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

Rick and Morty S09E03 "Rick Fu Hustle": You've Got a Friend in Rick

Rick confronts his "friends" issue, and Jerry's pool cleaner goes "Fatal Attraction" in Adult Swim's Rick and Morty, S09E03: "Rick Fu Hustle."

After getting thrown into the deep end of the overarching mythology pool in the season opener, we were taken on a Severance-like emotional rollercoaster ride last weekend, getting a better understanding of just how toxic Rick views himself. So, you'll understand if we head into tonight's episode of Adult Swim's Rick and Morty Season 9, S09E03: "Rick Fu Hustle," with a little trepidation. We know that Rick and Morty's latest attempt at Boob World gets foiled by a standoff in a Trader Joe's parking lot, while Jerry needs to deal with his new dream pool before it becomes a toxic disaster. The latter is leaving us grasping at straws, but we feel like the main storyline is going to focus on Rick's inability to de-escalate situations – and his ability to take on new foes with a simple smart ass comment. With that in mind, here's a look at our real-time thoughts on tonight's chapter:

Rick and Morty Season 9 Episode 3: "Rick Fu Hustle" Thoughts

In Rick's defense? I thought he was handling the situation pretty well, especially compared to how he would've handled things a few seasons back – which isn't saying much. And Jerry needs to work on those "small hose" issues… and what "supplies" could you need for Boob World?

Yeah, Rick is definitely not good at apologizing and making amends – even if it keeps his heart from exploding. Also, I didn't need to see Rick and Morty imitating blowjobs – and definitely not for that long.

Jerry with self-confidence can be a really dangerous thing…

Holy crap. Rick was right. Lu Sin really is a bully asshole (killing the cable/dish guy made that pretty clear). And now, Rick's got to save himself and Morty – and break Lu Sin's belief system along the way.

Oh, by the way? Yeah, Jerry had sex with his Pool Cleaner. What did we just say about Jerry's ability to take a good thing and make it a total f***ing disaster?

While Rick and Morty offer a trade to Lu Sin's mentor to get his help, the Pool Cleaner has gone "Fatal Attraction."

It's interesting to see Rick and Morty have some sweet moments, even in the midst of the madness. First, we saw how Rick reacted when Morty came to him crying after being hit with the heart punch. Now, we had them almost giddy (?!?) as they ran forward for the first time in a long time.

I'm all about Rick and Morty having nanobite-powered Kung-Fu skills – but what's the deal with the "Mountain F**K Punch"?!?

Okay… who saw the Hawaiian Punch mascot, Punchy, as the demonic big bad?

While the Pool Cleaner has taken over the house and flooded it, Rick, Morty, and Lu Sin are forced to take on Punchy's champion, a creature with 1000 pressure points that need to be hit at once. It was nice to see Rick and Lin Sun bond over their shared issues with forming friendships.

Well, we know how much Beth loves her hairdryer now… especially after that end credits scene.

After two very intense episodes, it was nice to have a lighter, more fun chapter that was still insightful. Also, the bringing together of the pool and Lin Sun storylines with a pool party was a well-deserved happy ending that everyone earned. And hopefully, Rick and Lin Sun's friendship will continue throughout the season (and help them both open up even more). We're all about a team-up with Rick, Birdperson, and Lin Sun – maybe friends jealously vying for Rick's attention.

Yes, Evil Morty Is More Dangerous Than Ever – Here's Why…

Adult Swim's Rick and Morty Season 9 wasted little time bringing back Evil Morty  – and in a very big way. It seems that Evil Morty has been blackmailing Rick into going on missions with him between seasons, threatening to kill the Smiths across the multiverse with the Omega Device if he refuses. But by the time the end credits rolled on S09E01: "There's Something About Morty," we learned that Rick was using the missions as a ploy to destroy the Omega Device across all universes. Rick's plan succeeded so well that it brought an onslaught from Evil Morty in retaliation, some hard personal truths, the Smiths kicking the crap out of our big bad, and the Time Cops showing up to arrest Evil Morty. But is that really it for the eyepatch-sporting villain?

No. In fact, despite some fans on social media complaining about what went down with him over the course of the season opener, I think it makes Evil Morty deadlier than ever. He always thought of himself as a different Morty, but that lack of self-awareness was what let Rick play him. Even if he had to blackmail him to do it, Evil Morty turned out to be just another Morty who likes going on adventures with Rick. At least he was. I think it all went away the moment Rick and Morty not only exposed it but also humiliated him for it. As for any kind of sense of family, that was pretty much wiped clean once the Smiths started putting the boots to him. The Evil Morty that was taken away by the Time Cops wasn't the same one who began the episode – and that should be a serious concern. That dude's mission now is to hurt all of them. On top of that, he's being held in a Time Cops prison – basically, he's being kept alive in the middle of a place that would give him access to more time travel power – on top of whatever he and Rick discussed during their time together. Just look at what he did to the Citadel.

Rick and Morty Season 9 Episode 3: "Rick Fu Hustle"

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Review by Ray Flook

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0/10

After getting thrown into the deep end of the overarching mythology pool in the season opener, we were taken on a Severance-like emotional rollercoaster ride last weekend, getting a better understanding of just how toxic Rick views himself. So, you'll understand if we headed into tonight's episode of Adult Swim's Rick and Morty Season 9, S09E03: "Rick Fu Hustle," with a little trepidation. What we ended up with was a lighter but still insightful adventure that wove together storylines involving Kung-fu and swimming pools in a meaningful way - and hopefully, served as a sign of Rick's continued growth (especially after two intense opening episodes).

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