Posted in: Adult Swim, Rick and Morty, TV | Tagged: rick and morty

Rick and Morty S08E08 "Nomortland" Random Thoughts: Multiversal Jerry

Check out our thoughts on Jerry, the multiverse, and more with our look at Adult Swim's Rick and Morty Season 8, Episode 8: "Nomortland."

After going three-and-out to kick off the eighth season of Adult Swim's Rick and Morty, fans of the Emmy Award-winning series were finally treated to a whole lot of Jerry Smith goodness in S08E04: "The Last Temptation of Jerry." Tonight, Chris Parnell's animated alter ego will be getting the spotlight again with S08E08: "Nomortland" (directed by Fill Marc Sagadraca and written by Albro Lundy and James Siciliano), as our Jerry is offered a "multiverse" of possibilities by a visiting Jerry (Stubble Jerry). Earlier this season, we admitted that we weren't exactly the biggest Jerry fan during the show's early years (giving us more than enough reasons not to be). But over the course of the past seven seasons, Jerry has had a pretty amazing and realistic redemption arc, even in the midst of all of the interdimensional madness.

He's still not perfect and still has his faults, and the family overall still has some toxic aspects that need cleaning, but it's easy to see that the dude's trying. For us, it was September 2022's S06E01: "Solaricks" (directed by Jacob Hair and written by Lundy) that was the metaphorical line in the sand when Jerry chose to no longer be who he once was (even admitting to Beth that divorcing him was a smart move). Just look at Jerry's role in last week's episode, S08E07: "Ricker than Fiction" (directed by Douglas Einar Olsen and written by Rob Schrab). Instead of being the coward or the nuisance or the victim who needed rescuing, Jerry had a much more active role in helping "save the day" (even getting a few licks in at James Gunn in the process), and it was refreshing to see. One of the things we've admired the most about the show after nearly eight seasons was its ability to actually have characters that were well-rounded enough to be able to grow in ways that made sense and were relatable, even in the midst of some of the most insane s**t that the writers and animators can come up with.

Rick and Morty Season 8 Episode 8 "Nomortland" Random Thoughts

For those who need a refresher when it comes to the preview that was released heading into the weekend:

Stubble Jerry doesn't have a portal gun, but somehow finds "cracks" in the multiverse to travel through… hmmm.

"DON'T F***ING BLINDSIDE ME WITH SMALL TALK!" – Rick

Rick is not taking his "small talk" with Jerry well…

Something isn't right. Stubble Jerry is having too easy a time finding these "cracks."

Something very sweet about the montage of the Jerrys venturing across the multiverse and letting himself relax – also a little heartbreaking seeing how much he missed out on adventure-wise in the past.

Grand Central being staffed by Jerrys who got left behind is also heartbreaking, and bonus points for having a network of Jerrys out there traveling around.

OF COURSE, there's a group of Jerrys roaming around ripping off other Jerrys. Some Jerrys never change,

What the f**k did that Jerry do to his Rick to have him broken that badly? The line about how Rick should be needing Jerry and not the other way around was disturbing (with Evil Morty backstory vibes).

Look at Jerry being proud of his Rick – nice to see/hear!

Stubble Jerry abandoned his (stubble) family, who moved on with stepdad Paul Fleischman. It was a really sweet scene, with our Jerry realizing and appreciating what he has.

I'm loving the use of Rusted Root's "Send Me on My Way," especially that chase montage through the multiverse.

"Mooch" and "Eagle Man"is a team I want to see more of, and I loved Rick realizing that maybe Jerry does need his own thing.

END CREDITS: Rick and Jerry watching their favorite reality show together naked in the living room – to Beth's total shock and disgust – was a perfect wrap-up to an episode that felt small and intimate, even between the dimension-hopping.

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