Cartoons are an incredible source of creativity, creating landscapes and situations that just aren’t possible with actors behind a camera. Though many consider cartoons to be just for kids, Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon are turning this notion upside down with “Rick and Morty.” The show was created as a short film for Channel 101, a film festival where participants create pilot episodes for a chance to land a slot on television. Adult Swim was initially hesitant to pick up the show, but it has since gained critical acclaim and is now in the midst of its second season.
“Rick and Morty” is a parody of sorts, taking major inspiration from Back to the Future and other science-fiction tropes. The show follows the adventures of Rick Sanchez, an alcoholic scientist, and his grandson Morty Smith. The two occasionally open parallel universes, travel to new planets and party on the side. “Rick and Morty also follows the stories of the Smiths, with Morty’s mother Beth, his father Jerry and his sister Summer each going off on their own adventures through subplots.
The writing in “Rick and Morty” is unconventional. In the show, plot is spread thinly, with each episode being its own self-contained adventure. On a panel at San Diego Comic Con in 2013, Roiland described the storylines of the show as “[its] own point of entry” and “not bound by rules.” This style is immediately apparent in each episode, with one episode involving Rick transferring his consciousness to a younger clone, named “Tiny Rick,” to fight vampires at Summer and Morty’s high school while also enjoying his youthfulness by partying.
Sounds absurd, right? This absurdity is exactly what makes “Rick and Morty” so fun to watch. In past episodes, the duo has entered a car battery to restore its power, opened 64 parallel dimensions at once and created a device to watch television from every possible universe. Meanwhile, the Smiths have dealt with their marriage by going to another planet for counseling and the family’s dog has used technology to boost his own intelligence and take over the human race. Even rapper Ice T has made a guest appearance as a mystical ice crystal. In “Rick and Morty”, the subplots often shine brighter than the main plot, which is unheard of in most other shows.
While the second season is nearing its end, the series has been renewed for a third season. “Rick and Morty” airs on Sunday nights on Adult Swim at 10:30pm, and will conclude its second season on October 4th. Here’s hoping that the third season will continue the absurdist humor and even turn the weirdness dial up a few notches.
