well.

In the present day, the pathogens of the cold are detected and Planet Express is quarantined. Bender, who is immune to biological illness and forced to take care of the sick crew, becomes exasperated and breaks through the quarantine after being sneezed on by Zoidberg, spreading the virus across Manhattan. Richard Nixon becomes concerned with the rapid spread of the disease and brings in Ogden Wernstrom to resolve the situation. Wernstrom's solution is to destroy the virus by enclosing Manhattan in plastic wrap, lifting it into space, and hurling it into the Sun.

Believing that a vaccine can be created using a sample of the original virus, Farnsworth plans to extract it from Fry by grinding his body into a paste, thereby killing him. Fry remembers that the winning science competition entry contained a virus sample. The crew escapes the city and finds the satellite containing the experiment, now encased in ice on Enceladus, with a flashback revealing that Gedgie's project won the competition, to the disappointment of Fry's father. As the Professor uses Gedgie's virus sample to create a vaccine, and Manhattan is set back in place and its residents are inoculated to stop the outbreak, Leela tells Fry that he should be proud of himself for saving millions of people, no matter what his father thought of him. Fry then has a flashback to the ice fishing trip with his father just after being pulled out of the ice, where Fry's father tells him that he loves him, and explains that he is only so hard on Fry because he wants Fry to grow up strong and resilient. He then tells Fry to keep warm, because he would hate it if his son were frozen.

Cultural references

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Production

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The episode was written by Dan Vebber, and directed by Crystal Chesney-Thompson. From June 5 to 6, as part of its "Countdown to Futurama" event, Comedy Central Insider, Comedy Central's news outlet, released two preview materials for the episode; concept art of Fry's guinea pig dressed up in astronaut's clothing,[3] and storyboards of a scene featuring Leela trying to escape the quarantined Planet Express building.[4] Additionally, two promotional pictures from the episode were released by Comedy Central Press.[5]

American actor Tom Kenny guest stars in the episode, voicing recurring character Yancy Fry, Jr., Philip J. Fry's brother. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin also guest stars in the episode, voicing himself. In a June 2011 interview with Assignment X, series creator David X. Cohen first revealed that Aldrin would guest star in the episode.[6]

Reception

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In its original U.S. broadcast, "Cold Warriors" scored a 0.7 share among adults 18-49 and 1.524 million viewers, up about 142,000 viewers from the previous week's episode "The Tip of the Zoidberg".[7]

The episode received generally positive reviews from critics. Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club gave the episode an A− rating, describing it as "an ambitious, consistently entertaining episode" and praising its story and humor. He did, however, note that some characters felt out of character in the episode, and felt that the episode did not achieve the same emotional effect that previous episodes with flashbacks to Fry's past, namely "The Luck of the Fryrish" and "Jurassic Bark", had.[8] Sean Gandert of Paste, giving the episode an 8.5/10 rating, wrote: "There are more than the usual number of logical stretches required for 'Cold Warriors' to make sense, but the episode moves so swiftly through them that it still works well. Fry's science fair attempt isn't particularly interesting, either, but it has enough great moments to warrant so much of the episode being spent there. With the combination of showing for the first time a real closeness between Fry and his dad and what happens when an epidemic breaks loose in the future, it also broached some interesting new ground." He praised the episode's emotional nature, and felt that the episode was a sign that Futurama was closer to recapturing the "magic of [its] original run."[9]

Robert Canning of IGN was critical of "Cold Warriors", giving the episode a 6.5/10 rating. Canning felt that the episode fell short of his expectations, comparing it unfavorably to "The Luck of the Fryrish" and "Jurassic Bark". He also felt that the episode's use of flashbacks felt repetitive, as the previous week's episode "The Tip of the Zoidberg" had also used them in a similar manner. He described the episode's ending as its "biggest failure", writing: "...the biggest failure of the episode was that the 'should have been really emotional' ending just sort of happened without much of a connection with the audience. [...] Ultimately, this unsuccessful ending only served to weaken the already so-so story that came before it."[10]

References

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Cold Warriors

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"Cold Warriors" is the twenty-fourth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series , and the 112th episode overall. It originally aired on August 25, 2011, on . The episode was written by Dan Vebber and directed by Crystal Chesney-Thompson. It guest stars as Yancy Fry Sr. and as himself. In the episode, unwittingly reintroduces the to the 31st century after contracting it during an ice fishing trip, leading to a global pandemic. Flashbacks explore Fry's childhood relationship with his father and a past involving the virus. The Planet Express crew races to develop a cure using historical samples. The story draws on themes of family reconciliation and public health crises, with humorous references to Cold War-era science and figures like .

Background

Series Context

is an American adult animated science fiction sitcom created by for the . The series centers on the adventures of , a dim-witted but good-hearted pizza delivery boy from the late 20th century who is accidentally cryogenically frozen on New Year's Eve 1999 and defrosted exactly 1,000 years later in of the year 3000. There, Fry joins the crew of the Planet Express, an interplanetary delivery company run by the eccentric Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, alongside characters like the one-eyed spaceship captain Turanga Leela and the hard-drinking, kleptomaniac robot Bender Bending Rodríguez. The show originally aired for four production seasons on from March 28, 1999, to August 10, 2003, comprising 72 episodes before its cancellation due to low ratings despite critical acclaim. Following the cancellation, four feature-length films—Bender's Big Score (2007), The Beast with a Billion Backs (2008), Bender's Game (2008), and Into the Wild Green Yonder (2009)—were produced as a continuation. These were edited into 16 half-hour episodes and broadcast on as season 5 from March 23, 2008, to August 30, 2009. The success of the films on DVD and television, along with fan demand, led to the television revival with an order for 26 new episodes (production season 6), which aired from June 24, 2010, to September 8, 2011. The series was revived again on in 2023, with new seasons (8 through 11) airing as of 2025. Comedy Central's season 6 aired from June 24, 2010, to September 8, 2011, consisting of 26 episodes produced under the 6ACV code. "Cold Warriors," with production code 6ACV24, is the 24th episode of this season and the 112th overall in the series, broadcast on August 25, 2011, as part of the network's "broadcast season 8" grouping. Positioned late in the revival era, the episode delves into aspects of Fry's personal backstory while intersecting with the series' established character developments, including his romantic tension with Leela.

Episode Development

The episode "Cold Warriors" originated as a character-driven centered on Philip J. Fry's family background, leveraging the futuristic premise of the having been eradicated centuries earlier in the 31st century. This sci-fi element served as a hook to frame a storyline, where Fry's inadvertent reintroduction of the from the triggers a global health crisis, allowing exploration of his personal history through time-spanning vignettes. Creative choices emphasized integrating comedic elements with poignant emotional depth, particularly via flashbacks depicting Fry's childhood interactions with his family in the late . These sequences balanced the show's signature humor—such as exaggerated future medical responses—with heartfelt revelations about familial bonds. The script was written by Dan Vebber.

Production

Writing and Creative Team

The episode "Cold Warriors" was written by Dan Vebber, who developed the story with input from showrunners and executive producers and Ken Keeler, overseeing the narrative's integration into the series' established universe. The script employs a dual-structure approach, balancing an A-plot focused on the outbreak of a in the 31st century—triggered by Fry's infection—with a B-plot consisting of Fry's poignant flashbacks to ice fishing outings with his father in the . This interplay allows the story to weave personal nostalgia against escalating societal chaos, with humor arising from futuristic overreactions, such as the deployment of squads to contain the virus. Contributions from the broader writing staff, including revisions by the team during multi-day rewrite sessions, enhanced comedic gags tied to historical accuracy, like exaggerated depictions of 20th-century cold remedies, while amplifying the emotional resonance of the father-son reconciliation arc. These efforts ensured the narrative's sci-fi elements, including the reintroduction of an eradicated disease, remained consistent with Futurama's prior explorations of diseases and futuristic medicine without introducing contradictions.

Animation and Direction

The animation and direction of the Futurama episode "Cold Warriors" were led by animation director Crystal Chesney-Thompson, in collaboration with supervising director Peter Avanzino. Chesney-Thompson, a veteran of the series since joining in 2000 as a layout artist, brought her experience in visual sequencing to emphasize the episode's dual timelines. Rough Draft Studios in Seoul, South Korea, handled the majority of the animation production, consistent with their role as the primary overseas facility for the series since its inception. Notable sequences included a cameo by depicted as a young pizza delivery worker in the 1988 flashback to Fry's childhood. The episode utilized traditional 2D hand-drawn augmented by digital compositing and enhancements to achieve smooth, dynamic crowd movements in the pandemic outbreak scenes across New New York. Storyboards, essential for mapping the emotional flashbacks and chaotic future action, were crafted by a team including David Au, Ted Stearn, Chris Sonnenburg, and Ray Claffey. Post-production integrated audio elements to amplify the humor, particularly in the exaggerated sneezing sequences and visual representations of viral transmission, culminating in the episode's completion ahead of its premiere on August 25, 2011.

Episode Content

Plot Summary

The episode opens with a flashback to 1988, where , during an trip with his father Yancy Fry Sr., falls through the ice and contracts the , an event that contributes to his resentment toward his father for forcing him into the activity. In the 31st century, the has been extinct for centuries, rendering the population entirely susceptible, and Fry's preserved frozen state from 1999 inadvertently carries dormant traces of the to the future. During a present-day outing with the Planet Express crew, Fry's exposure to the cold weather reactivates the , causing him to and infect the group, thus reintroducing the pathogen to . As the outbreak spreads, the Planet Express crew, including Fry and Leela, is d in their headquarters by authorities, who detect the archaic . Interwoven flashbacks depict young Fry's growing resentment toward Yancy over the traumatic fishing incident and his project involving the cold , highlighting Fry's feelings of neglect and the strained father-son dynamic that persisted into adulthood. Meanwhile, the proliferates unchecked, with Bender unwittingly aiding its spread by breaching protocols and interacting with city workers, leading to widespread infection. President Richard Nixon's head enlists Ogden Wernstrom to contain the outbreak by encasing in a plastic bubble, lifting it into space, and jettisoning it into the Sun. The escalates into a global crisis as the begins mutating rapidly, evolving into more virulent strains that threaten humanity's survival. scans reveal Fry's unique immunity stems from his exposure and cryogenic preservation in 1999, preserving 20th-century antibodies that the modern population lacks. In a climactic sequence, the crew confronts manifestations of the mutating , depicted in animated form as aggressive, warrior-like entities overrunning the body, symbolizing the battle within infected hosts. To resolve the crisis, the Professor formulates a plan to extract an unmutated virus sample from Fry's rival Josh Gedgie's science fair project, preserved on a satellite crashed on Saturn's moon Enceladus; the crew retrieves it after a daring escape from quarantine enforcers. Fry ultimately reconciles with his father's memory upon reflecting on their shared moments, allowing him to donate his antibodies for a universal cure that neutralizes the outbreak and saves humanity. The episode concludes with a final flashback revealing Yancy’s heroic rescue of young Fry from the ice during the 1988 fishing trip and his expressions of love and pride toward his son.

Characters and Voice Cast

The central character in "Cold Warriors" is , voiced by , who serves as the protagonist and unwittingly ignites a pandemic by reintroducing the long-eradicated through a during an ice fishing trip with the Planet Express crew. Fry's storyline interweaves present-day chaos with flashbacks to his childhood, exploring his family dynamics and personal growth. West's performance captures Fry's signature mix of hapless humor and vulnerability, particularly in scenes blending comedic illness with poignant reflections on fatherhood. Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, also voiced by , initiates the episode's conflict by declaring a global virus emergency upon learning of the cold's return, then serves as through his bungled attempts at developing cures in his laboratory. West differentiates Farnsworth's eccentric, bumbling demeanor from Fry's earnestness, emphasizing the professor's inventive failures that heighten the story's absurdity. Guest voices enrich the flashbacks and cameos, including as in a brief appearance as a young pizza delivery boy in 1988 New York, tying into Fry's past. Additional flashback roles feature as Mrs. Fry, as Yancy Fry Sr., as Yancy Fry Jr., and voicing himself as a science fair judge, providing historical context to Fry's family tensions. The ensemble includes brief but supportive appearances by Bender Rodriguez, voiced by John DiMaggio, whose sarcastic quips underscore the crew's strained dynamics under isolation, alongside other regulars like Turanga Leela (Katey Sagal) contributing to the group's survival efforts. These roles collectively amplify the episode's themes of isolation and camaraderie without overshadowing the core narrative.

Reception and Analysis

Critical Response

"Cold Warriors" premiered on August 25, 2011, on , drawing 1.524 million viewers and achieving a 0.7 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic, marking an increase of 142,000 viewers compared to the prior episode. Contemporary critical reception was mixed to positive, with reviewers commending the episode's blend of humor and emotional resonance while pointing out occasional structural weaknesses. assigned it an A− grade, lauding the ambitious narrative and consistent entertainment value, particularly the emotional depth in Fry's family flashbacks, but critiquing minor plot inconsistencies, such as Kif's indifference to Amy's plight and abrupt shifts in character dynamics. Paste Magazine praised the timely satire of pandemic scenarios, highlighting the exaggerated government responses—like quarantining and plans to jettison into the sun—as a sharp commentary on public health overreactions, alongside the heartfelt exploration of Fry's childhood and father-son bond. rated it 6.5 out of 10, noting that while the episode maintained consistency in Fry's , the storyline felt overly simplistic and the humor less incisive than in stronger installments. Audience feedback has been favorable, reflected in an IMDb user rating of 7.7 out of 10 from over 2,000 votes, with many appreciating the episode's execution of humor around the common cold's return and its poignant emotional elements tied to Fry's past. Fans have particularly regarded the deep dive into Fry's family history positively, valuing the balance of quarantine antics and tender revelations. Some viewers and critics noted pacing issues in transitions between the main plot and flashback sequences, as well as the underdeveloped nature of the cameo in the 1988 flashback. Retrospectively, the episode's quarantine and pandemic humor has drawn renewed interest for its prescience amid the COVID-19 pandemic, though specific post-2020 analyses remain limited in mainstream outlets.

Themes and Cultural References

The episode "Cold Warriors" delves into themes of family reconciliation, particularly through flashbacks depicting Philip J. Fry's strained relationship with his father, Yancy Fry Sr., who employs tough love to prepare his son for life's hardships, culminating in an emotional resolution that humanizes their dynamic. This father-son bond serves as a lens for exploring broader ideas of immunity and pandemics, portraying the reintroduction of the long-extinct common cold as a catastrophic threat in the 31st century, where humanity's lack of exposure has eroded natural defenses, symbolizing isolation in a hyper-advanced society that has forgotten basic vulnerabilities. The narrative also employs humor through exaggerated, over-the-top responses to the "extinct" virus, such as mass quarantines and drastic containment measures, underscoring the absurdity of panic over a mundane ailment. Cultural references abound, with the episode's title serving as a on the historical , reimagined through the personification of the virus as invading "warriors" that overwhelm a defenseless future population. It nods to 20th-century traditions like , featured in 1988 flashbacks of Fry and his father's bonding ritual, evoking 1990s-era family life marked by everyday struggles and parental expectations. targets government overreach, exemplified by President Richard Nixon's extreme proposal to hurl infected city sections into the sun and a cameo by as a pizza delivery boy in the 1988 flashback. In terms of legacy, "Cold Warriors" has gained renewed relevance in the for prefiguring real-world pandemic dynamics, such as widespread quarantines and societal disruption, much like the outbreak nearly a decade later, which amplified its prescient commentary on forgotten diseases resurfacing with devastating impact. This ties into Futurama's recurring motif of Fry's 20th-century past reshaping the future, contrasting with episodes like "," where his cryogenic freezing severs without resolution. The episode includes allusions to real , such as the cold virus's rapid and spread due to absent , mirroring scientific principles of pathogen evolution in isolated populations. Quarantine squads, led by Zapp Brannigan, parody against biological threats, exaggerating real-world responses to infectious diseases through comically inept enforcement.
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