Rick and Morty S7 Ep 10 Review
In hindsight, Rick and Morty have managed to spoil us with its season finales for years now. From Season Two onwards, the season finale would usually end with some big, status quo-shifting event. Season 3 had Jerry and Beth get back together; Four introduced Space Beth; Five gave us the end to the Citadel of Rick and Morty; and Six ended with Rick and Morty starting the hunt for Rick Prime. Given how the seasons midway point saw the hunt for Rick Prime come to a sudden and unexpected end, many people wondered what Rick and Morty would do for the season finale. While it wasn’t as mind-blowing as Rick Prime and Evil, it was also more personal in nature as Morty grapples with his deepest fear.
Scare of a Lifetime
After failing to get scared at an horror house and lamenting how desensitized they’ve become, Rick and Morty are persuaded by a man who likes the host for The Twilight Zone to go to Earth to find the scariest thing in the universe: a hole in a Denny’s bathroom that projects a person’s deepest fears. With nothing to lose, both dive headfirst into the hole. Little do they, or the audience, know, but what they face is more than some simple jump scares.
Case in point: after they think they leave the hole after a jumpscare and go home, they’re surprised by a dying Rick and…Diane?!??
Right away, Rick and Morty realize they’re both still in the Fear Hole. However, Rick can’t bring himself to leave what he knows is a facsimile of his wife. And if it’s accurate, then it’s clear why Rick loved her. She drinks as much as him, loves ripping on bad sci-fi as much as him, and is an all-around fun person to be around. No wonder he devoted his life to avenging her and his Beth.
A True Horror Can be Psychological
At first, it seems like the whole episode is about Rick and his greatest fear. That he can never see Diane again in any reality, no matter how much he wants to. However, that’s only the first half of the episode. Even after Rick lets go of Diane and joins Morty in embarrassing himself, they’re still in the Hole.
From there, things get really, really disturbing. The two repeatedly try to escape the Hole, only for it to be layered like a dream from Inception. And the more they try to leave, the more things fall apart for them. Eventually, though, the big sham moment drops at the climax. This experience wasn’t about Rick’s biggest fear. It was about Morty’s biggest fear: his dependence on Rick.
The series has made it no secret that most Ricks see Morty’s as expendable; as replaceable as a toothbrush or plumbus. Morty has always been afraid that Rick might leave him one day. That is some deep-seated fears!
Morty Faces his Fear and Comes Out on Top
Ultimately, Morty chooses to face that fear, but it’s clear the experience has scarred him. When he mentions Diane appearing, and Rick, who never went inside, is tempted to try the Hole, Morty point-blank tells him it’s not worth it. For a moment, Rick’s tempted to go in anyway. Instead, he just hangs a picture of Morty on the wall of people who made it through the Hole.
It’s not the most obvious, but this moment solidifies that Rick has started to grow as a person. When presented with the chance to see a fake version of his wife, Rick opts to not do so, and sticks with Morty. The message is clear: Rick has started to move on with his life. He may never heal from the trauma he went through, but he’s working on it. Way to go with that character development, Rick.
Can’t say the same for Mr. Poopy Butthole. The end credits sees him steal one of Rick’s portal guns so he can replace a version of himself that’s married to his wife. He clearly hasn’t learned his lesson.
So, another season of Rick and Morty is in the books now. It had its ups and downs, but as a whole, it was decent. The new voice actor’s have grown into their roles as Rick and Morty, that’s for sure. As for season finales, I’d put this in the middle of the pack as far as quality. Like I said at the start, the finales have hardwired my brain to expect something big to happen. Lesson learned!
