The third installment of the fifth season of Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty, aptly titled “A Rickconvient Morty,” takes a new delve into Smith’s evaluation of love and trust. The third episode focuses intensely on the relationship between Summer and Rick in addition to Morty and his mother Beth. Similar to past episodes like “Something Ricked This Way Comes,” this past Sunday’s episode departs from the usual banter and relationship of its titular characters and introduces a subplot of Rick and his granddaughter alongside Morty forming a relationship with one of his parents.
“A Rickconvient Morty ” centers on Morty pursuing and eventually dating a “Phase Four” superhero according to Summer in the form of the environmentally-conscious being Planetina, voiced by Alison Brie (GLOW, Community). Furthermore, it demonstrates Beth exhibiting characteristics of motherhood in the form of protecting her youngest during an angsty teenage love stage. The subplot of the episode follows Summer departing with her grandpa Rick on a non-committal partying spree on planets that are to experience imminent apocalyptic scenarios.
Both storylines portray the titular characters in their own unique encounters with attachment and the pursuit of belonging and acceptance by a romantic counterpart. For Morty’s story arc, “A Rickconvient Morty” explores yet another case of Morty experiencing adult-level feelings of romance while still remaining within his teenage self. Beth witnesses the intensity and rapidly growing feelings within her son and wants to place her authoritative fist down on the whole notion while Morty has accomplished a desire of his, finding an individual out of hundreds of people across the galaxies and timelines that truly wants to spend time with him. The episode serves as another romantic success, or partial for that matter, of Morty following “The Vat of Acid Episode.” Yet, following Planetina’s increasingly raged-filled acts in the name of the environment, Morty begins to feel trepidation towards the relationship and ends it, turning to his mother and accepting his inexperience and inability to deal with these adult issues.
Additionally, Rick and Summer’s storyline begins with Rick wanting to allow Summer to cut loose and get over an ex-boyfriend. Yet, the viewer witnesses Rick succumbing to feelings of the slightest form of affection despite the obvious signs of Rick getting used. While Summer realizes this and ultimately makes the reveal to Rick, the episode once again cements that Summer and Rick are more alike than any other members of the family.
After two incredible additions to the Rick and Morty catalog to kick off its fifth season, “A Rickconvient Morty” may have come across as flat towards some fans. However, the episode does a great job of slowing its pace down and introducing parallels between its two major storylines, while also placing emphasis on the unconventional, but also recognizable love and trust that holds within a family. While it departed from the action-packed episode of its preceding installment “Mortyplicity,” this episode wanted to pump the brakes on the fast action of the series and remind them what is integral between the thought-to-be and often is dysfunctional, but successful suburban family.
Rating: 9.0/10