'Rick and Morty' Co-Creator Reveals Favorite Episodes and One He Hates
Throughout three seasons on Adult Swim, there has not been a shortage of great episodes of Rick [...]
The Citadel of Pickle Ricks
Harmon added that these episodes don't come in a particular favorite-to-least-favorite order, and that he loves them all for specific reasons.
Two from Season 3 made the cut, including "Pickle Rick" and "The Ricklantis Mixup."
"I watched those two with a crowd of 200 fans so I know they're good episodes," Harmon said. "If they booed or was silent I'd know they were a piece of garbage. I don't care how hard I worked on an episode, if fans hate it, it's bad, and I hate it too."
If you're unaware, "The Ricklantis Mixup" was teased to be an episode with the titular duo exploring Atlantis, but it ended up having nothing to do with the fictional lost city. Instead, it focused on the Citadel of Ricks in the wake of falling into chaos after our Rick murdered the Council of Ricks.
"Pickle Rick" was teased heavily before the season began and ended up being a major payoff with a memorable guest appearance by the legendary Susan Sarandon.
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The game-changing "Rick Potion #9" also made the cut.
"It's not only a good episode, it also so represents what's possible and unique about the show itself," Harmon said. "[Co-creator Justin Roiland] and I had thought to do that episode idea maybe for the finale, where they abandon all of reality and Rick teaches you can just reboot."
And though that would have been an effective ending to the series, they decided to mess with the audience in advance.
"Instead, we said, 'Let's move it up so early in the season that it feels suicidal creatively and jump every shark imaginable.' And that's been the pulse of Rick and Morty in its best moments," Harmon said.
"Rick Potion #9" was one of the first indications to fans that they should expect the unexpected in the show.
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"Auto-Erotic Assimilation" and "Big Trouble In Little Sanchez" round out the last two, though Harmon was hard pressed to come up with a final entry.
The former introduced Unity, giving a glimpse into Rick's love life and the only lifeform capable of keeping him honest. In the episode, Rick reunites with a hive mind and the two reignite a destructive cycle of drug abuse and sex. Unity ends up ditching Rick with a "Dear John" letter, and the world's smartest man nearly gives into his depression and attempts to commit suicide as a result.
While other episodes dealt with serious themes, this was the first one that approached the lead character's self destructive behavior head on.
The latter, nicknamed "Tiny Rick," followed up on that theme in a comical way by placing Rick in a teen's body and forcing him to bury all of those nihilistic feelings until they exploded in his face. The B-plot dealt with Beth and Jerry's marriage issues when they go to an off-world marriage counselor and end up creating monsters who nearly kill everyone.
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Despite all of the amazing episodes in the series, Harmon wasn't afraid to admit to one stinker.
"I can give you the least favorite," Harmon said. "It's the one with the Amazonian women [season 1's 'Raising Gazorpazorp']."
The episode has to deal with a race of intelligent women who rule over the ape-like male species, with the two genders segregated.
"I was so proud while I was writing it and then I read people's comments on it how it felt stale and '80s in its observations about gender," Harmon said. "And now I hate it and want it to die by fire. But that's because of people's reactions or I would love it."
Though the episode has its moments, it does make stale observations that are less than original, which says a lot about Rick and Morty's typical intelligence when dealing with nuanced topics.
The third season finale of Rick and Morty airs this Sunday. We'll find out how it stacks up to "Ricksy Business" and "The Wedding Squanchers."
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