Meeseeks and Destroy

Last updated
"Meeseeks and Destroy"
Rick and Morty episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 5
Directed byBryan Newton
Written byRyan Ridley
Original air dateJanuary 20, 2014 (2014-01-20)
Running time21 minutes
Episode chronology
← Previous
"M. Night Shaym-Aliens!"		Next →
"Rick Potion #9"
Rick and Morty (season 1)
List of episodes

"Meeseeks and Destroy" is the fifth episode of the first season of Rick and Morty . It premiered on Adult Swim on January 20, 2014. The episode was written by Ryan Ridley and directed by Bryan Newton. In the episode, Rick provides the family with a solution to their problems, freeing him up to go on an adventure led by Morty. The episode has been well received, and was seen by about 1.6 million viewers when it was first aired on Adult Swim. [1]

Contents

Plot

After a traumatic adventure, Morty strikes a bet with Rick to lead one of his own. When the other Smiths ask Rick for solutions to their mundane problems, he gives them a Meeseeks Box: a gadget capable of summoning blue humanoids all named "Mr. Meeseeks", who live until executing the task they’re given, and then vanish. Rick warns the family to keep their tasks simple.

Jerry summons a Meeseeks to take two strokes off his golf game, but struggles. The frustrated creature summons another Meeseeks for help. Soon, Jerry is surrounded by many Meeseeks, yet still cannot improve. Giving up, he and Beth go to dinner together despite of the Meeseeks' protests. The desperate Meeseeks brawl amongst themselves before concluding that their only hope is to kill Jerry (thus taking all strokes off his game).

A horde of Meeseeks storm the restaurant, taking hostages to coerce Jerry out of hiding. Beth convinces him to try his golf swing one last time. Jerry uses a pipe and tomato to demonstrate that his game has improved, and the Meeseeks disappear.

Concurrently, Rick and Morty arrive in a poor village in a medieval fantasy world, who request their help to steal a giant's treasure in order to raise money. They climb up a giant beanstalk to the giants' world, but a fatal accident sees them arrested for “murdering” him. They are tried in a Giant's Court, but are acquitted via technicality.

The duo stop at a tavern, and Morty heads to the bathroom after berating Rick for his constant pessimism. There, an initially gregarious Mr. Jellybean attempts to rape him whom Morty fights off, but left visibly shaken. Meanwhile, Rick wins a sizable amount of money from playing cards. Morty begs Rick to go home, admitting to losing the bet. Rick quickly notices Morty's situation with Jellybean and offers to give the money to the villagers. The villagers declare the duo heroes and ask them to meet their king who happens to be Mr. Jellybean. Morty immediately tells Rick to open a portal to leave, but not before Rick shoots and kills Jellybean through the portal as retribution.

In a post-credits scene, two villagers find incriminating photographs in King Jellybean's lockbox, but they burn it to keep the king's legacy untainted. The camera pans out, revealing a statue of Mr. Jellybean massaging the shoulders of a young child—reminiscent of his assault on Morty.

Development

Justin Roiland claimed the idea for the episode occurred when, frustrated with the progress of a writing session, he suggested the introduction of a character blurting "I'm Mister Meeseeks, look at me!" and the concept evolved from there. [2]

Reception

Zach Handlen of The A.V. Club rated the episode A−, quoting that it "[may have had] the most weirdly upbeat ending of the show so far". [3] David Roa from Dead Screen gave the episode 9.1 out of 10, noting its great story and re-watchability. [4] Junkie Monkey's gave it a mixed review, stating that although it wasn't the best episode of the season, it was far from the worst. [5] Den of Geek gave the episode a 5/5 rating, reviewer Joe Matar said that the episode was a good challenge of the concept of adventure. [6]

Related Research Articles

Rick and Morty is an American adult animated science fiction sitcom created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The series follows the misadventures of Rick Sanchez, a cynical mad scientist, and his good-hearted but fretful grandson Morty Smith, who split their time between domestic life and interdimensional adventures that take place across an infinite number of realities, often traveling to other planets and dimensions through portals and on Rick's flying saucer. The general concept of Rick and Morty relies on two conflicting scenarios: domestic family drama and a misanthropic grandfather dragging his grandson into hijinks.

"Rick Potion #9" is the sixth episode of Rick and Morty. It premiered on Adult Swim on January 27, 2014, was written by Justin Roiland, and directed by Stephen Sandoval. In the episode, a love potion goes wrong, creating a virus that begins to infect the entire world population, making everyone fall in love with Morty. The episode received critical acclaim, receiving praise for its story, subplot, and ending. It was seen by 1.7 million viewers at first airing. The title of the episode is in reference to the 1959 song "Love Potion No. 9" by the Clovers.

The pilot episode of the American animated television sitcom Rick and Morty was written by series creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, and directed by Justin Roiland. The episode premiered on Adult Swim on December 2, 2013. The series introduces protagonists, alcoholic scientist Rick Sanchez and his innocent teenage grandson Morty Smith, as they embark on a dangerous interdimensional adventure to fetch Mega Tree seeds. The pilot had a positive reception and was seen by about 1.1 million viewers when it premiered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Rickle in Time</span> 1st episode of the 2nd season of Rick and Morty

"A Rickle in Time" is the first episode in the second season of the American animated television sitcom Rick and Morty, and the twelfth overall episode of the series. Written by Matt Roller and directed by Wes Archer, the episode first aired on Adult Swim in the United States on July 26, 2015. The title of the episode is a pun to the novel, A Wrinkle in Time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Sanchez</span> Fictional character

Richard Daniel "Rick" Sanchez is one of the two eponymous characters from the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty and resulting franchise. The character was created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, and voiced by the former during the first six seasons of the series, then by Ian Cardoni beginning with the seventh season. Yōhei Tadano provides his voice for Rick and Morty: The Anime, after voicing the character in the Japanese dub of the series and various promotional short films. Rick is a misanthropic, alcoholic scientist inspired by Christopher Lloyd's Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown from Back to the Future and Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic from Marvel Comics. In September 2021, Lloyd portrayed Rick himself in a series of promotional interstitials for the series.

Bethany "Beth" Smith (née Sanchez) is one of the main characters of the American animated television series Rick and Morty. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, Beth is a veterinarian who specializes in horse surgery, who in the first three seasons is struck with a deep sense of dissatisfaction with her life, stemming from her belief that she has "settled" in her marriage, family, and job, leading her to accept her father into her household after he abandoned her as a teenager. Known for her selfish and humorous personality, alcoholism, and abrasiveness when criticized, the character has been well received. She is the level-headed and assertive daughter of mad scientist Rick Sanchez, mother of Morty and Summer Smith, wife of Jerry Smith, and grandmother of Naruto and Morty Smith Jr.

"Total Rickall" is the fourth episode of the second season of the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty. Written by Mike McMahan and directed by Juan Meza-León, the episode premiered on August 16, 2015. It shows the Smith family, along with Mr. Poopybutthole, overwhelmed by an infestation of parasites who implant false memories into them so they cannot tell who is real.

"The Rickshank Rickdemption" is the first episode in the third season of the American animated television sitcom Rick and Morty, and the twenty-second episode overall in the series. It was written by Mike McMahan and directed by Juan Meza-Leon. The season three premiere first aired unannounced on Adult Swim in the United States on April 1, 2017 when it was watched by 676,000 American households in its initial airing. On the first day of its original broadcast, "The Rickshank Rickdemption" was replayed every half hour from 8pm to 12am ET with improved ratings, as a part of Adult Swim's annual April Fools' Day joke.

"Morty's Mind Blowers" is the eighth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Rick and Morty. It follows the two titular characters, both voiced by Justin Roiland, as they experiment with the latter's lost memories. The episode was directed by Bryan Newton and written by various screenwriters, including Mike McMahan, who would later serve as a producer on the fourth season, and both series creators Roiland and Dan Harmon. "Morty's Mind Blowers" originally aired on Adult Swim on September 17, 2017, and was watched by 2.51 million viewers. A comic sequel of the same name, written by Kyle Starks, Tini Howard, Sarah Graley, Benjamin Dewey, and Josh Trujillo, with designs by Angie Knowles and Roiland's personal approval, was published by Oni Press in Rick and Morty #50 on May 29, 2019.

"The ABC's of Beth" is the ninth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Rick and Morty. Airing on September 24, 2017, the episode was directed by Juan Meza-León and written by Mike McMahan.

"The Rickchurian Mortydate" is the tenth and final episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Rick and Morty follows the titular grandson and grandfather duo as they feud with the President of the United States. The episode, directed by Anthony Chun and written by series co-creator Dan Harmon, aired on Adult Swim on October 1, 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Meeseeks</span> Fictional character

Mr. Meeseeks is a recurring fictional species in the American animated television series Rick and Morty. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon and based on the title character from Scud: The Disposable Assassin by Rob Schrab, Meeseeks are a powder-blue-skinned species of humanoids who are created to serve a single purpose which they will go to any length to fulfill. Each brought to life by a "Meeseeks Box", they typically live for no more than a few hours in a constant state of pain, vanishing upon completing their assigned task for existence to alleviate their own suffering; as such, the longer an individual Meeseeks remains alive, the more insane and unhinged they become.

"Edge of Tomorty: Rick Die Rickpeat" is the premiere episode of the fourth season of the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty. Written by Mike McMahan and directed by Erica Hayes, loosely adapting Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo, the episode was broadcast on November 10, 2019. A stand-alone graphic novel miniseries, Rick and Morty – Worlds Apart, serving as a sequel, was published by Oni Press from February 3 to May 5, 2021.

<i>Rick and Morty</i> season 5 Season of television series

The fifth season of the animated television series Rick and Morty consisted of 10 episodes, part of the 70 episodes ordered by Adult Swim after they renewed the series in 2018. The series stars Justin Roiland as both titular characters. The season premiered on June 20, 2021, and concluded on September 5, 2021.

Jerry Smith is one of the main characters of the American animated television series Rick and Morty and resulting franchise. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, and voiced by Chris Parnell, Jerry is depicted as a stay-at-home dad who finds contentment in his simple life. He unknowingly uses pity as his "signature move", which leads to people hiring him or giving him any sort of consolation. Jerry is infamous for his mutual rivalry with Rick Sanchez, his father-in-law, with the pair ultimately becoming friends in the sixth season. On many occasions in the early seasons, his relationship with his partner, Beth Smith, has been shown to be incredibly unhealthy, co-dependent, and incompatible, before gradually improving over the course of the series. One of Jerry's hobbies is beekeeping, which he picks up sometime during season four. It has been scarcely implied throughout the show that he is queer. He is the son-in-law of mad scientist Rick Sanchez, father of Morty and Summer Smith and husband of Beth Smith. Both the original character and their inter-dimensional replacements have received a positive critical reception.

Rick and Morty is an American animated science-fiction comedy franchise, whose eponymous duo consists of Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith. Rick and Morty were created by cartoonist Justin Roiland for a 2006 parody film of Back to the Future for Channel 101, a short film festival co-founded by Dan Harmon. After six years, the sketch was developed into Rick and Morty, a half-hour prime time show that was a hit for Adult Swim, receiving universal acclaim across all seasons. Alongside the original television series, the characters of the show have been featured in a variety of media, including spin-offs, comic books, musical releases and video games. The show has earned hundreds of millions of dollars in income across their merchandising and media franchise.

"Mort Dinner Rick Andre" is the premiere episode of the fifth season of the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty. It is the 42nd episode of the series overall. Written by Jeff Loveness and directed by Jacob Hair, the episode was broadcast on June 20, 2021.

"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.

<i>Rick + Morty in the Eternal Nightmare Machine</i> 2021 American film

Rick + Morty in the Eternal Nightmare Machine is an American pixel-animated short film based on the television series/franchise Rick and Morty, produced by Adult Swim and debuting on both the network and their YouTube channel on April 30, 2021, alongside a marathon of the series' fourth season, to promote its then-upcoming fifth season. Written, directed, and animated by Paul Robertson, the film received positive reviews from critics.

References

  1. ↑ "Monday Cable Ratings: 'Love & Hip Hop' Wins Night, 'WWE Raw', 'Single Ladies', 'Klondike', 'The Fosters' & More". TV By The Numbers. Archived from the original on 2016-01-26. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
  2. ↑ "We are Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland creators of Rick and Morty on adult swim NEW EPISODE TONIGHT MARCH 10 ON ADULT SWIM!!! AUA! Even about our personal secret stuff too! • /r/IAmA". r/IAmA . Retrieved 2016-01-17.
  3. ↑ "Rick And Morty: "Meeseeks And Destroy"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 2016-01-17.
  4. ↑ "Rick and Morty: S1E5 "Meeseeks and Destroy"". Dead Screen. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
  5. ↑ "Rick and Morty "Meeseeks and Destroy" Episode Review". Junkie Monkeys. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
  6. ↑ "Rick and Morty: Meeseeks and Destroy, Review". Den of Geek . 2014-01-21. Retrieved 2022-02-06.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.