Water-T Returns on New Rick and Morty
Rick and Morty S7 Ep 8 Review
On Saturday, December 2nd, 2023, Rick and Morty marked its 10th birthday with surprisingly little fanfare. One would think that such an important milestone would be a big deal online. Surprisingly, though, it barely showed up in my Twitter feed. However, one might argue that the show’s current season is the show’s way of celebrating hitting double digits. While not every episode has hit the mark for a longtime fan like myself, it’s still had its moments. This week’s episode, though, might have all the others topped. Centering on a stinger from a Season two episode that involved Ice-T/Water-T, the episode is a full-on pastiche of big names in 80s pop culture: Star Wars, Transformers, and tons of puns involving numbers and letters.
The biggest twist, though? Rick isn’t even in this episode. At all. For the first time, Rick isn’t in his show.
Ice-T/Water-T and the Rise of the Numbericons
Way back in the season two episode of “Get Schwifty,” Rick and Morty teamed up with rapper Ice-T to save the world from giant heads that wanted a hit song. Then Ice-T was revealed to be an alien ice crystal, exiled by his people like Thor. After helping to save Earth, though, he returned home, regained his true form as Water-T, and his Dad die during an attack by their mortal enemies, the Numbericons. “Rise of the Numbericons: the Movie” picks up right where the stinger left off, with Water-T headed to Earth in search of someone to help him find a treasure to end the war.
If the entire premise behind what’s been described sounds ridiculous, that’s the whole point. This entire episode takes the idea of sentient numbers and letters fighting each other and rolls with it for all its worth. The end result is something akin to the Transformers series of the 1980s, which the show’s writers acknowledge was an influence on things. It’s ridiculous and full of cliches, like the surprise villain that everyone has to unite against and Water-T having chemistry with his enemy. It’s not something meant to be taken seriously, and it knows this and uses it to its advantage. The result is a fusion of Transformers and the plot of Return of the Jedi, with Morty and Mr. Goldenfold caught in the middle.
Mr. Goldenfold Gets a Starring Role
Easily the biggest twist to this episode is how it marks the first time Rick is not present in any capacity. He’s been in every episode, no matter how minor a role, across all seven seasons. While some might miss him, this offers Morty a chance to go on an adventure alongside someone who can’t necessarily bail him out like Rick can. In this case, it’s his math teacher, Mr. Goldenfold.
Mr. Goldenfold’s never been a major character in Rick and Morty. Oftentimes, he’s best remembered as the guy who likes Mrs. Pancake too much, or being the butt of some joke. In this case, though, Goldenfold manages to get an important role, serving not just as Morty’s teacher, but also one to Water-T, who was once his student.
While the dynamic between Goldenfold and Water-T did feel a little forced, that seems to be more because of how they had to cram a movie’s worth of plot into a third of the time. Thus, the mutual bitterness between the two stemming from Water-T’s failed promises and unfinished homework seems silly rather than serious. In contrast, though, Morty and Goldenfold develop a more interesting dynamic. Goldenfold largely either fears Morty due to his association with Rick or looks down on him. In this episode, though, Goldenfold’s a good teacher. He doesn’t let Morty get away with anything, but he also encourages him when needed.
That still doesn’t make me like math class, though.
They Pulled off a Rick-Free Episode
As a whole, this episode was a very enjoyable one to watch. Getting to see the continuation of a joke that the show made years ago in the form of Water-T was amazing, and the stinger sets up potentially more adventures in the future. In addition, the fact that the episode did well without having Rick in it proves that the show doesn’t need its main character (or one of them) to be good. It just needs good writing and storytelling. I’m probably going to come back and rewatch this some time later.
I Give “Rise of the Numbercons: the Movie” a 3.5/5.
Happy 10th Birthday, Rick and Morty
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