Review: Rick and Morty “Amortycan Grickfitti”

Overview:

It is Friday night, and Rick has big plans with Jerry. With Beth due at work, it leaves the kids at home alone. Against the rules, the kids invite a friend over; the new kid at school, Bruce Chutback. They break more restrictions when they steal Rick’s spaceship for a joyride. Unfortunately, the ship has plans of its own as it uses the kid’s disobedience as blackmail.

Meanwhile, Beth is shocked when she decides to crash Rick and Jerry’s boy’s night. Rick has been using Jerry’s terrible grasps at acceptance to please demons from Hell who love having a bad time. Though when Jerry discovers the truth, he stops playing along. But when the demons decide to kidnap him, it is up to Beth and Rick to save him from the underworld.

Our Take:

The fifth episode of Rick and Morty’s fifth season has arrived so fast. Thankfully, we will not have to worry about a midseason break as the sixth episode is scheduled for release next Sunday. But this middle of the season release is nothing like you would expect from this franchise. And not in the traditional way that the show destroys expectations.

“Amortycan Grickfitti” is one of the most formulaic and traditional episodes of television that has ever been released by Rick and Morty. You cannot often predict how a story of the show will go from the cold open. But this piece maintains the basic plots while avoiding the signature subversive style of the franchise.

It is rare enough for Rick and Morty to play around with an A-plot/B-plot formula. Though it may be even more unusual for the show to explore teenage drama. Surprisingly, this episode doubles down by bringing in the dramatics along with some fun road trip adventure. Thankfully, the impress-the-new-guy shtick is broken up by the talking spaceship babysitter. And there is enough to entertain with exciting references to franchises like Transformers, Star Wars, and Marvel Comics.

Unfortunately, what could have been a memorable Rick and Jerry adventure was swiftly put to waste. There is a level of excitement when Rick finds some use for his least-liked family member. The possibilities and insults that could come out of the pair up are endless. But without utilizing potential, anything underwhelming is instantly considered lazy.

Certainly, a night of karaoke ending in a trip to Hell is a big event for any other show. For Rick and Morty, the settings lack originality. The series has already taken some subtle stabs at Christianity this season but heading to the underworld in such a cliché manner was a little on-the-nose. And the demon species’ unique characteristics of gaining pleasure from pain didn’t offer enough comic relief.

It is safe to say this was not the strongest outing from Rick and Morty this season. Even with references to pod-racing and Galactus the Eater of Worlds, there was not enough going for the episode. Of course, the disappointment is only possible because of the expectations of how much this series can pack into 20 minutes. There was definitely room for Rick and Morty to have an off-night and still be considered one of the best things that can be found on television. So, if the writers wanted some room to flesh out Jerry and Beth’s rekindled relationship, call this episode a gimme.