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5 Reasons I Love Rick and Morty

Guess  what? I used to hate Rick and Morty. Well the first couple of episodes; but by the end of season 1, I loved it and needed to see more. Below I’ll explore 5 reasons that caused this change of heart.

We’re Going Deeper

On the surface, this show appears to be about a crazy old genius scientist bastard who takes his timid, slightly dim-witted grandson on adventures around the universe. But the truth is, there’s more to these characters, and the themes, ideas and lessons in the show than meets the eye. We learn a ton about these characters, and they learn cool new things about themselves and one another.

It’s great to see the dynamics of a super dysfunctional family as they bounce off one another in the most ridiculous way, under the most absurd conditions. It’s a little dose of reality in a crazy world, because let’s face it, whose family isn’t weird and dysfunctional?

Nihilistic Tendencies (Or a Dose of Realism?)

So yet another thing I learnt watching Rick and Morty, is to not take life so seriously, because all of this doesn’t matter. Well, maybe I’m not sinking into a depression as I curl into a ball and rock back and forth, contemplating the pointlessness of my existence. But, in the bigger scheme of things, this show has reminded me just how insignificant/significant my circumstances are.

On a personal level: One’s 20’s are a rough and scary time; you’re older and more mature than the kid who partied until sunrise every other day, but you’re not quite fully dependent yet either. It’s kind of like navigating between two versions of yourself. What this show reminded me of (something I know but keep forgetting) is that you don’t have to be so worried and anxious about bullshit that work throws at you, stresses in daily life, fear of failure, conflict with family and friends, and all that jazz. I mean, yeah, we all have responsibilities, but at the end of the day…

A ghost driving a meat skeleton

So why not chill out a bit, and just go with the flow, or whatever?

Crass as Fuck

I never thought I’d see a new and popular show created just a few years ago, that runs on cable TV that would openly make fun of mental disabilities; or one that would display violence and other forms of weird sexual encounters in such a nonchalant way.

Rick and Morty Curvy Driftwood

There’s a lot going on in this show, so it’s tough to give examples here, but the truth is that the show is honest, builds a world with consequences for actions, and elevates itself above toilet humour, with intricate storytelling, and out-of-this-world ideas that will definitely blow your mind.

I’m an asshole for liking this? Well I guess so. South Park gets away with this shit all the time though, and I kinda think that Rick and Morty do it better (Not trying to start a war here).

Stereotypes? What Stereotypes?

There are some stereotypes, but are they really stereotypes if the characters are not boxed in by those particular characteristics? For example, Morty’s older sister Summer loves Tinkles the fairy lamb, and does a lot of things that teenage girls would do.

Rick and Summer Buff

But you know what, it’s okay that she likes a fairy lamb, because she also gets buff and goes on a rampage with Rick, beating up bullies; and she helps Rick and Morty escape a primitive civilization where the people living on the planet Purge every year (Yeah, like the movie).

And these are only two examples for one character. there’s plenty more where that came from, so if you haven’t seen the show yet, I suggest you check it out for more subversion tactics.

It’s Animated

So the great thing about this show is that it’s animated, which means they are able to do literally anything creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon can think of in their twisted, creative, sick, beautiful minds. Any creature is possible, and so is any situation and how it all pans out.

Rick and Morty Nihilism

The other cool thing is that the show is sustainable from a casting perspective. While a voice change to any of the main characters would kind of suck, for the most part, the show is safe from a Community-esque break-up, which is what happened to Dan Harmon’s other baby (Community).

With conflict’s with the creator, and other politics and BS behind-the-scenes, Community kind of died a slow and painful death, instead of going out in a blaze of glory, the way we all imagined when we started watching. I’m pretty sure that Rick and Morty is relatively safe from that kind of fate, as a result of it being animated. But you never know, do you?

So there you have it, the 5 reasons I really love Rick and Morty. Hope you enjoyed this, and if you did, please share this post.

Oh, and don’t forget…

We're all going to die Rick and Morty

Follow me, Stephen Nagel on Twitter @thesnagel for more film and other ramblings. You can follow BTG Lifestyle on Twitter @btglifestyle and LIKE us on Facebook. Subscribe to the BTG Lifestyle blog for updates, and email us at [email protected] if you have feedback, or would like to collaborate with us.

Cineman

Editor-in-Chief at BTG Lifestyle. For cinema.

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