Review: Rick and Morty “The Curicksous Case of Bethjamin Button”

Beth-st Friends Forever!
OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

Rick and the family go to an alien theme park based on Earth, while Beth and Clone/Space Beth bond as kids.

OUR TAKE

Okay, whew, that’s a relief. I was getting a little worried after the last couple of episodes, which were mid as hell, that we were out of good ones for the remainder of the season. Thankfully that is NOT the case, as we have another pretty dang good one here, with its main story focusing on the two Beths! The second episode of the season to put Space Beth (who I maintain is the one who is a clone among the two of them, even though I know it’s more interesting if it’s never answered) and also the second episode overall to be about the strange bond between the two Beths. The other one, if you may recall, was Bethsic Instinct from the sixth season, wherein they explored their unique relationship and…made it even more unique by going full blown self-cest and eventually involving Jerry. That development hasn’t really seemed to come up again and now they just sort of banter as very VERY close adult siblings. Who occasionally bang on the side which I can safely say I do not intend to do with my sibling. This episode actually kind of focuses on that and calls back to “The ABC’s of Beth”, where this whole clone business started, by having the two Beths being able to relive their shared near psychotic childhood as an only child now as two destructive kids.

While the two start off being willing to look after the other while the other is a kid, this eventually devolves into the both of them, being daughters of a genius, turning their brains and pension for chaos on Gene, the Tom Kenny voiced neighbor who really cannot catch a break. And because every problem in this family stems back to Rick at some point, he too gets involved, being tricked into becoming a centuries old man who the two Little Beths can beat up on (I’m honestly surprised they didn’t call back to the Tiny Rick episode from Season 2). Thankfully though, this comes back around to a wholesome moment as we further see how the family is healing, with Rick and the two Beths coming to amicable terms by acknowledging that while neither of them are the others’ original daughter/father, they don’t need to put that pain on others anymore and can just be there for each other. Hopefully a good sign for the remaining four episodes of the season. Oh, also Morty, Summer, Jerry, and Rick for the first bit of the episode all go to a park based around humanity from the perspective of an alien voiced by Danny Devito. Good times.

8/10