At the midpoint of Rick and Morty’s Season 7, a lot of sh*t went down. A whole lot of sh*t. More than would fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Yeah! A sh*t tonne!
Okay, I’m done.
Regardless, in the middle of the inaugural Rick and Morty season without Justin Roiland involved, events have transpired that will shape the future of the show for a long time to come. With four episodes under their belt, the new actors for Rick (Ian Cardoni) and Morty (Harry Belden) have settled into their roles extremely well, and it was evident in these two episodes. Episode 5 was so important to the overarching narrative so having the rookies undertake this was a huge test of their metal.
They passed with flying colors.
So let’s get into it.
Evil Morty’s past is explained. He betrayed his Rick, turning him into his mind-controlled slave after one too many disrespectful encounters. It then picks up where we first saw him, killing various versions of Ricks and kidnapping Mortys in an attempt to leave the Central Finite Curve and carve a path of his own. Last time Evil Morty reared his head in these parts, he had done just that, leaving for pastures new.
But his newfound peace was short-lived. Rick C-137 (our Rick) is scattergun opening multiple portals in an attempt to finally find his nemesis, Rick Prime. After killing a bunch of decoys, Evil Morty pitches in, inadvertently triggering a trap laid by Rick Prime. A Rick Battle Royale, with the last one standing being the “winner”... but would also ultimately be killed. Rick, Morty and Evil Morty escape by the skin of their teeth.
A Rick Prime video package explains his evil backstory. Not content with killing Rick’s wife, Diane, in C-137’s timeline, he invented a “Weapon Too Cool For a Name” (otherwise known as an Omega Device) to remove Diane from all possible timelines. Diane is GONE FOREVER! Seeing the threat to himself, Evil Morty joins the party, playing the reluctant hero.
The crew tracks Rick Prime to his lair, but he’s waiting for them. The Omega Device is ready, and he throws Slow Mobius into the ether. NOOOOOOO UNKY SLOW!!! A battle ensues, and it’s looking grim for our heroes, but Evil Morty outwits Prime, incapacitating him. The eyepatched Morty downloads the schematics to the Omega Device and then revives Rick C-137, leaving him to his revenge.
Our Rick beats Prime to death. It’s over.
Evil Morty leaves with the Omega Device, meaning he has the most leverage he’s ever had. Rick and Morty go back home. Will anything be the same again? Rick has a thousand-yard stare like he doesn’t know what to do with himself.
In a post-credits scene, we see the family of Slow Mobius trying to get on with their lives without their husband and father. Poor Mobius fam.
If the previous episode was heavy with narrative and pivotal to the overarching plot, this was a happy palette cleanser. We’re back in the realms of Interdimensional Cable or Morty’s Mind Blowers with a clip show. It’s Family Guy cut-aways galore.
To try to snap Rick out of his funk after resolving his decades-old grudge against Rick Prime, Morty cashes in his adventure coupons (calling back to the time Rick promised him he could choose one in every ten adventures). Rick, flabbergasted, doubts the authenticity of some of the adventures Morty has counted towards his coupons. Leg Day counts (the time Rick turned himself into a leg), but the time Morty used a portal to bring Rick a burger does not.
Rick brings in a third-party Observer, a rock-like being that shows clips of those they have observed. It gets old really fast, so Rick and Morty rudely send it on its way. The Observer becomes really clingy, starting to show clips from the sidewalk. This prompts Rick and Morty to push it into traffic, smashing it to smithereens.
It’s then revealed this was also a clip being shown at Rick and Morty’s Observer trial. More clips showing Rick and Morty being bad people, yadda, yadda, yadda. They’re funny but inconsequential. Aside from the time Morty asked for his churro to be brought to life, culminating in an immortal being, Churry, swearing revenge on the Smith family.
Rick turns the tables, showing the Observers they’re no better than them. The Observers turn on each other, and Rick and Morty escape scot-free.
In a post-credits scene, we see Morty open his school locker to find a solitary churro and the word “SOON” written within. I’m scared.
I’m rocked to my core. Rick C-137, our Rick, had one overriding motivation for his entire story arc: find Rick Prime and take his revenge. And now he’s fulfilled his desire. So, what’s next? Having a clip episode following Unmortricken was a genius decision from Dan Harmon. It was something to wipe away the serious tears and recharge the laughing gas. But, still, what happens now?
I mean, there’s still the threat of Evil Morty now controlling the Omega Device (is that a Galaxy Quest reference?), but he just wants to be left alone. I’m curious to see where the direction of the series goes from here.
I’ll be there for it. I was once worried by the departure of Justin Roiland, but I’m not noticing any significant drop in quality. In fact, some of these episodes are on par with the best episodes of all time.
As with Episode 5, they are among the most important.
What do you think of Rick and Morty Season 7 so far? Where do you think the story will go from here?
