Television Watching Rick & Morty mostly for the first time. Impressions as I go.

[ort]

I remember there being one episode that really really rubbed me the wrong way, but I think I blocked it out like some sort of traumatic incident.

 

There was seriously a run of like 3-4 episodes that really left me feeling super down on the show. Like when your child makes some truly terrible life choice and you just can't deal with it. I really have not gone back.

 

I probably watched every episode from seasons 1-3 like five times each. Season 4 at least twice... season 5? I had to stop because it was making me depressed.

 

I think a lot of the problem is that it's going to be extremely hard to keep coming up with fresh ideas in this crazy universe. I worry that they are going to completely run out of steam during this 70 episode run or whatever we have coming up.

 

I feel like this may have been one of those shows that would have been better going out on top, rather than fading out into oblivion of mediocrity...

[SaysWho?]

1 hour ago, GeneticBlueprint said:

Two episodes from where he's at is like the worst Rick and Morty episode ever.

 

1 hour ago, Kal-El814 said:

 

It's so fucking bad, lol

 

I'm really curious about this. I've encountered episodes that are OK, but I don't know if I watched anything that's really bad yet. So I'm quite curious how the show may go from two really great episodes to something horrific.

[SaysWho?]

On 12/8/2021 at 8:47 PM, Kal-El814 said:

Kind of? I’d say season 5 attempts to be have a greater number of “emotional” episodes by count than earlier seasons. Some of them work really well, others don’t. It probably has the “worst” episode by far, assuming that a clunker or two from season 1 when the show was figuring itself out “don’t count.” I would say it’s the least consistent season, but I have no idea if that’s the general consensus. 

 

Again though if you care about some of the threads that have been mid-weave for a few seasons now, they move forward in season 5. Hope that’s not too spoilery!

 

 

 

Also, you said this in the Season 5 thread, so I thought I'd circle back:

 

Regardless as to how I feel about the rest of the season, I have cared about many of the threads. I've enjoyed evil Morty, for example, but regular Morty trying to "get the girl" has been fun to watch for four seasons and is why I was so excited for him during the premiere (and heartbroken by the episode's end). I don't know what else they're tackling, but I have dug the threads.

[Kal-El814]

2 hours ago, ort said:

I remember there being one episode that really really rubbed me the wrong way, but I think I blocked it out like some sort of traumatic incident.

 

There was seriously a run of like 3-4 episodes that really left me feeling super down on the show. Like when your child makes some truly terrible life choice and you just can't deal with it. I really have not gone back.

 

I probably watched every episode from seasons 1-3 like five times each. Season 4 at least twice... season 5? I had to stop because it was making me depressed.

 

I think a lot of the problem is that it's going to be extremely hard to keep coming up with fresh ideas in this crazy universe. I worry that they are going to completely run out of steam during this 70 episode run or whatever we have coming up.

 

I feel like this may have been one of those shows that would have been better going out on top, rather than fading out into oblivion of mediocrity...

 

My issue with Rickdependence Spray, aside from the fact that it sucks, is that it felt like a rehash of an earlier episode except grosser in a way that was less funny.

 

 

[Jason]

2 hours ago, SaysWho? said:

I'm really curious about this. I've encountered episodes that are OK, but I don't know if I watched anything that's really bad yet. So I'm quite curious how the show may go from two really great episodes to something horrific.

 

 

You'll know which episode we're talking about before the episode is over, trust me.

[Greatoneshere]

Seasons 4 and 5 of Rick and Morty are good, sometimes very good, but it should be noted there is a step down from the excellence of the first 3 seasons. It's easy to see why - no one who wrote episodes for the first three seasons wrote any episodes for seasons 4 and 5 (except for two carry overs). An entirely new writers' room will change things and I noticed a difference in seasons 4 and 5 from seasons 1-3. The problem is all the earlier writers are now big, Michael Waldron for instance is now the showrunner on Loki, Justin Roiland balances this with his other show, Dan Harmon does like 10 things. There's a lot to like in seasons 4 and 5 but it's not the same, and there is a reason. The show is clearly being used to grow untested but potentially great writing talent, which Dan Harmon has always been about since his short films on his own website back in the 2000's pre-Community but that's also why you get episodes of vastly varying quality. Seasons 4 and 5 are still a lot better than anything else adult animated comedy show-wise out there, to be clear.

[SaysWho?]

So I just finished the stretch I believe you've all mentioned. Let's begin:

 

A Rickconvenient Mort - Good episode. The thing that got me was the quick turn for Planetina. It's like once nobody summoned her, she was free to do what she wanted and quickly went from good to naughty to murderous. She seemed so pure! And so the ending made sense -- even after pushing his mother away, she was still there for him when everything went wrong. I've connected a lot with Morty's romantic pains, so this one hurt in a good way. GEE ZUZ, though, even Morty became murderous. 5 seasons of pent-up rage has really put him over the edge now. The Summer/Rick storyline had some good moments, but I think the main storyline was just there. It was OK, Daphne not needing to stay with him because the world wasn't ending was fine, but it wasn't as memorable as Planetina.

 

Rickdependence Spray - I'll be honest: this episode did make me chuckle/laugh. Morty being a dumb 14-year-old and experimenting with that horse device made sense to me. Rick deciding to "help" Morty by slamming himself to the ground so he couldn't watch was funny. That last... let's just call it thing, that defeated the queen thing but then decided to go into the egg anyway, I mean... that part was funny.  But overall, I understand the issues: some R&C episodes are ridiculous in a way that makes complete sense and feels clever. This made sense... but it didn't feel clever most of the time. Episode 2 -> 3 felt like going from phenomenal to solid, but this felt like a steep drop despite the chuckles I got. 

 

Amortycan Grickfitti - I actually enjoyed this one! I say 'actually' because I heard there's a streak of lackluster episodes, but Rick's damned car pretending to be human while having a huge device sticking out of her head is something I accept as funny and clever in this show. I think that plot thread was the stronger one. Rick and Jerry's was interesting, especially the motive behind the "guy's night," but I can't remember too much about it.

 

Rick & Morty's Thanksploitation Spectacular - I got a kick of watching a turkeyed version of both Rick and the President,, and the idea of getting pardoned during the tradition of the president pardoning turkeys. And the idea that the president was ready for him and had a counter ready for each part of Rick's plan. There's also something to be said about people knowing the turkey president wasn't the real deal but keeping him because he was keeping them satiated.

[Jason]

1 hour ago, SaysWho? said:

Rickdependence Spray - I'll be honest: this episode did make me chuckle/laugh. Morty being a dumb 14-year-old and experimenting with that horse device made sense to me. Rick deciding to "help" Morty by slamming himself to the ground so he couldn't watch was funny. That last... let's just call it thing, that defeated the queen thing but then decided to go into the egg anyway, I mean... that part was funny.  But overall, I understand the issues: some R&C episodes are ridiculous in a way that makes complete sense and feels clever. This made sense... but it didn't feel clever most of the time. Episode 2 -> 3 felt like going from phenomenal to solid, but this felt like a steep drop despite the chuckles I got. 

 

I don't think I hated it as much as a lot of people and I remember also getting a few chuckles, but it just wasn't good on the whole and it's kind of bizarre that they actually ran all the way with it and put it on TV.

[SaysWho?]

Gotron Jerrysis Rickvangelion - I enjoyed this one. I dug the anime influences and Rick's insistence of how cool using these transformer things was going to be. I could have gone without the giant incest space baby.

[Greatoneshere]

13 hours ago, SaysWho? said:

Gotron Jerrysis Rickvangelion - I enjoyed this one. I dug the anime influences and Rick's insistence of how cool using these transformer things was going to be. I could have gone without the giant incest space baby.

 

Everyone could have gone without the giant incest space baby. 

[ort]

I finally watched the last 3 episodes and thought they were all solid.

[SaysWho?]

8 hours ago, ort said:

I finally watched the last 3 episodes and thought they were all solid.

 

That's what I have left. 

[Kal-El814]

Yeah, the season ends pretty well. SaysWho is through the worst of it.

[SaysWho?]

Watched the final three. Man, can't believe I can't watch more until... whenever Season 6 happens (hopefully this year).

 

Rickternal Friendshine of the Spotless Mort - This was not a funny episode, but there's a difference between an unfunny episode, and one that leans on past relationships well but has little time for laughs. This was the latter. I didn't laugh, but I really enjoyed the take on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and I thought it brought up some questions on the relationship between Birdman and Rick. Heck, his relationship with a young Rick was interesting because they were the same guy, but really weren't. Young Rick wasn't as jaded, huh? 

 

Forgetting Sarick Mortshall - I just found out that this aired the same time as the final episode. When I got to the end, it felt like a finale by itself that could have been a cliffhanger to another season. I loved that on that wheel, all these supposedly crappy things that are supposed to be more reliable than Morty sit by Jerry, which says "(spin again)". And then he turns into a damned puddle. I had fun watching how the episode tackled the portals on Morty and Nick and the twist in that story. And it planted the seeds of some evolution in the relationship...

 

Rickmurai Jack - I've come to the conclusion that I love Evil Morty episodes, and while I don't know if we'll see him again (I have to think we will as going to those other dimensions where Morty is smarter seems like it could expand plot possibilities), it's been a fun ride with him. I can only imagine how it was if you were watching over the years to see this culminate with this episode. I dunno; I think part of what I dig about it is Evil Morty's evil theme song. It's dark and bleak and sounds so cool. And Evil Morty is a really cool foil for Rick because regular Morty can't keep up with Rick, but Evil Morty is on par or a step ahead. Plus, the attempted trap using Rick's portal gun was damned cool.

 

Then, of course, we expand on why the Citadel is even there and how the family is bred for Morty to exist for the benefit of Rick. And in a universe with infinite possibilities, why not have realities where Morty is the smartest? I guess the portal fluid will be gone now? No portal gun? Also seems like there was an evolution in the relationship; Rick seems to appreciate Morty now at the end. 

 

Also, my gf had a theory about those flashbacks about Rick's backstory. 

Spoiler

So the dead gf/wife story actually was real, and he became bitter and desensitized to killing Ricks, trying to find the Rick responsible. She wondered if, somehow, in some weird science concoction, he's the Rick responsible and would have to kill himself.

I can't think of how to make it make sense in R&M fashion, but I thought that was an interesting observation.

 

Anyway, loved the finale, and indeed, the beginning and end of the season were great. The middle has some OK episodes and a real stinker, but as a whole, this is a very good season based on the bookends.

 

Thanks for joining me on this ride, all! I think @Kal-El814's statements to me at the beginning were spot-on about 5: if you care about the plot threads throughout the series, 5 is essential. If you don't, well, you might miss the regular funny sci-fi story of the week episodes like Pickle Rick. But I think some of those long-running stories had some funny episodes. The opener with Morty's crush? Funny as hell and gives an (unfortunate for Morty) end to that bit. And I already felt awful for him after the Season 4 "rewind time" episode.  

[ort]

Rick and Morty used to have large gaps between seasons, but now that they have the big bucks and a full writing staff, they are supposed to be coming out with a new season much more regularly... like once a year... so we should probably expect a new season this year... although there hasn't been much news in that department, so maybe COVID weirdness caught up to them and there are delays.

[Kamusha]

I had seen half of the first season before but I recently got back into it. Started from the beginning and finished season 1. The show definitely kicks it into a higher gear somewhere in the second half of the season. My jaw was dropping at where the show was going with some of its concepts. The last episode of the season was pretty fucked up in such an interesting way.

[SaysWho?]

On 3/11/2022 at 4:03 PM, Kamusha said:

I had seen half of the first season before but I recently got back into it. Started from the beginning and finished season 1. The show definitely kicks it into a higher gear somewhere in the second half of the season. My jaw was dropping at where the show was going with some of its concepts. The last episode of the season was pretty fucked up in such an interesting way.

 

Enjoy!

[stepee]

Finished the first three seasons for the first time and starting season 4 now. Fantastic show, it’s a lot different than I thought it was all this time, a lot more complexity to the plots than I expected. So much shit can happen so fast. I hear there is a drop off coming in these next two seasons but either way once those are done I’m going to re-binge.

[Greatoneshere]

1 hour ago, stepee said:

Finished the first three seasons for the first time and starting season 4 now. Fantastic show, it’s a lot different than I thought it was all this time, a lot more complexity to the plots than I expected. So much shit can happen so fast. I hear there is a drop off coming in these next two seasons but either way once those are done I’m going to re-binge.

 

Seasons 4 and 5 are a drop off due to the writers' room almost completely changing from the first 3 seasons but it's still pretty great overall with individual excellent episodes. I imagine binging it will be better.