Rick and Morty season 4B continued the series return to form this week, with the “The Vat of Acid Episode”, which fans were certainly intrigued about, to say the least. As it turned out (unsurprisingly), the episode was about so much more than just a vat of acid. What started as a gag skewing stories like Joker’s origin or any movie / TV that uses acid as a kill device, became commentary on the entire nature of reality, choice and consequence. But, in true Rick and Morty fashion, the episode also had time to riff on all kinds of irreverent topics – including The Simpsons!
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WARNING – Rick and Morty “The Vat of Acide Episode” SPOILERS Follow!
Rick and Morty’s “Vat of Acid Episode” takes a series turn when Rick gives Morty a unique invention: a video game-style “Save Point” device. The gadget lets Morty explore dangerous situations with the safety net of reverting to the point in time where he last “saved” his life. Of course, it doesn’t take long for Morty to totally begin abusing the device.
Instead of using the Save Point device as a safety net, Morty starts using it play out whatever crazy, dark, perverted, or otherwise frivolous desire he want to explore with no consequences. One of those desires is to push an old man in a wheelchair into traffic, only to revert back and help the elderly man across the road, like nothing happened.
If you look in the background, you may notice that the place in town where Morty encounters the old man, is none other than outside of Moe’s Tavern, from The Simpsons‘ town of Springfield!
No one who has ever watched Rick and Morty is surprised that the show is making reference to other animated series that preceded it – it’s been doing that since episode 1. In fact, series creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon make the awareness of their place amongst the great animated sitcoms a constant motif of Rick and Morty, calling themselves out for everything from similar storylines to their infamous slow production process. Rick and Morty is also not afraid to take shots at its animated competitors – in fact, “The Vat of Acid Episode” makes a point to note how what it’s doing is vastly different than Futurama’s time travel version of the same concept, while also shouting out South Park, as well.
…And, by the incredibly dark ending of “The Vat of Acid Episode”, Rick and Morty indeed proves it is in a class all it’s own. And fans are loving it.
Rick and Morty season 4B airs Sunday’s at 11:30 pm EST on Adult Swim.
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