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theinfiniterick · 7 years

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Ep 10 Shoddiness (Spoilers)

I'm procrastinating on some design homework for this but I just can't focus unless I get it out. Thus I'm going to elaborate on why I don't like this episode... and why Dan Harmon should stop writing.

Key points:

character inconsistency

rapid and unsubstantiated changes in interpersonal dynamic

underwhelming content for finale

That last one needs no further explanation except that the Ricklantis Mixup should have been the finale. I was blown away by that episode and it's definitely my favorite of all three seasons. No surprise that it's also top of the episode ranking list on IMDB.

Now, I can see why people might like the episode. The main plot was funny and we got to see Rick really unload some badassery with his gadgets and wit. I laughed a lot. It's important, however, to not overlook the misdirection and ultimately how it can invalidate character progression or principle plotlines.

Firstly, let's address character inconsistency.

I'm talking about Morty here. We ALL want Morty to progress, to grow, to go somewhere, to change a little... but we want to SEE it. We want to be there to see the growth along the way. When there are gross changes in character that haven't been substantiated by a turning point or haven't been eased into, writers invalidate the very concept of growth. We end up feeling empty while the characters feel less "real."

Morty here is incredibly confident, talks back to the president, doesn't care about his selfie, doesn't even say a single "aw, jeez" in this episode (if he did I seriously missed it)... AND... did you catch where he snaps at Rick with his body language while on the phone? I was shocked. (It also felt uncharacteristic of Rick to just take that.)

It all feels so alien and is a big change from the previous episode. --Oh wait we didn't see Morty in the previous episode. I mean the episode before that. Although, wait a minute. Summer completely reset both Rick and Morty to a state before ever going through the mind blowers, so we can't reference that. The episode before was the Ricklantis Mixup and all we saw of them was before and after entering Atlantis. Which leaves us with Ep 6: Rest and Ricklaxation. --No wait. Morty wasn't his actual self in that whole episode and seemingly returned to normal unconfident Morty afterward.

Episode before that was the Jerry episode. This is the last time we see full normal Morty go through any kind of plot that could progress his character before the finale. That was five whole episodes ago, AND unfortunately he was a sub-plot in that episode, not a main.

Why is this important? Good shows ease into character changes, not just pop them on viewers and make the excuse of "well he must have progressed off screen for the last 4 episodes."

Remember the first episode of the season and how it began with Rick seemingly explaining to his family "and that's how I broke out of prison"...? We were all pissed for a moment because we thought writers took the lazy off-screen-progression route and left us out of the whole damn escape. That's what I mean. Morty in this episode has progressed to a point that feels very out of nowhere with the excuse of "well he's been adventuring a lot with Rick off-screen."

Here's another character/inconsistency issue.

Morty didn't only talk back to the president and act like a little mini-Rick the whole episode. He also did something that should not have been used so lightly in the plot.

There are quite a lot of times in the series where something serious happens, Morty has had enough and he threatens Rick that he won't go with him, that "this is it." Each of those times so far have made sense considering what was at stake or what Rick put him through. Morty threatening to end adventures is not something used lightly and normally has substantial reasoning.

In this episode, however, Morty is completely willing to give up adventuring, abandon his grandpa and live in the woods with his family--something pretty huge--*without* a substantial reason. It's great that his parents got back together but was that really enough to warrant using that plot point? It feels like an incredible stretch and just messes with the realism and relatability that other episodes have established.

Let's talk about that interpersonal/family dynamic.

The end of the episode was the grossest part for me. We see the dynamic between Rick and the group completely turned upside down and somehow Rick ends up being treated like the black sheep of the family. It was weird. It was alien. It was frustrating to watch and I seriously wanted him to snap and just shoot all of them...... revealing they were all clones.

Why is Rick's status here such a problem? Some people say it was refreshing to finally have his family treat him like dirt instead of bowing down to him, but refreshing isnt at all what I would call it. This is yet another flip-switch that forces a rapid change without substantial reason. We didn't witness some big meaningful turning point that set them all as equals. We didn't witness any valid reason for condescending upon Rick, any feasible plot point for the power to change hands.

Secondly, the vast majority of us didn't get on this ride to see Rick treated like Doofus Rick. We fell in love with his command over life and the universe, his no fucks attitude, his disrespect for authority and being told what to do. It feels like the entire family just kinda crapped on him today for no good reason and he took it, uncharacteristicly.

Last but not least...

The last weird thing is that Rick even compromised to settle things with the president rather than put him in his place. The president didn't even learn a lesson or have any growth himself. This is really unlike Rick and unlike prior writing where antagonists realize where they went wrong (or of course just kicked the bucket.)

And are we really to believe that the president has a stalemate with the smartest man in the universe? The writing just defies everything we've come to know about Rick. He can topple an entire *galactic* federation but here they put him on a sort of "par" with the American government? Rick is a good three or four steps ahead of the elaborate scheme of Zigerian scammers, and we're expected to believe he never knew about illegal satellite spying? Rick has a device that rendered all squirrels inert for a radius probably about a block in size and we're expected to believe him and Morty would really just walk down the mine shafts shooting infestations individually with guns?

Again, it wasn't the presidential or political plot that I disliked. There was so much about this writing that just doesn't fit, is disappointing, underwhelming and defies previous character abilities/personality. It feels like it was a throwaway episode merely meant to align things the way they want it for next season: have Beth and Jerry back together without any issues, drop the idea of Beth being afraid of Rick leaving (but why drop that?), and set Rick up to be more indebted to the family, not have as much power over them. It sounds like they want to neutralize all series subplots (no more family drama, no more father daughter conflict) and get back to, as Beth mentioned, a more streamlined plot with just Rick and Morty.

While I do want them to show more of the main characters and stop going on these side escapades, having father-daughter conflict makes the show a lot more meaningful. Having Beth Summer and Morty want to stay in Rick's life because they love him makes the show more meaningful. Completely erasing that dynamic and now having the family shit on Rick and not care whether he stays or goes, having Morty be so willing to abandon adventures instead of be caught in dissonance between keeping his family happy and keeping Rick around...

Idk about you but that doesn't sound like the Rick and Morty I want to watch...

#rick and morty #rick and morty season 3 #rick sanchez #rick and morty season 3 finale #morty smith #dan harmon #bad writing

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