• Futurama TM and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.
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    No. 10 - “Near-Death Wish” (Season 7, Episode 10)

    While this episode may not be among its greatest, like most episodes of “Futurama” it surprises you with sentiment in the end. Professor Farnsworth, who is actually Fry’s great, great, great…(etc.) nephew, is brought face-to-face with his parents, who have been living in virtual retirement on the Near-Death Star (a sort of “The Matrix” parody). However, even though the crew figures he’ll be pleased, it is made known by the professor that he despises them for never playing with him as a child and instead moving him to a farm where he would not be able to expand his mind scientifically enough. Once his parents explain to him that his relentless quest for knowledge made him crazy, and that they couldn't play with him because they were too exhausted from having to care for him during the night terrors he would have on a regular basis, he realizes that they were good parents after all and only looking out for him. The story ends with Professor Farnsworth taking his parents back to the Near-Death Star, where he reprograms their virtual retirement home to resemble their farmhouse. He also reprograms their virtual representations into their younger selves, and the three of them play together like they were never able to do before.