Rick Gets Closure about Diane (Sort of)
Rick and Morty S8 Ep 10 Review
When it comes to Rick and Morty, it can be hard to predict how an episode will turn out. The previews are often made to be vague or misleading to keep audiences unsure how things will go (or at least me.) For the season eight finale of Rick and Morty, though, not only was I able to figure out what was going on pretty quickly, but it also led to another emotional moment for the series. In this case, Rick manages to find some sort of closure about the loss of his beloved wife, Diane.
Memory Rick is Back!
If the preview for the finale didn’t make it obvious, someone has been monkeying with Jerry’s memories, and it doesn’t take long for anyone to figure out who it is. The culprit is none other than Memory Rick, the sentient memory of Rick Sanchez created from Birdperson’s memories. He hitched a ride into Rick’s mind, but wound up in Jerry’s when they got scrambled together. Since then, he’s been re-writing Jerry’s memories in an effort to live the family life that Rick never got…until Rick pulls him out and traps him in a mind prison as punishment. Memory or not, though, Rick is still Rick, and Memory Rick is determined to get out.
Meanwhile, our Rick is inspired by the incident to become more emotionally open, and the only way to do that is let go of the memory of his late wife, Diane. So he literally extracts the memory and puts it into another mind prison, allowing him to open up to others. That leads to its own difficulties, though, as he winds up fighting a bug prince in a gladiator fight.
What matters more, though, is how even after avenging his wife and original Beth and trying to move on, Rick is still unable to let go of Diane. What makes it even darker, though, is how Rick reveals that he can’t even fully recall what Diane was like anymore. Not because it’s been so long, but because the device Rick Prime used to erase all Dianes messed with his memories of her. Rick is loving a shadow at this point, and he can’t even let go of that.
Rick’s Biggest Flaw: He Can’t Let Go
This inability to let go is on full display with Memory Rick. Being a younger version of Rick, he comes up with a plan to reunite with Memory Diane. Unfortunately, his plan involves hijacking Beth’s memories and mentally training her to mount a rescue mission. It works, but it has disastrous consequences: Space Beth almost dies!
When I saw Beth snap her twin’s neck, I was speechless. Throughout the commercial break, I was convinced Space Beth might be permanently dead! Thankfully she wasn’t, but it only gets worse from there. Beth proceeds to have a mental breakdown as the memory versions of her rebel and try to kill Memory Rick and Diane. Because of Rick’s inability to let go, it almost gets his daughter killed. Thankfully, he’s able to reset her mind just in time.
Another Season Wrapped Up
Ultimately, the episode ends with Rick letting everyone believe that he got rid of Memory Rick and Diane for good. In reality, he didn’t; he gave them a new mindscape for them to live in for all eternity and set them free into deep space. So while he may not get his happy ending with Diane, there’s at least one version of him that does. The sad thing is, he plans to wipe his memory of the entire thing, meaning he won’t learn anything.
I had a feeling that the season finale of Rick and Morty was going to be an emotional one, and it turns out I was right. It’s not as shocking as some previous finales, but that doesn’t change the fact that it advanced Rick’s story a little. That, and we saw the return of Mr. Poopybutthole. It was a good finale, overall, for a season that feels more laid-back than the show’s been in recent years.
I Give “Hot Rick” a 4/5
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