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!
Everyone in the Universe is a Hero
The universe is seriously in danger as the season’s fourth episode begins when Morty witnesses the “Vindi-beacon” going off to alert Rick & Morty “The Vindicators” are in need of their respective talents – Rick’s high intelligence & ability to pick apart the terrible ideas that make up The Vindicators’ remaining core heroes including the redundancy of Crocubot (a cold-blooded reptile spliced with a cold, unfeeling machine) & Alan Rails (a ghost train summoner) embarrassing his parents by being a grown man wearing a whistle all the time, and Morty being the learning disabled kid for The Vindicators’ photo ops. The reason for Morty & his reluctant parental figure helping The Vindicators for what was believed to be their second mission (in reality their third) is to stop WorldEnder – an intergalactic being with the power to not only destroy worlds, but also the Tyrrania system. Everything seems to be status quo – Rick mocking everything being done, Morty upset over his grandpa not taking anything seriously, and the powered-up superheroes essentially slowly succeeding through WorldEnder’s lair. But to the surprise of everyone it’s not the WorldEnder The Vindicators need to be afraid of as Rick, during a drunken night of action, slaughtered their nemesis and set up a “Saw”-like series of traps to test The Vindicators’ understanding of themselves through the eyes of Rick (drunk or sober).
As Morty showcases his ability to solve almost every trap due to his knowledge of an inebriated Rick (“Israel” being the answer to the question in regards to a location never mentioned by someone) and even “Drunk Rick’s” crafting skills that usually involve creating neutrino bomb. But the pressure of saving their lives due to Rick’s antics tears The Vindicators apart (literally in the case of Vance Maximus – voiced by Christian Slater – when he tries to escape Rick’s trap via a ventilation deck, and Alan when the living dirt pile made of a million ants known as “Million Ants” when Rails confronts him about sleeping with his ex-wife & fellow Vindicators member Super Nova). But The Vindicators’ relationships aren’t the only ones tested as Rick admits that he possibly made these traps to help his grandson understand just how much he wants to be Morty’s hero just like The Vindicators are (well, were). In reality, these “tests” were just a way for Rick to let Vindicator wannabe & mostly Vindicators’ janitor Noob Noob (a paler, less important version of Mr. Poopy Butthole who stole the episode’s first act) know just how important he is to Rick; even more so than his own grandson.
With the series of death games solved and Super Nova ready to kill the two people she felt were solely responsible for The Vindicators’ demise, Rick’s master plan is unveiled as the culmination of this sequences of events is a grand party featuring rapper Logic hosting. Though Rick was an antagonist just a moment ago, he became the hero of this universe thanks to a single party. Morty quotes the late Vance, informing his mother that everyone in the universe is a hero (maybe not in the stereotypical sense like The Vindicators, but more like the “justified in their actions” way such as Super Nova having an adulterous relationship with Million Ants where she found the love in her marriage with Alan was failing). And remember for every hero there must be a villain? Who’s yours – your highly intelligent drunken grandfather who can create a party while being completed wasted, a being made up of a million-plus ants, or maybe even a person so special a rapper of extraordinary talent can rap about him without even meeting him?
Mini Lessons: Always follow the rules of the game (especially when that game is like something from a “Saw” movie); to fight darkness is to fight yourself; you don’t need some stupid jacket to let everyone know you’re a hero; you have to know when to hold ‘em and know when to– watch out for that pile!
