Review: Rick and Morty ‘Big Trouble in Little Sanchez’

 

Spoilers Below:

I missed the last new episode two weeks ago (sorry!) but ol’ Gonzo is back to finish out the second half of the season, so let’s forget that ever happened. (Except for the actual episode. That was pretty damn funny.)

This week, in order to catch a vampire in town, Rick became a teen and started hanging out with Morty & Summer at school. The mission was successful, but “Tiny Rick” stayed around to help Summer throw a party and impress her crush. He stuck around even longer, becoming trapped in his body, only able to convey his true feelings through teenage angst. However, when Summer tried to help him, she ended up becoming the school outcast. Eventually, sister and brother needed to come together to eliminate the clone Rick and save the real one.

Also, Rick sent Beth & Jerry off-planet for their marriage counseling. Their visions of each other (Beth as a freakish alien and Jerry as a quivering slug) eventually got loose and began wreaking havoc on the planet. Beth then needed to change her view of her husband in order to overpower his feelings for her – and also save themselves.

In Case You Missed It:

1) Beth & Jerry’s relationship in a nutshell: “I think we all see what you both mean.”

2) The vampire ended up being a teacher named “Coach Feratu.” But of course you already knew that if you watched the ending.

3) Jim Rash’s pronunciation of Earth as “E-arth” by itself was worth his guest appearance.

4) Rick logic: “Why was Knight Rider called Knight Rider? The car’s name was KITT; nobody rode Michael Knight.”

5) When Rick was freed from his giant test tube, Morty shouted, “Rick!” Summer instead shouted, “Pants!” (Twice.)

6) One of Rick’s bumper stickers read: “I (heart) Shleemies.”

7) Fuck the Dallas Cowboys. Y’all caught a break.

We’ve had a lot of different types of Rick and Morty episodes this season, with our friends traveling all over the galaxy for a bunch of complex missions and other various reasons, but there had yet to be one focusing on Morty’s school. I only say this because last year’s “Rick Potion #9” was a big hit, and involved a setting ripe for a return sometime this year. And here it is.

Despite the aforementioned lack of creativity in the main plot (I mean, it’s kind of similar to a lot of other TV and film plots; Family Guy’s “Let’s Go to the Hop,” anyone?) I really enjoyed this story. It was relatively simple, involved both Summer and Morty eventually needing to work together, and Tiny Rick was frickin hysterical. I was actually starting to grow tired of how likable Rick was becoming this season, loving his dickish attitude in the past moreso – but this was the entire focus of last night’s episode, and because it was so prominently featured, it actually worked. And like I said, how could you not like Tiny Rick? (Especially when the Principal called him, “TR.”)

Eventually, we got to see the asshole Rick again, anyway, and they even made a point of it. (“Old Rick, ruining everything!”) So we’re good.

As for Beth & Jerry’s story, I didn’t love it, but it was still pretty good. Like the side-plot in “Auto Erotic Assimilation,” it wasn’t the greatest storyline, but it worked for the couple. It allowed them to work together and strengthen their relationship, while also containing a surprising amount of funny lines. I feel like we expect Rick to take us somewhere strange and eventually return us to safe reality, and likewise, we expect Beth & Jerry to take us to the brink of divorce, yet always return to marital stability.

Heck, even Morty on his own was pretty strong, spitting his street-talk game with confidence. Bonus points for the “Get your shit together!” speech.

Although this wasn’t the strongest installment of the year, it was totally solid, and ranked just a hair above the last new one, making it one of the best. Given the simplicity of the main plot (on the surface, at least) it should get extra kudos for this fact, and if it had contained a few more big laughs, could have scored even better. Still, it gave a needed boost to season two, and if the rest of the season unfolds thusly, could pave the way for a strong finish.