Review: Rick and Morty “Mort Dinner Rick Andre”

 

 

Overview:

Not only has Morty landed himself a date with Jessica, but he has also landed Rick’s craft in the ocean. Unfortunately, by doing so, he has broken a long-standing treaty between Rick and his nemesis, Mr. Nimbus.

Now, Rick must have Mr. Nimbus over for dinner to hash out the details of a new agreement. The whole family will have to help pull off a flawless evening in hopes of ending the feud.

Morty has a hard enough time balancing his responsibilities with his grandfather and establishing a romance with Jessica. But he makes things even worse when he causes an entire civilization to conspire on his death.

 

Our Take:

Rick and Morty is coming into season five hot. Hitting the five-season mark is an accomplishment that the majority of television shows never reach. Even when they do, it can be a significant turning point in the direction of a series. Plenty of shows have seen a decline in quality after surpassing a third or fourth year. Thankfully, Rick and Morty has acknowledged the problem with ageing and is here to combat it.

This season five premiere is unlike anything fans could have predicted. Positively, Rick and Morty is growing and maturing. This episode manages to establish a new era for its characters. A prime example is how Summer and Morty can accomplish their own missions as efficiently as Rick would. In addition, the family has levelled up from the experiences that Rick has put them into over the years.  

The plot of this episode was the perfect vessel for launching the new and improved Smith family. The dinner guest plot is one of televisions oldest cliches, but it offered Rick and Morty an opportunity to weave a web of multiple stories. With Rick distracted by entertaining his guest, the hilarious Mr. Nimbus left the other family members to get into their own adventures.

Seemingly, Jerry and Beth have developed past their relationship issues. This episode introduces the couple closer than ever and with a new sex-positive attitude. By now, we are familiar with their relationship changing on-screen, but it is refreshingly humorous to watch them in this new light.  

Morty, specifically, goes through some significant character growth. From the first scene of the episode, Morty is taking things into his own hands. He manages to save his grandfather’s ass and find the words to land a date with his long-time crush, Jessica. And even though Morty is still cursed with making everything worse around him, he does so with a new sense of confidence and competence.

If anything, this episode offers reassurance. Reassurance that this beloved show full of intelligent, subversive humour and elaborate efficient storytelling is just as brilliant as ever. In fact, the series is raising its own game before it becomes a victim to its own high standards. Rick and Morty is not just here to stay; it plans on improving more and more as time passes.

In comparing what this show is capable of packing into a half-hour episode, this multilayered piece could almost be considered tame. But it does so while raising the bar and establishing new status quos and developments. The best part is, we have just scratched the surface. These next nine episodes are guaranteed to be a roller coaster of laughs and excitement. Past that, the series is still committed to 50 more episodes, doubling its own lifespan.