Rick and Morty co-creator: Sunday's new episode 'got away from us'
The show even slipped in a coronavirus reference that surprised some fans.
You don't want to know what Rick and Morty call six-pack abs.
Rick and Morty returned Sunday night with the first episode of the five shows remaining in season 4, and fans were split over the meta-referential episode, jam-packed with references to the writing process and fourth-wall-breaking asides. In a YouTube video posted Sunday, show co-creator Dan Harmon and episode writer Jeff Loveness discussed the contentious episode.
"I think it's going to be a favorite episode of mine," Harmon said. "But I'd be the first to say that, like the story train itself, it got away from us."
The episode, set on a "story train" racing through space, features a disturbing nickname for six-pack abs, an appearance by a muscular Jesus Christ, a bonding session with Rick's former girlfriends, and a discussion of the Bechdel test that led to Summer and Beth shooting rainbows out of their vaginas at scorpions. There was even a brief reference to the coronavirus outbreak, when Rick encourages Morty to look "straight into the bleeding jaws of capitalism" and buy things, since "no one is out there" shopping due to the virus.
Even star Chris Parnell, who voices Jerry, told Games Radar he was surprised the show was able to slip the virus reference in, since presumably most of the episode was made in 2019. "I guess obviously very late in the game they can add that stuff," Parnell said.
As far as the not-family-friendly nickname for cut abs, which is partially bleeped out throughout the show, Harmon reacted in the video the same as Rick did in the show -- by expressing disgust.
"The grossest phrase I've ever heard in my life," Harmon said of the term. "Disgusting."
Some fans had similar thoughts about the new episode. "The episode sucked," wrote one Twitter user. "Never thought I'd say that about a Rick and Morty episode."
The episode sucked. Never thought id say that about a rick and morty episode
— Viktor (@viktor_talevski) May 4, 2020
never thought I'd see a boring Rick and Morty episode, stop the social parade,just give us the profane, dark, surreal humor,the vulgar satire.
— Oluoch Fredrick. (@oluoch_fredrick) May 4, 2020
Rick and Morty is turning into Community with meta jokes that only the writers think are clevers, while alienating as much audience as possible.
— Dimitri (@dimitreze) May 4, 2020
JUST. TELL. YOUR. STORY. omfg how hard is it to go on with your plot? If you don't like the plot anymore just cancel the show, you will save us all some time.
— Ѧrabella (@LeidiArabella) May 4, 2020
But others argued that the show was smartly poking fun at demanding fans.
"Ugh, I'm surprised how many people don't get it," wrote one Twitter user. "This entire season is one big metajoke to the fans for their outrageous demands and lack of knowledge of how a TV show, especially (a) cartoon, is made."
Ugh, I'm surprised how many people don't get it, this entire season is one big Metajoke to the fans for their outrageous demands and lack of knowledge of how a TV show especially cartoon is made. Just relax and enjoy the fucking show
— F4Phailure on YouTube (@F4Phailure) May 4, 2020
all the upset fans in the replies are literally proving the point of the epsiode lol. not saying I don't have my own problems with the episode, but they've definitely completely missed the point. this episode is about them lmao.
— losloslos (@livelaughlos) May 4, 2020
Exactly, people are saying they didn’t like the story, when it’s literally an episode about story structure told with near perfect story structure.
— 𝕸𝖞 𝖓𝖆𝖒𝖊 𝕵𝖊𝖋𝖋 (@Choncybarbosa) May 4, 2020
Maybe a line from the episode fit the situation best. "Shut up, Morty, you're 14," Rick tells his grandson at one point. "You watch videos of people on YouTube reacting to fucking YouTube. I'll be the judge of when we get too meta."
“Shut up, Morty, you’re fourteen. You watch videos of people on YouTube reacting to fucking YouTube. I’ll be the judge of when we get too meta.” #rickandmorty pic.twitter.com/fTcCSam7bR
— DAVID-19 (@SnyderDavidE) May 4, 2020
Another new Rick and Morty episode, titled Promortyus and apparently playing off the Alien series of movies, premieres May 10.
