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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/look_whos_purging.jpg]]
'''Original air date:''' 9/27/2015
Rick and Morty arrive on an alien planet to fix their ship just as the day of the purge begins there, Jerry and Summer work on their father-daughter relationship, but his lack of employment keeps coming up.
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!!This episode contains examples of:
* AintTooProudToBeg: When Arthricia is held at gunpoint by Rick and Morty.
* AllForNothing: Arthricia wants to rid the planet of The Purge and the elites who instigate it. Thanks to Rick and Morty, that actually happens and a new society starts. When her people begin struggling with this, they make a new suggestion that hints that the Purge will restart all over again.
* AlienNonInterferenceClause: When Morty wants Rick to land and rescue Arthricia, the latter mentions the clause non-interference policy.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Rick enjoyed the locals' idea of a Purge, only to see how violent it actually was. And this was before he got stranded on the planet without weaponry.
* BerserkButton: Morty is furious when the Old Man in the lighthouse calls him a terrible person and tries to kick him and Rick out -- despite Morty not doing anything wrong, actually listening to his whole (terrible) screenplay and attempting to be polite about it -- just because [[CantTakeCriticism Morty gave him some honest and relatively mild criticism on the screenplay]] ''[[{{Hypocrite}} that the Old Man specifically asked for]]''. This results in Morty [[StaircaseTumble pushing him down the stairs]] and semi-unintentionally killing him, though he does feel bad about it moments later.
-->'''Morty:''' [[BondOneLiner You like that?! You want me to "cut to three weeks earlier" when you were]] ''[[BondOneLiner alive?!]]''
* BlackComedy: Rick and Arthricia slaughtering the rich before dancing in their blood? Hilarious.
* BrickJoke: Jerry going on about Taddy Mason during the space phone call. At the end of the episode, it's revealed that Taddy Mason is a friendship phone line for $1.99 a minute, to the point where their phone bill is $700, clearly with Jerry spending several hours on the phone (350 minutes, or nearly 6 hours, minus the original cost of the bill; a family plan? Maybe down to five and a half hours).
* CallingTheOldManOut: Morty to Rick.
-->'''Morty:''' Screw you, Rick! I'll purge you, too, you old, rickety piece of crap! This has been a long time comin'! I'm gonna rip your fuckin' guts out and smear 'em all over your face!\\
''[Rick electrocutes Morty to knock him out]''
* CantTakeCriticism: The second Morty offers a critique on his screenplay, the Old Man (who practically begged for him to be honest about it) gets pissed off. It's not even a particularly biting critique, and it's clear that Morty was trying to be polite about it; the only negative thing he managed to get out initially was that he personally wasn't a big fan of the HowWeGotHere framing device.
* CatFolk: The alien species featured in this episode, although their feline appearance never figures into the plot in any way.
* ChekhovsGun: After Morty reflects on his actions, Rick assures him it was because the candy he ate contained Purgenol and that his character is still intact. But then subverted when the label on the candy reveals that it's now Purgenol-free, meaning Morty's actions really were his own.
* DisproportionateRetribution: The lighthouse keeper tries to revoke Morty's right of sanctuary because Morty told him that the HowWeGotHere framing device was unnecessary. Keep in mind, the guy asked for honest criticism.
* TheDulcineaEffect: Morty tries to convince Rick to rescue Arthricia after seeing her surrounded by potential murderers/rapists.
* DynamicEntry: Rick smashing the door to the rich peoples' place open with his boot.
* TheEndOrIsIt: The lighthouse owner's script ends with a TheEnd title screen and a question mark.
* EveryoneHasStandards: Rick is initially quite curious to see the aliens carry out the Festival. After a few moments, though, it proves so violent and disgusting that he wants to leave. Later, he is fine with killing people in the Purge at first, whether it was to protect Arthricia or just in self-defense, but then even he is disturbed when Morty goes crazy and starts killing people who ''weren't'' even attacking them. When Morty refuses to listen to Arthricia and wants to simply kill her, Rick says he is acting like a fucking lunatic and tells him to calm down and had to knock him unconscious when he really goes out of control.
* ExpressiveEars: Arthricia has them.
* EyeScream: Rick stabs an aggressor with a spoon in his eye.
* FullCircleRevolution: Even after overthrowing their corrupt ruling class, the aliens quickly resort to the same purge system to settle disputes in their new society.
* GenericName: When talking about some of the worlds he's been to that have done a purge, Rick says one of them was simply called "Murder Night."
* GetOut: The lighthouse owner makes it clear to Rick and Morty that they have to leave after Morty dissed his script.
* {{Gorn}}: Oh, yeah. It quickly gets to the point where even ''Rick'' is grossed out. So far, this is the ''goriest'' episode in the whole series, reaching ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'', ''Film/KillBill'' and ''Film/{{Logan}}''-levels of extreme graphic violence and sheer brutality.
* GoryDiscretionShot: Early on when Rick comments on the massacre from his shuttle while blood splatter hits the windshield.
* HereWeGoAgain: After Rick and Morty leave, the aliens begin to argue over how their new society should work. One of the farmers suggests designating a period of time where they can get their rage out of their systems.
* HolidayPardon: A deconstruction because this is a WholePlotReference to ''Film/ThePurgeUniverse''.
* HowWeGotHere: In-universe. The lighthouse owner's script starts with such a scenario. Morty dislikes the trope.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Morty points out the writer practically dragged the minor criticism he gave out of him.
* IncitingIncident: The bug hitting the ship's windshield. Had that not happened and caused a mess, Rick wouldn't have needed to stop to get wiper fluid.
* InMediasRes: InUniverse, the lighthouse owner's script begins this way, before cutting to three weeks earlier. When asked for criticism, Morty admits [[DiscussedTrope not being overly fond of this trope]], upon which the old man takes offense.
* KillThePoor: One point of the Festival. Arthricia stole Rick's ship to slaughter the rich and later does so with the armor.
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: At the start of the episode, Rick and Morty note how this is the first adventure this season where it's only just the two of them.
* LighthousePoint: Rick and Morty find a lighthouse from where they can send a beacon.
* MookHorrorShow: When Morty goes on his killing spree. Also Arthricia later at the rich peoples' place.
* NeverMyFault: The elites of the planet organised the purge, but it is evident that it only works because the civilians are petty, hair triggered psychopaths (Arthircia ultimately included). Indeed, when a democracy is installed with the elites (brutally and sadistically) disposed of, it's heavily implied the violence will continue and the purge will just be reinstated anyway.
* OnlyAFleshWound: Rick is shot in the liver, but it doesn't seem to bother him much. Still hurts like a bitch, though.
* OverlyLongGag: Arthricia telling Morty that she already has a boyfriend, then going on for nearly a minute apologizing and making it even more awkward.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
** Rick normally wreaks havoc on those who betray him. He is disturbed by how Morty wants to lay the killing blow, however, and decides to give Arthricia a break.
** Morty later is horrified that he broke his pacifist tendencies to murder people who were innocent and guilty alike.
* {{Panspermia}}: Rick offhandedly implies that life on planets developed from bugs that came from space.
* PetTheDog: Rick is surprisingly willing to forgive Arthricia after she robbed, shot, abandoned him and even goes on to help her when she explains why she did so.
* PoweredArmor: What Rick gets Summer to send to the planet. It comes with an ArmCannon.
* PrecisionFStrike: In a DeletedScene, Morty goes through a tirade of these before pushing the lighthouse keeper down the stairs:
-->'''Lighthouse Keeper:''' It's ''my'' lighthouse. I say when it's time to go.\\
'''Morty:''' ''Fuck'' you and ''fuck'' your lighthouse and ''fuck'' your screenplay! ''[shoves the lighthouse keeper]''
* PsychologicalProjection: The lighthouse keeper accuses Morty of being insecure and taking out that insecurity on other people. It's pretty clear, given the context, that this is true of himself.
* RageBreakingPoint: Morty struggles with his anger the entire episode, but while getting punched in the armor, he completely loses it and goes on a killing spree.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Arthricia, especially after Rick gives her Morty's power armor.
* RockBottom: After the probe is launched, Jerry reveals he wanted was to ask Summer for a few hundred dollars to get him through the month. She turns him down and walks out, leaving Jerry reflecting on hitting rock bottom. [[CueTheFallingObject A piece of the ceiling then hits him on the head]].
* ShaggyDogStory: After Rick and Arthricia put an end to the Purge by slaughtering the planet's wealthy and Rick and Morty leave the planet for themselves to rebuild society, they start arguing about the new system until [[HereWeGoAgain someone basically suggests that they hold a yearly Purge to get their anger out of their system]], implying that Rick and Arthricia were unsuccessful in putting an end to it.
* SoundtrackDissonance: PlayedForLaughs with Rick's suit of armor having a built-in stereo which blasts the upbeat NewJackSwing song "Feels Good" by Tony! Toni! Toné! as he and Arthricia slaughter people.
* StaircaseTumble: The lighthouse owner breaks his neck tumbling down the stairs, courtesy of Morty pushing him.
* TheStinger: Beth, in her only appearance in the episode, asks Jerry who Taddy Mason is and why their phone bill is $700 because of him. Cue a television ad popping up revealing that Taddy has a friendship phone line that Jerry's clearly been calling. Beth, unamused, tells him to get a job.
* StylisticSuck: The lighthouse owner's screenplay is pretty terrible, with lots of faux-clever turns of phrase, cliched description, an indecipherable plot, and a general sense that he thinks his writing is a lot wittier than it is.
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Morty when he succumbs to rage. It gets to the point where he slaughters people who were just trying to hide and even shoots corpses.
* TheseHandsHaveKilled: Morty looks at his hands after he caused the fatal StaircaseTumble.
* TakeThat: Summer's verdict of ''Film/ThePurge1'' is that it sucked.
* UnstoppableRage: Morty when he finally loses control.
* VoodooShark: [[ParodiedTrope Parodied]] in the ending. As Morty [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone reflects on his violent behavior during the episode]], Rick explains it as the result of a chemical called purgenol contained in the candy bars they were gifted at the beginning. After reassuring Morty that "[his] character's totally protected", Rick throw away the candy bar he was holding and the shot zooms in on the wrapper that reads "NOW PURGENOL FREE".
* WeveGotCompany: Said by Rick before we see him and Morty surrounded by townspeople.
* WhamShot: The candy label reading "Now Purgenol Free", which means Morty's rage came from him and him alone.
* WholePlotReference: To ''Film/ThePurgeUniverse''. Rick says he's been to several planets that have done just this.
* WoundedGazelleGambit: Jerry's attempts to talk to Summer and how she's growing up so fast is revealed to just be a way to point out how she has a job now and can loan him some money.
----
'''Original air date:''' 9/27/2015
Rick and Morty arrive on an alien planet to fix their ship just as the day of the purge begins there, Jerry and Summer work on their father-daughter relationship, but his lack of employment keeps coming up.
----
!!This episode contains examples of:
* AintTooProudToBeg: When Arthricia is held at gunpoint by Rick and Morty.
* AllForNothing: Arthricia wants to rid the planet of The Purge and the elites who instigate it. Thanks to Rick and Morty, that actually happens and a new society starts. When her people begin struggling with this, they make a new suggestion that hints that the Purge will restart all over again.
* AlienNonInterferenceClause: When Morty wants Rick to land and rescue Arthricia, the latter mentions the clause non-interference policy.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Rick enjoyed the locals' idea of a Purge, only to see how violent it actually was. And this was before he got stranded on the planet without weaponry.
* BerserkButton: Morty is furious when the Old Man in the lighthouse calls him a terrible person and tries to kick him and Rick out -- despite Morty not doing anything wrong, actually listening to his whole (terrible) screenplay and attempting to be polite about it -- just because [[CantTakeCriticism Morty gave him some honest and relatively mild criticism on the screenplay]] ''[[{{Hypocrite}} that the Old Man specifically asked for]]''. This results in Morty [[StaircaseTumble pushing him down the stairs]] and semi-unintentionally killing him, though he does feel bad about it moments later.
-->'''Morty:''' [[BondOneLiner You like that?! You want me to "cut to three weeks earlier" when you were]] ''[[BondOneLiner alive?!]]''
* BlackComedy: Rick and Arthricia slaughtering the rich before dancing in their blood? Hilarious.
* BrickJoke: Jerry going on about Taddy Mason during the space phone call. At the end of the episode, it's revealed that Taddy Mason is a friendship phone line for $1.99 a minute, to the point where their phone bill is $700, clearly with Jerry spending several hours on the phone (350 minutes, or nearly 6 hours, minus the original cost of the bill; a family plan? Maybe down to five and a half hours).
* CallingTheOldManOut: Morty to Rick.
-->'''Morty:''' Screw you, Rick! I'll purge you, too, you old, rickety piece of crap! This has been a long time comin'! I'm gonna rip your fuckin' guts out and smear 'em all over your face!\\
''[Rick electrocutes Morty to knock him out]''
* CantTakeCriticism: The second Morty offers a critique on his screenplay, the Old Man (who practically begged for him to be honest about it) gets pissed off. It's not even a particularly biting critique, and it's clear that Morty was trying to be polite about it; the only negative thing he managed to get out initially was that he personally wasn't a big fan of the HowWeGotHere framing device.
* CatFolk: The alien species featured in this episode, although their feline appearance never figures into the plot in any way.
* ChekhovsGun: After Morty reflects on his actions, Rick assures him it was because the candy he ate contained Purgenol and that his character is still intact. But then subverted when the label on the candy reveals that it's now Purgenol-free, meaning Morty's actions really were his own.
* DisproportionateRetribution: The lighthouse keeper tries to revoke Morty's right of sanctuary because Morty told him that the HowWeGotHere framing device was unnecessary. Keep in mind, the guy asked for honest criticism.
* TheDulcineaEffect: Morty tries to convince Rick to rescue Arthricia after seeing her surrounded by potential murderers/rapists.
* DynamicEntry: Rick smashing the door to the rich peoples' place open with his boot.
* TheEndOrIsIt: The lighthouse owner's script ends with a TheEnd title screen and a question mark.
* EveryoneHasStandards: Rick is initially quite curious to see the aliens carry out the Festival. After a few moments, though, it proves so violent and disgusting that he wants to leave. Later, he is fine with killing people in the Purge at first, whether it was to protect Arthricia or just in self-defense, but then even he is disturbed when Morty goes crazy and starts killing people who ''weren't'' even attacking them. When Morty refuses to listen to Arthricia and wants to simply kill her, Rick says he is acting like a fucking lunatic and tells him to calm down and had to knock him unconscious when he really goes out of control.
* ExpressiveEars: Arthricia has them.
* EyeScream: Rick stabs an aggressor with a spoon in his eye.
* FullCircleRevolution: Even after overthrowing their corrupt ruling class, the aliens quickly resort to the same purge system to settle disputes in their new society.
* GenericName: When talking about some of the worlds he's been to that have done a purge, Rick says one of them was simply called "Murder Night."
* GetOut: The lighthouse owner makes it clear to Rick and Morty that they have to leave after Morty dissed his script.
* {{Gorn}}: Oh, yeah. It quickly gets to the point where even ''Rick'' is grossed out. So far, this is the ''goriest'' episode in the whole series, reaching ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'', ''Film/KillBill'' and ''Film/{{Logan}}''-levels of extreme graphic violence and sheer brutality.
* GoryDiscretionShot: Early on when Rick comments on the massacre from his shuttle while blood splatter hits the windshield.
* HereWeGoAgain: After Rick and Morty leave, the aliens begin to argue over how their new society should work. One of the farmers suggests designating a period of time where they can get their rage out of their systems.
* HolidayPardon: A deconstruction because this is a WholePlotReference to ''Film/ThePurgeUniverse''.
* HowWeGotHere: In-universe. The lighthouse owner's script starts with such a scenario. Morty dislikes the trope.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Morty points out the writer practically dragged the minor criticism he gave out of him.
* IncitingIncident: The bug hitting the ship's windshield. Had that not happened and caused a mess, Rick wouldn't have needed to stop to get wiper fluid.
* InMediasRes: InUniverse, the lighthouse owner's script begins this way, before cutting to three weeks earlier. When asked for criticism, Morty admits [[DiscussedTrope not being overly fond of this trope]], upon which the old man takes offense.
* KillThePoor: One point of the Festival. Arthricia stole Rick's ship to slaughter the rich and later does so with the armor.
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: At the start of the episode, Rick and Morty note how this is the first adventure this season where it's only just the two of them.
* LighthousePoint: Rick and Morty find a lighthouse from where they can send a beacon.
* MookHorrorShow: When Morty goes on his killing spree. Also Arthricia later at the rich peoples' place.
* NeverMyFault: The elites of the planet organised the purge, but it is evident that it only works because the civilians are petty, hair triggered psychopaths (Arthircia ultimately included). Indeed, when a democracy is installed with the elites (brutally and sadistically) disposed of, it's heavily implied the violence will continue and the purge will just be reinstated anyway.
* OnlyAFleshWound: Rick is shot in the liver, but it doesn't seem to bother him much. Still hurts like a bitch, though.
* OverlyLongGag: Arthricia telling Morty that she already has a boyfriend, then going on for nearly a minute apologizing and making it even more awkward.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
** Rick normally wreaks havoc on those who betray him. He is disturbed by how Morty wants to lay the killing blow, however, and decides to give Arthricia a break.
** Morty later is horrified that he broke his pacifist tendencies to murder people who were innocent and guilty alike.
* {{Panspermia}}: Rick offhandedly implies that life on planets developed from bugs that came from space.
* PetTheDog: Rick is surprisingly willing to forgive Arthricia after she robbed, shot, abandoned him and even goes on to help her when she explains why she did so.
* PoweredArmor: What Rick gets Summer to send to the planet. It comes with an ArmCannon.
* PrecisionFStrike: In a DeletedScene, Morty goes through a tirade of these before pushing the lighthouse keeper down the stairs:
-->'''Lighthouse Keeper:''' It's ''my'' lighthouse. I say when it's time to go.\\
'''Morty:''' ''Fuck'' you and ''fuck'' your lighthouse and ''fuck'' your screenplay! ''[shoves the lighthouse keeper]''
* PsychologicalProjection: The lighthouse keeper accuses Morty of being insecure and taking out that insecurity on other people. It's pretty clear, given the context, that this is true of himself.
* RageBreakingPoint: Morty struggles with his anger the entire episode, but while getting punched in the armor, he completely loses it and goes on a killing spree.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Arthricia, especially after Rick gives her Morty's power armor.
* RockBottom: After the probe is launched, Jerry reveals he wanted was to ask Summer for a few hundred dollars to get him through the month. She turns him down and walks out, leaving Jerry reflecting on hitting rock bottom. [[CueTheFallingObject A piece of the ceiling then hits him on the head]].
* ShaggyDogStory: After Rick and Arthricia put an end to the Purge by slaughtering the planet's wealthy and Rick and Morty leave the planet for themselves to rebuild society, they start arguing about the new system until [[HereWeGoAgain someone basically suggests that they hold a yearly Purge to get their anger out of their system]], implying that Rick and Arthricia were unsuccessful in putting an end to it.
* SoundtrackDissonance: PlayedForLaughs with Rick's suit of armor having a built-in stereo which blasts the upbeat NewJackSwing song "Feels Good" by Tony! Toni! Toné! as he and Arthricia slaughter people.
* StaircaseTumble: The lighthouse owner breaks his neck tumbling down the stairs, courtesy of Morty pushing him.
* TheStinger: Beth, in her only appearance in the episode, asks Jerry who Taddy Mason is and why their phone bill is $700 because of him. Cue a television ad popping up revealing that Taddy has a friendship phone line that Jerry's clearly been calling. Beth, unamused, tells him to get a job.
* StylisticSuck: The lighthouse owner's screenplay is pretty terrible, with lots of faux-clever turns of phrase, cliched description, an indecipherable plot, and a general sense that he thinks his writing is a lot wittier than it is.
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Morty when he succumbs to rage. It gets to the point where he slaughters people who were just trying to hide and even shoots corpses.
* TheseHandsHaveKilled: Morty looks at his hands after he caused the fatal StaircaseTumble.
* TakeThat: Summer's verdict of ''Film/ThePurge1'' is that it sucked.
* UnstoppableRage: Morty when he finally loses control.
* VoodooShark: [[ParodiedTrope Parodied]] in the ending. As Morty [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone reflects on his violent behavior during the episode]], Rick explains it as the result of a chemical called purgenol contained in the candy bars they were gifted at the beginning. After reassuring Morty that "[his] character's totally protected", Rick throw away the candy bar he was holding and the shot zooms in on the wrapper that reads "NOW PURGENOL FREE".
* WeveGotCompany: Said by Rick before we see him and Morty surrounded by townspeople.
* WhamShot: The candy label reading "Now Purgenol Free", which means Morty's rage came from him and him alone.
* WholePlotReference: To ''Film/ThePurgeUniverse''. Rick says he's been to several planets that have done just this.
* WoundedGazelleGambit: Jerry's attempts to talk to Summer and how she's growing up so fast is revealed to just be a way to point out how she has a job now and can loan him some money.
----
