An animated series on Adult Swim about the infinite adventures of Rick, a genius alcoholic and careless scientist, with his grandson Morty, a 14-year-old anxious boy who is not so smart. Together, they explore the infinite universes, causing mayhem and running into trouble.
It felt like a diamond in the rough when “Rick and Morty” first came out on Adult Swim. This sharply satirical adult cartoon felt streamlined even for Adult Swim’s esoteric and niche programming. Its imaginative deconstruction of classic sci-fi stories hinged upon a deeply cynical worldview that only found redemption in its later season. Its rise to prominence gave voice to the already-vocal hordes of internet trolls who love nothing more than to tear things down. In four short seasons, it was created, took some risks, blew up in popularity, and subsequently had to destroy its mythology to level out.
Dan Harmon’s got nothing to lose. After getting fired from his show on NBC (“Community”), his talents and passions poured into podcasting and drafting stories here and there. Meanwhile, Justin Roiland’s animation career flowered in Cartoon Network’s programming. Roiland’s penchant for wild creative swings led him to an early parody sketch making fun of “Back to the Future.” It was the perfect kind of early internet content – flash animated and wildly voiced – that Millennials adored. The two combined Roiland’s raw creativity with Harmon’s sharply cynical takedowns of genres for lightning in a bottle.
“Rick and Morty” centers around teenager Morty Smith. His genius-scientist grandfather Rick returned to play a vague role in Morty’s growth and reconnect to his daughter Beth, granddaughter Summer and despised son-in-law Jerry. The two protagonists go on sci-fi hijinks, including sentient dogs (“Planet of the Apes”), subconscious dream heists (“Inception”), and more boilerplate galactic tyranny dismantling. We see Rick’s genius defined in the abstract throughout the show, making him a God. Morty and Summer grow jaded while Beth and Jerry’s marriage collapses.
What started “Rick and Morty” off so strong was its deeply rooted existentialism. Early in the show, Summer freaks out about a potential future where she doesn’t exist, and her family is happy without her. She spends the episode spiraling into a nightmarish question: Would people be happier if I wasn’t around? Morty, who’s swapped universes with his dead body and taken his dead self’s place, tells her: “Nobody exists on purpose, nobody belongs anywhere, everyone’s gonna die. Let’s go watch TV.” It’s the sort of nihilistic proclamation for teenagers who just watched “Fight Club” love. That’s exactly the absolutism the show dealt with for two seasons before dealing with its unintentional influence.
At the heart of it all, “Rick and Morty” is an examination of your middle American family and how poorly they stand up in the face of true science fiction ideas. The show demonstrates how true science fiction can be both banal and Lovecraftian at the same time. The human reaction to cosmic horror can be utterly hysterical when seen from the outside, and even armed with the mind of a true super genius, nothing protects a human from the existential inefficacy of knowing your place in the universe. It sounds grandiose, I know, but “Rick and Morty” is also a show filled with poop jokes and a character named Mr. Poopy Butthole, so let’s not hold the show in that high regard.
“Rick and Morty” has always been about irreverence. No matter what genre, sci-fi concept, or ridiculous social media fad, Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland’s creation has never been afraid to take aim and tear it to pieces. As the ridiculous cartoon satire peeled away from its direct punches, a dark nihilism took over the show. Suddenly it wasn’t just the show that made poop jokes; it also pointed out how alone we are in the world. After rejiggering the formula and taking the eponymous Rick down a couple of pegs, “Rick and Morty” is back with more hijinks and high-brow sci-fi takedowns.
As an Adult Swim cartoon show, they have no limits on what they can say. It’s a show known for breaking boundaries and crapping over too easily appreciated concepts like time travel, interdimensional empires, and what true genius status implies. This season aims for all manner of things: Aquaman, Captain Planet, Hellraiser, Voltron, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and more while playing out the long thread left behind in seasons one and three. We finally get to see an endgame for Evil Morty.
I recommend “Rick and Morty” to fans everywhere. It helped cement an appreciation for adult animated shows and demonstrated its capabilities with high-minded concepts paired alongside lowest-common-denominator-yucks and some character-driven storytelling. It’s not perfect, as some might tell you, but the fact that the show grows just as much as its characters excite me. Watch all five seasons over time, and rewatch them. You’ll find new and exciting interpretations of episodes as you go along. I love “Rick and Morty,” so I’m beyond excited for this Blu-ray copy.
Now available on Blu-ray™ and DVD
