Rick and Morty – ‘Get Schwifty’

We’re getting musical in this week’s Rick and Morty, but the song it sings isn’t an overly impressive one. ‘Get Schwifty’ is the weakest episode of this second season, although it still boasts some great jokes and an interesting B-plot.

A giant head appears in the orbit of Earth, and demands that the planet ‘show me what you got’. Rick and Morty investigate, and reveal to the US President (Keith David) that the creature is a Cromulon – the race travels from planet to planet demands that its populations take part in a musical reality show. It’s up to the duo to compose a hit song fast, or Earth races obliteration. Meanwhile, Principal Vagina believes that the heads are a new god, and forms a new religion that punishes disbelievers. Summer becomes a devoted member of the cult, which concerns Beth and Jerry.

Rick and Morty really excels at combining the hilarious with character beats, and knowing just where to cross each line. ‘Get Schwifty’ is not an example of this – the storyline is really quite weak, and I’d say that the B-plot is actually better in this case. It sees the family become part of a cult, but I don’t know if I really bought it, particularly how quickly Summer acclimatises to cult life. Much of this episode coasts be on being really weird – I don’t mind weird and it gets a few laughs, but it doesn’t add up to a cohesive watch. I didn’t overly like ‘Interdimensional Cable’ because of how loose it felt, and it was the same vibe here.

It’s hard not to be disappointed by ‘Get Schwifty’

That’s not to say that ‘Get Schwifty’ was entirely without charm, and a wonderfully-animated sequence saw Morty travel through different worlds before he eventually encountered Birdperson. It’s a nice nod to continuity, as is the fact he’s now living with Tammy, and the scene is a good one, expanding a little on Rick’s history (even if the emotional beats are far too cliché). This jaded Morty has developed over the past few weeks, and I’m interested to see where the writers will run with it.

Even the weaker episodes of Rick and Morty are better TV that most of the schedules. That said, it’s hard not to be disappointed by ‘Get Schwifty’ – it lacks the show’s usual wit and neither of the storylines are that engaging. There are certainly laughs to be had, but this is a stumble in a strong run of episodes.

Best lines:

‘This head won’t go away until Earth show’s them it’s got a hit song’ – Rick. ‘You mean like Vivaldi?’ – a member of the government task force. ‘No, Frasier’ – Rick is dismissive, and it’s a great line

‘Can you fly a Black Hawk?’ – Morty. ‘Can the Pope’s dick fit through a doughnut?’ – the President. It’s bizarre and Morty’s confused reaction is really funny

‘Is your intention to abandon Rick using his own portal gun? In Bird culture, this is considered a dick move’ – all hail the surprise return of Birdperson

Again, not strictly a line, but some of the reasons for ascension include: ‘thief’, ‘goth’, ‘movie talker’, the last of which I definitely agree with

One-off character:

Keith David’s enthusiastic portrayal of the President is the episode’s highlight – he’s at equal parts measured and madcap, and I certainly hope that we’ll see him again.

Post-credits scene:

Ice-T returns to his home planet and greets a council of letters. His father, the king and letter Q, acknowledges his son’s bravery in saving Earth, and allows me to return to his true form – Water-T. There is then an invasion by the Numbericons and, after the king is wounded, Water-T goes full out. We have a freeze frame, and then it turns out that this is a trailer for a film. It’s fun, and a random end for a random episode.