Disenchantment

I've recently spent some time in the company of the good and not-so-good folk of Dreamland and surrounding fairytale/medieval territories. As a huge fan of Futurama I was dubious about getting into another Groening creation for fear it would not live up to the geeky heights of its predecesor. But Netflix had my number as a substantial amount of my watch list is animation, and I bit when Disenchantment was pushed at the release of part 3 in January 2021. 

The show's serial structure is notable: it is presented in parts with chapters, not seasons and episodes, reflecting its continuous story-arc rather than episodic self-contained narratives presented across a series. Even the designated lands, countries and settlements in between throughout the diegesis align with litereary genres and sub-genres all with their roots in fairytale, fantasy and science-fiction. Each place and the microcosmic communities or groupings within have despots, with unease and social change brewing amongst the ranks. The lead character, Bean (Princess Tiabeanie of Dreamland, voiced by Abbi Jacobson), seems central to breaking socially constructed hierarchies concerning gender, monarchies, technological dictatorships, family, heteronormativity and class.

I'm being deliberately vague in not naming examples in case anyone reading hasn't seen the show, as many of these aspects reveal themselves slowly over the course of the whole run. This slow burn is why I'd recommend giving it a chance as it can leave you a bit cold after the first chapter or two. It is also not a traditional laugh-out-loud comedy. Disenchantment is built on story and satire, not suckerpunch jokes. This is the freedom allotted by a platform such a Netflix where programme makers can see out their vision without the constriction of a television network's demands. Futurama was mercilessly cancelled by Fox after 5 seasons, and it was fan power that brought it back, several times in different ways, because the love of the characters and their universe/multiverse was so strong. We know there will be at least one more part of Disenchantment, production of which can continue in a pandemic with remote collaboration across the US, South Korea and the UK. 

Something subtle I love about Disenchantment are the clues indicating that it is in the same universe as Futurama, and I can't help but wonder who might be whose progeny. These clues are often in small aspects: Fry's hair on a wig manikin or Fry, Bender and Professor Farnsworth appearing in a flash in the time machine they get stuck in. These and more background appearances may well be just in-jokes for fans, but there are also underground civilizations not unlike the sewer mutants many centuries later, and the similarities between Bean and Leela (Katey Sagal) are striking. They are both conventionally beautiful apart from one aspect most other characters see as a flaw (buck teeth/one eye) but that is loved by their strongest romantic interests. They both receive comments meant as insults about the shape and strength of their bodies. While they scrub up well, the big boots are usually under the pretty dress - they are ready for practical, ass-kicking action at all times. They each just want to have some fun and romance but will take charge of situations because they're the most competent and proactive person around. Like Leela, Bean has opportunities to become a pilot, showing an intuitive grasp of complex machines. There is even an instance where Bean has chosen to wear a large cuff on her arm, giving her a look similar to Leela's. My last observation on this for now is that Bean is not fully human and her first real romantic encounter is with someone who has some marine elements about them (as does her amphibian half-brother). Bean herself operates exeptionally well underwater. This puts me in mind of Leela's mother Munda (Tress MacNeille) who has tenticles for arms and Leela's fight for mutant equality in the 31st century.

A broader point of connection is that we find over time that the alien language from Leela's abandonment note written by her mother was a deflection; Leela is very much of Earth and her mother has a PhD in exolinguistics. Disenchantment plays with cyphers both for fan engagement and to hide clues specific to Bean and her lineage. Like Leela, Bean must uncode an ancient language to learn about her mixed heritage and her mother, Dagmar (Sharon Horgan). Interestingly, her father Zøg (John DiMaggio of Bender fame), has two, possibly three, children, none of whose mothers are human, and the creatures driven underground are named Trøggs after Zøg's ancestor (the male lineage running out of alphabet indicates massive change with Bean, a natural leader who seems to hold socialist ideals and really just wants to be in the pub). I think all this is why I enjoy the show. Leela is one of my favourite ever characters and this could be more of her genealogy playing out. No doubt I've gone into this deeper than the writers intended, but I find it fun.

Sorcerio could well be the ancestor of Farnsworth and Fry, indicating that Fry and Leela's destinies were always bound up. They're all voiced by Billy West (whose voice has been a source of comfort to me since Doug) and the palace magician is ever concocting madcap science-bending schemes that are a plausible precursor to both Fry's distinctive flavour of logic and the Professor's inventions about 1800 years later. Zøg's spiky orange hair could pull us in another direction, though. 

All this and I haven't mentioned Elfo (Nat Faxon) or Luci (Eric André) who have their own grapples with self-identity, or Oona (MacNeille) smashing the evil step-mother trope. Perhaps I'll resume in more detail after part 4. I think that's enough nerdery for one week!