Lady Lavender

Lady Lavender turns up on the fringes of Futurama's sprawling universe, one of the countless odd, briefly-glimpsed figures who populate the show's future New New York. She appears, does her bit of business, and moves on — the kind of character defined less by a grand arc than by a single vivid impression.

Futurama's genius was never spending its best jokes on its leads alone, and Lauren Tom — already doing sturdy work as Amy Wong — brings the same quick, elastic comic instincts to a minor role like this one. Even a small part gets a distinct voice and a clean, funny shape, which is why throwaway characters in this show never feel wasted.