Futurama Season 14 introduces another bizarre corner of the universe in Episode 4, “Lords of the Ring,” with Dr. Vermius and Dr. Pestia arriving as two highly intelligent rats from a mysterious world. The episode sends Philip J. Fry, Leela and Bender into an unfamiliar environment where the Planet Express crew has to figure out how to survive after crash-landing.
The two characters fit perfectly into Futurama‘s tradition of turning strange scientific concepts into absurd comedy. Their rat-filled world also gives the episode an excuse to parody one of animation’s most recognizable eras, with the sequence adopting the visual style and movement of the classic Steamboat Willie.
Dr. Vermius And Dr. Pestia Are Intelligent Rats
Dr. Vermius is the first character the Planet Express crew encounters after their crash, while Dr. Pestia serves as his colleague. Both are highly intelligent rats who live in what the episode presents as a mysterious “lab-rat world.”
Their names are also exactly the kind of wordplay viewers have come to expect from Futurama. Vermius plays on “vermin,” while Pestia is derived from “pest,” giving both characters names that immediately reveal their rodent origins.
Fry, Leela and Bender quickly realize that they need to blend into this unusual society. Their solution is to disguise themselves as rats and mice, although the disguise is hardly convincing. The comedy comes partly from watching the Planet Express crew attempt to pass themselves off as creatures they clearly do not resemble.
The episode uses the strange setting for more than a simple rat joke, however. Dr. Vermius and Dr. Pestia introduce the crew to a world that looks and behaves like something pulled directly from early animation.
Why The Rat World Looks Like ‘Steamboat Willie‘
The biggest visual joke surrounding Vermius and Pestia is the episode’s homage to Steamboat Willie, the 1928 animated short that helped establish Mickey Mouse as a major pop-culture figure.
Once the crew enters the rat world, the animation switches to black and white, immediately giving the sequence the appearance of an early cartoon. The movement changes as well. Characters repeat exaggerated, bouncy motions in a deliberately old-fashioned animation style, creating the impression that Fry, Leela and Bender have suddenly stepped into a different era of cartoon history.
Even the transportation fits the parody. The rats travel aboard a steamship with dancing smokestacks, while Fry gets his own moment behind the wheel. He even mimics the kind of exaggerated movements associated with Mickey Mouse in the original short.
That combination of sci-fi absurdity and animation history makes Dr. Vermius and Dr. Pestia more than one-off rat characters. Their world allows Futurama to poke fun at the visual language of early cartoons while placing its own characters inside the joke.
Related: Futurama’s Steamboat Willie Parody Explained: Every Classic Cartoon Reference
Where To Watch Futurama Season 14 And Release Schedule
You can watch Futurama Season 14 on Hulu in the United States, while Disney+ carries the season internationally, including the UK, Canada and Australia. In India, the series is streaming on JioHotstar.
As of August 17, 2026, four of the season’s planned 10 episodes have been released. The season began with two episodes on August 3, followed by a weekly Monday release schedule.
- Episode 1: “Beef” — August 3, 2026
- Episode 2: “Catfish Hunter” — August 3, 2026
- Episode 3: “Our Flag Means Medical Coverage” — August 10, 2026
- Episode 4: “Lords of the Ring” — August 17, 2026
The remaining six episodes are scheduled to arrive weekly on Mondays through September.
- Episode 5: “The Charm Offensive” — August 24, 2026
- Episode 6: “Late Bloomers” — August 31, 2026
- Episode 7: “Lord Nibbler in the Nothingverse” — September 7, 2026
- Episode 8: “Oceans Three” — September 14, 2026
- Episode 9: “A New New York Yankee in King Elfo’s Court” — September 21, 2026
- Episode 10: “Final Ending: The Last Conclusion” — September 28, 2026
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