what song does rick try to kill himself

April 09, 2022 Post a Comment

Rachael has had an intense love for scientific discipline fiction and fantasy games, Idiot box shows, movies, and books since childhood.

Rick Sanchez is a complicated grapheme, and agreement him may take multiple viewings of certain episodes. I've done that, with focused attention on his grapheme growth over the course of four seasons of the evidence. When he breaks the 4th wall, Rick often voices disdain for the concept of grapheme arcs, change, and learning a lesson at the terminate of an episode. In one episode, Morty says he learned a lesson, and Rick says, what is this, Full Firm? In other words, the writers of the show want u.s. to get that they're too clever for the conventions of typical TV storytelling.

But the thing is, y'all can't make a TV testify, especially not one that resonates emotionally with many people (i.e. a successful one), without using tropes (ordinarily used storytelling devices) and the bones elements of narrative structure.

And indeed, Dan Harmon has extensively studied story structure and uses a map of a story's underlying structure known as the story circumvolve. And so, for all that the writers want the bear witness to feel new and original, everyone who writes successfully bases their work off of some structures and elements of things that were successful in the by. They're simply used in a new way, with a new fashion. Information technology's kind of similar how house architecture can vary a lot, merely a house still requires certain specific components: walls, electrical wiring, windows, a roof, doors, etc.

And one of the nigh important parts of any story is the main character undergoing a character arc. So, fifty-fifty though Rick constantly puts down the idea of "doing arcs", that's an absurdity, because every bit a fictional graphic symbol, he has an "arc" no matter what he does. A grapheme arc refers to how a character changes over the course of a story. The master grapheme's personal arc is a major load-bearing pillar of a adept story. Even if Rick never changed throughout the four seasons (all that is out as of writing this), that would be chosen a "apartment arc", but that's technically nevertheless an arc. Just similar every arrow loosed has an arc, even if it falls flat earlier hitting its target.

Merely does Rick Sanchez accept a flat arc? Does he experience alter or growth? If and so, how do we know, when he does something selfless, that it's actually not for some hidden selfish motivation? Indeed, Rick tends to rationalize everything he does, no matter how emotionally motivated, equally logical and tied to his ain desires. Even when those rationalizations are clearly flimsy. And what is Rick's philosophy? What, if anything, motivates him to do what he does?

Many fans might speculate about Rick's beliefs by attaching labels to him similar nihilist, absurdist, selfish, or lacking in empathy. And he does possess many of those qualities, and in fact, might fifty-fifty be egotistic, and it wouldn't exist out of line to call him someone who thinks himself to exist some kind of Nietzschean Übermensch, above the moral rules that govern other people. And I would say Nietzsche'southward philosophy also has a place when considering Rick Sanchez. Yous can analyze the extent to which Rick is a true Übermensch, or if the bear witness points to the idea that aspiring to be one is a pipe dream. Also, it is probable that Jerry is based on Nietzsche's antonym to the Übermensch, the "last man", which is why Jerry and Rick are foils, and then often at odds. But other people accept already talked about this stuff.

So, instead of rehashing things other people may have already said, and meliorate, this article is going to accept two areas of focus that I call back haven't been discussed equally much:

Rick's morality, values, and character growth or improvement. I will be going through specific, detailed examples that showcase where Rick starts out in flavour 1 vs. what he has learned and how he has changed by the end of season iv.
Rick's resemblance to the aboriginal Carper philosopher Diogenes, and how he appears motivated by the same behavior as the Cynics. This is what I meant past he'due south not a nihilist, in the pop cultural sense of not caring about anything, just a Cynic.

Not in the pop-cultural sense of being pessimistic, sarcastic, and mocking (though he is those things likewise), but in the original, forgotten sense of the philosophy. There were many things Cynics believed in, but the main characteristic they shared with Rick is the idea of being living satire; living your life in a way that challenges all authorization and questions the necessity of social norms and taboos. If Rick didn't care about anything, he wouldn't exercise anything, and he certainly wouldn't constantly get involved in things that put himself and his family in danger. But, he does what he does considering he cares nigh at to the lowest degree one affair; bringing downward "the man".

Challenging authority is his primary motivation. In a meta-humor sense, this also explains why he seems to hate story structure, clichés, and tropes. He's written to be not just enlightened that he is a fictional character, but he wants his stories to rebel against the conventions of storytelling, as much as he wants to insubordinate with his actions against government. He wants this and then badly that he values it above his own health, safe, and happiness.

How Rick Changes and Learns

rick-sanchez-character-analysis-not-a-nihilist-but-a-cynic

I'll spoil it for you: Rick does not have a flat graphic symbol arc. But, his comeback is oft non obvious, lied about/ denied by Rick himself, or he slides back towards his old ways from time to time. Information technology creates an interesting tug-o-war, where he does learn lessons, question his values, and improve himself, but he likewise has moments where he gives in to his worst character traits. This shows how change is not always like shooting fish in a barrel or linear, and I like that because it's a more realistic style of portraying alter.

A zig-zag arc is not a apartment arc. A flat arc would imply that Rick already possessed ultimate truth/s and was perfect at the start of the series, and that the only disharmonize arises from others refusing to mind to his truth/s. A non-apartment arc is about the grapheme overcoming a Big Lie that they believe. Rick'south Big Prevarication is that he is perfect because of his technological mastery, and therefore does not need to change anything about his personality. Some of the more toxic fans of the series believe that this is the type of story Rick & Morty is. They idealize Rick, in a way that the show almost says directly to the camera not to. When Morty tells Summer that Rick shouldn't exist her hero in season 3, episode 1, entitled "Rickshank Redemption", this is also conspicuously a message to the fandom from the writers.

Toxic aspects of Rick'south personality, and his defects, too cause his family unit to be dysfunctional. Summertime idealizing Rick means she ends up with some of his personality flaws. Beth will do anything to appease Rick due to her fear of being abandoned by him, and so she doesn't stand upwards for herself. She also exhibits sociopathic tendencies and a drive to boss, in a way that even Rick sometimes finds extreme. So, she has a couple of his worst traits, amplified.

Roll to Continue

Flavor 01: Bad Rick

In the first episode of season ane, Rick'southward worst character traits are fully displayed. This gives united states of america an idea of the target his arc volition be aiming at. He is alcoholic and irresponsible. He uses Morty as a tool, without whatever consideration for him as a person, causing him horrible concrete pain and embarrassment. He also shows a complete lack of regard for Beth and Jerry's concerns virtually Morty's safety when going on adventures, a topic that will go along to come up in later episodes.

In the 2d episode, "Lawnmower Domestic dog", he helps Morty get an A in math, by invading his teacher's dreams, simply it's not to assist Morty for Morty'due south sake; it's to get Morty bogus expert grades then he can go along adventures, without his parents worrying about his academics suffering.

The third episode, "Anatomy Park" is one of the more than shocking displays of Rick seeing people as objects, not beings. Nothing says that a character views people equally objects for his own pleasance than literally edifice an amusement park inside a person!

He doesn't larn or change in the next episode, "M. Night Shaym-Aliens!", which is almost contrasting his luminescence with Jerry's lack thereof. It also shows Jerry'south willingness to believe comforting lies, considering he doesn't like facing the harshness of reality.

But in the fifth episode of the kickoff season, "Meeseeks and Destroy", Morty asserts himself by getting Rick to allow him to pb an adventure. Morty fabricated some mistakes, simply Rick learned to be more than open-minded most trying other people'south ideas, instead of always insisting that only his own ideas are worthy. He also kills a brute who tries to rape Morty, which is more than than the awful Rick in the airplane pilot episode may have done. This episode also sets up a disharmonize between Jerry and Rick; in order to get the Meeseeks to disappear, Jerry needs to be told what to do past Beth. This is in dissimilarity to Rick and Morty'due south take a chance, where Rick finds a middle ground betwixt being controlling like Beth and being a doormat like Jerry.

Perhaps the most significant episode of the whole show is the next one, episode half dozen, "Rick Potion No. 9". In it, Rick attempts to create a love potion for Morty to make Jessica autumn for him (creepy, merely whatever). It backfires, causing a plague, and his attempts to ready it spiral out of control, each "fix" making the plague worse and worse. Eventually, everyone in the world but the Smith family unit gets transformed into hideous blob monsters, which Rick calls Cronenbergs (after David Cronenberg, famous for using body horror in his films).

Rick actually can't sci-fi magic his way out of this situation. Instead, Rick and Morty hop to another dimension, where an alternating Rick and Morty prepare the Cronenberg problem and so dice soon afterward, and replace themselves. This also leaves Beth, Jerry, and Summertime on "Cronenberg Globe", where they are later on revisited by Morty and (normal) Summertime. They are stronger, only more hardhearted, versions of themselves, having adapted to the hard conditions of survival in such a world.

This is the first time in the show that Rick has to handle a real failure, admit that he made mistakes, and come up to terms with the fact that he is not equally god-similar equally he wants to think he is. He also starts out by trivializing love, perhaps suggesting that information technology is not as reducible to chemicals and uncomplicated biological drives as he thought. Perhaps this shows that his judgment was impacted by his inability to go over his own divorce with Beth's mother, who is never shown in the prove. It'due south an episode that really challenges the viewer's expectations of Rick as always in control, ever outthinking his issues and enemies.

The following episode, "Raising Gazorpazorp", is mainly a lesson for Morty, merely Rick as well learns to work with Summer, and hopefully, to be a little less misogynistic. This is the starting time episode where Rick and Summer practice anything together, but their bail develops over time in later episodes.

The adjacent episode, "Rixty Minutes", is famous for the absurd, improvised gags that make up the inter-dimensional cable Rick installs on the family's TV. He wants them all to spotter it, but Beth, Jerry, and Summer get intrigued instead past a device that lets them see different possible versions of their ain lives if they had made different choices, which causes them to fight. Then only Morty and Rick watch the inter-dimensional cablevision.

The interesting thing here is that a consistent graphic symbol trait of Rick'southward, shown in later episodes too, is that he is adamant in not caring about or wanting to see other versions of himself. He wants nothing to practice with the alternating Ricks who make up their own civilization called the Citadel of Ricks, and in season 4, episode 1, he hates the idea of wanting to come across ane's own future death, saying anyone who knows how they're going to dice is either boring or almost to exist shot. Since his main "superpower" is tracking and traveling between various alternate dimensions, it may be that because he knows infinite possibilities exist, he is not interested in any one of them in particular. Simply information technology likewise seems to bear witness his disdain for predictability.

Hashing out acrimony, and talking honestly about uncomfortable truths, also allows the rest of the Smith family to face their problems with each other. After all, you can't piece of work out any problem that yous're non willing or able to talk about honestly. This sets a rocky trajectory for the future of the family, but i that brings them closer together later.

After that is episode 9, "Something Ricked This Way Comes", which is about Rick helping Summer, Summer learning a lesson, that'southward pretty cutting and dried. The subplot where Jerry asserts Pluto is a planet tells us that when Jerry is incorrect, he doesn't desire to admit it, and will adhere to a belief he knows is simulated just for attention and praise. He learns a lesson here, and it also contrasts with how Rick is much quicker to admit fault when he makes a error, or is incorrect, just is also less likely to be wrong. This seems like a bulletin well-nigh how science is not dogma, but near falsifiable hypotheses, and openness to being proven wrong.

Then the tenth episode of season one, "Close Encounters of the Rick Kind", is all almost Rick being forced to confront his ain flaws, when taken to extremes, as shown by the deportment of evil Rick. I won't describe the grim details, but evil Rick shows the horror of the logical extent of seeing Morty as a thing, not a person. It's kind of like in A Christmas Carol when Mr. Scrooge is visited past the last and well-nigh haunting spirit, who forces him to confront his time to come expiry, and what people will say about him when he dies, if he does not change.

Rick's disdain for the Citadel of Ricks only continues to show his valuation of individuality and resistance to authorisation.

The flavour 1 finale, episode eleven, "Ricksy Business" is light-hearted relief from that, as Rick works to throw Morty and Summer a party while Beth and Jerry are gone. He also screws things up, as he is notwithstanding reckless and irresponsible. This episode introduces Bird Person, who reveals that Rick masks inner pain by pretending to be lively and upbeat. His catchphrase, "Wubba lubba dub dub" is actually from Bird Person's linguistic communication, meaning "I am in great pain. Please aid me." This could also mean that when Rick brags or acts arrogant, information technology may sometimes be a front end to mask his fears and insecurities.

Season ii: Exploring Roots of Rick's Flaws

Most episodes in season ii, and some in season 3, explore Rick'south "not bad pain" he carries inside and what acquired it. They are subtle, because Rick doesn't talk about his by. Nosotros have to infer what happened to him in the past based on what he says and does in the present. Different episodes explore unlike aspects of Rick's personality, but many explicate more of why he acts the way that he does.

The first episode of the flavour, "A Rickle in Fourth dimension", continues from the last season'due south finale, and Rick is confronted with the consequences of non only the political party, merely with messing with time in gild to set the house before Jerry and Beth come up home. The problems he causes in this episode may brand him worried almost the effects his actions can have on his family unit. The subplot with Beth trying to practise surgery on a deer Jerry hitting shows her need to boss, which is an attitude she undoubtedly got from Rick. Thus, through Beth'due south character, it is too showing u.s.a. something about Rick's character defects.

In the second episode, "Mortynight Run", Morty learns a disillusioning lesson when he goes confronting Rick and rescues a gaseous conflicting, only to have that beingness, voiced by Tim Curry, turn against carbon-based life, and kill many people. This is contrasted with Rick's attitude. He was planning to sell weapons to a bounty hunter who was going after that being, and so he could play at an alien arcade. He was seeking his own pleasure, indifferent to the morality of his actions, simply the plot of the episode proved that to be right, counter-intuitively. Perhaps in Rick's past, he likewise started out idealistic, simply to take his ideals crushed by reality, in like instances of betrayal and/or disappointment.

"Auto-Erotic Assimilation", episode 3 of the season, is an interesting one when it comes to getting to know Rick's emotional baggage more than. In the episode, he re-connects with a hive-mind entity that wants to assimilate planets, who Rick used to have a romantic and sexual human relationship with. He parties hard with this being, called Unity. But Summer is disgusted by how Unity enslaves people, and she says Rick is a bad influence on Unity, and Summertime and Morty leave the planet she's assimilated. Unity somewhen realizes that Rick is in fact a bad influence on her, and she leaves him.

The fact that she had, and rekindles, a relationship with Rick is weird, and not but because it'southward generally considered weird to make an entire planet's population piece of work to assist you lot act out your fantasies. Rick hates authority, and the Galactic Federation. Unity enslaves people, enthusiastically, and hopes of assimilating many more planets, joining the Galactic Federation, and somewhen becoming the universe itself. I thought when I watched this episode that Rick was secretly opposing her, getting her to potable and do drugs so he could impale her or sabotage her plans or something. But when Unity leaves Rick, he's so miserable that he actually tries to kill himself with some laser contraption, and no longer seems to care virtually anything. We take to inquire, why?

Maybe Unity was his rebound after he divorced his wife. Possibly he only likes that Unity is capable of doing what he'd like to do, just won't: enslaving sentient beings and using them for his pleasure. We don't really know why he loved Unity, and why he bankrupt up with her.

Only I would speculate that it's not actually about Unity at all. His fourth dimension with her was a fourth dimension when he got to indulge in unrestrained hedonism, and I think that fabricated him someone he stopped wanting to exist. He may not show it much, but I recollect Summer chastising him before going habitation with Morty got to him. In the outset, when he first saw Unity, he said he'd changed from who he used to be, pointing out that he had reconciled with his family. Having done so was then i of Rick's greatest points of pride. And so when his behavior with Unity fabricated his grandkids disgusted with him, I think that is what actually fabricated him sad. As well, Unity leaving him may accept been a reminder that he hadn't changed that much since he last broke up, telling him he would need to change more earlier he was ready to have a relationship once more.

In "Total Rickall", the 4th episode of season 2, we get another message about relationships: they always bring hurting, simply the painful memories are how we know the relationship was real. This seems to add to the theme of heartache from "Machine-Erotic Absorption", with the plot of the episode being different. Beth wounds Mr. Poopybutthole thinking he's an alien parasite when he's actually a long-time friend. This shows that the bad memories tin also be ones we create, because people are flawed, and they can unintentionally hurt people they dear.

"Get Schwifty" is the next episode. In this ane, Rick gets his groove dorsum, using his quick improvisation to salve Earth past helping it win an inter-planetary talent show. This shows Rick as healing from his experience with Unity. He is able to keep up his fun attitude, even in the face of Earth being potentially destroyed. Although, nosotros take to accept into consideration that this could just be masking.

The next episode, "The Ricks Must exist Crazy", reveals that his automobile battery is fueled by a micro enslaved social club, that generates electricity through manual labor for themselves, so they think, but surplus energy fuels his battery. This shows where Rick's morality and character growth is at this point: he has empathy for his family and has reconnected with them, but he notwithstanding has problems with defective empathy for strangers, and using people to get what he wants.

In flavor 2, episode seven, "Tiny Rick", Rick makes a immature clone of himself (with all his memories and the same mind) and goes to loftier school to aid kill a vampire at the school. Just afterwards, he ends up desperate to become dorsum to his natural body. He won't admit this outwardly, only information technology comes out subconsciously when he improvises song lyrics, and in his drawings. I think it'southward about how Rick, as the modern version of a Carper philosopher, can't stand pretense, but information technology'southward also nearly how his upbeat, partying ways are a front end, and beneath that mask, he is desperate for help.

Episode 8, "Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate", is more most Jerry learning a lesson about selfishness and being a coward. Not much near Rick hither, and then I'm not going to become into the details of this episode.

And so nosotros have "Look Who'south Purging Now", which is about Rick and Morty ending up on a planet where they do something like to The Purge in the Purge pic serial. Meaning, for one dark of the year, crime is legalized, and, like in the Purge movies, this really merely means gun battles ensue everywhere. It's mainly a lesson about naivete and trust for Morty, who befriends and helps a girl he thinks is innocent, who turns out to be merely equally violent and bloodthirsty as anybody else. These moments where Morty makes judgment errors considering of his optimism also seem like they might be echoes of Rick'due south ain (unseen) by, showing that Rick was perhaps once a disappointed idealist who became a pessimist.

This episode shows how Morty has a repressed lust for violence, that he pretends to exist not-vehement because of social convention only. Considering after, he gets into the purge, and relishes killing, even to an extent that information technology freaks Rick out.

Another noteworthy affair about the episode is that, at the end, Morty regrets this blood lust. Not wanting Morty to feel bad, Rick tells him that information technology was acquired by something in a processed bar he ate. It's a lie. What's interesting is that I don't call up a previous version of Rick, similar the Rick of the airplane pilot episode, would have bothered to think of a lie to Morty to spare his feelings. He originally saw Morty only in terms of utility, after all, and the feelings of a tool don't matter. And so this shows he is at least treating Morty every bit more than of a human than a tool.

Then we get to the last episode, "The Wedding Squanchers". Rick's fell comments about weddings, calling them "funerals with cake" shows how he is however bitter near whatsoever happened between him and his ex-married woman. He besides shows great emotional zipper to his friend Bird Person in his reaction to his expiry.

The end of the episode has the family running from the law, and Rick decides to plow himself in to the Galactic Federation so they tin can go dorsum to Earth. He is motivated to practice so by overhearing how they, particularly Jerry, talk near him. Jerry says why are they going through all this to assist Rick, when he wouldn't do the same for them. Summer says they should love people unconditionally and not considering of what they volition practise for you. I think information technology'south that statement that gets through to Rick, finally spelling out more than explicitly what he's learned; to value people for their own sake, non what he can exit of them.

Flavor three: Rick Back on Top

In the first episode of the season, Rick breaks free from the Federation'southward prison house, and hijacks their organisation, destroying their civilisation by making their currency worthless. Since the Citadel of Ricks is likewise later on him, he transports the whole Citadel into the Galactic Federation Prison, destroying them both. This shows that, while Rick has become a better person, he however is driven to destroy authority and mock conformity.

The side by side episode, "Pickle Rick" has him going to extreme lengths to avert family therapy; he turns himself into a pickle, but when he accidentally rolls into a sewer grate, he has to find ways to survive roaches, rats, and he eventually gets out of the sewer by harnessing a rat'south limbs, simply gets involved in a weird Die Hard-like shootout. When he finally wins this, he ends up going to therapy.

Now, what's interesting is that nosotros encounter once again that Rick has come up to really care about Beth'southward, and the balance of the family unit's feelings plenty to stage a bizarre excuse similar this, rather than merely running off to another dimension to avert family unit therapy, which is the kind of thing he would take done in the by. A lot of people miss virtually this episode that turning himself into a pickle, and enduring the ensuing hardships that creates, is actually a kind gesture to his family, and not but showing the extremes he will become through to avoid them — he tin can avoid them with the touch of a button. He admits he doesn't respect therapy, maxim that because he's a scientist, when he doesn't like something, he changes it. But, the incidents that happened to him while he was a pickle show that he's not in control of everything, he just wants to believe he is. And, while he wants to do things for his family, he resents being coerced into doing things for other people.

The next episode, "Rickmancing the Stone", is more near Morty and Summer, and satirizing the Mad Max movies. Merely it also satirizes the concept of nihilism. As presently as electricity is brought to a wild, post-apocalyptic, tearing society, mod comforts crusade people to care more about upholding society. This leads that society to become not that different from the pre-COVID American suburban society Summer came from. So while she was originally enamored by the brutality and nihilism of this world, and the guy she met in that location, she becomes disillusioned with it when people commencement acting more civilized. The episode as well explores the concept of Morty having repressed rage once more, but his story is well-nigh the brutality of seeking revenge. This 1 has piddling to practice with Rick's arc, and is, like I said, more often than not almost Morty and Summertime.

Then there'southward "Vindicators iii: Render of Worldender" which is a satirical takedown of superhero teams equally a concept. It'due south also virtually Rick'due south possessiveness of Morty. In his dogged determination to expose the hypocrisy and folly of the Vindicators, a superhero team Morty looks up to, Rick'due south pilot episode issues like drunkenness, recklessness, and threatening people come back. But, Rick's cynicism is proven right; though his method puts everyone in a lot of danger, he does betrayal the underlying foolishness of the Vindicators, and brings their buried, repressed conflicts to the fore. He causes them to fight amidst themselves, and it takes very little to create plenty stress to make them even go every bit far as killing each other.

The "Whirly Dirly Conspiracy" is about Rick and Jerry's relationship. He confronts Jerry pretty harshly with his character flaws, but they do bail past the end of the episode, and Rick becomes a piffling more than forgiving of him. The B plot of the episode is about Summer'due south self-esteem bug, showing that, similar Jerry, she can be insecure and vulnerable to social pressure level, because anybody is sometimes.

"Rest and Ricklaxation" is about Rick and Morty going to an alien spa, where all the toxic aspects of their personalities are taken from them. However, it doesn't end well, then the episode is exploring the fact that some things that we might remember of as our flaws are helpful sometimes, we're not whole without our personal failings, and also that character growth cannot exist a 180° turn that happens suddenly. Instead, it is an organic, gradual process.

The adjacent episode, "Ricklantis Mixup", shows us a mean solar day of crazy things that happen in the Citadel. Information technology's a very absurd episode, but it's not that of import to our Rick'southward grapheme arc, other than that it shows many possibilities Rick could have chosen in life, simply didn't. It as well shows how organized societies e'er cease up with inequality, cruelty, and oppression. Even though all Ricks and all Mortys are genetically the aforementioned, dissimilar ones are treated differently based on their jobs, and Mortys are 2d-form citizens. This reflects and magnifies to the extreme Rick'south disdain for Morty. This also shows how crooked and bad the Citadel really is, when in previous episodes, they seemed a trivial more sympathetic and reasonable. It shows that other Ricks there really did lose their way, proving it true when Rick said he'south the "Rickest Rick" at that place is. And then at present you get that if you were Rick, you wouldn't care much for the Citadel of Ricks either.

And then is episode 8 of the season, "Morty's Mind Blowers". In this episode, it is revealed that Rick erases memories from Morty to prevent Morty from hating him. Morty has besides requested certain memories of his own mistakes exist erased. These coming to light cause Rick and Morty to fight. Since he evidently didn't erase what he did to Morty in the pilot episode, it'south likely that he created this quondam during the course of the show. In other words, now he cares most Morty's feelings more, and he's come up to care about what Morty thinks of him. He's also relying on Summer's help at present; she's the one who helps them fix everything when they accidentally erase all their ain memories. Then while it shows Rick every bit being sneaky and manipulative, it's a sign of some growth that he cares enough to bother with it.

The episode "The ABC'south of Beth" doesn't tell us much that's new about Rick. He is trying to bond with her by showing her the world he created for her as a child, Froopyland. Only, it's later revealed that he did this non out of kindness, merely considering Beth was sociopathic and lusted for violence, and he wanted to isolate her in a place where she couldn't hurt other children. This is once again, more about Beth, with the subplot being a lesson for Jerry, not showing u.s.a. much that's new or different about Rick. Information technology doesn't even really requite us that much insight into Rick's past, other than that at some indicate, he became afraid of his own daughter'due south personality. This could partially explicate why he abandoned his family at some bespeak before returning in the offset of the show.

The final episode of the season, "The Rickchurian Mortydate" is a funny episode where Rick keeps one-upping the President of the United States with superior technology, likewise as blowing him off in order to play Minecraft with Morty. This is more almost that sweet anti-authoritarian ethic of Rick's. Even though the president initially seems reasonable, the episode reveals that he actually is petty, obsessed with being the one in accuse, and jealous of Rick. He'southward not a fictional version of any real U.s.a. president, simply since he's a blackness man, he may be loosely based on Banter Obama. But it seems like what the episode is going for hither is to satirize dominance, and the American government, in full general.

And so while season 2 ended with a major defeat for Rick, flavour 3 ends in a major triumph.

Season 4: More Satire, More Explorations of Rick's Beliefs

If in that location were a central theme tying together the various episodes of season 4, it would be satirizing storytelling tropes and conventions. This is not just fun for the audience (it is), only it serves to illustrate more well-nigh Rick'south beliefs, convictions, and values. More data about what he hates and why is as well shown.

The offset episode, "Edge of Tomorty: Rick Die Repeat" is near how Rick disdains the concept of predicting one'due south own hereafter. He gets some crystals that let one see the possible ways they will die, but merely to sell, he is not interested in them for himself. He says that the only people who know exactly how they will die are either tiresome, or about to get shot. Morty does non heed his disapproval of their use. He sneaks away his own death crystal, using it to follow a pattern of behavior that will lead to the one death he wants: dying of sometime historic period with Jessica saying, "I beloved you, Morty."

Not only does Morty cause massive destruction in pursuit of this detail expiry, but it turns out, that vision does not imply Morty is in a human relationship with Jessica at the end of his life. Jessica, whose grandmother died recently, wants to go into hospice intendance, and intends to comfort people dying alone by telling all of them "I love you (plus whatsoever their proper noun is)." Rick and Morty discuss the lesson hither. Rick kept getting killed while simply living in the moment, and Morty screwed things up by focusing too much on his desired future. This episode also shows how many alternate versions of Rick live in screwed-up fascist dystopias, including one where a fascist version of Morty forces Rick to go on an take a chance with him at gunpoint. Obviously, this is again driving home the point that Rick hates or is indifferent to the concept of alternate versions of himself, and that his principal enemy is authoritarianism.

The next episode, "The Erstwhile Man and the Seat" is about Rick getting into a fight with an conflicting over his own private toilet with a beautiful view on another planet (yeah really). The episode ends with him respecting the alien for wanting something similar to Rick. Rick wants privacy, something that's all his own, and just his own. It explains his motivation for keeping secrets from others; perhaps some of that is because he merely wants to experience things other people don't know about. To have his own individual space. It'due south as well well-nigh both him and the alien homo's desire for the condolement of an appearance of command in an cool universe. Pretty deep for an episode about pooping.

"1 Crew Over the Cuckoo's Morty" is similar the Vindicators episode, but this time aiming a satirical gun at heist movies. Rick, like in the Vindicators episode, once again goes to absurd lengths to disillusion his grandson, who expressed an interest in wanting to pitch a heist movie idea to Netflix. Merely, Beth told him non to brand Morty feel disillusioned, that if he gives up on the movie, it has to be his own thought. So, Rick wants to manipulate Morty into giving upward on heist movies as a concept, only he can't permit Morty remember that he doesn't support his dream of making one. And so, stealing Morty'south motivation to make the movie is a kind of heist in and of itself.

Episode 4, "Claw and Hoarder" has Rick getting Morty a dragon, which he demands. Here, Rick is not opposed to dragons that much, and subsequently he even bonds with Morty's dragon. Merely the adventures of the episode allow Morty to get disillusioned on the concept of dragons on his own. This episode introduces a mysterious talking cat. When Jerry and Rick find out why he can talk (which he's told people to just non think about), both are so disgusted that they puke. It leaves y'all wondering what could possibly be and then disgusting that Rick would puke, given all the horrifying things he'southward hardly blinked at.

The side by side episode, "Rattlestar Ricklactica", is about Rick deconstructing another common speculative fiction trope: time travel. Now, prior to this, Rick has disdained the concept of fourth dimension travel. But here nosotros run into why; apparently, species who discover it, in this case a planet of sentient snakes, go crazy with fourth dimension travel. The snakes' case becomes so out of hand that the Time Police have to go dorsum in time to destroy their first sentient ancestor, destroying their modern civilization every bit a whole.

Episode 6, "Never Ending Morty" is about aggressive disdain for, and satire of, storytelling tropes and plot structures. The episode shows Rick defeating the "Story Lord" by acting unpredictable and out of grapheme. Information technology is revealed that they are on a "Story Train" playset from their own testify, so Rick mocks the commercialism of cartoons by sarcastically praising Morty for uncritically ownership a product. Some other 4th wall joke is when he says no one'south buying things because of this virus, referring to COVID-19. This episode felt like it should've been the flavour'southward second to terminal episode. It took the theme of story satire to an exciting, intriguing, and humorous climactic battle.

Then, episode 7, "Promortyus", has an interesting out-of-gild plot structure, where something weird happens, then they terminate up finding out what happened leading up to it. This episode takes place where it is assumed the face-hugging parasite aliens are ruled past some kind of dictator. But, information technology turns out that Summertime has helped them advance their culture, and and so tried to get Rick and Morty free from their face-huggers. It's not a particularly memorable episode, with a bones lesson about challenging assumptions.

And so in that location's "The Vat of Acid Episode". In it, Rick and Morty argue nigh whether Rick's fake vat of acid gimmick is a proficient idea, when Morty criticizes information technology, and Rick refuses to admit it was a failed idea. Then, Morty demands that Rick do one of his ideas for in one case. He says he will practise a "save point" device, like a remote, that lets Morty set a salvage signal, like in a video game, that he can become back to, so that if he wants to change his deportment, he can. He can live without consequences considering he can undo anything he wants.

But as it turns out, Morty should have listened to the explanation of how the device works that he didn't stick around for. It was teleporting him to similar alternate dimensions and killing the Mortys that were there, allowing him to accept their place. So let'due south say he saved, went and robbed a gas station, and so went back to the relieve point. What he really did when he saved was kill another Morty in another dimension, travel to that dimension, and take that Morty'south place. Meaning, he actually did do those things, and at that place actually were consequences, he was just able to evade them. It's mostly a lesson for Morty, but it as well illustrates a remaining flaw of Rick'due south, that he is fashion too sensitive to criticism of his ideas. He prepare up the whole matter to torture Morty equally a punishment for such criticism. Even though Rick hates authority, he can, paradoxically, act disciplinarian at times himself.

Episode nine of the season, "Childrick of Mort", is mostly a few lessons for Jerry; camping ground is stupid, children should be allowed autonomy, and plainly, you shouldn't try to fight a system that calls y'all worthless. The episode as well features some bonding between Rick and Beth, perhaps foreshadowing the side by side and final episode of season iv.

That episode, "Star Mort and the Return of the Jerr", brings dorsum some stuff that was hinted at before. Rick confronts Tammy and Phoenixperson. "Space Beth" shows upwards, and it is left ambiguous by the end whether she is the clone of Beth or the original Beth. Merely either way, she'due south badass. Rick, in this episode, admits that he was a "terrible father", which is interesting because in "The ABC's of Beth", he blamed Beth more than than himself for the way things turned out when she was a child.

So, some things Rick is doing ameliorate from the showtime include:

Trusting and valuing his family more. Especially, this ways learning to care for Morty more similar a person and less like an object.
Treating other life forms with more than respect too (like when he comes to respect the toilet guy, instead of merely killing him).
Beingness more than honest, though he even so acts secretive and manipulates people still at times. He's especially become more honest nearly his feelings with his family.
Learning to take blame/responsibility for himself (but he'south non quite where he can practise it all the fourth dimension).

Merely, throughout all this, what doesn't alter are his core values. These cadre values tin can be meliorate understood by comparing Rick to the ancient Cynic philosopher, and original shitlord, Diogenes of Sinope.

Rick: The Modern Diogenes

Alexander the Great and Diogenes of Sinope — Alexander the Swell and Diogenes of Sinope

The Cynic philosopher Diogenes of Sinope was probably more famous for his antics than his actual philosophy, which emphasized virtuous, simple living. Diogenes took this to an extreme by living in a big dirt wine storage vessel, which is depicted equally a wooden barrel in afterwards artistic representations of him.

When Plato and other philosophers argued about the definition of human, and settled on "featherless biped", Diogenes is said to have plucked a chicken and thrown it at Plato's feet, saying "I have brought you a human being!". Thus illustrating that there was probably more to the definition of human than "featherless biped".

When Alexander the Great showed upwards in Athens, as he was kind of a large deal, everyone was making a big fuss virtually him. Diogenes, however, was sunbathing. When Alexander said he'd heard of Diogenes and offered to help him get anything he wants, Diogenes famously replied, "I want yous to move out of the sun." One account of this story says it was followed by Alexander laughing and saying that, "If I were not Alexander, I'd want to be Diogenes.", to which Diogenes replied, "If I were not Diogenes, I'd want to be Diogenes." Some other story claims there was an incident where Alexander establish Diogenes looking intently at a human skeleton on the basis. He said, "I am trying to find the bones of your father, merely I cannot distinguish them from those of a slave."

He was said to break taboos from the fourth dimension, like eating in the market. He disdained custom because he believed that instead of agreement practiced and evil, people were relying on community and tradition, every bit a way of lazily getting around having to come upward with their own moral philosophies.

There's also the famous anecdote that he would walk effectually in broad daylight with a lantern, challenge he was looking for an honest man, but finding only scoundrels and rascals.

He was cool nether pressure, and remained sarcastic and so, likewise. When captured past pirates who asked him his trade, Diogenes replied that he knew no trade but ruling men, and that he wished to be sold to a man who needed a master.

Though none of his many writings survive today, Cynic philosophy is indistinguishable from Cynic exercise; the mode he lived illustrates Diogenes' philosophy for us. Similarly, Rick'due south philosophy is expressed through his actions.

Another thing to mention? Diogenes of Sinope left his home city when his begetter (a banker, whose merchandise Diogenes was probably also learning from him) was accused of pejorative the currency. He is said to take consulted the Oracle at Delphi about how to alive, and got the answer: "debase the currency". He took this to mean that instead of actually debasing currency literally, he should option apart the flaws in things people value, including coin. How does Rick topple the Galactic Federation when he breaks out of their prison, to free Earth from their rule? He makes their currency worthless.

"He considered his abstention of earthly pleasures a contrast to and commentary on gimmicky Athenian behaviors. This mental attitude was grounded in a disdain for what he regarded equally the folly, pretense, vanity, self-deception, and artificiality of human being deport."

— Wikipedea, 'Diogenes'

It shouldn't take a especially sharp mind to observe the similarities between Diogenes and Rick. Rick besides lived his life deliberately to be an obstruction to authority and tradition. Likewise, Cynics were known for wearing a cloak like to that of Socrates and carrying a stick, which symbolized Heracles, symbolizing their virtues of wisdom and strength, respectively. What meliorate way to modernize these symbols than a lab coat and a gun? Since it's a portal gun, it likewise represents the possibility of new kinds of thinking, and how breaking gratuitous of tradition allows united states to access new worlds entirely.

Additionally, Carper philosophers avoided seeking their ain wealth, fame, reputation, and so on. They reveled in breaking social norms, especially ones they did non see as natural or based on reason. The proper noun Cynic comes from the Greek give-and-take for domestic dog, perhaps because they were so unconventional and irreverent that they were said to conduct similar dogs. But information technology as well may refer to their hound-like mentality when it came to mocking lodge. Their aim was to expose pretenses and uncover lies and whatsoever irrationality underlying everyday customs and rules.

So, if you lot see Rick Sanchez equally a contemporary version of Diogenes, his "random adventures" outset to make a lot more sense. He doesn't non care, only he will not care about things gild tells him to care about based solely on tradition. That's why he forms attachment to his family only organically, simply will not stay with them because of the conventional standards society holds for what a begetter and grandfather should practise. So you lot have someone you could mistake for a nihilist, except that he cares deeply and thoroughly nearly one objective: to undermine authority and expose the follies of those with power.

Then, while at first glance, the show seems to be just virtually random nonsense, discarding concepts like character growth entirely, there are ways Rick'south beliefs improves over the course of the show. He values his ain autonomy, resenting being told what to practise by others. And he backslides from time to time. Just he does improve in the way he treats Morty, the rest of the family unit, and fifty-fifty strangers. Rick is too a modern counterpart of the ancient Cynic philosopher, Diogenes of Sinope. They accept many similarities, their master difference existence that Diogenes was strict about living simply, while Rick doesn't have whatever problem trying to gain wealth. Still, ordinarily the wealth he wants is but a means to his greater stop. That end is the same as that every bit Diogenes; to insubordinate, satirize, and mock authority, tradition, and social conventions. People beloved rebellious characters like Rick because they have the courage to do things we wish nosotros could practice, if we weren't afraid of repercussions, which the characters are able to escape.

Do y'all wish y'all could be like Rick? Exercise you think of him as a hero, or every bit too flawed to be seen equally a hero? Experience free to tell me what you think.

Peggy Forest from Houston, Texas on August 07, 2020:

I take never watched this show, but from your description of information technology, it appears to showcase many frailties of Rick's nature.

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Source: https://reelrundown.com/animation/Rick-Sanchez-Character-Analysis-Not-a-Nihilist-but-a-Cynic