Decided to come back to my individual episode reviews of "Rick and Morty" after a little time away, starting back with the first episode of the second season, which ironically picks up almost exactly where we left them at the end of the first run.
Six months after freezing time to clean up after the party, Rick (Justin Roiland), Morty (Justin Roiland) and Summer (Spencer Grammer) accidentally fracture spacetime by creating a quantum uncertainty. These two timelines can only exist for so long, and both realities Ricks work at the same time to stitch it back together. After this fails though Rick decides on a different solution - eliminating the other timeline altogether.
Though it's not the most hilarious episode of Rick and Morty in existence, it is one of the cleverest and most high-concept. The opposing timelines are demonstrated with a split screen effect and the dialogue overlaps, cleverly for Summer and Morty the wording changes, but for Rick, who's the most 'certain' of them, it stays the same. Things then are kicked up another notch by the arrival of a Fourth Dimensional being - played by Keegan-Michael Key who exists simultaneously in all realms and can interact - or be interacted with - with each timeline. As I say, super high concept - if not the most hilarious episode the show has ever done.
The B-Story involves Jerry and Beth accidently hitting a deer, at which point Beth is desperate to use her veterinary skills to save it, despite a number of factors working again her. Again, it's fine - if not hilariously funny. It's nice to see a story where Jerry comes up with a plan that works out for him.
I really like the high concept stuff - and nobody tries anything approaching "Rick and Morty's" scope of science fiction.