Mortyplicity
| "Mortyplicity" | |
|---|---|
| Rick and Morty episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | Lucas Gray |
| Written by | Albro Lundy |
| Original air date | June 27, 2021 |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
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"Mortyplicity" is the second episode of the fifth season of the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty. It is the 43rd episode of the series overall. Written by Albro Lundy and directed by Lucas Gray, the episode was broadcast on June 27, 2021.
Plot[edit]
Rick, Morty, Summer, Beth, and Jerry are having dinner when alien squid assassins kill them. They are revealed to be decoys, and the real Rick is alerted to their deaths. However, the real Smith family is revealed to also have been decoys, and a chaotic series of events erupts when the decoys are alerted to the deaths of other decoys and struggle to figure out which family is the original as the original Rick did not realize the decoys would resort to making more decoys. After a family of decoys clashes and kills another, they figure out that the squids are actually further decoys trying to kill all other versions of themselves.
Another family, who still thinks they are real, are kidnapped by mutilated decoys trying to harvest their skin but are rescued by pinocchio-resembling decoys who attempt to rally a group of decoys but are crushed to death when squid-decoys kill them. One family alerts all decoys to their location and almost all of the decoys are killed in the ensuing mayhem, though several ignore the beacon and walk away unharmed. Meanwhile, the real Smith family, on an adventure with Space Beth, are alerted to the decoys' deaths.
In a post-credits scene, Pinocchio-Jerry, who previously escaped the squid decoys by abandoning the other decoys to their deaths, is cut into pieces by several beavers and subsequently taken by aliens, used as a mirror-holder in a cowboy saloon, and used as a crucifix, lamenting his inability to die.
Production[edit]
"Mortyplicity" was written by Albro Lundy and directed by Lucas Gray.[1][2] The episode debuted as the second episode as initially planned, but writers considered swapping it with the season premiere, "Mort Dinner Rick Andre".[3] Creator Justin Roiland said that he expressed a preference for this swap, but that it was too late for the change to be made.[4] Creator Dan Harmon said that "decoy families" were conceived long prior to their usage in this episode, and are very similar to clones and alternate timeline versions of the characters. Lundy said that the first half of the episode is based around "solving the mystery" and the second half is about depicting its fallout. The conceit allowed the writers to "play around" with what would be in-character for each family member.[5]
Analysis[edit]
IGN's Jesse Schedeen commented that the episode has "conceptual similarities" to the season three episode "The ABC's of Beth" and its debuting character Space Beth, due to the use of doppelgangers and presentation of a Smith family member as unable to be certain that they are real.[6] The episode makes a number of cultural references, including to the films Blade Runner (1982) and Ex Machina (2014). To explain a development in the clone's behavior, Rick says "it's basically Highlander rules now", in reference to the 1986 film of that name. The post-credits scene uses the Queen song "Who Wants to Live Forever", which was written for and featured in Highlander.[7] Both this episode and the previous one reference Interdimensional Cable, a concept which has recurred in the show since its introduction in "Rixty Minutes".[6]
Reception[edit]
Jesse Schedeen of IGN rated the episode eight out of 10, enjoying that it uses a "chaotic, fast-paced approach" to "[keep] the viewer off-guard", despite exploring ideas that are "very familiar" to the show. Schedeen believed that a final twist was needed at the end of the episode, but that the post-credits scene is "sublime". He praised the "little gags" that are built upon throughout, such as "the various ways each family differs slightly from the next" and the Blade Runner and Highlander references.[6]
Den of Geek's Joe Matar rated it four out of five, finding it creative and ambitious despite expressing a preference for the more "sitcommy characterization"-based episodes. Matar said that a scene between Rick and Beth in Muppet costumes "somewhat convincingly proves Rick and Morty can still make us care about its characters despite doing away with conventional protagonists".[8] Steve Greene of IndieWire graded it an A, summarizing it as "an exquisite execution of a deceptively simple idea" and believing it to be "one of the show's best episodes in years". Greene commented that the storyline is "surprisingly clear to follow" despite the chaos and speed and that even repetitive moments had "a constant escalation happening that gives this episode the perfect kind of forward momentum".[9]
References[edit]
- ↑ "FIRST LOOK: 'Rick and Morty' Season 5". Animation World Network. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ↑ Balwinder (February 8, 2021). "Rick and Morty Season 5 - Release Date, Trailer & Cast". Sea Wall A Life. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ↑ Maas, Jennifer (June 20, 2021). "'Rick and Morty' Creator on Dan Harmon as Rick's 'Nemesis,' Morty's 'Narnia Thing' and 'F-ing Insane' Next Episode". TheWrap. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
- ↑ Miller, Liz Shannon (June 20, 2021). "A Deep Dive With Justin Roiland on What It's Really Like to Make 'Rick and Morty'". Collider. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ↑ Inside the Episode: Mortyplicity (video). Adult Swim. June 28, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2021 – via YouTube.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Schedeen, Jesse (June 28, 2021). "Rick and Morty: Season 5, Episode 2 - "Mortyplicity" Review". IGN. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ↑ DeRoche, Lindsey (June 30, 2021). "Rick & Morty Season 5 Episode 2: Why The Post-Credits Scene Music Is Perfect". Screen Rant. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ↑ Matar, Joe (June 28, 2021). "Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 2 Review: Mortyplicity". Den of Geek. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ↑ Greene, Steve (June 28, 2021). "'Rick and Morty' Review: 'Mortyplicity' Is the Show's Most Exciting Episode in Years". IndieWire. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
External links[edit]
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