Season 12 Futurama Ignores Bender's Family Background
In "The One Amigo," the first episode of Futurama season 12, Bender's family is the focal point. This episode brings fresh Rodriguez family members, but it oddly overlooks some of Bender's already known relatives—especially from the original series.
The missing Bender Family Members
"The One Amigo" offers understanding of Bender's background by introducing his extended relatives in Mexico. But this episode ignores a number of important Bender's family members, including his two sons and twin brother Flexo.
Started in season 7, episode 3, "Attack of the Killer App," Flexo, Bender's identical twin, Except for a triangle piece of metal on his chin, Flexo's design is almost exactly like Bender's. Though Flexo is a regular character, the season 12 premiere utterly ignores his presence.
Furthermore omitted are Bender's sons, Ben from "The Bots and the Bees" and an unidentified child from "The Beast with a Billion Backs." Notable figures in Bender's family history are the unidentified child brutally killed by Bender and Ben, who lost memory of Bender. Given their importance in the canon as established, their disappearance from "The One Amigo" seems odd.
Season 12 Steals from Futurama: Design Flexibility
Though Flexo is not mentioned, "The One Amigo" uses his design for Danny Trejo's character, Bender's cousin, Doblando. save from the mustache, which is exactly like Flexo's facial hair, Doblando's look is almost exact to Bender's. Their lack of connection in the episode is even more noticeable given the closeness between these two characters—especially in terms of design.
Futurama's Changing Family Dynamics
The premiere presents a fresh dynamic to Bender's family interactions, even while it features former relatives. As witnessed with the nameless infant and Flexo, past interactions with Bender's relatives usually concluded with Bender deserting them. But "The One Amigo" subverts this cliché by showing Bender's family trying to sacrifice him, finally guiding him to flee via a sequence of unlikely circumstances.
Consistency and Contradiction in Futurama
Futurama's consistent canon—where past events and characters have weight in next episodes—is well-known. But the season 12 premiere runs against this custom by omitting important portions of Bender's familial background. The lack of Flexo, Bender's sons, and the intentional copying of Flexo's design without credit begs concerns regarding the show's dedication to upholding its legacy.
