Another week, another crazy demonstration of the wide reaching premises that Rick and Morty can deliver from the brains of Roiland and Harmon. Here we take a left turn on the classic clip show format, and this time it's just as good as when Community first did its twist way back in the season 2 episode Paradigms of Human Memory, where it hit every emotional and humorous bone in that talented cast also while parodying the whole idea. Total Rickall takes it even further; in the cold open we are immediately thrust into a relatively normal domestic scene where the familiar face of Uncle Steve is thanking the Smith family for their warm welcome over the past year...wait a second. And of course it's Rick who shatters the illusion by shooting Uncle Steve in the head and revealing that alien parasites from outer space have infiltrated their home and are posing as long time companions. So Rick hurriedly locks down the home and establishes the ground rules and safeties. There are only 6 real people in this family: him, Morty, Beth, Jerry, Summer and of course my favourite cast member, the lovable Mr. Poopy Butthole.
That kickstarts a whole range of alien parasites manifesting themselves in the most absurd and colourful characters and creatures in true Rick and Morty style. There's funny Cousin Nicky, Mr. Beauregard as the supportive and loving family butler, Sleepy Gary as the long time husband of Beth who has been painfully repressing his feelings for Jerry. There's Frankenstein from Rick's Vietnam days, Sprinkles the magic unicorn ballerina, Pencil Vester the animated pencil...All utterly ridiculous and that is what makes it work, and makes it so funny.
Eventually it is Morty who figures out how to tell reality from fiction; by weeding out everyone with no bad memories. And the following series of events is just great. R&H contrast these horribly depressing, disgusting and sometimes darkly humorous memories of the Smith family with the grim realisation they have after figuring out who they are stuck with in this life. It's the sort of serious/absurd mix that shouldn't work but just does, and it's emotionally significant because of it. I mean, how many shows can make you cheer and fist- pump at the line "She's my bitch of a sister"? And on the flip side, it's also hilarious: "I hate you and I was thinking of your friend Grace!" The whole scenario is perfectly encapsulated in Jerry and Beth's memory, or rather the lines after it. Jerry wails: "I'm a parasiteeeeee" after that cowardly memory where he runs away from an angry hobo and ditches his wife, aiming the gun at his forehead, and Beth seems to agree with him, but has to relent and accept the fact: "Yeah, but you're real". It's a wonder they can pack that much hidden regret and resignation but also love and reconciled commitment in a cartoon sitcom character like Beth. And of course it's nicely bookended by the rejected kiss.
I cannot believe they wrote off a main character, never mind such a funny and great character like Mr. Poppy Butthole after all these episodes. It's a crazy twist ending from R&H and I can hardly breathe after such a shocking and graphic scene where Beth takes out her gun and shoots him right in the chest. Why, Beth, whyyyyyyy? Only last season Mr. Poopy Butthole and you bonded over your aimless career paths and lack of a satisfactory love life in that great monologue at the end of episode 7. Why, Harmon and Roiland? Why get rid of such a wonderful character?
In all seriousness, what a fitting and dark ending, right down to the nervous shake of Beth as she downs yet another glass of wine (adding to the persona of the alcoholic). I keep waiting for a genuinely bad Rick and Morty episode, but it doesn't seem to come and they keep hitting it out of the park with these hilarious but also emotional deep episodes backed by great original concepts.
Notes
9/10
That kickstarts a whole range of alien parasites manifesting themselves in the most absurd and colourful characters and creatures in true Rick and Morty style. There's funny Cousin Nicky, Mr. Beauregard as the supportive and loving family butler, Sleepy Gary as the long time husband of Beth who has been painfully repressing his feelings for Jerry. There's Frankenstein from Rick's Vietnam days, Sprinkles the magic unicorn ballerina, Pencil Vester the animated pencil...All utterly ridiculous and that is what makes it work, and makes it so funny.
Eventually it is Morty who figures out how to tell reality from fiction; by weeding out everyone with no bad memories. And the following series of events is just great. R&H contrast these horribly depressing, disgusting and sometimes darkly humorous memories of the Smith family with the grim realisation they have after figuring out who they are stuck with in this life. It's the sort of serious/absurd mix that shouldn't work but just does, and it's emotionally significant because of it. I mean, how many shows can make you cheer and fist- pump at the line "She's my bitch of a sister"? And on the flip side, it's also hilarious: "I hate you and I was thinking of your friend Grace!" The whole scenario is perfectly encapsulated in Jerry and Beth's memory, or rather the lines after it. Jerry wails: "I'm a parasiteeeeee" after that cowardly memory where he runs away from an angry hobo and ditches his wife, aiming the gun at his forehead, and Beth seems to agree with him, but has to relent and accept the fact: "Yeah, but you're real". It's a wonder they can pack that much hidden regret and resignation but also love and reconciled commitment in a cartoon sitcom character like Beth. And of course it's nicely bookended by the rejected kiss.
I cannot believe they wrote off a main character, never mind such a funny and great character like Mr. Poppy Butthole after all these episodes. It's a crazy twist ending from R&H and I can hardly breathe after such a shocking and graphic scene where Beth takes out her gun and shoots him right in the chest. Why, Beth, whyyyyyyy? Only last season Mr. Poopy Butthole and you bonded over your aimless career paths and lack of a satisfactory love life in that great monologue at the end of episode 7. Why, Harmon and Roiland? Why get rid of such a wonderful character?
In all seriousness, what a fitting and dark ending, right down to the nervous shake of Beth as she downs yet another glass of wine (adding to the persona of the alcoholic). I keep waiting for a genuinely bad Rick and Morty episode, but it doesn't seem to come and they keep hitting it out of the park with these hilarious but also emotional deep episodes backed by great original concepts.
Notes
- I immediately recognised Keith David's sultry tones as Reverse Giraffe after Community season 6.
- "Oh wow, baby wizard was a parasite??? He set me up with my wife."
- I would have liked some sort of recognition of last week's deeply dark ending for Rick, but it is a sitcom and I think it will definitely be addressed more this season, and I trust them to do it well.
- "Nintendo give me free stuff"
9/10