Rick and Morty: Too Meta For Its Own Good

[@LSMark]

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[@Krowbatt]

Ok

[@lain_experiments_serial]

LS cark

[@thetoastermessiah]

cool

[@milktea6676]

My life was meaningless until manscape

[@holty1314]

Rank all South Park/ Rick and Morty episodes?

[@millennialchicken]

I feel Rick and Morty is a victim of it's own success. The first two series are tight and well balanced, but now with it being such a part of culture, they're trying to create the next big meme/thing/cultural movement.

[@maximumforce8275]

And it's really not working or atleast from what I can tell. Unless they are trying to set an example of what not to do when it comes to this situation.

[@PeiceofNick]

Happens to a lot of TV shows all the time sadly.

[@imagery5425]

Like SpongeBob.

[@a-cxnt]

fourth wall breaks are funny because they're unexpected and clever, but constantly doing it takes away from the joke, it becomes expected and no longer interesting.

[@nman551]

Yep

[@maximumforce8275]

Well apparently that's what they wanna do. They wanna make a show like spongebob, different every episode no continuity whatsoever whilst making a 4th wall breaking joke every 5 seconds.

[@maximumforce8275]

I mean I'm not defending either side here but they aren't making it easy to stay neutral about this.

[@nman551]

@@maximumforce8275 true true

[@trevevern6788]

The only time constantly breaking the fourth wall has been funny was Conker's Bad Fur Day, but that's because Rareware can make even a singing shit funny, and added more jokes than just fourth wall breaks.

[@MetalDeeds]

Imagine someone walks up to you and tells you a story and then walks away halfway through it and then gets pissed off when you follow them and ask for the rest of the story.

[@untitled3426]

That's a really good parallel.

[@yummystar1102]

Lmao

[@justcallmekai1554]

"And then I stole it and the cops were after me!" "And then what happened Jamal? It sounds intres-" "Jesus Christ shut up Jerry. Who the hell caresss?"

[@man-spider389]

"Dude wanna hear this crazy story?" "Sure" *20 minutes of storytelling later* "After that, I punched him in the nose and ran for it AND THEN....okay goodbye." "But what happened next? Can't you tell me mo-" "Nobody cares dude, nobody cares. Now be quiet and leave me alone."

[@jokerhere4504]

Rick and morty

[@geardog24]

"It's Rick and Morty bro. Do you really expect it to take itself seriously?" I am so sick of half-assed fans using this as a cheap defense. Criticism isn't always an insult, it's a different point of view.

[@icecreamhero2375]

No matter how stupid the situation gets the characters should take it very seriously. The Simpsons movie is very stupid but the characters take it seriously. Homer didn't break the fourth wall and say. Because I'm the protagonist I had a change of heart.

[@maximumforce8275]

@@icecreamhero2375 I honestly wanna see a meta show making fun of these types of shows now. It's gotten to that point. There are just too many garbage shows that had so much potential that got ruined by whiny writers. Heck any of yall wanna team up to make it? I already have tons of ideas for it. I even already got a name. "Wacky crazy awsome adventures of science man and boy extreme."

[@weregretohio7728]

Apparently the writers do given the "heartfelt" moments they insert. Lack of seriousness doesn't really justify anything.

[@majinshadow0516]

​@geardog24@@weregretohio7728 Honestly, if it wasn't supposed to take itself seriously, then don't give it plot undertones. Make it a adventure of the week type of thing like Scobby Do, Spongebob, Fairy Odd Parents, or whatever shows you can name that has a loosely connected canon. The issue isn't that its not taking itself seriously, the issue is that its not taking itself seriously while trying to have an actual plot.

[@licansen3331]

@@majinshadow0516 yeah youve got it you have solves the question the answer the whole time was simply the show is just not taking itself seriously and that is 1 million percent true if u actually take a look at these past seasons literally 99.9 percent are fucking fillers its not important to the actual story

[@YelloWool]

Can't wait for the next 99 videos about Rick and Morty.

[@jacklewis2491]

@@Nvmmmmmm1102farded

[@light9205]

Yellowool you're here!

[@Boomdude67]

Hello Yello

[@nathanlillford7865]

Don't forget the movie!

[@bruhboi7935]

We got 50 more episodes

[@dumbsville]

Great video, Mark, but it was a really weird decision to make a 16-minute video where you sing Soulja Boy's "Rick and Morty" in front of Woodrow Wilson's grave the whole time.

[@spds488]

hloly shit it's dunbsvill

[@Preciousprophet]

So true dumbsville daddy.

[@milktea6676]

Bruh I don’t know who to ship u with fuchsiabutter or mark!!!

[@SaturnSZN]

Pog dumbsville

[@EGGWISHING]

good thing that you nvm bye

[@Dovendraw]

I always disliked that the show implies that Rick knows he's in a cartoon, which as mentioned in the video cuts down a lot of the serious moments because they make them less impactful. Like the show wants to be able to explore deep stories, but is unable or doesn't want to for fear of it getting made fun of for trying.

[@willtvxd]

Sometimes rick knowing he in a Cartoon CAN be funny imo but sometimes the show interrupts something serious with meta is bad IMO

[@Nvmmmmmm1102]

i hope that it doesn't go down the same way like family guy and the whole cutaway thing

[@noway6133]

It's honestly set in stone at this point. The show has reached the point where if they put a shit ton of effort into making a "serious" episode most people would be waiting for the punchline

[@CubeAtlantic]

xD all he is doing broski is literally pointing-out the obvious statements.

[@milktea6676]

Indeed

[@leostreet8046]

Rick is not smart in a way that you could realistically be if you studied, did research and could get knowledge from another dimensions. He's smart as someone who has read the script, and that gets old and unrelatable really quick.

[@VioletSkipperX194]

he technically is old

[@willmilson4978]

rick was never and is not meant to be the relatable one in any way. its morty who the audience are meant to relate to the most. so that unrelatable point doesn’t mean much but i do agree that it gets old and quite irritating (especially in this finale) when he just basically spoils the entire episode through his shitty comments

[@headlesshunter8435]

@@willmilson4978 yes! Morty is the straight man. The one that the audience is supposed to see the world through.

[@VioletSkipperX194]

@@willmilson4978 youre iq is too high to enjoy rick and morty

[@FTZPLTC]

@@VioletSkipperX194 - Rick's IQ is too high to enjoy Rick & Morty. That's why he keeps trying to kill himself.

[@SonicTheCutehog]

I can agree. The show makes it really obvious that they just want to make it episodic, but have to follow canon since that's what made the show popular.

[@_G.C]

The way they go about their "canon" isn't very solid tho. I mean they had to actually directly reference the season and episode numbers for the finale, with a distasteful Stan Lee mockup to finish it off. "Don't let the community discover the callback, let's pull an emperor's new groove and shove it in their flabby faces."

[@subifyouhatetiktokandreddit234]

"Canon is what made it popular" Wha??? Pickle Rick isn't some major lore filled episode

[@zs4580]

@@_G.C The hell was distasteful about it? Nobody was making fun of Stan Lee, if anything it was reverence.

[@_G.C]

@@zs4580 The guy just passed away a year or two ago, give him some time to actually rest in piece before you put him in as a reference marker.

[@ddsjgvk]

@@subifyouhatetiktokandreddit234 it was always evil morty

[@metalgearzwei]

“we plan to use Space Beth more” *she doesn’t appear fucking ever except for Mortyplicity*

[@duskrem_]

and even then it was for a meta joke about how she wasn't shown until the very end after a meaningless episode that went nowhere

[@nas0518]

Yeah, another reason why I hated Season 5 of Rick and Morty is the lack of Space Beth. Space Beth is a very interesting and important character. I can't believe the Dan Harmon and the writers just wrote her out completely.🤦🏾‍♂

[@chickenstripz1961]

The show has a pattern, Rick and Morty (for the most part) switch the main plotline each season. S1, S3, S5 being Evil Morty and S2, S4, being Galactic Federation, since Space Beth appeared at the end of S4 she'll most likely be back for S6.

[@mackielunkey2205]

@@duskrem_ It feels so… condescending for them to do that, because we like Space Beth. I get it, writers shouldn’t be bound by the whims of their fans. But there are better ways of adressing that than saying “hur dur let’s not overdo it wink wink”.

[@BugsyFoga]

I honestly wasn’t bothered by that .

[@Goose_BooseYT]

I actually mentioned this in a different video how the original writers very clearly hate doing canon storylines, and that it was a very smart decision to bring new and young writers for season 5, and clearly they were the ones behind the S5 Finale. Then in droves Rick and Morty fans came in and defended the Harmon boys saying stuff like "You don't get it, bro. The Writers CLEARLY LOVE the canon, they put their HEART AND SOUL into EVERY MINUTE DETAIL! It's the NEW WRITERS FAULT for how SHIT the show is now! We need the old writers BACK!" and it's like??? I've never felt any sort of love for the canon of the series whatsoever. The only passion I've seen of the canon is the scathing criticism against the audience for wanting it in the first place, treating it as if it were dumb and you're dumb for liking it.

[@milktea6676]

Indeed

[@Goose_BooseYT]

wassup checkmark

[@dantemitsoyu977]

what's the title of the video

[@toastedsquare]

the goose

[@LSMark]

Yeah it's the sorta thing where if we still had the old writers now it would most likely be nothing but episodic adventures, I think there's probably just a couple people still working on the show from back then who really don't like doing canon stuff while the new writers are trying to explore new stuff to do, so we end up getting canon adventures as characters talk about how much they hate it

[@Middleman0000]

Remember that moment in season 2 when Rick is falling in space, solemnly accepting death? That moment to was me was a really Important bit to his character. No meta humour, just showing a cynical characters heart. It was nice

[@EnanoPancracio]

Remember how he walks that back literally 2 seconds later?

[@andrewacacia9851]

@@EnanoPancracio I mean, at least nobody can say he was acting out of charecter, that's exactly what you expect Rick to do.

[@Middleman0000]

@@EnanoPancracio I know that, and it's a funny moment. However, if he hadn't seen that collar he would have

[@jaiden3473]

@@EnanoPancracio not really. When he thinks that there’s no hope he accepts his decision to save Morty and not him, but when he sees he might be able to save himself he desperately does anything he can to save himself. Not once does he regret saving morty.

[@TitanForcemax]

@@jaiden3473 right? I think that's a believeable moment

[@Johnny2Cellos]

To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to invite Johnny 2 Cellos to guest on your video

[@subifyouhatetiktokandreddit234]

Nah, You suck. LS mark is based

[@milktea6676]

Lol

[@heftyjongle2958]

I wonder if this is biased commentary lol jk Johnny you rock I’d have to agree. Dan shows that he clearly understands storytelling in case you haven’t seen Community, he knows how to write humor and drama and properly do arcs. It was a good season too but the amount of humor made the finale feel almost rushed. The amount of rapid fire comments and canon while understandable coming from Harmon it really robs any emotion from the episode which is disappointing considering the balance that was nailed in episode 3 or 9 of this season

[@nightmonkey6457]

Jonny happy seeing you getting attention

[@toastedsquare]

large brain

[@ashtmslf2315]

Rick and morty has gone from a show for adults that attracted a teenage audience to a show for teenagers that is sometimes watched by adults

[@EnanoPancracio]

The shorts Rick and Morty were based on had Marty licking Dhoc's balls. It been juvenile humor since before it fully existed

[@JackOfen]

@@EnanoPancracio Not the juvenile humor, but the pretentiousness of the story.

[@EnanoPancracio]

@@JackOfen when do you believe it got pretentious?

[@JackOfen]

@@EnanoPancracio Around Season 3. When it started to constantly make meta humor about itself.

[@EnanoPancracio]

@@JackOfen how constantly is constantly? Because the end of the pilot if one big meta rant, and a lot of the references they make during the season are directly called out by name

[@the_viriathus5719]

Rick & Morty has always been a show for people who think they're way smarter than they actually are. For one I'm glad the new team of writers is shattering the myth of "Rick's just so smart you cannot possibly hold him accountable for his behavior" by specifically stating that he's actually a big fish in a small pond of his own making. All while sticking it to the fanbase for being pretentious children who don't even know what they want out of the show. Someone has pointed out before that this is basically Big Bang Theory for zoomers and I think that's pretty accurate.

[@cameroncaws5959]

@@chowderscrib Most characters haven't, but you can't pretend that Morty is still the same. The initial dynamic of bitter psycho and innocent kid trying to do right worked well. Now Morty is just this jaded cynic who is perfectly happy to go with Rick committing genocide every other week.

[@man-spider389]

Meta humor IMO should be done as a quick joke that nobody expects, like a rare probability that occurs once. Don't turn it into a running gag or a method to insult the fanbase even if they're toxic or they give criticism.

[@maximumforce8275]

Its 2021. People cant take actual criticism anymore. I wonder how they'd react if someone told most of what's the people in this comment section are saying to them. They'd probably make an entire season crying about it too.

[@dx.feelgood5825]

Only thing I've seen it work repeatedly with is deadpool. Primarily because deadpool HIMSELF knows there's a time and place and his serious moments are very very powerful. I'll never forget that comic strip where he talks a girl out of suicide. He sits her down, takes her away from there, and distracts her before eventually giving this speech about life. And it's because he's been there. He's tried to kill himself so many times, and at that point, he understands that it's fruitless for ANYONE to throw away their life, even if they're not a mutant that can't really die like him. When he wants to be, he's incredibly wise and profound.

[@linksoni213]

i think it could be sumarised as: Rick used to be a crazy irresponsable old man who could always make us laugh with his crazy deliveries and weird inventions and escenarios Now he is just an angry writer

[@plvto1]

why doesn't THIS comment have more likes it's actually funny

[@Hybattt]

When ever Rick says how stupid this lore is I get annoyed, sorry writers that I like your story and how you tell it

[@icecreamhero2375]

That is not how you do meta humor. Meta humor should be a throwaway joke here and there.

[@luigiwiiUU]

you like rick and morty lore? cring

[@jakerockznoodles]

@@icecreamhero2375 One of my favourite examples of this from the Simpsons was where a the producer of Itchy & Scratchy was talking about how they often repeat frames to save money as they walk down a long corridor passing the same cleaner and set of doors several times. Like you describe, it's a nice throwaway visual gag that breaks the fourth wall with a cheeky wink.

[@mredbadger]

@@jakerockznoodles yea that’s cool cause it’s just a quick jab at the animators, not the main character looking directly at the audience and saying “lol you actually care about this shit? Pretty cringe bro”

[@zs4580]

@@luigiwiiUU Belittling others for enjoying a show's backstory? "cring"

[@RetroHoodie25]

That rap isn't god awful, it's scientificly rythimic and intelegent

[@Wolfie42069-]

The fact you misspelled intelligent makes this comment 5x better, not even sure if you’re being ironic or not, I assume it’s ironic tho

[@curlyhairboiakabaddude8922]

@@Wolfie42069- what if that’s his opinion?

[@RetroHoodie25]

@@Wolfie42069- i was being ironic lmao😂 But I do like the song tho

[@Visceralx1]

@@Wolfie42069- i think that was the joke

[@regulati3929]

*lets get swuity”

[@mredbadger]

The writers set up loads of interesting plot threads early on, then got angry that the audience got invested and wanted to see where it was going. So when they actually resolve stuff it’s always like “ok fucking fine here you go” What a weird way to react to audiences loving your stories and characters

[@maazzzable]

If you think that you are stupid. It's Sarcasm never heard of that??

[@justforrow]

Rick & Morty I think is also the only show that does this. So, their unique, just not in a good way.

[@andresamaya6187]

I think this is a consequence of not planning stuff in advance and the writers accidentally putting themselves into a place they didn't wanted to be in the first place, leaving them in a no win scenario, a fallback to episodic stuff would be met with anger and keeping a lore is something they aren't comfortable doing

[@WillowVee]

Honestly as cool as the finale was, it was one of the first times a lore payoff actually bothered me. As soon as Rick made the “he better not turn evil” comment I just got a really weird gross feeling, like as if the writers didn’t want the audience to enjoy the episode?

[@shady8045]

there was enough good things in it that kinda tricked my brain into not thinking it was a souless wrap up. But being honest it was a souless wrap up. They never wanted to show evil morty on screen again and they are orgasming about the fact that they never have to. Thats the hard truth. I wish there was another series that with what they COULD have done with that but I doubt there is, it was such a unique concept, oh well.

[@TellTellStories]

@@shady8045 To be fair the fanbase made the evil Morty concept cringe when they started speculating our morty was evil morty or saying morty is rick and vice versa. People became so obsessed with who is evil morty that they didn't allow the show to breathe. But I agree that the wrap up, although nice, was rushed a little.

[@tdc3477]

@@TellTellStories well, thats what happens when you have lore, people theorize about it. If they didn't want them to theorize about the only lore, they should have not added it.

[@TellTellStories]

@@tdc3477 I agree but R&M fandom is a different breed when it came to this. Honestly tho, I think if the show had it's green light for new episodes back in 2017 (closer to the events of season 3) the show runners wouldn't have been so hesitant/disconnected with telling the story. I believe their passion was gone after having to wait years to continue the story.

[@gabsnandes7818]

@@TellTellStories a few og writers are gone and clearly both roiland and harmon are zoned out of the show, see how passionate harmon is when discussing the show in previous seasons from now, is night and day

[@maismade6013]

The original writers probably wanted a canon around season 1 and 2 then realised they hated making it so the new writers (Who have done a great job with what they were given) are probably more in control of the canon while the original writers make the more wacky/ dumb non canon adventure episodes with no real impact. I don’t think they are completely separate I just think it’s easy to see that the original writers express through Rick how they think the want for a canon and the canon itself is extremely dumb, especially in the finale.

[@infinitedreamer9359]

The problem is that the writers often use Rick as blatant mouthpiece for their dislike of canon and it completely undercuts the impact and tension any serious scene should have.If they're going to keep doing this,I'd much rather they'd stop trying to do serious/canon/lore stuff altogether then this non-committal unfunny referential stuff dressing up as something else. They can only beat us over the head with the 'we dislike canon/lore shit' message so many times before it gets old.

[@devilcwesker5980]

It's actually backwards the wacky episodes are made by the new writers and not the few og writers left

[@maximumforce8275]

@@infinitedreamer9359 it hasn't already gotten old? This is why I could never get into shows like this. Or most "adult" shows nowadays. It's nothing but complaining and whining from the team that works on it and them using the show to spew out their opinions whilst having an army of fans to back em up.

[@stanstanstan2597]

Mark, you were wrong. This was like an hour and ten minutes after the community post. Unsubscribing.

[@CoolManCoolMan123]

Yeah, I was also waiting for it.

[@stanstanstan2597]

Hell yeah, I got a heart. This means nothing in the real world, but it’s still cool.

[@CoolManCoolMan123]

@@stanstanstan2597 sad

[@bogiewoods3037]

@@stanstanstan2597 society

[@Terminal_Apotos]

@@bogiewoods3037 SUSciety

[@DantesGrill]

Rick and Morty reminds me a lot of the "anti-art" movement that's going on. People who hate modern art so they put a toilet in a museum because "art is literally shit" and then everyone comes in and praises it for how punk rock it is. Rick and Morty literally goes "you want this dumb shit right? Here you go!" and people get excited because it's so cool and smart. I don't even want to watch Rick and Morty anymore because it just feels like I'm watching Dan Harmon or whatever call me an idiot for 20 minutes.

[@Waveburd]

That’s post modernism for ya. You can’t say you failed if you never tried in the first place. It’s dumb and subversive

[@shady8045]

yeah exactly. whats comforting though is that it is probably pretty easy for them to stop doing that, you just dont do it. Its not like anyone or anything is forcing them too, its just that no one is telling them no. Hopefully people start to.

[@charliep7112]

Let's be real, it's basically Reddit humor. I rather listen to Amy Schumer joke about her cat than see another goddamn reaction image. The KZbin comment section used to be great, but than these unfunny bandkids found KZbin and ruined the KZbin comment section, now they tend to be filled with Redditors using damn formats. You of course can find some KZbin comments made by intelligent people who don't use that godforsaken site Reddit, but now they are harder to find because of these desperate soy Redditors. THEY CAN TAKE THAT GODDAMN BIG CHUNGUS, AND SHOVE IT UP THEIR WHOLESOME 100 69 WHOLE!

[@bernebelmont1857]

That's not exactly a new thing, it's been around since ww2 or so but yeah accurate The shows annoying

[@windowcreeperbird9669]

@@charliep7112 wasn't big chungus originally a KZbin meme?

[@bogiewoods3037]

Seems like LS Mitch doesn't understand Brick and Mortar😔

[@3layerdipstack726]

@@VioletSkipperX194 bender! Can you say the n word???

[@dejus_e]

@@3layerdipstack726 The n word

[@TheDanTheManShow]

This is why I’m really starting to like Solar Opposites more, because it actually takes its serious storyline…seriously, and it doesn’t take 2 seasons to continue the story

[@shakurburton9358]

I only really watch Solar Opposites for The Wall segments, if that's what you mean. Because otherwise, Solar Opposites is a worse comedy joint than Rick & Morty has already become, honestly.

[@nas0518]

The writing in Solar Opposites is rather more clever than the recent cringworthy writing in Rick and Morty. Hell, I could easily say that Solor Opposites is better and more watchable than R&M. Oh and did I say how much I adore Solar Opposites?😎

[@mikenike4215]

That was a smart move in Solar…they could have their cake and eat it. They do the episodic gag while they mostly separate it from its canon line. Absolutely brilliant

[@cosmicspacething3474]

@@mikenike4215 Rick and Morty could totally do that too because there’s alternate versions of them.

[@Slendermangaming666]

YOU COULD SAY THAT IT'S A SOLAR OPPOSITE TO RICK AND MORTY

[@ImTheGherkin]

the whole meta humor thing just makes me feel bad for enjoying the show, the lore based episodes are definitely my favorites because i really love the characters and their development i actually am an animator myself, and i had to deal with a similar situation and it makes me feel *horrible* because i know how sucky it is when the stuff you dislike making is more successful

[@maximumforce8275]

Ah. The constant struggle of having diffrent likes, beliefs and opinions. Listen, I know it can really suck but it's something everyone has to deal with. You can't get angry just because people dont like the stuff you like to make and have more fun watching the stuck didnt like to make that much. It's just crappy and very hypocritical. Please I beg you. Take R&M as a show teaching you what NOT to do when it come to this. What instead you should do is make what you want to make. Understand that there maybe not be as many people that enjoy it. Because it would be like getting mad at people who like choclate icecream over vanilla.

[@knowonose]

I can see where you're coming from, a lot of bands hate playing their most popular song. Sometimes what you deem stupid or sucky is what actually sticks to the masses because of how simple it is. When in reality you'd like to show a different side of your art. I say keep continuing on with what you have that's successful and once that catches fire they'll have to pay attention to your new projects if they were fans of your last.

[@monketron]

I was just irritated that they made the "dead wife" backstory become real just to make fans shut up about it.

[@Tacoyme11]

It was never said that the entire backstory was fake tho

[@monketron]

@@Tacoyme11 They were still in the Shoney's. They never left the Shoney's.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

Yeah most of that episode did feel like the equivalent of okay everybody shut up about this now. Backstory, the citadel, evil Morty pretty much everything just felt like giving fans what they wanted so they would shut up for the most part. Considering what a mixed bag the fifth season was I was more than willing to take a compromised season finale that was constantly undermined by the writers trying to make it less serious.

[@curlyhairboiakabaddude8922]

Do ya blame them?

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

@@curlyhairboiakabaddude8922 Yes, yes I do.

[@Krystalmyth]

Meta humor is where comedy goes to die.

[@sparkshock7940]

Yeah, it’s REALLY fucking annoying. I would rather the writers have just done it as an episodic show from the start if they’re gonna act like they hate the continuity that they themselves wrote and built up.

[@justcallmekai1554]

Yeah I agree. You can only get mad at yourself for making it in a way where continuity is a thing. Like lets say I write a story with continuity and ppl are criticizing it. Then randomly I wanna backtrack and say "it doesnt matter" or "it's a show about *insert oversimplified and obvious character traits here*". No because it clearly mattered to me (because i wrote it) and the audience. If you never liked it, dont do it to begin with. Finish what you started with no salt involved.

[@tev5040]

Dude that joke after that huge backstory scene seriously pissed me off

[@charliep7112]

Rick and Morty is a huge Reddit Moment.

[@user-zk9zg4qi3l]

It honestly ruined it for me. Like I was getting all excited to see how the characters would react to this, but nope. Just an unfunny joke by the salty writers :/

[@TheAmazingSpiderPunk]

I genuinely forgot that Rick and Two Crows and the whole citadel thing were part of the same episode until you made this video since they felt so completely disjointed from one another.

[@rejectclone4504]

Hot Take: I GENUINELY really liked season 5, and the only ‘bad’ episode the season had was definitely the CHUD/incest baby episode 🤷‍♀️ I definitely enjoyed season 5 way more than 4, as 4 had more ‘meh’ episodes like the story train one

[@SpaceOcelot4548]

I agree.

[@aruce9]

Definitely

[@Mirrorcomics24]

The story train is when the season picked up in my opinion

[@argo9721]

The least "Hot take" I have ever heard

[@vgngolley341]

I agree

[@frogmouth2]

It legitimately feels more like the writers are trying to outsmart the fans then make an entertaining series or something enjoyable. Like the main writer of Rick at morty worked on this Vr game and he kept talking about a secret zoo level and when fans actually tried to find the level, he left an edited voice clip in their discord of him laughing. I don’t know what it’s like being a Rick and morty fan but I wouldn’t go to such lengths just to disrespect the people who like my games and shows so much even if they were as toxic as they were around season 3.

[@sarinabina5487]

reminds me of when hbomberguy in his "Sherlock is Garbage and Here's Why" video talked about the writers getting the fans hopes up abt smth only 2 go "haha sike! you're so stupid for actually getting excited and thinking something cool was gonna happen"

[@Flyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy]

@@sarinabina5487 Bro yes I love that video

[@sarinabina5487]

@@Flyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy its such an amazing video!!

[@Flyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy]

@@sarinabina5487 Agreed!

[@luigiwiiUU]

you gotta admit thats pretty fuckin hilariois

[@Thatonegirl989]

Im feeling kind of conflicted this season. I think the show is being more influenced by Dan Harmon and his meta and kind of salty writing. Im hoping now that they’ve finished the canon he can ease up on the meta stuff. I miss Justin Roiland’s goofiness but at least we have solar opposites for that.

[@nagger8216]

Yeah, his style of writing gets old real quick. Even Jeff in Community acts just like Rick and is basically a prototype of him, I can't help but roll my eyes every single time that character even opens his mouth at this point

[@dgafgiraffe5847]

They really did balance each other out with the help of some really talented writers back in the first two seasons. Good for Justin for working on other projects but his sense of humor and writing is so unique it's hard not to be able to tell when his voice is hardly present or not in the room

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

@@dgafgiraffe5847 I love how writers and people that worked on the show all crapped all over the incest baby episode and Harmon just thought it was hilarious that he was able to make it at all. I for one will not defend the man but I will say it's very clear he's given quite a lot of freedom both in the writing and what actually makes it onto the show. The fact the show has become so cynical and frankly angry with the fans all of them chose that Roiland has pretty much stepped aside and is busy doing solar opposites and other projects. I mean this season especially it was very clear who was writing and what was getting through. I feel like the fact we got the season finale at all comes down to the fact that they basically came to a compromise they'll do all the backstory and exposition dump but at the same time Rick will just constantly undermine, undercut and crap all over the proceedings.

[@dgafgiraffe5847]

@@JohnDoe-wq5eu to me the season 5 finale was less a finale and more a shit or get off the pot type deal. Like they had to tie up or at least address that plot thread despite almost never building on it

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

@@dgafgiraffe5847 I mean I'll be very honest I stay the hell away from the fandom as much as I can I don't go anywhere near discussions about the show because it gets toxic so damn fast. That said I know and I keep hearing that the fans were pretty pissed because it had been what two and a half nearly three seasons without any real movement with the "main plot " (though it sounds like that was no accident it sounds like the writers preferred episodic in particular Harmon and that they hated having to worry about the lore backstory etc etc) it definitely felt like they found a very divisive way of splitting the difference where they said okay we'll give the fans everything they want but they will constantly crap on an undercut everything by Rick constantly breaking the fourth wall. Everybody technically gets what they want but no one's entirely satisfied. Of course it would have some level of satisfaction because a the story hadn't been touched in like two and a half basically three seasons and the fact most of the fifth season had been so divisive in and of itself. Containing what I constantly keep hearing is some of the quote "worst episodes of the series" the the baby episode made people quote "rage quit the entire series" it makes sense to at least end it on a high note and with one of the best episodes of the series and at the very least one of the better I've seen in the last three seasons.

[@fenrirsrage4609]

Tbh seeing all this talk about canon just makes me miss Venture Bros. The continuity and canon on that series is insane. A few minor characters in early seasons become important down the line, certain throwaway lines are either hints or foreshadowing or something that happened a few seasons ago is referenced a few seasons later and is either important or just a nod to show continuity. It's kinda crazy.

[@matthewgarner7215]

“I’m worried about the future of the show” Name an LS mark quote that aged better, I’ll wait.

[@dogemaster9676]

meta humor: the first time it's funny, second time it's fucking annoying

[@maximumforce8275]

"The billionth Time it gets funny again!" -The writers or whoever is making the meta jokes because apparently no one knows.

[@DAVID-ANDERSON]

The creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon said that season 5 is the the most story arc season yet and we bearly got that and even when it did, the show made fun of that. Its like the creators don't want to go in depth of the story arc in fear of people quiting the show because its hard to keep up the plot. Most people rather just thrown on an random episode and not have to worry about being confused with the plot.

[@EnanoPancracio]

It answered more questions than any season before. Rick's backstory, evil Morty, the origin of the citadel, his friendship with Birdperson, the Central Finite Curve and it completely upends the status quo. Some people expected half the season to be lore for some reason when it's never been more than one or two episodes per season.

[@wd3185]

One thing I've never liked about Rick and Morty are the creators' tendencies to every once in a while introduce something that seems like it's going to change the status quo or be important to the story and then mock/criticize the fanbase for wanting them to expand on it more. Seriously, it's gotten to a point where it pisses me off. Like, if they don't want an overarching storyline, that's fine, but don't put shit in like that and then mock people for getting excited about it or frustrated with them for getting impatient after not addressing it for two or more seasons. That aside, I'm kind of aching for a new adult show that's serialized. I mean, god, how many adult animated shows now are episodic and don't have any sort of overarching story or character development? Family Guy, The Simpsons, American Dad, Rick and Morty. The only recent adult-oriented animated show I can think of is Final Space. (Feel free to let me know about others) South Park is the closest one, since even they occasionally do arcs in their seasons. But how come the only animated shows that feel like they can and want to tell important stories are always the ones oriented mainly at families or kids? How come Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, Regular Show, and Infinity Train are confident enough to introduce new elements and build on their world and make it feel like it matters and it's important, and can take it seriously, but supposedly "uber-intelligent" shows like Rick and Morty aren't?

[@shahiranzaman2259]

I think you’d really like Bojack Horseman. Don’t let the first couple of episodes turn you off. The whole show is an amazing ride that’s worth watching from start to finish

[@Slumpped]

another adult cartoon is F is for Family

[@greenxmango8175]

Futurama is the only one that did this for me.

[@RetroIsaac]

@@shahiranzaman2259 Recently, Inside Job might be what you want. Especially if you like the scifi aspect of Rick and Morty.

[@Zinervawyrm]

Tuca and Bertie is a recent Adult Swim show that balances actual story and goofy comedy. The serious parts explore different types of relationships; toxic vs healthy. The serious parts actually take themselves seriously. Another Adult Swim show that's a bit older, Moral Oral starts out goofy do to it being through the eyes of a young boy, Oral. The show itself is a parody of Davey and Goliath. But things start to take a more serious tone as time goes on and Oral starts to realize the world isn't all sunshine and rainbows.

[@screm1471]

I like the more episodic approach, but I can’t lie the citadel episodes were always the best ones, the ricklantis mixup being the prime example.

[@MishaFlower]

You know why? Because serialized actually carry tension. With episodic you don’t give a shit what happens because they always live at the end

[@infamous635]

I always get upset when Rick says something to show he knows he's Rick from the popular TV show "Rick and Morty", because it's like the show is saying "fuck you for caring about these characters". It really makes it feel like the writers actively resent the audience for not making the show just as popular with only episodic content and forcing them to have a narrative a canonical events. It's like that's their petty revenge, they give you what you want because they acknowledge that's how they're gonna be the most successful, but ruin it by having Rick shout "I'm not real. Stop caring. Idiot." I also think they do this by trying really hard to ruin the concept of Rick and Morty being singular characters. I think this is most apparent in episodes like Never Ricking Morty and Mortyplicity, which both seem to try and hammer home the idea of "you, the audience, will literally never know if the Rick and Morty you're watching are the same people they were in other episodes", even saying "C-137" doesn't guarantee it anymore because they might just be a toy version or decoy of the real one. It's the show saying "Fuck you. None of this matters. They're not real", hell, in the season 5 finale, they kill Morty on screen. He gets split in two, made red for one scene, and the other half of him is a joke about influencers, but ultimately I think it's just another way to try and tell the audience not to care.

[@mackielunkey2205]

THANK YOU. I know that serialized stories, as much as they're praised, also have some flaws to them (like the risk of losing investment halfway, not enough time to develop characters and conflicts, etc.). I can see why some shows would lean more to episodic ones. But please, don't act so pissy about it if the people like what you've got. It doesn't make you look smart, it makes you like Rick. A jerk.

[@icecreamhero2375]

Serialized stories are awesome. Several anime do them flawlessly, same with live-action shows. Blame the networks. For years networks didn't allow cartoons to have ongoing plots and Gravity Falls was one of the first. Thats why American cartoons with ongoing plots have filler. They think kids are too dumb to keep up and they would rather air the episode in any order they want rather than production order.

[@mackielunkey2205]

@@icecreamhero2375 Yeah if you wanna go back even further Avatar did this, too. It can be done well, you just have to create a structure using episodic and serialized elements together.

[@icecreamhero2375]

@@mackielunkey2205 That can work but I perfer it when the stories lead right into the next one like they do in anime.

[@icecreamhero2375]

@@mackielunkey2205 There is this newer show on Netflix Kid Cosmic. Its pretty good. The stories lead right into the next one.

[@mackielunkey2205]

@@icecreamhero2375 Yeah honestly, I’m not the biggest fan of season 2. Like they go through so many plot points at a breakneck pace that they don’t feel developed enough (like Queen Xhan being a bad teacher, Jo being in conflict with her friends, etc), that I felt would’ve been better handled if there were more standalone episodes that focused on that.

[@AngryBirdFanMan]

I think this video brings up a really good discussion. I honestly don’t dislike the meta humor because I like to have a look into the mindset of the writers, and see where their heads are at. I didn’t think any of it was all too intrusive, so I really haven’t thought of how this could be detrimental to people’s enjoyment on the show. I hope now that the characters have hit somewhat of a “reset” we can see a less jaded, yet still developed Morty, and a much less godly Rick. Good video. Big pp.

[@Mirrorcomics24]

The new season was very mixed, it was better when it was serious rather than comedic to be honest

[@TheDigitalApple]

Haven’t watch that much if season 5 but from what clips I saw from the Voltron episode…….I’m not to excited ti watch it.

[@Mirrorcomics24]

@@TheDigitalApple episodes 4-7 were the low point of the season, everything else was fine

[@voidistrash5040]

@@Mirrorcomics24 I think the planetina and the turkey episode were pretty decent/good

[@agentep9979]

000

[@SaraBanartist]

I'm just always reminded of April's line from one episode of Parks and Rec. "Why does everything we do have to have, like, 15 layers of irony to it?" It's just like...much like Community, the referential humor just kept stopped me from caring. Also, it's fine enough to put a lamp shade on things, but if you're going to bring a subject up and then not do anything with it...why bring it up then?

[@deadcon-115]

How ironic that this came into my recommended when the most recent episode was literally about meta-metahumor.

[@alcoholicgoat]

The show is so concerned with convincing you it's smarter than you it forgets to ditch the melodrama. It's Futurama tablescraps and that show was proud of how inept and stupid its characters were. Rick and Morty constantly talks down to its audience and that kind of humor belonged in the 2010s

[@milktea6676]

I’ve always like how marks draws his character in the style what he’s reviewing for a Brief moment

[@lilyfm7152]

You encapsulated my feelings perfectly. It's a real shame they felt they had to go this direction because they clearly didn't want to, and they really want us to know they didn't want to. It feels so spiteful, and at the same time lazy and not well thought out.

[@ReefDiver]

I noticed this exact meta humor in the very beginning of Season 5 with the Mr. Nimbus episode, when Nimbus brings up Diane and Rick says "don't establish canonical backstory with me!" It left me with a bad feeling and I knew someone else had to notice the super meta-ness

[@Techtastisch]

10:32 It was faked, that he invented the Portalgun immediately after that event driven by revenge. In the real story he was in shock and depressed for a long time.

[@ultra_lbp]

Rick is officially not a pickle anymore

[@tomsmurf4225]

To put it simply: If not even the _characters in the show_ care about the show, then why should I?

[@mrcrocsandsocks]

I can't watch the pickle Rick episode because of how much it was memed to death

[@qq3xy347]

Dude literally same. I remember watching it for the first time and finding that scene really funny but after all the unfunny memes there's just no point in revisiting that episode for both, the scene and the episode itself.

[@Mochitachi70]

Same, haven't even started S3 for that.

[@curlyhairboiakabaddude8922]

If memes affect you that much, you should probably get off the internet. Cause they’re everywhere buddy.

[@arctrper4870]

Funniest shit I’ve ever seen

[@swarple]

I quit watching this show halfway through season 3. I was already disappointed in episode 1 of that season where the cliffhanger of season 2 was essentially ruined. “Oh you thought Rick was sacrificing himself for the sake of his family because he has some good in him deep down? You thought there might be character development? Sike! He actually knew he’d be fine.” I felt like I’d been led on. But hey at least it turned out Rick had a plan to break up Beth and Jerry so there was a twist to it. If I saw THIS stuff I’d be fuming holy crap. Why would they write lore and then make fun of me for being invested? I hate to say this, but I’m glad I stopped watching....

[@pass_]

petition to play rick and morty by soulja boy at marks wedding, execution and funeral

[@ericf.a8623]

Hahah- wait execution?

[@bogiewoods3037]

@@ericf.a8623The Game Grumps video

[@nowlwane9623]

Writers: It's a CARTTOOOON! Audience: If you don't care, why should I?

[@alanspirand880]

Honestly, I feel like episodic adventures would be totally fine if they actually kept the quality of those episodes as they did in the first seasons. Episodes about the purge, about Rick's battery, about the cloud monster that Morty tried to save, about memory parasites, they were all amazing. They didn't connect to any kind of bigger story and it was totally fine, because they were so good on their own. But now we get episodes about dragons being horny and giant sperm with incest babies, and we, as an audience, get criticized for wanting anything more than that. Not all episodes are like this, of course (we still have S4E1 and Vat of Acid episode), but I feel like their general quality really tanked during the later seasons and if that's all they have to offer on average, then this show isn't really worth attention anymore. The funniies thing is that even "canonical" episodes such as Evil Morty one were also good on an episodic level, that joke about a chair ordering a pizza with white people and hispanic on half is still one of my favorites in the show.

[@alanspirand880]

@@chowderscrib They were "like those" for you maybe, but most people could easily tell the difference, which can be seen from the ratings. I mean, your spelling and wording make you seem like you're 8 years old at most, so that makes sense.

[@nailahalilic4446]

That's why I love the end of Community: 'Lines between perception, desire and reality may become blurred redundant or interchangeable. Characters may hook up with no regard for your emotional investment. Some episodes too conceptual to be funny, some too funny to be immersive, and some so immersive they're still not funny. Consistency between seasons may vary." So true for all meta series and I love they acknowledged it and hit it right on the nose!

[@darkninjafirefox]

"Nobody exists on purpose, nobody belongs anywhere, everyone is gonna die. Come watch TV. "

[@jaborsey_joseph]

A rebuttal to the Rick's backstory bit, "sometimes the best lie is 90% the truth"

[@FTZPLTC]

I really REALLY struggled with the Season 5 finale, and I'm kind of reassured to find I wasn't the only one. Can't argue with the point about deconstructing characters - especially in a show that had only been running for a couple of years. And digs at The Fans aggravate me because a) shitting on those fans always seems kind of nasty; and b) I'm *not* that kind of fan, so those jokes/references don't land with me at all. No one in my sphere was rage-debating about what will happen with Evil Morty, so that's just noise to me. I don't know if this is even meta-humour anymore - it just comes off as contempt, which can be endearing when I'm sure it's not sincere. It gave me flashbacks to Sherlock, and to hbomberguy's criticisms of it. The long aimless flashback sequence came off as grudging, and kind of joyless as a result - because, as you say, if you don't want to tell big lore stories, just don't tell them. Fan service is supposed to be fun, but this came off as bitter fan service - like the writers want us to feel guilty for being invested because we're somehow forcing them to write a show they don't want to write... except we're not. Writers acting like they HAVE to do what The Fans demand, while implying that they might totally have better ideas that we're forcing them NOT to write, is crass... and makes me wonder if they actually did want to do this stuff, but wanted it to be unpredictable.

[@BugsyFoga]

I feel like Rick and Morty just didn’t want to be just one of those shows that start episodic to later be serialized, so it not wanting to constantly focus on serialization is somewhat understandable.

[@Astralite1]

Weren't you on a caddicarus video

[@BugsyFoga]

@@Astralite1 yes .

[@calemr]

Then they could have just Done That. Instead of Having serialized plotlines, and then doing them badly on purpose and having characters turn to the screen and tell you to go fuck yourself for caring.

[@luigiwiiUU]

@@calemr imagine making an episodic cartoon in 2021

[@infinitedreamer9359]

@@calemr This. Stop tying to have both,pick a direction and stick with it.

[@mileven3ggo3njoyer]

I think we can all agree that the Morty horse sperm episode was the point where the staff had gone too far.

[@mikerueffer579]

I've always wondered if they hated serialized storytelling that much then why include it in the first place?

[@maximumforce8275]

Because if they got rid of it then the show wouldn't be as popular. Which not only means less views but also less advertisement opportunities and less of a reason to sell merch.

[@maximumforce8275]

So they want to have their cake and eat it too.

[@MorgansMemez]

I just want more serious moments tbh, I enjoy the humour and all that but it feels alot more interesting to me when I can be invested in the characters and their stories.

[@kirbobirbo8938]

LS Markiplier, when will you accept that it requires very high intellect to understand the humour of Richard and Mortimer?

[@milktea6676]

This feels like a fanfic a 14 year old would write Who knew it would turn out so right 😂

[@dolphinboi-playmonsterranc9668]

When you spend a lot of time with others, you start to adopt their idiosyncrasies, maybe rubbing your chin or stretching a certain way. Morty spent a lot of time with Rick and began to adopt his cynical attitude.

[@maxieprimo2758]

@@scratchsoft2347 why? Why entirely subvert the point of the character duo?

[@maximumforce8275]

@@maxieprimo2758 but isnt it doing the same now? Though I will admit it makes more sense for Morty to be the one getting rubbed off onto since hes a kid.

[@maxieprimo2758]

@@maximumforce8275 the two are entirely different characters. If one is influenced by the other in a certain way, that is a trait of theirs- the fact that Rick is so hard to influence in the way that Morty is influenced by him further characterizes Rick. It would be totally different were it the other way around.

[@_neon-xeon_3966]

Rick and Morty is still a good show, all the finales of all seasons are amazing and even though season 5 is really mixed, I still loved the ending, its just that ever since they hired new writers, they make more sexual and weird joke filler episodes and not those deep and depressing episodes with a splash of comedy that we used to love, I remember watching the episode where Rick tried to kill himself and getting shocked and amazed at how real this show can be And now they are making episodes about Sperm Monster and Incest Babies

[@nas0518]

I just don't want to lose faith in Rick and Morty but it's gonna be hard because the new writers are gonna make me lose faith in the show.

[@_neon-xeon_3966]

@@chowderscrib I just prefer serious episodes that focus on dark themes but has a splash of comedy over just straight up comedy with no nuance, like the sperm episode, god that episode gives me nightmares lmao

[@tsurugi5]

@@chowderscrib zoomers lmao

[@alldayagain]

I think the trick with meta humor is that it has to be meaningful. To use an example related, like season 6 where Rick broke the fourth wall to basically attempt to counteract the nihilism that Rick has popularized by telling the audience that they matter.

[@FanBoyyyyyyyy]

Mark you deserve an award your making people mad every day teach me your skill

[@maximumforce8275]

Who's mad tho

[@VioletSkipperX194]

@@maximumforce8275 5 year olds

[@darko1295]

Bojack Horseman was pretty good with that stuff. It often made little meta quips every now and again, but it never felt like it distracted from the main story or the characters' personalities, and in some cases it was borderline genius, like in the episode where Bojack and Sarah Lynn go on a drug-fueled bender and at one point, Bojack hallucinates talking with a producer about the episode's non-linear structure, meta humor and constant flash-forwards. It's great because they're talking about both the episode you're currently watching and the in-universe raunchy self-referential comedy Bojack starred in 10 years ago.

[@jesstube6466]

Rick and Morty is gonna become one of those shows like Family Guy and The Simpsons where each season just keeps dropping in quality

[@jinxthatsme2317]

I personally enjoyed the show for it’s lore. Not in the sense that I want every episode to be entirely plot driven, but something I adored about the older seasons was how dynamic the characters felt. Season 2 gave Rick a very interesting character arc and showed us how he is struggling to cope with forming connections and how it continually backfires on him. We also get some neat background lore about Rick’s relationship with the federation in episodes like, "Mortynight Run," where Morty crashes his ship into a federation outpost, "Auto Erotic Assimilation" where Unity tells Rick it wants to partner with the federation, to which Rick isn’t too thrilled about, and "Get Schwifty" where Bird Person and Tammy make an appearance before the grand finale where she betrays BP and takes over Earth, forcing the smith family to flee to a new planet. It’s this kind of writing that I really enjoyed about the show. It wasn’t too on the nose and didn’t try as hard to be meta. Sure, they would slip in a few meta jokes here and there like when Summer shuts off the tv broadcasting federation news before acknowledging it was done for dramatic effect, but that didn’t take away from the plot of the episode. I also feel like season 3 kind of disregarded what made the first two seasons good by having Rick regress after his sacrifice and getting rid of the federation within a single episode. I feel like the alien ridden Earth we see at the end of season 2 really could’ve changed the status quo of the show and offered some interesting episodes. And I really noticed how excessive the meta humor was getting by season 3 to the point where the characters no longer felt interesting since they would consistently make self referential jokes that deterred from the plot. Something that I saw bleed into season 4 with the story train episode. Whether Dan Harmon likes it or not, the show definitely had a stronger focus on lore in the older seasons, and the older writers were fantastic at it.

[@swiftlyaswiftie]

Good meta humor is when it isn't about the episode itself, spoil itself or overdue it. An example I like is in Steven Universe they have a fusion of Garnet and Pearl (Sardonyx) who does a bit of metal humor. A good example is during Season 4, episode 2. The fusion of Amethyst and Steven (Smoky Quartz) meets Sardonyx and sardonyx shows a bunch of fusions in a game show format to 'test' Smoky Quartz's abilities and during one the fusion of Amethyst and Garnet (Sugilite) has a line and Sardonyx says "She's not... actually in this episode, do we still have to pay her? Yes? Fair enough." in reference of paying the Voice Actress of Sugilite. A around I think Steven Universe does a good way of doing it so there is a character who *knows* they're a cartoon but isn't jarring as it isn't a massive character or ruin the mood considering the character doesn't use meta humor during the serious episodes like battle scenes or Sardonyx's first episode where it was more serious but it does do it during less serious situations like a game show of fusion or a one off line in a calm situation that isn't a massive part of the plot

[@DeathByZombieGames]

I miss when rick and morty action was more about rick coming up with a way to get out of a situation and not him just having built in god mode like when he takes 7 head shots from an Ar and lives because science stuff.

[@graphitetailgrace3870]

To be fair, you need a very high IQ to understand Rick and Morty. It's become so entangled in trying to be intelligent and deep that you often forget what the episode was even about by the second rant about how God doesn't exist.

[@maximumforce8275]

You need a very high IQ because only smart people could understand what they are saying under the constant whining from the writers about having to do story and the constant meta "humor" just for them to find out it's another episode that has Rick making fun of the family. And the family being how they always are. And they wonder why people like character development.

[@Kayhotech]

I felt the exact same way with the finale, it felt like any serious moments kept getting interrupted by way too many meta jokes. Like the "hit the ground running with a citadel episode" joke was fine, but all the meta jokes in between every conversation

[@emperorcheddarcheese7008]

Can we all agree though, that the evil morty theme at the end hit hard.

[@Tommedian]

I thought the reveal was going to be that the backstory Rick made up was real, but he was the Rick who killed the other Rick’s family

[@Coconut_Prrson]

That would unironically be 100 times better

[@aidenwade3891]

This stopped feeling like an adult swim show in season three.

[@untitled3426]

Imo this show has lost a lot of its authenticity over time.

[@KhanMann66]

They jumped ship during the season 2 finale.

[@maxym9483]

I used to think that "Rick escaping the prison" was an incredible toilet flush, ruining Rick's character progression, the plot, and both Federation and Rick Citadel just for the sake of showing Rick as "super cool" (this is the origin of him being a Mary Sue for the next two seasons) and returning the show to status quo instead of continuing the development. Now Season 5 finale is definitely the worst toilet flush. It is rushed in terms of pacing, does not answer many questions, completely shatters the intrigue of Evil Morty's plan to restore the Citadel (oh, wow, he was not a complex villain who has ambitions to completely change the rules of the game for what he believes to be the right cause. He just wanted to use everyone and leave in a stupid shitshow). That's not even talking about such important moments as Rick's backstory (after all of that secrecy and the most banal backstory turning out to be a decoy just to convince the federal agents, the most banal story turns out to be true. Sheer dissapointment), Evil Morty's motivation, etc being shoved down our throats without a possibility of stopping for a second and contemplating what had just happened. When I watched season 4 I thought the series was recovering, having the new great episodes one after another. When the Sperm and Demon episodes of Season 5 aired, I still thought it could be just a bad phase and this does not mean the series is dying. But this finale... No, I doubt there is any going back, to the glorious show we once had.

[@willmilson4978]

the show only got this way because of how big the show got. the community became so addicted to the canon of a show that was nothing more than stupid episodes with a few emotional moments here and there. and then the show became divided in a way that made it feel like it was trying to be two things at once. a show about silly adventures and a show with a consistent and thought provoking story.

[@JackOfen]

Well sorry to say this, but you are part of the problem. Season 5 and the finale became so shitty because people like you cared to much about the lore and the canon.

[@maxym9483]

@@JackOfen I didn't watch it for lore and canon. I watched it for fun plots that twist the cliches of sci-fi in a clever way. However, I did care, because up until this episode they have managed to establish it firmly and mostly did the story well. I am not a part of the problem because neither have I forced the creators to include an overarching story, it was their own choice, nor have I blackmailed them into rushing an episode about Evil Morty. They themselves committed to it in the first place, so their story flaws are only their faults.

[@jaiden3473]

@UCe67Eca5HCSEvA-N-TWVGjQ imagine if I tell you a story, a really good story, and you pay me to tell you this story.and then halfway through I just stop telling you and walk away for 3 years, all while calling you a fucking idiot for asking if I’m going to continue the story, and when I finally do, I constantly act like a smug asshole about you asking for a continuation of something i paid good money for.

[@arandomcommenter8395]

To you a poop joke from Rick and Morty might seen immature but to I, an intellectual, I can see how that subtle joke is a reference to real world problems around the world and how it's not supposed to be funny, but instead it's a tragic piece of art 😢

[@koichidignitythief7429]

I think Morty getting jaded is good for his character progression as Rock showed more signs of compassion. And Yes Rick has been growing through that kind of process by looking at how his episodes usually end compared to Morty's

[@devilcwesker5980]

He agrees, his critics was simply saying, why do it in season3 and 4? You got 7 seasons(at the time) to develop morty and shade him. Cause if you jade him to early, what else will you do for the next 50 episodes to make him feel fresh

[@koichidignitythief7429]

@@devilcwesker5980 yeah I get what Mark is saying since we should’ve had a more naive morty in the first half of this series

[@robertbrookes2000]

Yep. You did it. You summed up all my issues with current Rick and Morty. I hate it how the show flip flops between one of episodes that rely on one joke (the Mortiplicity episode) and then do episodes with a dump of lore and backstory that we're suddenly meant to care about when the writers clearly don't.

[@101kirbyfan]

With the point about Morty being jaded, the Venture Brothers handles that aspect really well. Dean and Hank remain somewhat naive and optimistic throughout the series (or as far as I've watched haha) remaining a contrast from the more jaded characters of the show. Meanwhile Dr Venture allows the exploration of the effects constant day to day adventuring would do a kid in reality, while keeping his character consistent. I know Rick and Morty couldn't really do the same thing considering the characters already In place, but it sucks. Seeing Morty so cynical and used to the multiverse just removes the fun of the series with a "been there done that" attitude and contributes to my biggest problem of the show that none of the characters feel like themselves and flip flop constantly as Mark said.

[@Crow_Rising]

It's kinda weird honestly. I feel like Rick and Morty used to be at it's best when it did canon storylines, but the writers keep making jabs every time they do it now. It's like they are saying "You want canon? Here's some canon. Now shut up about it so we can get back to the episodic content". It feels passive aggressive. It's like they know what kind of content their viewerbase wants to see, but they don't want to make it so they just half-ass it to get it over with. The show can only suffer from this kind of thing, because half-assed content is still half-assed regardless of the intention behind it. The only thing I even find interesting about Evil Morty anymore is that as a villain, he actually won. He got what he wanted, despite the despicable means he used to get there. We aren't likely to ever see him again unless Rick and Morty or someone close to them end up following him. He has no reason to ever return of his own volition. Villains actually permanently winning like this is incredibly rare. As an artform, this show has potential to deliver a powerful message through this. Unfortunately, it's ruined by the execution. The moment in which he wins doesn't feel powerful or meaningful because they totally half-assed it and hoped we wouldn't notice over the slapping remix they played over it. His explanations come off more as lies and lazy excuses than much else, and he doesn't struggle at all to achieve his goals. He's like an unstoppable force of nature that even Rick can't touch, and nothing happens to change that. He doesn't even get wounded before his escape. All of it just feels cobbled together as an excuse to get rid of him so people would shut up about him. He's rushed out the door with little resistance. The big appeal to Evil Morty before was the ambiguity as to whether or not he was even evil to begin with. There was a mystery, and people wanted to solve it. Sure, some of the things he did seemed kinda screwy, but maybe he did those things out of necessity somehow. Maybe he'd turn out to be a hero in the end, or maybe it would turn out he's some kind of quadruple digit IQ mastermind who planned everything through from the start, or something inbetween. Maybe neither. This kind of content is fun because speculation is fun. Compiling what you know about a character to try to figure them out is fun. This appeal does not exist in the Season 5 finale. He is explicitly evil with no ambiguity. He lies and makes excuses and prejudices and slaughters masses, all just so he can get in his single seat escape pod and leave. No buildup, no grand reveal, nothing interesting in the slightest. It's all rushed along and glossed over as if the writers were really just eager to be done with it already, and they ruined the character in the process. I'd even go so far to say that in this episode they probably projected themselves onto Evil Morty. If Rick is the fanbase then Evil Morty is the writers. They are tired of the fanbase, and this was them giving themselves an out from their most requested story bits so they could move on from it. I'd really love to be wrong though.

[@weregretohio7728]

Meta humor has become too self-indulgent. Rick and Morty went so up its own ass it imploded.

[@samalass466]

The show feels like it's starting to enter seasonal rot.

[@mrdinosaur7690]

I hate how even in a finale that makes it clear the writers hate serious Canon, they manage to set up so much potential fkr series plot points and interesting Canon. I have so many questions about how Beth would react knowing her "dads" true back story, or what the consequences of evil mortys plan are. Instead of exploring that though the creators of the show are just straight telling us they don't want to explore any of that so we shouldn't expect anything to come of it. Its makes the finale pointless since they seem unwilling to follow up anything it established

[@BugsyFoga]

Looking pass the constant meta humor, Im honestly pretty curious to see where Rick and Morty could go from here

[@maximumforce8275]

Bootleg futurama.

[@neoxus30]

Seeing how they developed Alan in Vindicators 2 just now. I am hoping this means they will actually stop being whiny bitches about the show they write) But hey, me hoping just means they will mock my love for their work)

[@genxlife]

Rick and Morty may be meta, but it's not as meta as Rocky and Bullwinkle.

[@mechajay3358]

Personally I like Meta Humor if it's not too in your face about and is not overuse, which while it work for Rick and Morty, I felt they push it a bit too much in recent seasons.

[@jacobdealba6962]

I am also worried about the future of rick and morty but for different reasons now...

[@jeom3808]

Can't wait for the episode where Morty makes Rick go through a list of "Self-improvement" after this season, as a way to show why he stuck around(because he still believes in rick and cares for him) and attempt to help Rick, starting with the first on the list- "Stop drinking", and unintentionally derailing into "finding the guy who killed Beth and Rick's wife" (and then Morty realizing he can't change Rick). Ik it's in the writers back pocket, it's inevitable.

[@shadowreaverrising1753]

This is what forced cannon feels like. The thing they didn't want to do is the most interesting thing about the show.

[@iamsmrtonyt]

I agree that the excess of meta humor ruins some of the serious or important moments on the show, but I disagree that the show “doesn’t care” or doesn’t want to do lore because they obviously put a lot of care and attention to the existing lore and story (for the most part at least). However, you definitely make a good point about how the meta humor negatively affects those major moments that could otherwise be great.