An Ode to Rick and Morty

You may assume that Rick and Morty is just an animated show, that it’s mediocre because it’s just animated. Many people are confused and deny that the show could be that great. But then they watch it and the same people are gobsmacked by the show’s brilliance. And that brilliance is partly because of its animation, which gives the creators flexibility when portraying the world.

The show is about a 14-year old boy who goes along with the adventures of his genius but rather immoral grandfather. The duo travel through time and the galaxy, encountering various life forms and getting in the way of galactic authorities. It’s a great spin on sci-fi and for me, it’s reminiscent to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Even then, Rick and Morty is a unique concept that won’t fail to amaze you. The new episode that recently came out had a fresh and authentic storyline, one that was so impressive that I wish I was one of its writers.

What makes it so great? Let me dive into a few of the best elements of this show. I would cover all of them but this post would go on forever.

Rick Sanchez

Rick Sanchez is the grandfather/ scientist and his personality deems him to be one of the best characters to analyse. He is horrible but you can’t just label him as a bad person. Similar to many layered characters on TV, like Don Draper and Walter White, he is his own kind of unhealthy, macho male, twisted character. And I have reasons to say so.

1) He doesn’t care about anyone but himself. Not even the planet.

2) Any selfless act he ever does is, ultimately, for his own gain.

3) Despite his obvious lack of attachment, he still helps out when it comes to putting out (metaphorical) fires.

4) The longest debate is whether he truly loves Morty and the rest of the family or if he’s using them. This is tricky especially because even when his actions are supposedly good, they always have a twisted objective.

Themes

Science plays a crucial role in the plot. We see interdimensional time travel as well as a portal gun that allows you to move between parallel universe. One of the smartest episodes tackles the rupture of time and the infinite possibilities of results that a single scenario could have. Such scenes reflect the infinite possibilities for our near future and how taking a path slightly different from another can drastically change our lives.

There is a heavy theme of creator and createe. Rick plays God by creating a world that provides to his need. The show also pointed out how humans remove every logic when it comes to faith and religion. In one episode, when humans encountered an alien head, they immediately sank to their knees to worship it, no questions asked.

The show questions the meaning of life but unlike other stories with existential crises, it embraces that void of meaning with positivity. In one episode, after revealing a secret, Morty tells Summer, “Nobody exists on purpose, nobody belongs anywhere. Everybody’s gonna die. Come watch TV.” This will forever be quoted by R&M fans because of how easily the fact is laid out.

Rick and Morty, is silly, but sometimes, the silliest things shine a light on the most obvious thoughts. The show makes you thankful that you exist in a dimension where R&M is created and you feel more aware of yourself as a person and the impact you have on other people. Like many fans say, this show is better experienced than explained so if you haven’t grabbed this sometimes hilarious, mostly thoughtful, and always relatable show, you better start now. But don’t blame me if you spend a weekday binge-watching the show.