Rick and Morty Season 2 Recap

October 5, 2015 Mick Theebs

Last night one of the best shows on television wrapped up its sophomore season. For those of you living under a rock, Rick and Morty is a show about the wacky sci-fi adventures of the mad scientist Rick Sanchez and his grandson Morty Smith.

The brainchild of Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon , Rick and Morty is a mix of sci-fi tropes, meta-humor, and mood whiplash. It's hard to describe because there hasn't really been any other show like it.

If you haven't seen the second season yet, stop reading this article and watch every episode because there are SPOILERS BELOW.

Okay, now that all of the posers are gone and the real fans are left, I thought it would be fun to rank the episodes of this season from worst to best. Feel free to bitch in the comments if you think I lowballed your favorite episode or whatever.

10. Interdimensional Cable II: Tempting Fate

The sequel!

Easily the weakest episode of the season, Interdimensional Cable II is a rehash the season one episode. Rick says that they "pretty much nailed it the first time." Roiland has stated this episode was basically his fault. While I didn't hate this episode (it's still Rick and Morty), it's fair to say that this sequel to Interdimensional Cable was not as good as the original. This is partly because the novelty had worn off slightly and also because there was less overall structure in everything.

9. Get Schwifty

New episodes premiere Sundays @ 11:30p ET/PT Watch Full Episodes: http://asw.im/o8A92 SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/AdultSwimSubscribe About Rick and Morty: Rick and Morty is Adult Swim's most scientifically accurate animated comedy. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, it catalogues the bizarre misadventures of a bored scientific genius/drunkard and his socially awkward grandson, Morty.

Get Schwifty comes in at the bottom simply because both the A and B plots are really weak. The song is silly and this episode spawned the dank-ass catchphrase "Show Me What You Got", but on the whole the reality-show plot just wasn't that entertaining and the satire of organized religion was heavy-handed. Still, this episode is miles ahead of Interdimensional Cable II.

8. A Rickle in Time

Talks a mean game, but when it counts, Rick loves his grandson. Watch Full Episodes: http://asw.im/1g388E SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/AdultSwimSubscribe About Rick and Morty: Rick and Morty is Adult Swim's most scientifically accurate animated comedy. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, it catalogues the bizarre misadventures of a bored scientific genius/drunkard and his socially awkward grandson, Morty.

The season 2 opener just barely nudges into the number 8 slot not because it was bad, but because the other episodes are so much better. The A-plot is basically a bottle-episode with Rick, Morty, and Summer stuck in a state of uncertainty. The B-plot features Beth and Jerry arguing over a dead deer. This first episode of the season is particularly good because it hits the viewer with some major feels: Rick actually does care for Morty and is willing to completely sacrifice himself for his grandson's well-being.

7. Look Who's Purging Now

Uploaded by Spazz DHN on 2015-09-21.

The penultimate (that's second to last) episode of the season is decent. The A plot carries the episode as Rick and Morty get stranded on a planet in the midst of its "festival". They are forced to fight their way off the planet after one of the natives steals Rick's ship. Morty exposes some of his inner frustrations in this episode and shows that he's got some serious anger simmering beneath the surface. The B plot features Summer berating Jerry for not getting a new job, but it's pretty weak and forgettable compared to the purge.

6. Total Rickall

New episodes premiere Sundays at 11:30p ET/PT Watch Full Episodes: http://asw.im/9mbxeM SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/AdultSwimSubscribe About Rick and Morty: Rick and Morty is Adult Swim's most scientifically accurate animated comedy. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, it catalogues the bizarre misadventures of a bored scientific genius/drunkard and his socially awkward grandson, Morty.

The main reason why this episode is number six is because of Mr. Poopybutthole. He's even spliced into the title sequence, which makes the joke even better. Total Rickall is unique because there is no B plot. The entire Smith family is locked down in the house with an expanding cast of increasingly ridiculous characters. Some of the biggest laughs of the episode come from the fact that the family is forced to recall bad memories about each other in order to distinguish between real people and parasites, which are predictably hilarious. Of course, the best part is the twist ending where it is revealed that Mr. Poopybutthole was real all along, much to Beth's embarrassment.

5. Big Trouble in Little Sanchez

Hey, Jerry lover! I own nothing. All rights go to Adult Swim.

Big Trouble in Little Sanchez is an interesting episode because the B-plot, in which Beth and Jerry attend couple's therapy and have to fight off demonized versions of themselves, is far more interesting than the A-plot, where Rick transfers his consciousness into a younger clone of himself. The B-plot is so good that it catapults this episode up to the number 5 slot. I personally found the A-plot very lacking, as it mainly consisted of Rick running around Morty and Summer's school shouting "Tiny Rick" over and over again. However, it stands to note that Summer is the one who actually saves the day in this one, since Morty is too preoccupied trying to nail Jessica, showing some serious character growth on her part.

4. Auto Erotic Assimilation

Sad Ending to Season 2 Episode 3 of Rick and Morty. The song is called Do you Feel It by Chaos Chaos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTA0DSfrGZ0 I do not own the rights to Rick And Morty Adult Swim does.

Possibly the darkest episode of the season, Auto Erotic Assimilation ends on a particularly depressing note as Rick botches a suicide attempt following his break-up with the hivemind called Unity. This episode was strong though, as viewers were given a glimpse into Rick's past and his sexual proclivities while Morty and Summer look on in horror. The B-plot was weak compared to the A, but still entertaining as Beth and Jerry explored Rick's lab in the garage. (Also, the song at the end of the episode is simply amazing- Do You Feel It? by Chaos Chaos)

3. The Wedding Squanchers

Bird Person has become inebriated. Watch Full Episodes: http://asw.im/3zqTK0 SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/AdultSwimSubscribe About Rick and Morty: Rick and Morty is Adult Swim's most scientifically accurate animated comedy. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, it catalogues the bizarre misadventures of a bored scientific genius/drunkard and his socially awkward grandson, Morty.

The finale cracks the top three and hoo boy is it a doozy. This episode affords the viewer (and the Smiths) even more backstory on Rick's past and expands on his relationship with Squanchy and Birdperson (RIP). Like Total Rickall, there is no B-plot in this episode, but really it would only get in the way. Shit goes down hard as the Galactic government raids the wedding and Rick and the Smiths hightail it out to a remote planet out of reach of the long tentacle of the law. Rick then overhears his family complaining about how selfish he is and ends up turning himself in so they can return to Earth, which is now overrun with alien tourists. This is another episode that hammers you in the gut and makes you realize that Rick isn't as selfish as he appears to be. Mr. Poopybutthole (!) makes another appearance at the end of the episode to speculate with the viewers. The season ends on a great note and leaves everyone excited for season 3.

2. The Ricks Must Be Crazy

Uploaded by Spazz DHN on 2015-08-24.

The sixth episode takes the 2nd place slot for best episode of the season, just barely nudging out the finale. The A-plot is set up like a Russian nesting doll, as Rick and Morty delve deeper into different micro/mini/teeny -verses and eventually get stranded while Summer waits in the car for the B-plot. Part of the reason why this episode is ranked so highly is because of Stephen Colbert's cameo as Rick's rival. He absolutely nails the part and provides some hilarious back and forth with Roiland's Rick. The B-plot isn't too shabby either, as Summer gets into a stand-off with the army due to the overprotective nature of Rick's car. Simply put, this is some quality Rick and Morty.

1. Mortynight Run

Uploaded by Zombie Media on 2015-09-13.

Goddamn. Mortynight Run is the best episode of the season by a landslide. I am not exaggerating when I say that every single thing that happens in this episode is hilarious. Jemaine Clement's David Bowie spoof was a scream. Andy Daly's Krombopulous Michael killed me (he just loves killing). The return of Gearhead and his subsequent betrayal was also a pleasant surprise. And oh man, the B-plot. An interdimensional day care for Jerry is comedy genius. Mortynight Run also includes arguably the best joke featured on Rick and Morty: An immersive videogame called Roy whose only object is live life as a human male named Roy. If I were to try to get someone interested in this show, I would show them this episode. This episode is Rick and Morty at its finest.

Welp. That's it. That's my breakdown of the season. Feel free to post your own top ten in the comments. We've only got a year, maybe a year and a half...or longer until the next season.

Mr. Poopybutthole ( Mr. Poopy Butthole ) Ending season 2 Rick and Morty Season 2 Episode 10 ending RickandmortyS02E10 rick and morty My favorite show, Best moment ever. They say ''year or so for next episode'' they know exactly how we feel.

Shackled to the Past: True Detective Season 2

August 17, 2015 Mick Theebs

Massive True Detective Season 2 Spoilers Below:

I know I'm a little late to the party for this one, but I wanted to take some time to think about what I was going to say about this season.

The second season of True Detective was highly anticipated and many people were disappointed with the finale. A big reason why this is the case is because season two is constantly compared to season one. Was season one better? Absolutely. But this doesn't mean that season two was not good television.

Part of the problem seems to be that many people were expecting True Detective Season One Part II when the second season was announced. They wanted more of the Yellow King. They were expecting the same symmetrical story-telling: the first half of the season an extended flashback with the second half wrapping up the loose ends with a climax. Of course they were let down when they got something that was completely different.

But to call the second season a bait and switch is unfair. Thematically, True Detective is a show about people trying to reconcile their pasts. We can see this in season one with the massive flashback that took up the first half of the season. The show was literally about two men trying to solve an old case while also making amends for past mistakes. Similarly, in season two all four of the main characters are struggling with their ties to the past.

Frank is most literally running away from his past as he tries to become a legitimate businessman. He spends the course of season two backsliding into his old ways, taking over the old businesses and killing anyone who stands in his way.

Ray is tortured by the rape of his wife and the questionable paternity of his son. Moreover, he learns that he sold his soul for nothing, having taken vengeance on the wrong man.

Ani comes from a troubled home and holds people at a distance as a result. Later in the season she realizes that much of her pain stems from her history of sexual abuse.

Woodrugh is in deep denial about his homosexuality and tries to forget about the romance he had with a brother-in-arms during his tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Just like the first season, the mystery is meant to serve as a backdrop for a in-depth character study. It worked so well in season one because there were only two characters being examined, allowing both Rust and Marty plenty of screen time. This season each character got half the amount of screen time, which of course means they're not as well characterized as Rust and Marty.

Then there's the other issue that many people had with this season: almost everyone died. Ani is the only major character who survives the season's events. This is for good reason, as this is also linked to the theme of reconciling the past. Ani is the one only who is able to shake loose the binds to her past and move forward to start a new life as the mother of Ray's child. Everyone else couldn't, and died as a result.

Woodrugh is the first to die due to the fact that he couldn't accept that he was gay. He is blackmailed with compromising pictures and meets to discuss the terms of his blackmail. He then gets into a shootout and dies, taking many men with him. If Woodrugh could just be honest about his past in Afganistan and the man he was, he wouldn't have been blackmailed because he would have been openly gay.

Frank was ready to move on from his life as a gangster after getting revenge on an old business partner, but the ties to the cartel he forged over the course of the season's events come back to bite him in the ass. Because of Frank's backsliding into a life of crime, he ends up bleeding out in the desert, but not before hallucinating and telling off all of the people who told him over the course of his life that he wouldn't succeed.

Ray's end is perhaps the most tragic because it stemmed from the love he felt for his son. After helping Frank get revenge, Ray stops to see his son at school. As he looks at his son through the fence, the police stick a transponder on his car, thus allowing them to track his movements. He is unable to escape to South America with Ani as a result and instead dies in the forest after a final shootout with the Vinci police.

A brief epilogue provides some closure for these three dead men: Woodrugh gets a stretch of highway named after him (he always loved the driving his bike on the highway), Frank's wife is in South America with Ani helping her take care of Ray's baby (she and Frank always wanted to start a family, and Ray's ex-wife finds out that Ray is the father of their son (whose paternity was in question).

If this were a series by a different name, I don't think viewers and critics would judge it as harshly. Was it perfect? Absolutely not. There was weak dialogue (especially when Frank was speaking) and scenes that dragged. The plot was confusing and convoluted and the ending seemed abrupt. But at its core, True Detective is not a narrative-driven show. It is a study of characters and their relationship to the past, something that this season remains true to.

Happy Endings Earned: A Mad Men Finale Recap

May 19, 2015 Mick Theebs

WARNING: There are massive Mad Men spoilers in this post. Read at your own risk.

The series finale of Mad Men was last night. Like most series finales, it was heavy marketed and highly anticipated. Of course, this runs the risk of disappointing the audience if the program doesn't deliver on the promises of advertising.

It's a bittersweet feeling to see Mad Men end, being such a character-driven show. It's hard to let go of these people we've watched grow and change for the past seven (seven and a half?) seasons. I found myself worrying about the characters and wondering how things will turn out for them. Compare this to a plot-driven show like Breaking Bad, where all the viewer cares about is what happens. With Mad Men, the audience is compelled by the characters and how they grow as people.

Breaking Bad's finale was a period, but Mad Men's was an ellipsis. We get a vague idea of where our favorite characters land, but there are still ambiguities. Things remain clear enough for the audience to get a fully-formed idea of the show's thesis.

Why did we watch this show for seven years? What is it saying about humanity at large? Is it a meditation on the struggle of the individual against the corporate machine? Is it an assault on the effects of consumerism on identity? Of course, these themes are tied to the corporate setting of Sterling Cooper, but Wiener seems to be saying something bigger.

The title of the final episode is telling- “Person to Person”. Mad Men has been a show about the struggle to connect individual to individual. Primarily, Donald Draper's struggle, but this theme can be applied to the entire cast. And rightfully so, the episode focuses on tying up loose ends among the remaining major players.

Peter and his family getting on a plane for Kansas.

Peter Campbell's narrative thread is basically wrapped up at the beginning of this episode. He has confessed his love for his ex-wife and she has forgiven him for his past transgressions. He's overcome his inability to sympathize and his puerile need for validation. He's become a confident, driven individual who is comfortable in his own skin. This, in turn, allows Peter to ultimately win her back.

Pete's arc is an overture of the finale's atmosphere. It's the story of a man who has figured out how to give and receive love, the purest form of human connection. This arc can be applied to the rest of the characters as their stories play out, as each individual character learns to love both outwardly and inwardly.

The most obvious and literal of these happy endings is Peggy's romance-comedy climax with Stan. After he confesses his love for her over the phone, Peggy talks herself into the realization she's in love with him as well, this following a drunken argument where Peggy calls Stan a failure after he reminds her there's more to life than work. Peggy's feelings for Stan are conflicted because she is technically his superior. When she speaks to him over the phone, she is speaking with Stan the Human, but when she's with him in person at work, she regards him as Stan the Underling. His confession makes her realize that she is in love with Stan the Human and does not need to be professional at all times. Being emotionally mature, she readily accepts his love.

Roger Sterling is another character whose happy ending is a matter of securing romantic love. In the episodes leading up to the finale, Roger is shown to have started a relationship with Megan's mother- Marie Calvet. The finale gives the viewer some insight into the nature of their relationship- Marie is just as unstable and emotionally immature as Roger. But Roger accepts that with Burt Cooper gone he's now the oldest guy in the room. He still retains his razor wit and good humor, but it has since become tinted with a morbid acknowledgment of his coming end. Roger opens himself up to Marie Calvet's love because he does not want to spend his remaining years alone. Roger's knowledge of his death allows himself to truly appreciate the love he is given and embraces it wholly, as seen by his efforts to speak French to better communicate with Marie.

Joan's ending serves as a foil to Peggy's pairing with Stan. The second half of the seventh season introduced Richard, Joan's Californian boyfriend. He's a retired real estate developer who is looking to enjoy his golden years spending his fortune on Joan. However, Ken Cosgrove makes his final appearance and offers Joan a job working as a freelance producer for Dow Chemical. Roger Sterling also surprises her with the addition of their son to his will, securing his future. No longer concerned with her son's future, Joan is inspired to start a production company and tries to enlist Peggy as a partner. Undeterred by Peggy's rejection, Joan moves forward with her dream. Richard tries to talk her out of it, confessing that he wants to spend time with her and that starting a business will demand all of her attention and energy. He forces her to choose between him and her dreams. Joan chooses to move forward with Holgrove-Harris Productions.

This is a big choice for Joan because it is the first time she is doing something for herself. For a large part of the series, Joan was forced to bend to the will of the men in her life. At times, it seemed she was trying to fit herself into various archetypal roles: the perfect secretary, the perfect wife, the perfect mistress. She always had keen business sense, though she was often forced to also use her sexuality to advance in the business world, literally prostituting herself for her partnership. Joan's choice to start her own business balances Peggy's love for Stan. Joan is actualizing her professional dreams and affording herself a new level of fulfillment. She is treating herself with love and self-respect by sacrificing her romantic relationship with Richard and seems pleased as punch about it.

And then there is Don. Poor Dick Whitman who has never been loved in his life- born to a prostitute and a farmer, raised in a whorehouse by the deceased farmer's wife, Don was raised as a child no one wanted. His first sexual experience wasn't even with someone he loved, but instead a motherly prostitute. Don has gone most of his life without ever knowing what it was like to be loved or to love in return.

Even when he assumed his new identity and started his new life, Don still has a fundamental gap in his knowledge. To make things worse, he is now burdened with the fear that he will be discovered. That everyone will know he is a fraud and then abandon him. This forces him to keep people a distance and hide behind smoke and mirrors of silence and charm. At the start of the series, Don has conflated attention with love. At Sterling Cooper, people paid attention to him. At McCann, Don is just another part of the machine. This terrifies him and forces him to react the only way he knows how: by running away.

Don wanders the American heartland until he receives the news of Betty's cancer from Sally. Sally has grown up quickly, readily assuming the responsibilities of adulthood in the twilight of Betty's life. Don wants to come back to take care of his children and speaks to his ex-wife on the phone. They share a tearful exchange and silently acknowledge the love they feel for one another, though neither party can bring themselves to speak it aloud, knowing that it's too late. Betty tells Don that she wants everything to be normal as possible and his absence is a normal thing. This truth cuts Don to the quick.

Continuing his push west, Don goes to see the only family he has: Anna Draper's niece, Stephanie. Seeing that Don is in bad shape, Stephanie convinces Don to come with her to a meditation retreat. There the two attend a support group where Stephanie reveals that she has abandoned her child and feels guilty. Don tries to recommend his own strategy to her, telling her she can forget about her guilt and push forward and forget. Stephanie doesn't believe him and leaves him stranded at the retreat, forcing Don into a deeper depression.

With nowhere else to run, Don experiences an emotional breakdown. He calls Peggy and hopes to pick his spirits up by speaking to his old protege. She immediately sets to work trying to get him to come back and Don tells her that he can't go back to New York because of all the terrible things he's done. The pay phone serves as Don's confession booth as he details to Peggy his past sins, airing his old wounds for the first time in his life. He abruptly hangs up, forcing Peggy to worry for his safety. The reality of the situation is that Don is finally bottoming out. He can no longer hide his secrets, as the fear of being discovered alienates him from everyone around him.

Don is then encouraged to attend another group therapy session. It is there he is moved by the confession of a group member. This group member is an unremarkable man, a man who wishes he could gain the attention of those around him. He goes on to explain that he does not know what love is, and is unable to give or receive it, to even understand it on its most basic level. He comes to the heart-wrenching realization that his family is trying to love him and that he is the one who is not receiving it.

This shakes Don to his very core, as he is in many ways this man's opposite. Don is always the center of attention and feels the exact same lack of the capacity for love that this stranger describes. Don is relieved to find someone like him and is moved to tears as the barriers that have been up for his entire life come crashing down. He embraces this man and cries with him and they love each other in that moment, bound by their mutual lack of love.

The final shot of the series shows Donald Draper mediating with the Pacific Ocean at his back, a blissful smile on his face. The screen then dissolves into one of the most famous commercials ever made, implying that Don is the one destined to create it.

Don's old wounds are finally healed and what does he do? He goes on to turn that message of love for his fellow man into a commercial for Coke Cola. Is this a cynical message? Not necessarily. Though Don is monetizing the notion of love and peace, it cannot be forgotten that Don is an ad-man. He expresses himself through his work and his best work has always included a piece of himself. This tremendously successful advertisement is Don's way of showing the world the love he now feels for himself and humanity at large.

So what does it all mean? A show with as many characters and plot lines as Mad Men can't be boiled down to a few key phrases. It's about the struggle of the individual against the expectations and perceptions of society. It's about woman's struggle to be taken seriously in a man's world. It's about balancing ambition and love. It's about the difficulties in forging emotional bonds. More than anything, Mad Men is about the true power of connecting person to person and the happiness that can come of it.