# Rick and Morty -- the new animated show from Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, cartoons-animation\ **Created:** [January 21, 2014, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380 "2014-01-21T17:43:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/81 "2015-08-20T22:42:30Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Morty didn’t want to kill Rick in front of Pencilvester, so two of the other aliens dragged Rick into the garage for Morty to snuff him there. > > …I can’t believe I just wrote that sentence. Did Morty not want to do it front of Pencilvester because of Rick’s friendship with him? Or because of Morty’s friendship with him? I watched it again twice last night and can’t decide. …and yes, I find it difficult to type “pecilvester” without asking myself what the hell I’m doing with my life. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/82 "2015-08-20T23:10:37Z")
Rick and Pencil were very close. Marty took him to the garage because he didn’t want to upset Pencil. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/83 "2015-08-21T04:09:35Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > However, this is the first time we seem him in the opening credits. Yes, which further proves the genius of the show. Seeing him there primes us to think he’s just another alien impersonator - Beth shooting him very powerfully shows us he’s not. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/84 "2015-08-21T15:52:24Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Yes, which further proves the genius of the show. Seeing him there primes us to think he’s just another alien impersonator - Beth shooting him very powerfully shows us he’s not. Note that none of those opening shots are particularly happy memories ;). ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/85 "2015-08-21T16:01:02Z")
> [@Tarwater](#): > > This video is the short that jump-started the series (I think. I’m on my phone so I can’t be sure). You can probably tell why they had to make some changes when it got picked up by Adult Swim. > > [noparse][http://vimeo.com/m/49664066/[/noparse]](http://vimeo.com/m/49664066/%5B/noparse%5D) If that’s broadly representative of the show, then I’m skipping it. I hate the animation style and the humor wasn’t funny to me. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/86 "2015-08-21T16:05:08Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > If that’s broadly representative of the show, then I’m skipping it. I hate the animation style and the humor wasn’t funny to me. Aside from the voice actors being the same, that short has pretty much nothing in common with the show as it’s currently on the air. [Here’s a clip from a recent episode](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szzVlQ653as) that better shows off the general feel of the show (and parodies one of the better ST:TNG episodes in the meantime.) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/87 "2015-08-21T17:54:12Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Note that none of those opening shots are particularly happy memories ;). Other than the pillow-fight. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/88 "2015-08-23T13:22:45Z")
I rewatched the memory parasite episode and have some issues with it. Ok it is established the parasites can only create happy memories, for whatever reason, even under threat of death the fridge could only create a memory it hoped would be mistaken for an unhappy memory perhaps due to lack of familiarity with human emotions. The parasites do not seem to be able to alter real actual memories, only insert new fake happy ones. So why did Beth and Jerry not realize something was wrong with Sleepy Gary? How did SG create the false impression he was Beth’s husband and how did Jerry forget he was her husband and not a family friend, how did he forget his own children were his? It is one thing to insert a memory of a new child say, another to alter the memories of your existing child. Rick’s initial description of the parasites said they could mess with your memories, a far greater threat than their actual limited powers. Oh something I caught was the green glowing rock Rick threw in the trash was obviously the source of the parasites. \*There is such a simple prevention to the parasite problem it boggles the mind Rick didn’t set it up beforehand, hard evidence of the real people like photographs. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/89 "2015-08-23T13:29:34Z")
Oh yea is there any in story reason why the parasites chose such outlandish personas, except for the first one killed which chose a much more sensible guise. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/90 "2015-08-23T14:04:33Z")
> [@grude](#): > > I rewatched the memory parasite episode and have some issues with it. > > Ok it is established the parasites can only create happy memories, for whatever reason, even under threat of death the fridge could only create a memory it hoped would be mistaken for an unhappy memory perhaps due to lack of familiarity with human emotions. > > The parasites do not seem to be able to alter real actual memories, only insert new fake happy ones. > > So why did Beth and Jerry not realize something was wrong with Sleepy Gary? How did SG create the false impression he was Beth’s husband and how did Jerry forget he was her husband and not a family friend, how did he forget his own children were his? > > It is one thing to insert a memory of a new child say, another to alter the memories of your existing child. > > Rick’s initial description of the parasites said they could mess with your memories, a far greater threat than their actual limited powers. Oh something I caught was the green glowing rock Rick threw in the trash was obviously the source of the parasites. > > \*There is such a simple prevention to the parasite problem it boggles the mind Rick didn’t set it up beforehand, hard evidence of the real people like photographs. My view is that they flood their victims with lots of really, _really happy memories. That would work. Human brains will not only relish happy memories much more than sad ones, one really happy memory will cancel out **a couple dozen** sad ones!_ ---
**Author:** ![Garula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@Garula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garula)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/91 "2015-08-23T17:24:46Z")
> [@grude](#): > > The parasites do not seem to be able to alter real actual memories, only insert new fake happy ones. > > So why did Beth and Jerry not realize something was wrong with Sleepy Gary? How did SG create the false impression he was Beth’s husband and how did Jerry forget he was her husband and not a family friend, how did he forget his own children were his? If they sat down and pieced through their memories, they probably would have been able to notice the inconsistencies. But, unless your mind is focused in the right direction it can be a lot harder than you might think for people to recognize contradictions. Just read about the fallibility of eyewitness testimony. Jerry is particularly dim and Beth isn’t exactly happy with her marriage, I see no problem with their characters not being able to put two and two together when the illusion is so much more preferable. ---
**Author:** ![Neverending\_Elbow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e274bd/32.png) [@Neverending\_Elbow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neverending_Elbow)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/92 "2015-08-23T17:42:45Z")
> [@Garula](#): > > If they sat down and pieced through their memories, they probably would have been able to notice the inconsistencies. But, unless your mind is focused in the right direction it can be a lot harder than you might think for people to recognize contradictions. Just read about the fallibility of eyewitness testimony. Jerry is particularly dim and Beth isn’t exactly happy with her marriage, I see no problem with their characters not being able to put two and two together when the illusion is so much more preferable. And the parasites did insert at least one altered memory: the one of Rick writing the six on a piece of paper. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/93 "2015-08-23T18:15:37Z")
> [@Neverending\_Elbow](#): > > And the parasites did insert at least one altered memory: the one of Rick writing the six on a piece of paper. They even actively created a bad memory by having Frankenstein’s Monster violently beat Rick up and steal his gun. Hell, regardless who was suspected of being a parasite (or who was not) there was never any reason for the humans (Morty, Summer, Beth, Jerry) to ever advocate the opening of the blast door and dooming humanity. There’s simply no gain to opening those doors. I’m not sure why Morty would even give Rick a choice of doors or death. ---
**Author:** ![Neverending\_Elbow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e274bd/32.png) [@Neverending\_Elbow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neverending_Elbow)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/94 "2015-08-23T19:32:44Z")
> [@orcenio](#): > > They even actively created a bad memory by having Frankenstein’s Monster violently beat Rick up and steal his gun. Yeah, but here, I think, the memory was created the traditional way, by having Frankenstein’s Monster actually beat Rick up. It wasn’t an inserted, false memory. Maybe if Mrs Fride were to live a bit longer in the house, she would lead to the creation of bad memories with her by being a horrible roommate. I’m not sure about the Nazi… submarine? But then they did get all saved by Beauregard, so it was a sort of cool memory. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/95 "2015-08-23T19:36:15Z")
I’m assuming the reason the humans did not instantly notice at least that the none human disguise parasites made no sense is they insert memories explaining their bizarre appearance. Otherwise you’d think at least the shit like “sun guy” and Photoraptor would be easy to spot. I think Morty was just playing along after he got the idea about no bad memories, he said what he needed to get Rick alone with only a few parasites in the garage. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/96 "2015-08-23T21:27:05Z")
> [@grude](#): > > I think Morty was just playing along after he got the idea about no bad memories, he said what he needed to get Rick alone with only a few parasites in the garage. I’m pretty sure the revelation came after Rick said he only had six fond memories of Morty balanced by thousands of shitty ones. Not to mention he was pretty much demanding Morty shoot him, something a parasite likely wouldn’t have the nerve to do ( based on my fairly substantial experience interacting with memory-altering, shape-shifting space parasites ). ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/97 "2015-08-24T20:22:49Z")
Sweet Jesus. Last night’s episode was _gold_. I was in stitches the entire time. It’s amazing how they can take such a ridiculous premise and play it straight while still wringing every last drop of comedy out of it. The subplot with the head religion was kind of drawn out, but it was well-written and bordered on serious sci-fi. Highlights; - “Get schwifty” - Keith David as the president (“Can you fly a Blackhawk?” “Can the Pope’s dick fit in a donut?”) - Kurtwood Smith as the general - The return of Birdperson (“You know what this human eats. _Bird cock!_”) - Ice-T - Morty teleporting onto the Planet of Butts - Rick’s watch that turns people into snakes, and the twist reveal of how it actually works ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/98 "2015-08-24T21:15:21Z")
I guess Rick was lying about the portal gun running out of energy. Why? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/99 "2015-08-24T21:21:59Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > I guess Rick was lying about the portal gun running out of energy. Why? Presumably because he actually _did_ care about saving the planet, and figured he needed Morty’s help to write the ultimate pop jam and/or wanted to teach him that you can’t just cut and run for an alternate universe whenever things start to go south. (IIRC, the last time they did that, Rick said there were maybe only four or five universes total where they’d be able to replace themselves and fit in.) ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380/100 "2015-08-25T05:54:45Z")
Morty just wanted to get the family, so they could take them with them if they lose. Seems reasonable enough. That would also increase the number of planets they could go to if things go wrong. Also the lie was very quickly uncovered. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rick-and-morty-the-new-animated-show-from-dan-harmon-and-justin-roiland/679380.md?page=6)