Something Ricked This Way Comes

Last updated
"Something Ricked This Way Comes"
Rick and Morty episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 9
Directed byJohn Rice
Written by Mike McMahan
Produced by J. Michael Mendel
Featured musicRyan Elder
Production code109
Original air dateMarch 24, 2014 (2014-03-24)
Running time22 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Rixty Minutes"		Next →
"Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind"
Rick and Morty (season 1)
List of episodes

"Something Ricked This Way Comes" is the ninth episode of the first season of the American science fiction comedy television series Rick and Morty . Aired on March 24, 2014, the episode was directed by John Rice and written by Mike McMahan. The episode aired on March 6, 2016 in Canada. It stars Justin Roiland as Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith.

Contents

The title is a reference to the dark fantasy novel Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury, in which "Mr. Dark", the sinister leader of a traveling carnival comes to town, granting the townsfolk's secret desires but always paired with an ironic twist. For example, a 50-year-old schoolteacher wishes to be young again and is transformed into a little girl but is now blind. A stand-alone sequel miniseries, Rick and Morty Go to Hell , was published by Oni Press from April 29 to October 21, 2020. [2]

Plot

In a take on Needful Things , Summer works in an antique shop run by the Devil (under the alias of Lucius Needful), which gives away items that come with harmful curses. After Rick is given a microscope that would have greatly diminished his intelligence, he develops technology that can quantify evil and detect curses. Rick then sets up a competing shop where he uses science to remove the curses, and the Devil is put out of business. Summer helps him to successfully re-launch the shop online as N33dful, but he betrays her and keeps the company for himself. Rick has become bored with running a business and burns the shop down, then he and Summer build muscle and publicly beat up the Devil to get revenge.

Meanwhile, Jerry, helping Morty with a model Solar System as a science fair project, insists that Pluto is a planet, going so far as to lobby NASA to re-instate its planetary status. They are abducted by Plutonians to their planet, where Jerry is mistaken for a scientist. His statements about Pluto being a planet make him instantly popular. Morty is told by Scroopy Noopers, a leading Plutonian scientist, that Pluto is shrinking due to corporate plutonium mining which will ultimately lead to its destruction, and that the Plutonian leadership is keeping the population distracted by assuring them Pluto is still a planet. Morty fails to convince Jerry of Pluto's diminishing size and the resultant cover-up, returning to Earth in frustration. However, after witnessing the arrest of Scroopy Noopers and hearing Flippy Nips, the King of Pluto and Scroopy Noopers's father, lets slip that Pluto is in fact a celestial dwarf, Jerry tells the Plutonian citizens the truth and denounces himself in a public speech, causing him to be hated and deported back to Earth. Jerry apologises to Morty and asks if they could finish his science fair project, but Morty tells him that he instead plans to hand in a robot built by Rick to pass butter.

In a post-credits scene, Summer and Rick use their new muscle mass to beat up a neo-Nazi, a bully, a member of the Westboro Baptist Church and an abusive dog owner, as "X Gon' Give It to Ya" by DMX plays in the background.

Reception

Corey Plante of Inverse praised the unusual Morty-Jerry storyline in the episode, but criticized other parts of it, saying "So the surface level plots of "Something Ricked This Way Comes" feel pretty boring, with one being more derivative than it is subversive and the other being a long-winded joke." [3] Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club said: "It's a riff on climate change deniers: when the truth is that unsettling, people would much rather pretend they can make it go away by listening to an idiot." [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Rick and Morty</i> season 3 Season of television series

The third season of Rick and Morty, an American animated television series created by Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, originally aired on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim. It premiered with "The Rickshank Rickdemption", which aired unannounced on April 1, 2017, as part of Adult Swim's annual April Fools' prank. As a result of production delays, the remaining episodes began airing weekly nearly four months later, on July 30, 2017. The season comprised ten episodes but it originally was supposed to be fourteen episodes, and its initial airing concluded on October 1, 2017.

"M. Night Shaym-Aliens!" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Rick and Morty. Directed by Jeff Myers and written by Tom Kauffman, the episode was aired on January 13, 2014. It stars Justin Roiland as both titular characters, Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith, Chris Parnell as Jerry Smith, and Sarah Chalke as Beth Smith. Summer Smith, a series regular voiced by Spencer Grammer, does not appear in the episode.

"Raising Gazorpazorp" is the seventh episode of the first season of the American television series Rick and Morty. It was directed by Jeff Myers and written by Eric Acosta and Wade Randolph, and aired on March 10, 2014. The episode has received critical and mixed reviews from the critics. The title of the episode is a play on words to the film Raising Arizona and the television series Raising Hope.

"Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind" is the tenth and penultimate episode of the first season of the American science fiction comedy television series Rick and Morty. Directed by Stephen Sandoval and written by Ryan Ridley, the episode aired on April 7, 2014. With a title alluding to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the episode is notable for introducing both the rules of the franchise's multiverse and the main antagonist of the series — Evil Morty — whose storyline is continued across the 2017 third season episode "The Ricklantis Mixup", and the 2021 fifth season finale "Rickmurai Jack", forming a trilogy, as well as the 2023 seventh season episode "Unmortricken". A stand-alone sequel comic book arc, A Tale of Two Jerries, was published by Oni Press from 2016 to 2017.

"Ricksy Business" is the eleventh and final episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Rick and Morty. Written by Ryan Ridley and Tom Kauffman and directed by Stephen Sandoval, the episode aired on April 14, 2014. The title of the episode is a pun to the film, Risky Business.

"Mortynight Run" is the second episode of the second season of the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty. Written by David Phillips and directed by Dominic Polcino, the episode premiered on August 2, 2015, though it was leaked online beforehand. After dropping Jerry at a daycare purpose-built for alternate universe versions of Jerry, Rick sells a gun to the assassin Krombopulos Michael, but Morty decides to save his target—a telepathic gas-based entity.

<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.

"The Ricks Must Be Crazy" is the sixth episode in the second season of the American animated television sitcom Rick and Morty, and the seventeenth overall episode in the series. Written by Dan Guterman and directed by Dominic Polcino, the episode first aired on Adult Swim in the United States on August 30, 2015. The title of the episode is a reference to the 1980 film The Gods Must Be Crazy.

"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 Wedding Squanchers" is the tenth and final episode of the second season of the American animated television sitcom Rick and Morty, and the 21st overall episode of the series. Written by Tom Kauffman and directed by Wes Archer, the episode first aired on Adult Swim in the United States on October 4, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pickle Rick</span> 3rd episode of the 3rd season of Rick and Morty

"Pickle Rick" is the third episode of the third season of the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty. Written by Jessica Gao and directed by Anthony Chun, the episode premiered on August 6, 2017. The plot follows eccentric scientist Rick Sanchez as he turns himself into a pickle to avoid attending a family therapy session.

"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.

Summer Smith is one of the main characters of the American animated television series Rick and Morty. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon and voiced by Spencer Grammer, Summer is a conventional and often superficial 17-year-old teenager, who is obsessed with improving her social status among her peers. Known for her smart and humorous personality and for her high dexterity, the character has been well-received. She is the well-meaning and intelligent older sister of Morty Smith, the daughter of Jerry and Beth Smith, the granddaughter of mad scientist Rick Sanchez, and mother-aunt of Naruto Smith.

<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.

"The Old Man and the Seat" is the second episode of the fourth season of the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty. Written by Michael Waldron and directed by Jacob Hair, loosely adapting The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, the episode aired in the United States on November 17, 2019.

"Claw and Hoarder: Special Ricktim's Morty" is the fourth episode of the fourth season of the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty. Written by Jeff Loveness and directed by Anthony Chun, the episode was broadcast on December 8, 2019. A stand-alone sequel miniseries, Rick and Morty – Worlds Apart, was published by Oni Press from February 3 to May 5, 2021.

<i>Rick and Morty</i> (comics) American comic book series based on Rick and Morty

Rick and Morty is an American comic book series written by Zac Gorman, Kyle Starks, and Alex Firer and illustrated by Marc Ellerby, based on the television series of the same name. Oni Press published the original series across 60 issues from April 1, 2015, until March 25, 2020. Using the television series' established premise of alternate timelines, the first two volumes expressly follow the Rick and Morty of a different dimension (C-132) on the "Central Finite Curve" than the protagonists of the television series so-as not to contradict its continuity, before the series switches focus over to the same Rick (C-137) and Morty of the television series following the "Head-Space" arc (#12–14) in the third volume, featuring sequel storylines to specific episodes of the series, with elements of the comic series and references to its events later being incorporated into the television series. Backup stories of the series alternate between focusing on Rick (C-137) and his Morty and various Ricks and Mortys from alternate dimensions, before the primary storyline switches focus over to yet another Rick and Morty at an unspecified point before/during the final volume of the series. In October 2022, a revival of Rick and Morty was announced for a January 2023 release date, spinning out of the limited series Rick's New Hat, from the same new creative team.

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.

"Night Family" is the fourth episode of the sixth season of the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty. Written by Rob Schrab and directed by Jacob Hair, the episode likely pays homage to Rod Serling's television series Night Gallery.

References

  1. ↑ "15 Stars You Didn't Know Voiced Rick And Morty Characters". Screen Rant . 9 March 2017.
  2. ↑ Collinson, Gary (February 2, 2020). "Oni Press announces new Rick and Morty comics". Flickering Myth. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  3. ↑ Plante, Corey (3 August 2018). "'Rick and Morty' failed to make us hate capitalism with Pluto and the Devil". Inverse. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
  4. ↑ Zack Handlen (2014-03-24). "Rick And Morty: "Something Ricked This Way Comes"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
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.