Board 8 > so i watched episode one of rick and morty

(+) Yeah! (+)

episode 3 was alright

the christmas family story was almost a complete miss. chris parnell's mom hooking up with a young lover isn't compelling or funny, and the daughter's boyfriend turning out out to be raped by his brother is also not funny. the best gag here is everyone being okay with raining blood and viscera after the TV says 'it's going to be OK'

rick was more annoying again this episode, but fortunately he actually stayed out of the way most of the episode

there were two great parts about the A-plot - the creativity of the theme park world (especially at first) and john oliver's guest spot as the douchebag doctor. my biggest disappointment is how little time is spent actually exploring the theme park versus how much time has to be spent in the action sequences and with the throwaway love interest character.

morty's unhappy pouty mouth is the most disgusting thing, i hate seeing it

two standout moments: 1. 'you don't agree to have an amusement park built in your body if things are going well' 2. the guy wearing a goofy suit running through a closing door and losing his mask... and john oliver immediately telling him 'PUT THAT BACK ON!'

for those keeping score at home (just boko for now!): 1x02 > 1x03 > 1x01
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I'm not a huge fan of Episode 3. Think it's one of the weakest in the series although it isn't terrible or anything.
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SeabassDebeste posted...

morty's unhappy pouty mouth is the most disgusting thing, i hate seeing it

snap snap snap snap snap
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I watched the first three episodes last night and they were... ok. Nothing really got on my nerves (so it's better than Family Guy), but very little actually made me laugh. I'll stick it through to the Rick Potion #9 episode, which seems to be the first one people rave about. If I'm not feeling it at that point, I'll probably stop watching.
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I was similarly unimpressed even by the third episode so still on the right track!
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The true Rick and Morty starts here!
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Episode 4 is one of my favorites.
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omg that episode 4 twist

Best moment of the series so far, by far!
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Yup. Episode 4 is the start of a good mid-season streak of episodes that sold me on the show.
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someone showed me some episodes from season 2 first, then I went back and rewatched season 1 and the series from the beginning. I haven't thought about it actively but looking at the episode list it does seem like the first 3 eps are some of the lower quality ones.
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hype levelz building
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My hype levels are built
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Rick Potion #9 was great. Loved that ending.
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Episode 4 beated! The A-plot was good here, as Rick navigated his way through a very elaborate 'Igerian' scam. A simulation inside a simulation inside a simulation!

The turns are a little telegraphed after the first one - Morty's excitement in the opening minutes of the episode are already a tell that he might not be 'quite right' - but the characters' reactions really sell things. David Cross of Arrested Development fame, in particular, is amazing at gloating. Also, I had a slight moment of ambiguity, because Rick starts chillin' out with some slang that sounds very un-Rick-ian. Briefly thought he might have been the simulation.

As an aside: This is probably a bit of an obvious point to anyone who paid any attention to high school chemistry, but I thought it was neat that I could predict what happened when the cesium went into the water ('That doesn't sound right...') Nice little way the show made me feel kinda smart.

The gags this episode (and in the series thus far) have some huge hits and some parts that feel hollow to me. My favorite parts this episode are easily everything involving the Igerian scammers. The entire alien operation is a massive satire not on Nigerian Prince scamming, but on your basic workplace. It comes with office politics and a familiar, marriage-like bickering between employees and finger-pointing between departments. This glimpse is extremely short-lived but rewarding.

Representing the extreme juvenile humor side of it is David Cross's character, the leader of the bunch. It's classically lowbrow humor with his secretary giving just a little too much information, a little too publicly, about the doctor's appointment for 'discolored butthole-flaps.' Later, when gloating over his second 'reversal,' the alien finds it necessary to inform Rick that the discolored butthole-flaps were also part of the act - though he re-informs his assistant that no, don't actually cancel that appointment... in fact, try to move it up a bit. There seems to be zero effort put into this joke, but it probably got my hardest laugh of the episode!

On the other hand, the satire on life, as seen through Morty's dad, veers repeatedly into 'too bleak' territory for me. It's nominally funny as a sight gag that Dad (whose name eludes me) can just cruise through life on autopilot, not noticing what goes on around him. It's pretty well trodden territory that suburban married life is robotic and repetitive. And it takes just a minute to find out that all he really wants is to be validated, not to be challenged. It's a mean but slightly funny joke that winds up spanning the whole episode, and... it's not fun, and it's not that funny. Comes off as cruel without being hilarious or poignant.
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i'm not sure that's the whole point of the jerry b-story, to be honst. i don't think it's a commentary or satire on life -- i think it's more an illustration of the sad sap trope and how jerry is the biggest one of them all. he can't handle being told yes and when it finally happens to him, he self destructs
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My man!
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jerry doesn't self-destruct, though. he's on the verge of it when he confronts his boss, but then his boss keeps saying yes and jerry wins the award... and he deems it the happiest moment of his life. (he also deems the virtual sex with his unresponsive, fully clothed virtual wife as the best he's ever had.) i think the idea that people don't really pay attention to how others respond, and that they really just want to be validated, is definitely one of the themes of this plot.

also i think that jerry's being a sad sack is pretty much his only characteristic at the moment, but he also represents 'normal' at the moment. nothing he's done so far distinguishes him from any other 'dad' archetype. i assume he'll come into his own and develop unique traits, but for now he seems to represent the hellish life of an emasculated, bumbling, professionally mediocre husband.
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yeah i disagree with most of that. they also use the phrase "self-destruct" a lot in the commentary for the episode
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SeabassDebeste posted...

veers repeatedly into 'too bleak' territory for me

uhh I guess stop now before it's too late
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rick and morty is not a happy show, yeah

it's a candy coated self-loathing depression bomb
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"Everybody... Now come watch TV"
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I don't know if I agree with the show being depressing.

The whole show feels to me like an exercise in finding meaning in a universe where, logically, nothing matters. If you believe Rick saying you're an idiot for thinking anything is important, then why keep on living? The show's worked towards answering that question many times in some pretty uplifting ways, the "come watch TV" line and the scene that follows being one of the best examples.
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FFDragon posted...

it's a candy coated self-loathing depression bomb

Not sure if I agree with this describing Rick and Morty (need to watch past the first season), but this is an excellent description just as a stand-alone phrase.
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It's depressing to the extent that sincere introspection is depressing. I find it motivating personally.
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it's definitely an accurate description of rick and morty.

and like those of us who are self-loathing depression bombs, rick and morty has moments of poignancy, beauty and optimism to cut through the darkness. both its creators are manic depressives who both have a lot to be thankful for in the real world and they write in a way that really leans on that
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Don't get me wrong, I love the show because of it not in spite of it.

Dan Harmon is a highly self-aware depressed alcoholic and that's why so much of the show feels so real emotionally despite all the very not so real plot points all around it.

And in an effort to not spoil anything for anyone who hasn't seen it yet I will just offer in counterargument: Do you feel it?
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If Rick Potion #9 is the episode I think it is, I feel like it is probably one of the most important episodes of season 1.
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Rick potion #9 is the most important episode of the show, period.

I never saw Rick and Morty as depressing. I've seen way worse! I do think the uplifting aspects of it can be severely undercut by Rick's extreme sociopathy. I think the worst example was when he smashed an entire universe just to annoy someone. That's not funny or interesting or something I wanted to see in the show at all. The ending of S3E1 was really bad too.
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Also Jerry was right
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KamikazePotato posted...

Rick potion #9 is the most important episode of the show, period.

I never saw Rick and Morty as depressing. I've seen way worse! I do think the uplifting aspects of it can be severely undercut by Rick's extreme sociopathy. I think the worst example was when he smashed an entire universe just to annoy someone. That's not funny or interesting or something I wanted to see in the show at all. The ending of S3E1 was really bad too.

Actually, I think smashing the universe was to make sure his plot to make his car battery work at the end of the episode pan out, to make what would happen if it didn't clear.

Which doesn't particularly make it better, since he smashed a universe and threatened another to make sure his car battery worked.
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KamikazePotato posted...

Rick potion #9 is the most important episode of the show, period.

I wasn't sure I wanted to go that far but it is hard to argue against that stance.
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KamikazePotato posted...

Rick potion #9 is the most important episode of the show, period.

I never saw Rick and Morty as depressing. I've seen way worse! I do think the uplifting aspects of it can be severely undercut by Rick's extreme sociopathy. I think the worst example was when he smashed an entire universe just to annoy someone. That's not funny or interesting or something I wanted to see in the show at all. The ending of S3E1 was really bad too.

There was a period of time during Community S4 when Dan Harmon was at his lowest point and saying in interviews how all TV is meaningless junk food and none of it is intrinsically "better" than the rest. So you have Rick and Morty, which does have this generally depressed-yet-empowering outlook and contains some pretty emotional scenes, but there are definitely times like the moments you mentioned where those other thoughts come across more strongly.

S3E1 in particular is the biggest example to me, but obviously we lack context and the rest of the season. Still, my interpretation was a "fuck you for caring" moment to the audience.
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real talk though it has me the most excited for mcnuggets since I was like 9
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it's also really hard to argue with the mcnuggets hype
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I'm not really a fan of that mentality. I mean, sure, he can think that TV is junk food. Putting it in his show doesn't exactly make me want to watch it though. S3E1 ending made me seriously consider whether or not I wanted to continue with the series.

McNuggets hype is real though.
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It's definitely a red herring. He doesn't even eat the sauce in the dream. The funniest thing about it is that it could legit cause McDonald's to do something.
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foolm0r0n posted...

It's definitely a red herring. He doesn't even eat the sauce in the dream. The funniest thing about it is that it could legit cause McDonald's to do something.

You're probably right, but if he could just eat the sauce in the dream, there's no way on god damn earth he wouldn't have already done so. Which, yes, could lead to what you're talking about, but it could just be that his memory of it doesn't taste right or something.

But it's way more important for McDonald's to do something, because it's amazing.
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SupremeZero posted...

but it could just be that his memory of it doesn't taste right or something

tasted fine for the interrogator guy
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foolm0r0n posted...

SupremeZero posted...

but it could just be that his memory of it doesn't taste right or something

tasted fine for the interrogator guy

He's a bureaucrat, he's just a robot.

Besides, Interrogator never tasted the original, he wouldn't know it doesn't taste right.
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foolm0r0n posted...

The funniest thing about it is that it could legit cause McDonald's to do something.

McDonald's has an image to maintain. If they do bring back the szechuan sauce then it'll be under the pretext of the live Mulan movie and not when it's clearly in response to Rick and Morty.

I wasn't bothered by the end of S3E1 at all. It was a callback to the end of the first episode, and reminded the audience that no matter how depressing or serious the show can get, it's still extremely silly.
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isn't there literally another R&M topic on the board for people who have seen the whole series god

anyway, just finished 1x05. this is the episode to which i said i'd watch after the sympathy for 1x01 sucking ass.

and it was by far the best one yet, hilarious and heartfelt without forgetting the cruelty of its characters. this is the first time that rick has demonstrated an interest not just in morty's company, but also his feelings and well-being. the moment after morty is sexually assaulted - funny because it's horrifying and feels real - is critical, and morty's handling of it is perfect. this moment alone puts the episode at the very apex.

the details of the A-plot are generally funny stuff in the manner that this show has basically taught us to expect. the giant in jack and the beanstalk immediately dies of his own accord, but he's got a wife and kid (much as the insect guards in 1x01 had kids, scary terry in 1x02 had a loving family and a bullied childhood, and the like). there's the threat of prison, but more importantly, a sleazy lawyer who uses technicalities to get them off instead of their actual innocence of crime. and of course, the biggest erstwhile obstacle is: stairs.

the B-plot introduces a little bit of pathos into the jerry situation, which is good. but more fun is just watching the deterioration of the helping genies as they face existential crises and turn to terrorism to accomplish their goals when they're unable to make jerry better. (the 'processes' that improve summer and mom are... well, completely shallow and glossed over. intentionally.) it's nice to learn a little about mom, too - she got pregnant at 17 and that's how jerry landed someone so far out of his league. still lukewarm on 'em, but better.

also, i'm adjusting a little to the art, at least - rick now reminds me of bender, which can only be a positive for my perception of the show going forward!
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I'M MR. MEESEEKS LOOK AT ME!!!

caps
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The Meeseeks argument is one of my favorite scenes in the show.

YOUR FAILURES ARE YOUR OWN OLD MAN!
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I never ended up liking Rick and Morty's art, but I got used to it.

S1E5 is one of everyone's favorites. Hi, I'm a bit of a stickler Meeseeks, what about your short game?
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is he keeping his shoulders squared?


OOO HEEEEEEEEEEEEE'S TRYIN'
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The woman in the kitchen saying "What the fuck is going on" is one of the top 5-10 biggest laughs in the series I think.
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Yeah, that was amazing, probably the single funniest line of the episode.

Since I haven't been doing full writeups, I've been restraining myself from doing full notes. This episode, I have four lines:

1. beth jerry summer
(which I clearly ignored because I didn't know Beth's name)

2. a distressed rick looks more like bender!

3. 'ooohhh!' / 'ohhhh!' / 'WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?'

4. 'everybody laughs ending'
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Murphiroth posted...

The Meeseeks argument is one of my favorite scenes in the show.

YOUR FAILURES ARE YOUR OWN OLD MAN!

One of my favorite lines from the show. XD
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I'm Mr. Meeseeks look at me!