It’s like Laverne & Shirley…with a psychotic scientist and a lot of death
Rick is a mad scientist…who’s forced to live with his daughter Beth, her husband Jerry, and their two children Morty and Summer. Fortunately for Rick, he’s drafted Morty into his mad plans whether Morty likes it or not. Now, they are jumping dimensions, battling aliens, and taking on evil doppelgangers of themselves…all for science! Rick has plans for Morty, and Morty’s going to have to just take it.
Rick and Morty—Season 1 aired from December 13, 2013 to April 14, 2014 as part of the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming. The series was released to critical acclaim.
Keep your eyes peeled for Rick & Morty
Rick and Morty walks a fine line. I love smart comedy and hate dumb comedy. Rick and Morty is smart but sticks it toe in the Family Guy style of comedy while mostly staying in the South Park comedy. It is that little bit of Family Guy that makes me kind of wary of loving the show, but I did really enjoy it.
What saves Rick and Morty from being Family Guy’s easy and dumb humor is that the overall scripting is quite smart. The series does have a lot of pointless cutaways (the parallel TV episode is a great example of that), but for the most part, it feels like the writers actually looked at the plot before the jokes and the jokes were secondary. This is what raises up South Park, and it is a smarter approach to writing a sitcom…the jokes should come naturally.
Don’t you hate disposing of your own dead body as you usurp its timeline?
I do have some issues with Rick and Morty’s basic set-up however. I find Morty pretty annoying (he’s like listing to Mr. Bill for a half hour), and Rick’s belching isn’t funny but irritating instead. If they had tweaked either of these aspects, it would have made the show better. I also think that more and more incorporation of the family is necessary. I like the Summer adventures and Jerry is good, but Beth a rather waste of a character.
The series does like to do some shocking things. “Rick Potion #9” has Morty and Rick’s timeline destroyed (because Morty wanted a girl) and they are essentially cuckoos in another reality by taking the place of the dead Rick and Morty there. Shows like “Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind” allow the show to end on downbeats which is unusual for a comedy (and they pick some really odd music for the show).
Rick and Morty is definitely worth checking out, and I will see the second season of the series. I hope that the series does develop more, and I like that some plotlines carry on and hope to that continue on as well. I have soften to both Rick and Morty’s characters but my problems with them is a small price to pay for a fun (and funny) show.
Rick and Morty—Season 1 Complete Episode Guide:
“Pilot”
1.1 Pilot Airdate: 12/13/13
Another late night with his Rick leads Jerry to think that Morty’s grandfather Rick is a bad influence of Morty. After an adventure to Dimension 35-C with Rick to collect seeds for Mega Trees, Morty learns that his grandfather is scheduled to go to a nursing home when his parents learn Morty is missing school.
“Lawnmower Dog”
1.2 Lawnmower Dog Airdate: 12/09/13
Jerry asks Rick to make Morty’s dog Snuffles smarter with negative results. Rick and Morty travel into the dreams of Morty’s math teacher Mr. Goldenfold to force Morty to get an A…but have to keep going deeper into Mr. Goldenfold’s mind.
“Anatomy Park”
1.3 Anatomy Park Airdate: 12/16/13
It’s Christmas as Jerry hopes to have a family Christmas with his parents…but discover his parents have a new younger “friend” named Jacob. Rick introduces Morty to his new venture Anatomy Park inside a homeless man. When Morty gets trapped in Anatomy Park, he and the other park-goers must fight to get out of the body.
“M. Night Shaym-Aliens!”
1.4 M. Night Shaym-Aliens! Airdate: 01/13/14
Rick and Morty discover they are in a simulation as the Zigerions try to get the formula for dark matter from Rick. Unfortunately, Jerry has been brought into the simulation as well as he tries to pitch a new advertisement for apples. The Zigerions are clever, but Rick might be smarter.
“Meeseeks and Destroy”
1.5 Meeseeks and Destroy Airdate: 01/20/14
Morty gets the opportunity to pick an adventure against Rick’s wishes. Rick gives Jerry, Beth, and Summer a box to summon Mr. Meeseeks…and getting their dream could lead to a Meeseeks revolt.
“Rick Potion #9”
1.6 Rick Potion #9 Airdate: 01/27/14
Morty wants Jessica to love him and gets Rick to make a love potion. Unfortunately Jessica has the flu and it causes havoc with the potion. Jerry worries that Beth is having an affair with her coworker.
“Raising Gazorpazorp”
1.7 Raising Gazorpazorp Airdate: 03/10/14
When Rick buys Morty a sex robot, Morty accidentally impregnates her creating Morty, Jr. Summer heads off on an adventure with Rick to find someone to raise the baby and learns that everyone on Earth could be in danger.
“Rixty Minutes”
1.8 Rixty Minutes Airdate: 03/17/14
Rick modifies the TV to receive channels from all over the universe and even parallel universes. Jerry and Beth find their future if they hadn’t married, and Summer learns that she could be the cause of their misery.
“Something Ricked This Way Comes”
1.9 Something Ricked This Way Comes Airdate: 03/24/14
Morty is forced to have Rick help him with his science project and goes on mission to return Pluto to being a planet…going to Pluto itself. Rick learns that Summer is working for the Devil at a store and sets out to ruin the store’s sales by cancelling out their demonic curses.
“Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind”
1.10 Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind Airdate: 04/07/14
Someone is killing Ricks and capturing Mortys. When the Ricks of the parallel universes go after Rick and Morty of C-137, Rick and Morty must find the real killer they are captured. Morty learns why Rick really hangs out with him.
“Ricksy Business”
1.11 Ricksy Business Airdate: 04/14/14
Jerry and Beth are going on a Titanic themed vacation and leaving Rick in charge…leading to Summer and Rick having the party of all parties. Jerry finds Beth isn’t into the Titanic themed boat trip leading to an unexpected encounter.
Related Links:
Rick and Morty—Season 2 Review and Complete Episode Guide
Rick and Morty—Season 3 Review and Complete Episode Guide
