December 2nd, 2013, that's the day when everything changed, and for the better. It was the release of the first episode to the new show, Rick and Morty. A cartoon parody loosely based on Back to the Future caught the attention of the Adult Swim creators, thus introducing the show most of us know and love. Rick, the mad scientist, flawed and often disoriented by his alcoholism, drags his grandson, Morty, onto dangerous and usually galaxy-destroying adventures. Although this show is only three seasons in, it’s easy to pick the top five episodes yet. Here’s the list:
1. S2 x E4 (Total Rickcall)
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“These parasites are like bedbugs, and every flashback is another mattress.”
If you've previously seen Rick and Morty, you'd know that this show doesn't ever do normal. That's what was so seemingly different about the start of this episode. There you see a family of five eating dinner around the table, laughing and recalling memories. It’s Beth, Jerry, Summer, Morty, and… their Uncle Steve? When Rick walked in, you suspected something to be off, or that the creators of the show decided to toss in a new character. It was revealed that their beloved Uncle Steve was a parasite in disguise, dragged in on the bottom of Rick’s shoe from his last galactic adventure causing the whole house to be locked-down. To find more parasites was inevitable due to fabricated flash-back memories that allowed them entrance into their lives and their home. This episode features a bunch of wacky characters with blatantly implausible stories, which equals a fun-filled nonsensical episode for the viewer.
2. S1 x E5 (Meeseeks and Destroy)
“We are created to serve a singular purpose for which we will go to any length to fulfill. Existence is pain for a Meeseeks, Jerry, and we will do anything to alleviate that pain.”
When Morty requests to lead an adventure of his own, Rick neglects the need for his presences at home, and carelessly tosses his invention, The Meeseeks Box, into the hands of the rest of the family. With both Rick and Morty on their first and only Morty-lead heroic quest, Summer, Beth and Jerry are left to their own devices. Meeseeks exist with a singular purpose which is to complete minuscule tasks, and when they are unable to fulfill a task so seemingly simple, things take a turn for the worst. The plot takes a different route, allowing for Rick and Morty to sit out when it comes to the insanity, and allowing the family to experience what Morty is dragged into with each episode.
3. S1 x E1 (Pilot)
“You know what? That was all a test, Morty. Just an elaborate test to make you more assertive…" "Really?" "Sure why not? I d-don’t- I don’t know.”
Whenever someone mentions a pilot of a television show that's a few seasons in, you expect it to be mediocre at best. This pilot was exactly what you’d expect from a sci-fi adult swim cartoon, especially one that’s called Rick and Morty. It had an abrupt start, giving you the first look at the dynamic duo. The drunken grandfather, rambling on about his plot to destroy the world, as if it's just another day, while convincing his grandson he’s going to make him into the new Adam, while they find him an Eve. This episode unfolds a plot so unhinged, leading up to the ending where we are foreshadowed about “a hundred more years of Rick and Morty adventures.” Needless to say, many aren’t complaining about that idea.
4. S1 x E2 (Lawnmower Dog)
"I thought the whole point of having a dog was to feel superior, Jerry. If I was you, I wouldn’t pull that thread.”
If there was ever a Rick and Morty episode that allowed for a subplot to be just as interesting, this is the one. With tackling both the idea of dream inception, and dog’s taking over the world, we get to see as these two problems unravel. The inception parody contained strong moments that allow you to appreciate the creativity the creators put into this episode. Starting from a Freddy Kruger knockoff, named Scary Terry, all the way to the talking dog, Snowflake, who refused to be called by his slave-name, Snuffles. Rick and Morty aren’t the only ones prone to trouble, but the difference is, at least Rick usually always has a psychotic solution that is either enough to get them killed or save the day.
5. S2 x E1 (A Rickle In Time)
"We’re exactly like a man capable of sustaining a platonic friendship with an attractive female co-worker… We’re entirely hypothetical.”
Freezing time to be able to clean the house after a party took a turn for the worse, which made this one of the most confusing, as well as entertaining episodes. Rick, Morty and Summer end up getting lost in oblivion due to the “feedback loop of uncertainty” which splits reality into “two equally possible impossibilities.” Needless to say, the episode gets much more confusing as it goes on. They fight against themselves in different time loops, creating a Brady Bunch style visual, while trying to restore their singular reality. Although the creators of the show, expressed their strong dislike of this episode due to its complex use of graphics, viewers stated otherwise. The ending almost left you convinced that there was more to Rick than his narcissistic and irrational personality, but that thought quickly fades.
If this list doesn't convince you to re-evaluate your top five episodes of Rick and Morty, don't worry, that wasn't the intention. This article is entirely subjective and suspected to change with every new season. Out of all the episodes of Rick and Morty created so far, what's your favorite?
