Rick and Morty

There’s something to be said about ego-driven villains being seen as awesome and heroic, but what exactly I cannot say.

It's just bog-standard wish fulfillment, generally people who are powerless and fettered really want to be powerful and unfettered.

edited 15th Oct '17 10:38:22 AM by Fourthspartan56

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn

So they naturally get so engrossed in the fantasy that any attempt to tell them it’s unhealthy gets ignored?

I really, really like both shows but it’s clear neither Walter nor Rick are to be emulated.

Speaking of The Fettered, has Superman ever canonically lived long-term in a society where his powers are nothing special, like a planet of Kryptonians under a yellow sun? What does his restraint-based heroism become, then? Does he get to "cut loose", or does he learn, like, police work or something?

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

I think one time he was challenged to a boxing match or something with a famous boxer, and they ended up fighting on a planet with a red sun so he wouldn't have his powers and the fight would be fair.

Yeah, they watch to see Rick (or whatever villain protagonist they're idolizing) do powerful things that they know they could never do. Any message of how it's bad or unhealthy is ignored because it threatens the fantasy.

That's my position too, I really like Rick as a character but I understand that he's neither praise worthy nor desirable to be around. Because after-all what's the point of being powerful if you're a broken wreck.

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn

Muhammad Ali, and Superman basically refused to back down even after Ali pretty much beat the hell out of him. That was more a testament to him refusing to give up, powers or no.

I do think that there is a problem with how the show frames Rick. Walter, for all the presentation of him as being smart and successful, never really made bones about him being on a downward spiral and the negative effects he had on those around him, the consequences of his actions, or the general escalation of depravity he was on.

With Rick, though, the show tends to side with him more often. Yes, it'll present him as an asshole who hurts people, but the show often tends to validate his worldview and philosophy, seeming to excuse him by presenting his asshole behavior as just a byproduct of being smart. Most episodes that have other characters call him out tend to have Rick deflecting their accusations back on them: "Rick Potion 9" has him point out that it was Morty's idea in the first place; "The Whirly-Dirly Conspiracy" has him chew out Jerry for being a parasite; and in "The ABCs of Beth" he shrugs off his own shitty parenting by revealing (out of nowhere) that Beth was a creepy psycho kid.

It's... honestly pretty seldom that Rick is challenged in a meaningful way - "Pickle Rick," "A Rickle in Time," and "Auto-Erotic Assimilation" are probably the big ones. Contrast with "Vindicators," in which Rick does essentially cause the conflict, but he and Morty aren't in any real danger save for when Supernova tries to kill them (which turns out to already have been solved before they even went into the lair) and the episode ends up validating him.

Most episodes we see Rick is able to get away with everything and win more or less effortlessly, all the while cracking jokes and farting in people's faces with no real repercussions to himself or the few people in his life he can be said to care about. You can say that the point of the show is that Rick's lifestyle is unhealthy and self-destructive, but the show, in my opinion, doesn't really do the greatest job of communicating that.

edited 16th Oct '17 12:18:41 AM by Pannic

It’s hard to juxtapose inner misery with Rick getting everyone out of adventures and above all, everyone needing him. Walter in contrast, ran on that misery. It was the entirety of his character.

That's probably why I really appreciated the season three finale more than I should. Rick didn't get to make a joke, be right about anything, save the day, or even have an epic battle to justify his actions. He was humiliated in every single level and it was all his own fault.

edited 15th Oct '17 9:39:51 PM by GamerSlyRatchet

Latest blog update (November 5th, 2022).

Ooh, that is an interesting observation.

There was a New Krypton story in Superman, by the by, where he lived on a planet of Yellow Sun Kryptonians. He still smacked the shit out of them, because they had experience with their powers for two minutes and he'd had his for more than thirty years.

My various fanfics.

My initial reluctance to watch the show is pretty much summed up by Pannic's post. In addition, whenever Morty calls Rick on his bullshit and tries to leave, Morty's the one who learns the lesson about how Rick is suffering inside, and returns to support Rick.

Season three's the best season because it's the first time people will call Rick on his bullshit, and stick with it. Morty chooses to stay in Mad Max world until Summer's ready to leave too; Rick ditches them both and then comes crawling back. When Rick turns himself into a pickle, the family ditches him for breaking his word. And in the season finale, the family, including Beth, basically sides with Jerry over Rick.

It helps that the person who always guilt tripped Morty into sticking with Rick, Birdperson, is for obvious reasons not able to do that this season.

Disgusted, but not surprised

Which is one of the reasons I didn't like Bird Person. I don't care if Rick was a better person before, if he's a toxic asshole now, and it's unfair to make Morty have to deal with it.

I don't remember if anyone pointed it out here, but the thing that made Bird Person even more of a dick is that he didn't try and help Rick himself. He just guilt tripped a fourteen-year-old boy into doing it so he could spend his time partying with Rick or a (presumed) 18-year-old girl instead of trying to be a real friend.

Bird Person felt like a college frat brother in how he acted towards Rick. “Yeah! We have a deep bond! Bird culture! But I’m gonna let everyone else deal with the unpleasant parts.”

edited 16th Oct '17 10:37:04 AM by Beatman1

In hindsight Bird Person was the real dick.

His death is still pretty sad though.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."

As a character he was amusing but I agree that he was a dick.

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn

This pretty much sums up every character in the show.

In general, I have enjoyed reading through the discussions in this thread regarding the moral rectitude of the various characters.

Everyone in the show is either an irredeemable asshat, or just a regular run-of-the-mill asshat. But they remain funny to watch, so that's all I really get out of it.

Someone used the audio from the VR game to make this:

Edit: Link from the animator.

edited 16th Oct '17 1:59:10 PM by GamerSlyRatchet

Latest blog update (November 5th, 2022).

Copyright claim.

Has anyone here checked out the comics? Apparently they brought back Tiny Rick.

3DS FC: 1719-3694-1541

Improving as an author, one video at a time.

Doctor Who is not a terrible scifi show his opinion is wrong and he should feel bad

link discus is generally against the rules,you gotta elaborate!

edited 19th Oct '17 9:24:33 AM by Ultimatum

New theme music also a box