10 Years Later, This is Still the Most Underrated Episode of Rick and Morty

Over the course of seven seasons, Rick and Morty has consistently delivered some of the most compelling, hilarious episodes of any animated series. Chronicling the intergalactic misadventures of Rick, a misanthropic inventor and self-proclaimed smartest man in the universe, and Morty, his mild-mannered yet curious grandson, the series quickly became a fan favorite on Adult Swim.

Through 81 episodes, Rick and Morty has featured popular parody episodes, putting an interesting spin on Hollywood projects like Mad Max, The Purge, The Terminator, Akira, and over a dozen other films or TV shows, while also making room for its riotous original content. With so many episodes available to stream, it can be easy to overlook some of the series’ hidden gems, and the Season 2 finale of Rick and Morty has grown increasingly underrated with time.

“The Wedding Squanchers” is the Most Underrated Rick and Morty Episode

“The Wedding Squanchers” is the tenth and final episode of Season 2 of Rick and Morty. The episode begins with Rick, Morty, Beth, Summer, and Jerry enjoying breakfast when suddenly a “Courier Flap” (an intergalactic mailing service) approaches their door and invites them to the wedding ceremony of Rick’s lifelong friend, Birdperson, and Tammy, a former student at Summer Smith’s school.

Though Beth and Summer are excited about the prospects of traveling to Planet Squanch for the wedding, Rick is less enthused and refers to weddings as “funerals with cakes” before rejecting the invite. But, after Jerry accidentally orders the “Courier Flap” to take him 6,000 light-years away to Planet Squanch, Rick reluctantly takes the family on a journey to attend the wedding and retrieve him.

The family is greeted by Squanchy upon arrival, and the family (except Rick, who heads straight to the open bar) begins mingling with the guests. Jerry fails epically while attempting to connect with Tammy’s parents, Summer and Tammy rekindle and express excitement for the wedding, and Morty makes his rounds after telling Rick to lighten up.

The episode begins to pick up when an inebriated Birdperson begins spilling secrets about his shared past with Rick, revealing that his past is “soaked with the blood of both friends and enemies,” and that he and Rick “committed numerous atrocities in the name of freedom,” which now makes them a target of the galactic government, forcing them to live their lives in hiding.

“The Wedding Squanchers” Has One of Rick and Morty’s Most Shocking Reveals

At the reception, Rick makes a toast to Birdperson and his new bride, citing that although he isn’t a fan of weddings, he wishes the couple the best.

Tammy follows him up with a toast of her own. However, instead of confessing her love for Birdperson as everyone expected, Tammy reveals that she is not the teenage bride they thought she was and instead reveals that she is a deep-cover agent for the galactic government. She then kills Birdperson in cold blood and tells the other criminals in attendance that the building is surrounded and they are under arrest.

Distraught by the sudden death of Birdperson, a shootout between Tammy and her undercover agents and Rick and a band of criminals ensues. Rick, Beth, Summer, Morty, and Jerry manage to escape the melee unscathed. The family’s relief is short-lived when Rick informs them that they can never return to Earth.

By simply associating with Rick, the family would now be targets of the galactic government, which would swarm the Earth in pursuit of the rebellious inventor.

The Wedding Squanchers Features One of Rick’s Few Selfless Acts

Unable to return home to Earth, Rick and the Smith family set up shop on a planet outside of the galactic government’s jurisdiction. However, the planet is much smaller than Earth and features minimal resources. The first day on their new planet, the family hunted a species into extinction for breakfast, highlighting just how inhospitable the planet is.

Jerry, displeased with his family’s new lifestyle, suggests that the family turn Rick in to the galactic government so that they can resume their lives on Earth. Though the family strongly detests the notion, Rick overhears the conversation and decides to turn himself in for his family’s sake.

After telling Morty that he’s going for a quick run to get ice cream, Rick calls a criminal hotline to provide an anonymous tip about his whereabouts.

This leads to his swift arrest, while his family is rescued and returned to Earth. His self-sacrifice in the Season 2 finale is one of the few selfless acts the pessimistic scientist commits in the entire series.

Plus, his arrest leads directly into the Season 3 premiere, The Rickshank Redemption, the second-highest-rated Rick and Morty episode on IMDd, which kicks off a war between the Citadel of Ricks and the Galactic Federation, making “The Wedding Squanchers” one of the most important episodes of the series.