Rick and Morty: Astounding sci-fi action

For aficionados of high-concept sci-fi and dark, dark humor, there’s not a lot of TV shows that fit the bill. In fact, before Rick and Morty there were exactly zero shows. With absolutely incredible writing and animation, Rick and Morty satisfies even the most critical viewers.

The second season of Rick and Morty ran from July 26 to Oct. 4, and absolutely did not disappoint. Starting off right where season one left off, the season 2 premiere kicked things into another level entirely. With up to 64 simultaneous instances of the show running at one time, it was absolutely tremendous.

Season two continued to shock and awe in subsequent episodes, having some of the darkest stories I’ve ever seen. The combination of hilarious jokes and stunning, heartbreaking twists left me agape more times than I could count. One particular episode had one passerby minced into small cubes by a laser, and another paralyzed, crying and begging for help – all before the intro credits.
Rick and Morty isn’t for everybody. Alcoholism, drug use, suicide, rape, horrible wounds and death are par for the course. Although I don’t know a single person who doesn’t love Rick and Morty, I can see those slightly more emotionally fragile people disliking the show.

In contrast to season one, season two brings other characters in the Smith family into the stories. Instead of Morty’s parents staying at home in a grounded storyline about their terrible marriage, Jerry and Beth join in on the intergalactic hijinks, going into space and exploring other dimensions.

Midway through season two, the quality of the episodes seems to drop off. This isn’t to say that they are bad, but next to the truly epic season two episodes some seem a little lame and don’t quite measure up, resembling filler more than anything. While some fans were disappointed, the fact that perfectly decent episodes seem boring in comparison really demonstrate just how amazing the show is on a whole.

The season two finale likewise was tremendous. Drama and heartbreak were served in double doses, but the humor and levity didn’t fail to bring out laughs. Down to the choice of music, the finale really was about Rick’s self-destructive nature and the consequences of being the most self-centered being in existence. Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt” definitely was a sobering tune to hear.

With season three a year and a half or more away, fans are really starting to go into withdrawl. The Rick and Morty crew know this, not two days after the finale they posted on Facebook, saying “Miss us yet?” In my opinion, rather cruel but hilarious nonetheless. Pretty much the perfect way to describe the show and its writers.

No air date has yet been announced for season three.