Review: Rick and Morty “One Crew Over The Crewcoo’s Morty”

 

Overview (Spoilers Below)
Rick and Morty head to an ancient pyramid to find a lost artifact. Upon looking inside the mummy’s tomb though, they realize that a man by the name of Miles Knightly beat them to the punch. This sets in motion a number of crazy twists and turns that become more convoluted than the last.

Our Take
I certainly wasn’t expecting this episode to unfold like it did. Excuse my french here, but the plot is largely one mindfuck after the other. If this were anything but a comedy, that would be a horrible attribute. Satisfying to say, the convoluted storyline adds to the enjoyment of a homage/parody hybrid of the heist film genre.

It’s absolutely insane trying to follow all the twists and turns presented here. Yet, with each passing double cross or switcheroo, the surprises gain an additional layer of humor. The beauty of this is, rather than being confused by the ongoing plot, it gets to the point where you throw your hands up and laugh at the absurdity of it all. It’s the perfect blend of convolution and comedic enjoyment.

There are tons of creative worlds and characters to explore within as well. I was particularly fond of Truckula, likely due to how outlandish it sounds to merge a vampire and a truck driver together! The ventriloquist was enticing as well, though I wish the episode had spent a little more time on her overall. She seems to have such an interesting backstory that didn’t really feel explored to its full potential here. Additionally, the entire robotics-like setting featured here was interesting to look at, with all the interesting gears and wires that make it tick. Overall, the creativity of the Rick and Morty team continues to astound my being.

Mr. Poopybutthole is back, this time as a karate-chopping professor! I will say I enjoyed seeing him more so than the Meeseeks during the season premiere. Mr. Poopybutthole’s place within this episode felt more organic than the Meeseeks did in their episode. He didn’t really feel shoved into the plotline just to have him there. However, to a certain extent, it does seem to feel like additional fanservice thrown onto the table. But, not only does he not stick out like a sore thumb here, he’s as amusing as ever. He’s kicking ass and making laughs. It’s all that I can ask for and more from this little oddball.

One thing I’m starting to notice here is the show’s starting to move away from all the family drama that was present throughout the first three seasons. Retrospectively speaking, I think that may have been an issue with Season 3 as a whole. The early episodes had some drama, but they were largely supported by crazy, mixed-up adventures with a scientist and his grandson. Season 3 tended to blend the two elements together, to mixed results. While I appreciate dramatic elements, I think moving away from that in the beginnings of Season 4 is a step in the right direction. I adore seeing creative, nutso adventures with these two chuckleheads. It’s practically the centerpiece of the program, and I’m glad the focus is shifting back towards it.

All in all, another great adventure within the Rick and Morty universe. The absurdity of the entire plot left me needing to pop my funny bone back into place. While there may be a small amount of fanservice with Mr. Poopybutthole’s return, it feels natural and doesn’t take away from the massive amounts of creative elements this show continues to pump out like clockwork.

I can’t say for certain which is more absurd though: this Rick and Morty episode or the charmingly odd cornucopia bumper Adult Swim plays around this time of year. I’ll have to ponder that over some Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing. Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!