The totality of the solar eclipse is dependent on where you are in North America, but the totality of the mutual hatred between Rick Sanchez and Jerry Smith in Rick and Morty is visible no matter where you are. An incredibly dominant mad scientist and a milquetoast human pity-party make for strange arch nemeses, but season three of the hit Adult Swim series has been all about that, and how Rick’s stranglehold over the Smith family means Jerry’s out. In episode five, “The Wirly Dirly Conspiracy,” they spent some time together, and the writers of the show explain this oddly poetic pairing.
In the episode, Jerry talks about how his life with Beth and the kids was very normal and happy before Rick suddenly reappeared in their lives, and because of that Jerry has a deep and abiding hatred for being forcibly pulled into a sci-fi world, and that his wife and kids definitely seem to like Rick better. According to Justin Roiland, Dan Harmon, Ryan Ridley, and Mike McMahan in the above look inside “Wirly Dirly,” Rick and Jerry would probably get along okay if they met in a vacuum as we see early in the episode when they sit at the bar. But there can’t be a vacuum, and Jerry will always fill it with self-loathing, and maybe even tacitly take part in a scheme to murder Rick.
As our own Scott Beggs pointed out, “The Wirly Dirly Conspiracy” is an episode designed to make us feel pretty bad about the characters, with oddly Morty being the only one having anything close to take-charge, Rick-like moments. This season has pretty much been Rick as the primary antagonist, and his excursion with Jerry exemplifies that pretty handily, but Jerry is also an antagonist, of his own life, only showing backbone when he feels like there will be no repercussions. Damn, this show.
Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!
Ooh-Wee: Here’s more Rick and Morty!
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Image: Adult Swim
