There are very few things stronger than the bond between a grandfather and his grandchild; but usually that relationship isn’t based around the pair traveling through multiple dimensions, killing aliens, and the elder generally not giving squanch. Over the course of two seasons and now a third so much life-changing information has been bestowed upon the world for those really hoping to become better (or maybe worst) people. Wubba lubba dub dub, it’s time to learn some “Rick & Morty” life lessons!
Life is Cyclical
The grand finale of season three saw the triumphant return of Mr. President (Keith David) as he enlists the help of the dynamic grandfather & grandson duo to take on an alien creature who can copy the “ghost attacks poor Rick Moranis in the original ‘Ghostbusters’ movie”. But upon confronting the creature, it becomes obvious Mr. President is taking Rick & Morty’s abilities for granted by calling him in for stuff his men are too lazy to take on themselves (all the while still denying the single selfie Morty’s been begging for the past two seasons). Abandoning their post in the “Kennedy Sex Tunnels” to play “Minecraft” at home – essentially blowing off America – Rick & Morty anger Mr. President by not only leaving the property, but also insulting his necessity to drone strike countries to make up for his own insecurities (something Mr. President discovers via illegal spy cameras placed in the Tunnels and even the Smith home). After a very bitter conversation between Mr. President and America’s former saviors, it’s decided that Rick & Morty are no longer needed to help stop “X-Files” creatures or prevent a miniature nuclear species from blowing up people in the Amazon. When Rick & Morty arrive in the rain forest area to get all of the newfound society’s stuff, a confrontation between the arriving Mr. President and his former patriotic Ghostbusters causes a communication meltdown and the near arrests of Rick & Morty (or, in Rick’s case, a facing of his biggest fear: pirates).
With a breakdown in the relationship between The President of these United States & two people who saved the world a group of powerful stone heads from obliterating Earth by showing them what they got begat Rick doing what he does best – killing anything threatening his life including Mr. President if it comes to that (it came to that). As Rick and Mr. President try to obliterate each other while destroying the White House all under the guise of Rick trying to get Morty his long-awaited selfie with Mr. President, Beth Smith has a breakdown of her own as she tries to figure out whether or not she’s actually a clone after her father offered the real Beth a chance to find herself while her clone lives as the open-minded, loving mother of two that her kids have always wanted. But becoming a self-aware clone has its problems because if she is a clone Rick will have no choice but to put her down. Smartly, Beth asks Rick the truth about her status as a living being, but doesn’t find satisfaction in his answer because…. Well, Rick is a pathological liar. In a rather shocking twist of fate, the only person who can confirm Beth isn’t a clone is her ex-husband (a man caught living in his seedy motel while practicing to be a sign twirler).
Hearing from Morty after stealing Rick’s portal gun that Jerry & Beth have decided to get back together and retreat to a remote cabin the family’s patriarch couldn’t find them, Rick inevitably finds his family after letting Mr. President walk away with his life and the promise he’ll never see Sanchez again. Rick comes packing an assault rifle – making Beth believe it’s for her when in reality Rick has murder on the brain for Jerry because, somehow, his son-in-law’s lowly, pathetic, weak, simple, mediocre nature beats genius & understanding every time. But to Rick’s surprise beyond the fact his daughter has chosen to return to the man who essentially doomed her very existence of turning into the hyper-intelligent being that her father is thanks to Jerry not wearing a condom is Morty & Summer happily obliging their parents’ wishes – leaving Rick as the odd man out with only two choices: leave this universe where he’s assaulted the U.S. President and his daughter is living with the man he hates, or settle down into a life of utter boredom. It appears Rick chooses the latter when Fly Fishing Rick shows up to make peace with Mr. President.
Like so many times in the past, first inclinations are usually wrong as Rick reappears in his family’s home to reveal that Fly Fishing Rick is just a ruse to get back in the good graces of Mr. President (and therefore America) and the C-137 Rick we know & love is now in an environment that feels like streamlined version of season one; just more annoying right down to the sitcom-inspired “everyone in the family laughs at a terrible joke that some writer eventually realized sounded a lot better in his head than in reality, but doesn’t have the time to change it and goes with the joke anyway” – you know, that old chestnut.
The truth is life & happiness have a funny way of being cyclical in nature; especially with toxic relationships even when it appears everything has reached its point of no return. Sometimes it’s not about what makes you happy in the long run, but what pleases you now that seems beneficial. So don’t fret when it seems like things won’t work out or things falling apart – in twenty-two minutes or so you’ll be living the life with someone you care about just like our old friend Mr. Poopy Butthole (who can now walk without a cane after being shot by Beth last season).
