SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
A mixed bag but an admirable one for entertaining and pushing itself.
Anyone who has watched Rick and Morty knows this is a show unlike any other. We follow nihilistic mad scientist Rick Sanchez and his kind but insecure schoolboy grandson Morty Smith on adventures to wacky (and scientifically unbelievable) parts of the universe – learning things along the way and just having plain irreverent fun. Its clever writing and striking social commentary made me a fan just 3 episodes into the first season, and I binged the first 3 seasons within 3 days (a personal record time). It had been a while since then: the gap from Season 3 compared to previous seasons was larger, and I was hoping season 4 wouldn’t become derivative. While I see a few indications that the writers Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland have started to develop writer’s block, they haven’t lost their enthusiasm for the concept and manage to strike a tolerable balance between reusing reliable story beats of older episodes and borderline chaotic new plotlines. I’m happy to say this season didn’t let me down: it entertains like it’s supposed to and does a little more.
Like any good sequel, season 4 has some familiar elements, but there’s plenty that’s unfamiliar toot. The familiar – mainly the love-hate family dynamic – is back but doesn’t quite pack the punch it used to and is upstaged by the new elements – including the visual settings and meta commentary – which more than impressed me. In episode 9 “Childrick of Mort” (they don’t even care that these names are contrived!) Morty’s parents Jerry and Beth take the family on a camping trip on a sentient planet which eventually turns into a war between society’s technologists and outcasts. It ends with Rick lamenting Beth and Jerry’s failures as parents, but this has a tenuous connection to the larger plot and the seriousness of his critique doesn’t quite hit home. Whereas the previous seasons had a multi- episode linear story arcs, Season 4 feels more like an anthology. You can probably watch this season starting anywhere and it wouldn’t make a difference. It seems the writers couldn’t quite plan story arcs to take the characters in a specific direction from the beginning to the end of the season. For example, Rick admits to himself he’s a “terrible father” at the very end of the last episode – but we already knew that. On the other hand, it’s not like the characters don’t have meaningful development along the way. Beth, Jerry and Summer get a spotlight in a few episodes, and Morty’s character development is made apparent in the way he deals with Rick’s adventures – a bit more self-assured, willing to take risks, and not hesitant to criticize his grandpa when he needs to be.
Regardless, this season carves out its own space in terms of entertainment value and retains the spark that made the show special in the first place. Despite being uneven overall, I would dare to say it has some of the best moments the show has delivered so far. Episode 7 (“Never Ricking Morty”) involves Dan Harmon’s examination of his own writing techniques for the show. Though the episode has almost no connection to the rest of the season and could be treated as a one-off story, it’s an exercise in a mindbogglingly self-aware narrative that elevates Rick and Morty as a whole with plenty of action and entertainment.
It’s surprising that in a world with parallel universes and absurdly powerful gadgets, where consequences are inconsequential, no journey or resolution ever feels cheap or stolen. Whether we see Rick cloning his daughters or Morty starting a lovely relationship with a girl in an alternate dimension doomed to be destroyed, every action and reaction leaves an impact on the characters and speaks to the talent of the writers. The show pushes it with the visuals too. The alien landscapes and characters pop with color and expression, especially in Episode 2 (“The Old Man and the Seat”), and the fight scenes are fast paced and intricately choreographed.
While Season 4 may not be the most consistent with its plot and character progression, it highlights the best of the franchise and is sure to satisfy existing fans and impress newcomers who haven’t seen the previous seasons. If there’s one thing to know, it’s that Rick and Morty is here to stay.
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