Rebirth (Futurama)

Rebirth is the first episode of Season 6 of the animated science fiction sitcom Futurama. It is the 73rd episode overall. The episode centers on the Planet Express crew's miraculous revival after the events of Into the Wild Green Yonder, the last of the four direct-to-DVD films that initially concluded the series.

The episode begins with Professor Farnsworth discovering the remains of Fry, Leela, and Bender, who were seemingly killed when their ship flew into a wormhole at the end of Into the Wild Green Yonder. The Professor rebuilds the trio. However, Leela is found as a vegetative being, and the Professor is initially unable to restore her mind. Fry, however, is perfectly fine, though he experiences periodic memory lapses of his time battling the Dark Ones in the film. Bender is also resurrected, albeit with some minor glitches.

The bulk of the episode focuses on Fry and the Professor's attempts to restore Leela's mind. Fry believes he can recreate Leela by recreating the experiences she had before the accident, while the Professor develops a machine to enter her mind. The resulting exploration delves into Leela's subconscious, revealing her internal anxieties and desires. It is eventually revealed that Leela's vegetative state is a defense mechanism created by a cluster of stem cells that emerged after the crash. These stem cells are using their combined mental energy to grow a new body for Leela, ensuring her survival.

The reborn Leela is initially childlike and unaware of her past, prompting Fry to painstakingly reintroduce her to the world and their relationship. The episode concludes with the restored Planet Express crew resuming their delivery duties, albeit with lingering questions about the nature of their revival and the mysteries of the universe. "Rebirth" serves as a soft reboot, re-establishing the status quo and providing a jumping-off point for new adventures while acknowledging the events that transpired in the preceding films.