Once again, I find myself on the thorns of a pop culture dilemma: As with my discussions of ‘Ready Player One’, I’m torn by the recommendations and/or exoriations of ‘Rick And Morty.’ On Stephen’s recommendation, I watched the (utterly devastating) Pickle Rick episode, but then I find myself rolling my eyes on social media at people who insist that not liking the show is a mark of low intellect. Having been a comic fan for many years, I try not to let the negative aspects of fellow fans detract from my experience, but having so many d-bags balanced against Stephen and a few others whose perspectives I appreciate. When it come to the question of watchin’ Rick And Morty, I have once again decided to crowdsource, leading to today’s wishy-washy query…
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) really is torn, since the episodes that I’ve seen have ranged from good to ‘Holy Carp!’, but I haven’t seen enough to know if that’s a fluke, asking: Should I or should I NOT consider watchin’ Rick And Morty? (Show your work!)
10 Comments
Absolutely. The amount of classic tropes, especially related to sci-fi, that get explored/mocked/parodied etc. combined with an impressive menagerie of pop culture references and easter eggs /heavily/ cater it towards general nerddom. This having been said, you should take precautions if/when you begin this endeavor:
0. Determine whether or not Justin Roiland’s sense of humor jives with yours. Roiland may be considered a comedic genius by many, but there’s no denying his sense of humor is bizarre to say the least. A good primer for his style can be found on YouTube via his cease-and-desist inducing “House of Cosbys”.
1. Remove any and all expectations or preconceived notions you have of the show. Especially with season 3, the internet is obnoxiously polarized on the issue of “Is R&M actually good”, and those who praise the show faaaaaaar outweigh those who criticize it, as you’ve seen. If you start watching, act as if you haven’t seen Pickle Rick.
2. Start from the beginning. Rick and Morty is a show that build heavily on itself, and while it’s possible to watch out of order/context, it’s considerably less enjoyable. I can only imagine your impression of the show having only seen Pickle Rick….
3. At the end of the day, don’t be afraid to not like it. As much as I enjoy the show, I recognize that Harmon and Roiland cross quite a few lines as the show goes on, and some people may not like that. Others may not like the fact that there is a decent amount of gross humor at times. Whether you like it or not, stick to your guns.
I know a lot of this may be fairly obvious to some – especially Matthew – but I put it out there as my recommendation for how to go about this as so many fans of R&M borderline force it onto their friends with the insistence that all must love and revere it. I recently introduced my brother to the show, and I did so simply by asking if he had seen it, and then showing him episode 1.
I hope you do give Rick and Morty a proper go, and if you do, I hope you enjoy it; but if not, I hope you can find another show that you can enjoy the way that other people enjoy Rick and Morty.
And that’s the waaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay the news goes!
Nah. I think, listening over the years, that you have a strong aversion to things that start small and get hyped up unless you were there near the beginning of the ride. You have other things you can do. Since it’s not grabbing you already, just pass.
Also, you have your own internal library of tropes and genre staples. You really don’t need the creators of R&M or Ready Gamer One to explode their own cache of tropes like a pinata with the end result being that you’re supposed to smile at each piece of candy that falls out and somehow feel “complete” because they “understand” you. I say: try something new instead of perpetually living inside of the favorite memories of other people.
I don’t like things that are “catered” to me. I like to be challenged.
I’d say if you watch it, go in with reasonable expectations. I think the show is good, but I think its hardcorest of fans way over-sell it, and will raise your expectations too high, leaving you disappointed.
Honestly, Dandy’s well-thought-out post really should tell you everything you need to know to make your decision.
Especially with season three, the Rick and Morty fanbase has been completely devastated. I think one of the biggest reasons it gets oversold, or rather, one of the biggest reasons that people oversell it, are the people who claim that season three is lower quality than previous seasons, and ESPECIALLY the people who make the previous claim and blame is on Dan and Justin bringing on female writers. The combination of defending the show and outrage and unwarranted sexism has resulted in a good chunk of the fandom drinking waaaaaaaaay too much of their own Kool-Aid.
I actually really enjoy the direction that’s been taken in season three, as it actually takes time to build/expand on the b-plots of seasons 1 and 2 in the a-plots. It’s been nice for me to see more of a cohesive, connected timeline between episodes.
Make your own choice. I enjoy it despite knowing it is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen, and I hate many other shows that are almost the same thing with different dressing and presentation. Some episodes are hilarious for beating a well-known trope to death, some because they put a spin on really low-brow humor. Sometimes those same things fall flat for me. But mileage varies, you might like it, you might not. Even knowing we like some of the same things is not a guarantee that we’ll both like everything.
I’d say go for it. It kind of feels like the rightful heir to Futurama’s legacy…with a bit of South Park thrown in. Mostly fun and mostly engrossing, if oftentimes crude.
If you like Superjail, then you’ll like Rick and Morty.
I utterly loathed ‘Superjail.’ :)