Rick and Morty – ‘Total Rickall’

Rick and Morty is always charting new ground, but can it breathe new life into the clip show format? The answer, of course, is yes, and it results in another classic episode that showcases the show in its most visually inventive. There’s lots to love in ‘Total Rickall’.

The family are enjoying a breakfast together with Jerry’s brother, Uncle Steve, and long-time friend Mr Poopybutthole. When Rick shoots Uncle Steve, he reveals a horrible truth – that there was no such person, and Steve is in fact part of an alien parasite race which mooches off their hosts by insinuating themselves into their lives via the creation of false memories. Soon, the flashbacks begin to multiply, and so do the aliens. The Smith household is full of creatures and zany characters, and Rick must work out who is real and who is not in order to save the world.

A thrilling adventure that breathes new life into old TV tropes

‘Total Rickall’ is essentially a Rick and Morty clip show for the most part, but it leaps ahead to make the experience extra-meta – these are all clips that never actually existed, and the clips themselves are part of the enemy. They’re funny snippets of lost adventures, but each one also comes with rising tension – the more we see, the more dangerous the situation gets for the family. It’s a brilliant conceit that takes the clip show format and actually does something really original with it. Things get out of hand very quickly, and I like that the writers trust the viewer enough to follow the premise.

As things get increasingly surreal, the animation looks stunning – bringing together so many disparate characters in a way that feels cohesive is really impressive, and it leads to a beautiful massacre sequence that must have been a joy to animate. Everything remains grounded in the family, though, and they turn against each other as they struggle to figure out who is real. Rick’s immediate desire to shoot Summer is funny, as is Jerry convincing himself that he is a parasite. It works well because it’s exactly how we’d expect him to react.

‘Total Rickall’ is another great episode that showcases the best of Rick and Morty. It takes a clever premise and great character humour, and folds it into a story that builds in a way that feels natural and hilarious. Perhaps it missed the possibility of being especially poignant in its final moments, but that’s a minor criticism of a thrilling adventure that breathes new life into old TV tropes.

Best lines:

‘Steve wasn’t real?’ – Jerry. ‘He was a real piece of shit’ – Rick isn’t a fan of Steve, in part because he was a parasite and in part because Steve made him the butt of a joke

‘Why don’t you make me, implausibly naïve adolescent boy with an old Jewish comedy writer’s name?’ – Rick mocks Morty when he believes his sidekick may be a parasite

‘I’m a parasite’ – Jerry. ‘Yeah, but you’re real’ – Beth delivers a scathing analysis of Jerry’s role in her life

One-off character:

Given the premise of this one, ‘Total Rickall’ is essentially ‘one-off character – the episode’. Some of the parasite’s forms include family butler Mr Beauregard, animated pencil Pencilvester, the Photography-raptor, Reverse Giraffe (he has a long body with a short neck and short legs, and is voiced by keith David), the Amish Cyborg, and Mrs Refrigerator. Rick lampshades that the screen at one point becomes a Where’s Waldo image of characters, and you’ll be sure to find a couple you’ll like.

Post-credits scene:

Having shot Mr Poopybutthole, the Smith family go and see him in physical therapy. But he doesn’t want to see them, and he apologises that the family don’t have any bad memories of him. It’s a sad end for what turns out to be a really bleak episode climax.