Happy Wednesday BaddaBing BaddaBlog readers! Today I’m going to write about what’s going on in the world of pop culture. Well, at least that was the plan. Do to the way a lot of western media is produced and marketed, there is not a lot to talk about right now. All of the summer blockbuster movies are done with, the television series that premiered or returned are still a few weeks from winding down, and there are not enough issues of the comics I have picked up over the summer out yet for me to form much of an opinion. I could talk about art, literature, or music, but I’m by no means an authority on art, I’m out of the loop on current or upcoming novels, and the thing I’m most excited for in the music scene is the next Gorillaz album, which probably will not be out until 2016 or 2017. So instead of talking about what is new or upcoming in pop culture, I’m going to examine and review a specific title in the field that I enjoy. Namely, Rick and Morty.

Rick and Morty is an adult animated television series airing on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block and is the product of the Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland working together. The show follows the adventures of an alcoholic mad scientist, Rick, and his naïve and well meaning grandson, Morty. The show originally began as a parody of the two main characters from Back to the Future, but has since blossomed into its own unique and compelling story.

Perhaps the single greatest thing that can be said about Rick and Morty is that it is not afraid to push an idea to its absolute limits. Whether an episode is taking a jab at an overused science fiction trope or pioneering an original storyline, the writers unapologetically push a concept to a point that would seem ridiculous on any other show. However, on Rick and Morty these outrageous developments are delightful and extremely entertaining.

For example, in one episode Rick introduces Morty’s family to a creature called Mr. Meeseeks. This human-like being is created with a push of a button, given task, and then explode once they complete said task. These creatures are totally fine with their brief, one note existence. However, when a Mr. Meeseeks cannot fulfill his determined task, helping Morty’s father Jerry take two strokes off of his golf game, Mr. Meeseeks quickly creates other Mr. Meeseeks to help him help Jerry. Before long there are dozens of the genie like beings and they decide that they only way they can help Jerry is by killing him and thereby taking all of the strokes off of his golf game.

Yeah, that’s just a taste of how dark this show can get. Another episode features Rick and Morty doing irreparable damage to the planet that they are living on. Most shows would have the leads find some imposable and comedic way of returning things to normal. Not Rick and Morty. Instead of fixing the problem, the two of them travel to a parallel dimension where that universes Rick and Morty die and just replace them. This causes severe psychological trauma to Morty. However, we do get to see him adopt a more nihilistic worldview which ultimately helps him overcome some of his longstanding insecurities and better adjust to what life throws at him.

Rick and Morty is great because it dares to be weird and original. That should not sound like much, but sadly a lot of television shows are created and marketed in a specific way to the largest audience possible. When I watch an episode of Rick and Morty, I get the impression that the creators and writers don’t really care if their show is extremely popular or not. They seem to be more concerned with creating something that they enjoy and can be proud of.

Rick and Morty is more than halfway done with its second season. So far this season has been even darker, funnier, and more real than the first season. Adult Swim has green lite production for a third season of Rick and Morty and I’m sure it will be marvelous. If you have not watched Rick and Morty already, watch it. All of season two so far is up on YouTube for free. If you have friends who do not watch Rick and Morty, convince them to watch it. Rick and Morty is probably one of the greatest shows on television right now and I can promise you that its quality an popularity is only going to grow to a rickdiculous level from here.

Thanks for reading and don’t forget to like the post and leave a comment, like and follow the Facebook page, and follow me, @LucasDeRuyter, on Twitter. Normally Thursday would be a day off, but because I’ll be busy on Friday, you can expect the next installment of News for the Mighty, News of the Week sometime tomorrow. See you then.

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