The Show You Should Be Watching: Rick & Morty

[weirdee]

If anyone here didn't know, the guy who does the voices of Rick and Morty also does Lemongrab's voice from Adventure Time.

you can really tell it's him by how well he can voice an entire crowd of meeseeks without blowing out his vocal cords

i'm sort of confused as to how the show's dialogue is largely improv (they lampshade this in rixty minutes) when the two main characters are voiced by the same person

 

[Rebel_Raven]

I'm not laughing a ton at this show, but it's pretty enjoyable. I, too, was hesitant about watching it, but I started to record it on a whim, let it stack up a bit *Mutters about lacking free time*n then watched a mini marathon. It grew on me.

A few shows are kinda getting on my DVR like that. Record despite thinking it might not be good, watch it a bit, and end up enjoying it. MLP, Steven Universe, and such.

Mister Meeseeks was absurdly awesome. Like some absurd "for the kids" mascot like Jar-Jar, but far far better.

 

[immortalfrieza]

This is sci-fi adventure time. Silly premise, completely mad to the point where people can incorrectly label it "lol, random", strong continuity and world building promising a payoff later. The difference is that this is on Adult Swim, so it has leeway to get into a different set of dark messed up places.

Also, it's TV Tropes the show, so what's not to like.

What I like about the show is that yeah, it's nuts, but not to the point of looking like it was born from the fevered dreams of a dying meth junkie like other shows like Chowder or Misadventures of Flapjack or... well, a lot of the cartoons they have on Cartoon Network these days.

 

[Fusioncode9]

Bob's apathy towards television makes me wonder why he's doing a TV column in the first place. His constant jabs and general disgust towards the medium don't do much to sway TV watcher into reading his material. He's devolved into attacking other Escapist content creators for reviewing popular television shows. I just find the whole thing weird.

More on topic, I've enjoyed Rick and Morty, very funny series. No surprise considering it's from Dan Harmon.

 

[AdagioBoognish]

Alright let's get this over with

"HI I'M MISTER MEESEEKS LOOK AT ME!!!"

LOL! This was the first episode I stumbled upon a few weeks ago after watching some bravest warriors on youtube. Absolutely hilarious, up until Mr Jellybean.. tries to.. yeah. If the rest of the series is as funny as this one then I'm probably going to be a big fan.

 

[RA92]

The Meeseeks episode also took a swipe at Batman. After finding out those photos of pedo King Jellybeans' and burning them, the guy says "Our people will get more from the ideal he represented, than from the jellybean he was." Harvey Dent much?

 

[shirkbot]

Just Getting Your Attention

It's also perfectly valid to want a more restrained but optimistic 'popcorn' cartoon, with not a lot really going on plot-wise but a decent ride in the vein of Tiny Toons or KND. We don't have any of those right now (except maybe Clarence. I still don't know what to think of that show)

I'd actually like to recommend to you both Steven Universe. It's not the most humorous show, but it has a lot of heart and is much more down to Earth than much of current Western animation.

OT: Yay, someone with an actual platform spreading the good word. I've turned all my friends on to the show, but I admit I usually cheat and start with the Meseeks episode. It's not like there's much extra context needed since it was so early on anyway.

 

[Lono Shrugged]

It was somewhere between Mr. Meeseeks "existence is pain" and Morty's total yawning gaping awareness of the meaningless of existence in a strange and cruel multi verse that I knew this was going to be my new favourite show.

Also to combat the backlash of depicting an attempted child rape. The creators released a statement of King Jellybean's true intentions with Morty. Which is pretty ballsy and hilarious in and of itself:

From the wiki:

"With time, King Jellybean had become addicted to the high he received from the enzymes entering his blood stream through alien saliva. His tolerance for saliva became weaker and weaker with repeated engagements of the same species, so he was constantly on the look out for new ones. As a result, King Jellybean he spent time in places like the Thirsty Stair where a diverse multitude of inter dimensional beings congregated, beings who could help feed his addiction. Over the years, the repeated inter-species body licking caused the depletion of a key chemical in the jellybean body resulting in a loss of color which is why King Jellybean was grayish shaded instead of a normal colorful jellybean hue. Morty was his first human, so he was especially aggressive with him. To Jellybean, Morty was a quick fix and he was desperate for a hit."

Nothing sexual AT ALL. just harmless drug addiction.

Also Bob, I don't like Adventure Time either and it's not because I associate it with a group of people I don't like. Labelling shows based on their demographic is pretty close minded. My 60 year old mother watches the Walking Dead and Game of Thrones. Doesn't mean she is a nerd or geek or zombie fan. you like what you like. (She also loves Firefly)

 

[DudeistBelieve]

I love this show, I think it's most accurately described as THE American Doctor Who. Because they go anywhere do anything.

The best part, however, is how much heart is packed into this thing.


I think my favorite episode was Rick screwing with the devil. "Nah this is just a bit for me, like when Bugs Bunny fucks with the opera singer for twenty minutes." explains Rick. Then he decides he's bored and burns the whole place down.

Alright let's get this over with

"HI I'M MISTER MEESEEKS LOOK AT ME!!!"

HI MISTER MEESEEKS I'M MISTER MEESEEKS!
CAN YOU HELP ME TAKE TWO STROKES OFF JERRY'S GOLF GAME?

I love this show and I'm watching the reruns still laughing my ass off at all the amazing humor.

Spoiler: I'm gonna need you to take these seeds into the bathroom...

And I'm gonna need you to put em waaaaay up inside your butthole, Morty.

YOUR PROBLEMS ARE YOUR OWN, OLD MAN! I SAY: FOLLOW THROUGH!!!!

 

[DudeistBelieve]

It was somewhere between Mr. Meeseeks "existence is pain" and Morty's total yawning gaping awareness of the meaningless of existence in a strange and cruel multi verse that I knew this was going to be my new favourite show.

Also to combat the backlash of depicting an attempted child rape. The creators released a statement of King Jellybean's true intentions with Morty. Which is pretty ballsy and hilarious in and of itself:

From the wiki:

"With time, King Jellybean had become addicted to the high he received from the enzymes entering his blood stream through alien saliva. His tolerance for saliva became weaker and weaker with repeated engagements of the same species, so he was constantly on the look out for new ones. As a result, King Jellybean he spent time in places like the Thirsty Stair where a diverse multitude of inter dimensional beings congregated, beings who could help feed his addiction. Over the years, the repeated inter-species body licking caused the depletion of a key chemical in the jellybean body resulting in a loss of color which is why King Jellybean was grayish shaded instead of a normal colorful jellybean hue. Morty was his first human, so he was especially aggressive with him. To Jellybean, Morty was a quick fix and he was desperate for a hit."

Nothing sexual AT ALL. just harmless drug addiction.

Also Bob, I don't like Adventure Time either and it's not because I associate it with a group of people I don't like. Labelling shows based on their demographic is pretty close minded. My 60 year old mother watches the Walking Dead and Game of Thrones. Doesn't mean she is a nerd or geek or zombie fan. you like what you like. (She also loves Firefly)

Boo. That whole episode works better with the Jelly Bean being a child rapist.

The sudden contrast in tones (Morty's light hearted adventure/The Very Realistic Attack)
Rick's trying to come around, he clearly sees Morty is not okay and really shoes caring for his companion.
The cathartic release when

Spoiler

Rick blows the fucker up.

and the whole joke at the end with the pictures...

Also hey, wait a minute, King Jelly Bean had a statue of himself with a little a kid!

 

[Lono Shrugged]

snip

I get the feeling that the whole King Jellybean being a junkie rather than a child molester is a little sarcastic dig from the creators more than anything. ultimately killing any controversy because anytime anyone complains about him trying to rape Morty, (And there was quite a bit I recall) someone can post that pretty hilarious counter argument and shut down any kind of "think of the children" talk. It's a little along the lines of "are we supposed to think this is some kind of MAGIC ribcage xylophone" from the Simpsons. "You want an overly complicated and tv safe reason for his behaviour, fuck you! here is some canon nerd lore" It is exactly the kind of irreverent attitude I love about the show.

Don't worry, he is still a kiddie rapist, not a drug addict. (which is totally ok to joke about on tv)

 

[MCerberus]

OT: Yay, someone with an actual platform spreading the good word. I've turned all my friends on to the show, but I admit I usually cheat and start with the Meseeks episode. It's not like there's much extra context needed since it was so early on anyway.

Well it is an attention grabber, the whole episode just screams "LOOK AT ME".
Oh yes, that's the bad joke everyone expected.

 

[KungFuJazzHands]

Something about Rick & Morty rubs me the wrong way. Maybe it's the writing (which seems horribly paced to me), or the superficial characterizations that populate the show, or maybe something else. I can't really put my finger on it, and that bothers me because it's exactly the kind of adult cartoon that should appeal to me.

The first episode was fantastic, but everything else after that just came off as another formulaic "Bill & Ted romp with sex jokes" retread. I'll stick to Venture Bros. and Squidbillies, thank you very much.

 

[HostileParadox]

This show is fantastic. Everyone I talk to also loves it, so I'm hoping this will mean many more seasons for it.

 

[Grimh]

Watched three episodes and am loving it so far.

Except one thing, the father sounds so familiar and I can't remember where I've heard it before and it's killing me.
I also refuse to look it up, because it's right there, on the edge of my Cyril from Archer! I just figured it out while writing this!
Yeessss.

Anyway so, yeah, good show.

 

[Mr. Happy Face]

*snap* Yes!

May the One True Morty bless you, Moviebob. Rick and Morty 100 years Rick and Morty.

 

[Hutzpah Chicken]

I watched several episodes, including the premier episode, when they were first airing and I thought it was a good show. They took a break for a few weeks after Christmas and then I forgot about it until I saw this article. Seeing how it's Adult Swim, the next season will be in 2015 (I want new Venture Bros!) so that's enough time to catch up on what I missed.

 

[briankoontz]

It was somewhere between Mr. Meeseeks "existence is pain" and Morty's total yawning gaping awareness of the meaningless of existence in a strange and cruel multi verse that I knew this was going to be my new favourite show.

It's made far more strange and cruel by a miserable man who needs to control the world to find a fulfillment that eluded him in traditional reality and his sidekick with a super-powered conscience to fix all the problems the two of them are causing.

The entire family is out of order. The episodes feature one catastrophe after another, being "fixed" due to (mostly) the godlike abilities of Rick, abilities which a human being shouldn't have to have (and in reality would never have).

Instead of catastrophes, the characters call them "adventures" and live under the conceit that they are learning and growing as people. Yet Rick and Morty treat the rest of the world as mere playthings for their own "adventures", Morty going so far as to flirt or more with every woman he's attracted to (which is many) while ostensibly loving Jessica. The sexual moral void is complimented by Rick's subjugation of the well being of others to his only true passion, scientific exploration. The rest of the family hold out hope that the two of them will succeed at whatever heroic task underlies their actions, while refusing to do the right thing which is to shut them down entirely.

Humanity can only be left to wonder, as their DNA structure is periodically re-arranged by "people on adventures", about this "strange and cruel" multiverse, since despite Rick's vast power and casual disregard for human beings he's as little known in the world as anyone. Where's a journalist to document this? Where's a cop to arrest this madman?

Also to combat the backlash of depicting an attempted child rape. The creators released a statement of King Jellybean's true intentions with Morty. Which is pretty ballsy and hilarious in and of itself:

In a show featuring mass murder, slavery, literal de-humanization through DNA mutations, and utterly terrible manifestations of science, I'm not quite sure what to think of people who are fine with all of that but draw the line at child molestation.

Genocide is no problem, but don't you lay one hand on that child, sir!

Or rather, killing a child with a bomb is fine, just don't stroke him first. True American values.

 

[RA92]

In a show featuring mass murder, slavery, literal de-humanization through DNA mutations, and utterly terrible manifestations of science, I'm not quite sure what to think of people who are fine with all of that but draw the line at child molestation.

Genocide is no problem, but don't you lay one hand on that child, sir!

Or rather, killing a child with a bomb is fine, just don't stroke him first. True American values.

Sexual assault is still quite a touchy subject. Unlike murder and slavery of innocent people (which are universally agreed upon as bad), rape, somehow, isn't as clearly defined (which is why you get instances of victim blaming and people not understanding the idea of coercive rape, as seen in GoT's director's thoughts on Jamie assaulting Cersei).

Rick and Morty didn't play that rapey bit for laughs. It handled it with proper gravitas, developing Morty's understanding of the dangers of the world, and we get a glimpse of how Rick actually cares for Morty.

 

[Leia9474]

Just a little tidbit: Rick and Morty DO NOT TIME TRAVEL. They travel across realities and dimensions, but never time. Which is what is so great about this show. None of that messy "butterfly effect" or screwing with timelines. If you notice, in Rick Potion #9, instead of going back in time, they go to a different reality where Rick and Morty died. No time travel.