An animated series that follows the exploits of a super scientist and his not-so-bright grandson.
When “Rick and Morty” first came out on Adult Swim it felt like a diamond in the rough. Even for Adult Swim’s esoteric and niche programming, this sharply satirical adult cartoon felt streamlined. Its imaginative deconstruction of classic sci-fi stories hinged upon a deeply cynical worldview that only found redemption in its later season. In its rise to prominence, it gave voice to the already-vocal hordes of internet trolls who love nothing more than to tear things down. In four short seasons it created it took some risks, blew up in popularity, and subsequently had to destroy its own mythology just to level out.
Dan Harmon’s got nothing to lose. After getting fired from his own show on NBC (“Community”), his talents and passions poured into podcasting as well as 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 paired up combining 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 as well as 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. Over the course of the show, we see Rick’s genius defined in the abstract, making him a God. Morty and Summer grow jaded while Beth and Jerry’s marriage collapses off and on.
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 of: 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 kind of absolutism the show dealt in for two seasons before it had to deal with its own 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 the show filled to the brim with poop jokes and a character named Mr. Poopy Butthole so let’s not hold the show in that high regard.
“Rick and Morty” developed its own fan base with a de facto endorsement of nihilism. Fans consider themselves intellectually heightened just for having watched the show and understand the narrative and meta-jokes operate as an IQ test for white men in their twenties. Admittedly the show felt fun and cool when it was unknown. With its rise in popularity, however, its message has warped to an abdication of responsibility from, well, everything. All that is to say Rick & Morty works best when it’s balancing lampooning Star Wars and tearing apart time travel as an idea.
“Rick and Morty” as a show has grown over time. Its juvenile satire of science fiction gave way to more earnest explorations of each character. Its laughable approach to ideas like internet dating ties directly into Beth and Summer’s fraught relationship. As we dive deeper into a family that started as broken we see them grow. Much of that growth gears towards healthier mechanisms of coping with existential dread, still “Rick and Morty” knows when to pull its punches.
I’ve found the show hilarious, even when it’s not trying to be. It cares deeply about its characters and its impact, even going so far as to make fun of itself and its titular characters in the later seasons. When the show started others put Rick Sanchez on a pedestal and by season four the creators took Rick off that pedestal by demonstrating the utterly alienating effects of genius.
Its voice acting takes some getting used to. Roiland’s near stream-of-consciousness vocal styles for the main characters give the show its own sense of rhythm that other voice actors can rally around. Kari Wahlgren, Chris Parnell, and Spencer Grammer each contribute incredible performances even within the most ridiculous premises. You can tell the show’s growth by its cameos as the show rose from season one’s John Oliver and David Cross. To characters for Jordan Peele and Keegan Michael-Keye, Alfred Molina, Jemaine Clement, Christina Hendricks, Nathan Fillion, Susan Sarandon, and even Elon Musk. You can chart the show’s popularity by its celebrity cameos.
Not every show is perfect and “Rick and Morty” falls far from its mark from time to time. On rare occasions, it goes so far into esoteric sci-fi it loses sight of comedy and ekes out laughs from more body humor. Other times it forgoes comedy altogether and delves deeply into a story that, when considered more thoroughly, feels dark and foreboding. Season four spends copious amounts of time dismantling Rick Sanchez’s godhood and suffers for the efforts, but you can tell the creators have a more overarching plan.
Special Features on the latest Blu-ray take us behind the scenes. Clearly, the writers’ room for the show is a blast. Roiland’s voice recording sessions are a gem. Harmon’s genius is on full display when he gets to explain how they go about explaining Rick’s character. Adult Swim is the only place this show could’ve started, as we learn because it’s all risk. No need for reward here as making it is its own reward for these creators. The fact that they invented a cultural landmark does not escape them, but it clearly doesn’t distract them from making a quality show. Watch the music videos, watch the sketches, and see inside the world behind the show. Take some of the reverent mystery out of its legacy.
Roiland and Harmon’s show, after two seasons, went to order for one hundred episodes (guaranteeing anywhere from six to twelve seasons) and at its own pace. By season four’s end, the cosmic scales are balanced much more evenly and power is restored to the Smith family to prevent Rick from dominating his family’s dynamics. Many mysteries remain. The show makes efforts to drag continuity from zany episode to zany episode, awarding deep dive fans. One question unanswered from the show entirely: Where is Morty’s grandmother/Rick’s ex? Who was she?
I recommend “Rick and Morty” to fans everywhere. It helped cement an appreciation for adult animated shows and demonstrating 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 four 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 & DVD
