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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
The mad scientist and his sidekick grandson wish fans a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays in the most Rick and Morty way possible. In this article, we review Rick and Morty‘s fourth mid-season finale.
“Rattlestar Ricklactica” is directed by Jacob Hair and written by James Siciliano.
If you haven’t caught up with the show, do so now or read at your own peril. Spoilers ahead!
Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith embark on yet another journey but get a flat tire in the depths of space along the way. Meanwhile, Jerry Smith floats throughout Earth’s atmosphere after almost fatally falling off his roof decorating the exterior of his home with Christmas ornaments.
Morty is bitten by a space snake, which is a weird occurrence but makes sense in this universe because “there is literally everything in space.” With the help of his grandfather, he is cured by an alien serum derived from a snake planet. Back home, Morty sneaks off and goes out of his way to bring an Earth snake to the other planet.
Rick and Morty’s story in this episode subtly teaches us about the Messiah character that serves as the Savior of the holidays. The Earth snake becomes the Sarah Connor of the snake planet, where she births the John Connor that sparks a war against two sides of snake history.
“Rattlestar Ricklactica” brings back the time travel element of the television series, which it hardly ever does because it gets so tricky. It references popular cultural film franchises, notably Terminator and Back to the Future, the latter of which is a grand influence on Rick and Morty itself.
Jerry’s story, on the other hand, is difficult to make out but one thing is for sure. Because he cheats death, death follows him where need be. One example is the airplane and its passengers that he comes across. His shoe and money, according to the episode, were meant to represent “a powerful but confusing monument to [our] neighborhood integrity.” When you think about it, this is actually true. Something as trivial as footwear and dollar bills are more important than one would think. Shoes give us warmth and are a form of clothing, but more so they help keep us moving. The same goes for currency, although the philosophy behind money does serve some sort of paradox: Money is the root of all evil, but it doesn’t always have to buy unhappiness. (In the Season 3 premiere where Rick breaks out of his intergalactic confinement, he changes the currency for a mass of extraterrestrial beings, and they go chaotic.)
In the end, Rick and Morty leaves us with a little something to think about before they return from their mid-season hiatus. At least, we hope they don’t make us wait too long this time.
Happy New Year from everyone at The Cinema Spot!
What do you think? Have you seen Rick and Morty yet? If not, do you plan to? Let us know! For more animation-related news and reviews follow The Cinema Spot on Twitter (@TheCinemaSpot) and Instagram (@thecinemaspot_).
Rick and Morty Season 4 is now out on Cartoon Network’s nighttime program Adult Swim!
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
