Rick and Morty are back after a well-deserved break, but do not count on the series giving fans a quick rundown of past events because for this week’s entry the writers decided to go extremely meta, starting with all those “Previously on…” recaps binge-watchers don’t need.
Naturally, if Rick and Morty turns meta it is bound to be something special and in “Full Meta Jackrick” writer Alex Rubens and director Lucas Gray truly seem to embrace the very difficulty that lies in writing a great Rick and Morty episode 9 years since the show first aired. In that sense, the series follows the trend of other animated meta episodes such as those from Bojack Horseman or Family Guy, or more recently the fourth-wall-breaking antics of She-Hulk, all to great effect for a fantastic adventure.
The first few seconds start innocently enough, like a proper recap of season 6, though it doesn't take more than that before it evolves into a soap opera tale for the Smith family that of course has Jerry as its biggest victim. Teen pregnancy, murder, and even a Tony Hawk cameo are all here for show so Rick can realize that they’re being subjected to a meta incursion from some unknown force, which turns out to be Leon, the bug-like creature from recent previews.
Besides the usual jokes, it’s great to see this season’s Rick and Morty intro juxtaposed with the duo’s comments on such scenes, especially since the sight of images such as Iron Man Jerry and Butter Morty are both things fans of the show are really looking forward to. Regardless of that, the pair makes their way to what -for the lack of a better word- seems like the true metaverse, a trope that dilutes the very value of the show’s clever writing, according to Rick.
And that’s precisely the name of the game in an incredibly self-aware Rick and Morty entry that’s not afraid to point out when it borrows tricks from other shows, like say its idea for a hard-hitting Jesus Christ (Vid. South Park), whose life parody is simply hilarious. Seeing Rick getting “Baned” like Batman and suffering through the whole bit is also bound to get a kick out of many, but all that is secondary to the real villain here, Story-Lord.
Story-Lord is nothing more than the mediocre creation of an uninspired writer who admits his failure stems from trying really hard to come up with something cool, no matter the cost. True character is determined thanks to the motivation, values, and traits any writer can infuse into them, so Story-Lord gets some massive plot armor that makes up for the lack of creativity, motivation as motivation just because.
If it feels like a cheap trick is because that’s what it’s meant to be as this Rick and Morty episode is all about highlighting the pitfalls of movie and TV tropes, or tired narrative resources, all of which desperately try to rescue poor writing. Considering that, it’s no surprise Rick and Morty end up at the fortress of the aptly-named Self-Referential Six, who are basically a list of mistakes all writers should seek to avoid in their work.
The jokes on Miss Lead, Flash Back, Mr. Twist and continuity errors are all quite on point, but none more so than using the imprisoned Brett Caan to retcon this episode’s back into making any sense at all in the most blatant way possible. Not that any of it is too important as Joseph Campbell helps carry Rick and Morty back into reality, but not without calling for everyone to drop some major truth bombs.
While this is not the type of episode to push Rick and Morty forward, viewers are told that change is Rick’s real kryptonite, a hard-hitting statement given the show’s larger developing plot. Still, once the duo makes it out of the meta purgatory they get to confront the episode’s true villain with the lesson that real creative writing is not something that can be forced to exist.
No amount of marketing, fancy tech, or narrative gimmicks can ever match true creative genius, which is possibly why Rick and Morty uses its meta episode to remind the audience how hard is to maintain a consistent stream of new fun stories. Rick’s own comments about how some fans demand the show to go back to its season one roots are evidence of this, although it’s fair to say “Full Meta Jackrick” proves Rick and Morty are back to their best.
Even if this is an episode that doesn't end up winning over everyone out there, it continues making Rick and Morty’s sixth season a resounding hit thanks to the show delivering the type of humor its fans crave. Sure, it's ironically self-indulgent at times, but certainly worth it for watching Rick and Morty deliver 20 minutes' worth of jokes and a knockoff Rick plush that can't be purchased in this reality (rick-plush.biz).