It's Rick & Morty Season 4, Bitches!!

[madhair60]

I know it's self-indulgent but I really love they way they pay absolute disdain to the fans who want LORE in this nutty series.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I know it's self-indulgent but I really love they way they pay absolute disdain to the fans who want LORE in this nutty series.

I've noticed people really getting pissed off about that canon line, and only getting brief appearances from certain characters, it's mad to me as this has always been a show which mocks itself and doesn't care about such things.

[brat-sampson]

I really enjoyed it. It's nothing but clever writers wanking off and being clever, but it's damn funny about it and knows exactly what it wants to be/achieve. If they want to be emotional again they will, if they want to play into the 'lore' of the series again they will, but when they just want to take the brakes off of an idea completely and see what happens, it might be when I love it most, and this was definitely that.

[Consignia]

I loved it, of course. But I was really surprised it's had such a negative reaction. I only checked it out after SMBH mentioned it, but there's a lot saying it was the worst ever. People genuinely[nb]I assume, it could perfromative balls[/nb] annoyed that the Evil Morty storyline was relegated to a quick gag. This was Rick and Morty at it's most Rick and Morty, surely this is the stuff people come for.

[madhair60]

Your avatar is too fuckin cute. Ume Aoki as shit.

[Alberon]

Great stuff. The show is on fire! I think if you're complaining a lot about this one you might not actually be a Rick and Morty fan. I suppose the minority that are pissed off are the ones making the most noise, as usual.

[Petey Pate]

Normally the smug meta humour annoys me in R&M but I surprisingly really liked an entire episode of it.

I've noticed people really getting pissed off about that canon line, and only getting brief appearances from certain characters, it's mad to me as this has always been a show which mocks itself and doesn't care about such things.

What's funny is how the trailer for this half of the season was mostly footage from this episode and it spawned loads of fan theories on the return of 'evil Morty', Birdperson, etc. This was definitely intentional bait on the creator's part.

[Blumf]

So, what's all ya all's opinion on this code?



I see the main theory is about that story structure thing Harmon likes, but 0 and 9 don't fit it.

[gib]

baiting idiot fans probably Blumf

this is the only current carton i watch, and i really like it. Is there anything similar i should try?

[Blumf]

Is there anything similar i should try?

Space Dandy had a good line in sci-fi and playing with concepts.

Currently The Midnight Gospel might, or might not, work for you, can take a few hits to get into it. It's on Netflix and there's a thread here.

[chveik]

just watch The Venture Bros. mate

[NoSleep]

baiting idiot fans probably Blumf

this is the only current carton i watch, and i really like it. Is there anything similar i should try?

Venture Bros if you want something similar; I think Rick & Morty have learnt a thing or two from the Venture Bros.

If you don't watch any other cartoons then I suggest you check out Bojack Horseman, as it isn't similar but is excellent. And Undone.

[AsparagusTrevor]

Great stuff. The show is on fire! I think if you're complaining a lot about this one you might not actually be a Rick and Morty fan. I suppose the minority that are pissed off are the ones making the most noise, as usual.

It does seem like R&M 'fans' want it to be a completely different show to what it actually is. Hopefully they are just the vocal minority.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Venture Bros if you want something similar; I think Rick & Morty have learnt a thing or two from the Venture Bros.

If you don't watch any other cartoons then I suggest you check out Bojack Horseman, as it isn't similar but is excellent. And Undone.

I'd echo those suggestions, and show co-creator Justin Roiland's new series Solar Opposites begins on Friday and looks like it'll be fun.

[Petey Pate]

this is the only current carton i watch, and i really like it. Is there anything similar i should try?

China IL, although it's no longer running.

[Pseudopath]

If you don't watch any other cartoons then I suggest you check out Bojack Horseman, as it isn't similar but is excellent. And Undone.

I can confidently second third both of these recommendations. Incredible shows.

[gib]

Thanks everyone.

[chveik]

just watch The Venture Bros. mate

Venture Bros if you want something similar; I think Rick & Morty have learnt a thing or two from the Venture Bros.

mate!

[Retinend]

The most recent episode completely reignited my love for the show: for a while (circa the beginning of S3) I thought it was a bit too clever-clever and wrapped up in popular culture, but with this episode it has totally won me around.

It became a meme that it was a "high IQ" show, but let's face it: it is the smartest show out there. We saw this level of verbal wit, (self-aware) narrative dexterity, and irreverence that challenges one's offendibility with the PFFR shows (hence the sensible recent comparisons of the show with Xavier), but whereas PFFR have never managed to reach a truly mass-audience with this brand of comedy, Harmon and Roiland have done so and without making any compromises.

This series is a Sgt Peppers moment for comedy and animation. Adult Swim has become a hub for all that is exciting, experimental and artistic today, and Rick and Morty is the masthead of the channel. I've seen the Merchandise being worn across Europe. The experimental and challenging has become the mainstream.

It challenges the genre limitations of sci-fi, it challenges the preconceptions of the fandom (with this episode's theme of "continuity"), it challenges the technical limitations of a cartoon show, and even the limitations of the TV advertising break. Blasphemy is only the least of its transgressions. There's just so much work in here, in spite of its supposed blasé tone. A total labour of love - a team effort.

Harmon provides the mind-bending narrative concepts and genre-based gags; Roiland the human touch (awkward misunderstandings etc. - e.g. the "Goombi" Xmas  sketch), and the design/animation team the endlessly inventive, Star-Wars-Cantina-scene style creature designs and visually shocking explosions of violence. In this episode, the incredibly gory "floaty bloody man" vignette combines all 3. The end product is far more than the sum of its parts but here's some of my favourite moments:

• "anyway he tells a different version of the story where I start crying or something .... that's why he has to die! ....because he's a liar!"


• "I AM THE CONCEPT OF TIME"


• "ladies and gentlemen, the Jackie Chan of human shielding"


• "yeah we're the ones who pop up out of nowhere - fuck these guys" (the "train cops" who yell "too soon!")


• tickets guy spiralling blood from his abdomen


• "floaty bloody man is my God - the universe is floaty bloody man's nightmare as he dies in a time-dilated reality ... we think that we are keeping him alive by repressing our sexual energies" (they give in to their desires and kill floaty bloody man)


• (Morty tries to tell a story about scoprions and Rick interrupts him to make him follow the prescriptions of the "Bechdel test") "mom, can I talk to you about my special time?" "it's okay I have one too" "mine is heavy today" "mine is never light. ...Your special time is your power, it makes you strong - like a boob!" 💪


• (Story Lord) "who is this guy?" "he's like a - Matrix ... Space-Frasier"


• (Rick blasphemously turns to Jesus. "Marketability", "Broad Appeal", "Relatability" and "Narrative Energy" levels on Story Lord's machine all immediately sink. Jesus appears in the sky, his cum gutters shining and Story Lord is defeated.) Rick: "Greatest Story Ever Told!" Story Lord: "No it's not! It's AWFUL!"


• Morty: "I dunno, some people like that stuff... I don't like taking cheap shots." "Cheap shots?! Morty we were literally saved by Jesus Christ tell me in any way how that's offensive"


• (forced sentimental ending about the importance of consumerism) "I love you, you're my little buddy. Now let's watch some inter-dimensional cable"


• (show ends and there follows a key to the episode in the form of a toy advert) morty: "are they alive"? rick: "of course - but not in away way that matters" announcer: "THEY. HAVE. NO. SOUL! PUPPETS. OF. FATE!"

[Retinend]

TL;DR: I mean this:

I know it's self-indulgent but I really love they way they pay absolute disdain to the fans who want LORE in this nutty series.

[chveik]

It became a meme that it was a "high IQ" show, but let's face it: it is the smartest show out there. We saw this level of verbal wit, (self-aware) narrative dexterity, and irreverence that challenges one's offendibility with the PFFR shows (hence the sensible recent comparisons of the show with Xavier), but whereas PFFR have never managed to reach a truly mass-audience with this brand of comedy, Harmon and Roiland have done so and without making any compromises.

people are actually thinking that?!

[Retinend]

people are actually thinking that?!

I heard it from Petey Pate in PM. For evidence that people are indeed comparing to two, search the show title on YouTube. You'll find a renaissance in amateur criticism, coming from people who were too young to have seen it in 2007 as we did. There's even a virgin/chad meme about it (though extremely lame):

https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/283/692/36a.jpg

You bolded the second sentence. Is that to express surprise that others should think Xavier/PPFR "compromised" artistically? In which case that was an unintended consequence of my poor phrasing. My comment about "without compromise" is a separate thought to the parenthetical stuff about Xavier/PFFR, which simply crossed my mind - since it's all Adult Swim and the two have already been compared.

[Blumf]

Retinend before the lock down

[mjwilson]

Still, renewing it for 7 seasons was just silly, regardless of quality.

[chveik]

I heard it from Petey Pate in PM. For evidence that people are indeed comparing to two, search the show title on YouTube. You'll find a renaissance in amateur criticism, coming from people who were too young to have seen it in 2007 as we did. There's even a virgin/chad meme about it (though extremely lame):

https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/283/692/36a.jpg

You bolded the second sentence. Is that to express surprise that others should think Xavier/PPFR "compromised" artistically? In which case that was an unintended consequence of my poor phrasing. My comment about "without compromise" is a separate thought to the parenthetical stuff about Xavier/PFFR, which simply crossed my mind - since it's all Adult Swim and the two have already been compared.

thanks for the explanations (and yes I misinterpreted the last bit, sorry).  I still struggle a bit to find what's in common between the two approaches. PFFR aren't particulary interested in subverting pop culture references for instance. anyway I'll look into the reasoning of the people making those comparisons.

[Retinend]

My thinking is a little disjointed, and perhaps too presumptuous. I heard from Petey Pate about the comparisons being made, and saw evidence of this in the fact of the Xavier revival - I posit that they are Rick and Morty fans who are discovering it.

[Petey Pate]

From what I've seen there has been a resurgence in Xavier: Renegade Angel fandom online in the past few years, and it does seem like this in part due to Rick and Morty fans discovering it. A friend of mine moderates various philosophy groups on Facebook (most of which go completely over my head) and Xavier memes get shared fairly often.

Pitting the two shows together is pretty stupid though, they both just happen to be well written funny cartoon shows. Xavier is definitely less compromising and 'mainstream' than R&M, though of course that doesn't inherently make it superior.

[Retinend]

The comparison seems most apt re this season; not with how it began, imho. It began as a sci-fi Simpsons and has become something much more Xavier-like with time. The obsession the creators have with interdimensionality re multiple ricks and morties started the ball rolling in this direction.

[sambwel]

https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/283/692/36a.jpg

The internet was a mistake

[Thursday]

That's actually brilliant.