Pretty Much Pop #54: The Genius(?) of Rick and Morty

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Mark, Erica, and Brian address the 4-season 2013 Adult Swim show (which has 94% on Rotten Tomatoes). What kind of humor is it, and how are we supposed to take its sci-fi and family drama elements? While its concepts start as parody, with an anything-goes style of animation, they’re creative and grounded enough to actually contribute to multiple genres. How smart is the show, exactly? And its fans? Is Rick a super hero, or maybe essentially Dr. Who? What might this very serialized sit-com look like in longevity?

We also touch on other adult cartoons like South Park, Solar Opposites, The Simpsons, Family Guy, plus Community, Scrubs, and more.

Hear the interview we refer to with the show’s creators. Watch the video we mention about its directors. Visit the Rick and Morty wiki for episode descriptions and other things.

Some articles that we bring up or otherwise fueled our discussion include:

• “Is ‘Rick and Morty’ as Smart as Its Fans Think It Is?” by Tom Usher
• “The Self is Dead – Alienation and Nihilism in Rick and Morty” by Lucas Miranda
• “Rick and Morty Season 4 Episode 9 Review: Childrick of Mort” by Joe Matar (This is the negative reivew Mark mentions. For a counterpoint, “‘Rick and Morty’ Review: ‘Childrick of Mort’ Proves It’s More Fun When the Whole Family’s Involved” by Steve Greene)
• “‘Rick and Morty’ Episodes Ranked from Worst to Best” by Adam Chitwood
• “Rick And Morty Is Giving Rick A Nemesis In Season 5, Check Out The First Look” by Eric Eisenberg

Care for a plumbus?

This episode includes bonus discussion that you can hear now by supporting the podcast at patreon.com/prettymuchpop. This podcast is part of the Partially Examined Life podcast network and is curated by openculture.com.