Posted in: Adult Swim, Review, Rick and Morty, TV | Tagged: Adult Swim, dan harmon, Justin Roiland, Review, rick and morty, Season 6

Rick and Morty Season 6 Ep. 9 Review: Are Things Too Rick To Be True?

So let's take a moment to pause and reflect on the fact that we're down to only two new episodes of Dan Harmon & Justin Roiland's Rick and Morty before we start harassing the creative team for early spoilers on the seventh season. While we're already expecting big things from the season finale (because admit it, things have been going a little too well for the fam), it's the lack of intel on this weekend's episode from Adult Swim (S06E09 "A Rick in King Mortur's Mort") that got our radar buzzing. From the promo that aired, it seemed like our dimension-hopping duo was getting involved in some kind of "Game of Thrones" situation. But the episode overview didn't help, referring to Morty getting a gift from a random stranger (we're guessing it's the sword) and how when Rick tells you not to do something? You don't do it. Because we all know how well that worked out for a planet of evolved snakes (see S04E05 "Rattlestar Ricklactica"). So what did we get? An episode that left the viewer feeling like Morty, confronted with a Rick who kept us waiting for the other shoe to drop only to prove both Morty and us wrong. Is Rick actually… trying? So with that in mind, we're throwing on the "MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!" sign and throwing down an image spoiler buffer as we deep dive into the season's penultimate episode.

A Look at Rick and Morty S06E09 "A Rick in King Mortur's Mort"

Okay, let's kick things off with a look at what was released for tonight's episode:

"The Knight of The Sun" finds more shipped off to the sun to take on this new position… a very "Vindicators" vibe showing just how decent Morty can be in-between all of the destruction.

Once the laughter starts, you know things are going to get ugly. And it begins with the cutting off of penises.

Wait… what? So is Rick actually being honest? Is he really going to attempt to be more agreeable with Morty's adventure? Well, that's a bold move. Though his approach leaves a lot to be desired…

And this is where the heart of the episode kicks in, as Morty attempts to "educate" The Knights of The Sun and, in the process, destroys their belief system & culture. Of course, this is after Morty chose to be a part of it, only to get tired of it. There are a whole ton of metaphors here with America's involvement in the world and how we've made things a whole lot worse in a lot of places. Just look at how ugly things have escalated for Morty, who's clearly in over his head with things he doesn't understand.

Serious props to whoever came up with Santa Clause being the "Earl of Earth"…

SIDE NOTE: Something tells me that we should check out Adult Swim's Yule Log next Sunday night. Hmmm…

Also, we're going with our original take that we can read some knife-twisting into tonight episode when it comes to the wave of fantasy series out there.

Maybe Dr. Wong can advise Rick that passive-aggressive "support" doesn't quite count.

Witnessing the war between the planets to the tune of Pink Floyd's "Goodbye Blue Sky" was a heartbreaking montage, one of the roughest ones to watch.

Morty can't buy into Rick trying to do right by him, accusing him of a "Vat of Acid" play (exactly how I was feeling, making me into a "Morty," too). But Rick makes the case that he's legitimately trying to be a better force in his life, and they should commit to a solution instead of running. So Rick's committed to giving Morty a fake enough dick to cut off to convince the Knights of The Sun to return to duty to balance the planets.

So Rick and Morty "sacrificed themselves" to maintain the peace… by pulling a "Vat of Acid" on them!

END CREDITS: Poor Special Agent Mongo Bongo…

SO WHAT DID WE THINK? The biggest revelation about this episode is what didn't happen. This wasn't a Rick who had a shady plan up his sleeve or a snarky "moral to this story" like he's been known to have for Morty in the past. Aside from some early moments of passive-aggressive "support," this Rick was legit serious about approaching his partnership with Morty differently. And oddly enough, it… works? Unless there's some big twist on the way in the season finale, we might be witnessing a season of character growth & development unlike any we've seen in live-action series, let alone animated series. It was a nice change of pace and showed a level of communication & respect between the two that was both a pleasant surprise and a natural evolution of their dynamic. Now, with that said? I'm worried that things are going way too well for Rick, Morty, and the family. Something just isn't feeling quite right… and with Rick Prime, Evil Morty, and others still out there, it's a safe feeling to have. But we'll embrace these "eyes of the storm" when we get them.

Rick and Morty Season 6 Episode 9 "A Rick in King Mortur's Mort"

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Review by Ray Flook

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8.5/10

So let's take a moment to pause and reflect on the fact that we're down to only two new episodes of Dan Harmon & Justin Roiland's Rick and Morty before we start harassing the creative team for early spoilers on the seventh season. While we're already expecting big things from the season finale (because admit it, things have been going a little too well for the fam), it's the lack of intel on this weekend's episode from Adult Swim (S06E09 "A Rick in King Mortur's Mort") that got our radar buzzing. From the promo that aired, it seemed like our dimension-hopping duo was getting involved in some kind of "Game of Thrones" situation. But the episode overview didn't help, referring to Morty getting a gift from a random stranger (we're guessing it's the sword) and how when Rick tells you not to do something? You don't do it. Because we all know how well that worked out for a planet of evolved snakes (see S04E05 "Rattlestar Ricklactica"). So what did we get? An episode that left the viewer feeling like Morty, confronted with a Rick who kept us waiting for the other shoe to drop only to prove both Morty and us wrong. Is Rick actually... trying?

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