Rick and Morty Season 4, Episode 7 Review- Promortyus

So, I’ve never actually seen any films from the Alien franchise, but I know the premise. Monstrous aliens that reproduce by injecting hosts with parasitic embryos that hatch by exploding out of their victim’s chests. Something like Alien is easy pickings for the likes of Rick and Morty, and that’s just what happens in their newest episode, “Promortyus.”

How was it? Meh.

Rather than show how Rick and Morty got into their latest adventure, “Promortyus” starts right in the middle. With the duo getting rid of face-huggers and escaping the Glorzo’s (the Alien people). It’s a novel approach that still gives viewers the chance to figure out what’s happening. The problem is that it’s not that impressive. I remember an episode of Phineas and Ferb doing a whole story in reverse. Plus Family Guy did something similar with their 200th episode. 

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about what I did like about the episode. Spoiler alert, but I did like the plot twist of Summer being the leader of the Glorzos. It’s unexpected but also funny. Plus, when Rick and Morty are destroying the Glorzo civilization, I like how they deliberately avoid making a 9/11 reference. Nineteen years later, and it is still too soon. They then backtrack by making a Pearl Harbor visual gag. Which begs the question: at what point does a collectively traumatic event become safe to joke about? Don’t care, not getting involved. 

This wasn’t the best episode of the season. I still say that goes to “Rattlestar Ricklatica” and how absurd it was. It was a good episode though. However, if you’re looking for something else fun to watch, then I urge you to check Justin Roiland’s new show, Solar Opposites, on Hulu. Check out my review of the first season here!

I Give “Promortyus” a 3.5/5

Click here to see my other animation stuff. 

Rick and Morty Season 4, Episode 6 Review- Never Ricking Morty

Against my better judgment (I’m trying to adopt a normal sleep schedule), I stayed up to watch the midseason premiere of Rick and Morty. As a result, I watched an episode that I can only describe as meta fourth-wall breaking high on pot. And the ending was enough to make what happened in Lost look sane.

A Literal Engine of Story-Telling

This episode the kind that has to be seen to be vaguely understood, but here’s the rundown. Rick and Morty are trapped on train that serves as a metaphysical manifestation of a storytelling formula. Then they have to fight this Story Lord who wants to use their limitless storytelling potential for marketing. They get by doing something they’d never do in a story (pray to God). Then the ending reveals they’re just toys on a train set created by the Citadel of Ricks. A Story-Train with sentient toys to give people infinite story potential.

Look, I had to think hard about the Snake Story back in December, but here I have to do the opposite. Instead of thinking too hard when I know I won’t understand it, I just went “screw it, let’s just enjoy the thing.” It’s nonsensical and so meta that I knew I could not properly articulate what I was thinking about it.

You know what, though? I didn’t care. This world is messed up right now, so we need a way to keep our spirits up. I can’t think of any show better at doing that than Rick and Morty.

Also, they did a Wendy’s commercial that I legitmately thought was the start of the episode

I Give “Never Ricking Morty” a 3/5

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My Top Ten Favorite Ads for Super Bowl LIV

Another Super Bowl’s come and gone, and while I’m happy to see the Kansas City Chiefs win, I’m going to be honest. I never watch the Super Bowl for the game unless its my home team: it’s all about the ads. This year saw some really great ones, and some not so great ones (the nerve of Trump and Bloomberg). So, without further ado, here are my picks for favorite ads for Super Bowl LIV.

By the way, I absolutely loved Demi Lovato singing the National Anthem. I can’t believe how far she’s come from from Camp Rock and Sonny with a Chance.

Give the Earth a Snickers

There’s no denying that life on Earth could be a lot better. Climate Change has yet to be checked, violence abounds, and people seem to be doing so many stupid things. So, why not feed the world a Snickers Bar, because that’s just what happens in this hilarious commercial. The effects seem to be pretty fast, too.

Walmart Groceries

Given my love of pop culture, and the fact that this commercial is filled with appearances ranging from Flash Gordon to Bill from Bill and Ted, this one’s pretty self explanatory. Thank you, Super Bowl and Walmart!

Mountain Dew Zero and Bryan Cranston

Never in my life have I needed something so much and never known until I received it. In this parody of Stanley Kubrick’s version of The Shining, Bryan Cranston re-enacts the famous “here’s Johnny” scene in order to convince a woman that Mountain Dew Zero’s as good as the original. It’s gut-busting hilarious, and the real kicker is seeing Bryan dressed as those two creepy twins at the very end. That, and the elevator filled with Mountain Dew.

Tide, Later

This next pick wasn’t one commercial, but several commercials that ran throughout the Super Bowl. In the first one, after a man gets a stain on his shirt, he’s told to wait until “later” to use Tide to get rid of it. What would have been a good one-off ad became a running gag, though. The “Later” man kept showing up in other ads, until it was finally later. Too bad he got another stain in the end.

Rick and Morty Pringles

Ever since I saw this ad online a few days ago, I couldn’t stop obsessing over Pringles and how much I wanted them. So I had to go buy a bunch of Pringles packs for the Super Bowl. Rick and Morty is a great way to advertise products.

Jason Momoa and Rocket Morgtage

This almost didn’t make the list, mainly because I got a little weirded out by how Jason Momoa ended up. After thinking it over, though, I think it’s brilliant. I still prefer Jason more as his buff self, though: it’s how I know him as Aquaman and Khal Drogo.

Marvel Studios and Disney+

Okay, so the Marvel series on Netflix didn’t turn out so hot. However, I have a good feeling about the upcoming Marvel series on Disney+. I’m gonna try and review each of these shows when they come out!

Weather Tech and Scout the Lucky Dog

It was either this or Google’s in terms of the most tear-jerking commercial. Given the fact that I love dogs and hate cancer, though, Scout the Lucky Dog won out in the end. I’m so happy that Scout managed to beat cancer!

Baby Nut

A few weeks before the Super Bowl, Planters shocked the world when they chose to kill off their long time mascot, Mr. Peanut. He died saving the lives of two others after their car went off a cliff. Then, Planters brought back Mr. Peanut in their Super Bowl ad. At his funeral, Kool-Aid-Man’s tears somehow revive Mr. Peanut as a baby, with the now Baby Nut taking the Internet by storm. Now we have people debating over who’s cuter: Baby Nut or Baby Yoda?

Jeep, Bill Murray, and Groundhog Day

This commercial was an absolute stroke of genius. Not only was Februray 2nd Super Bowl LIV, it was also Groundhog Day. So, Jeep decide to seize the moment and recreate the famous Groundhog Day film. With Bill Murray reprising his role as Phil Connors, he redoes the events of his famous movie. That is, until he sees a Gladiator Jeep and takes it for a joyride with the groundhog. The commercial then shows the pair enjoying themselves in the time loop, which is both nostalgic and hilarious. By far, the best ad of the Super Bowl this year.

Agree with my picks? What was your favorite ad from the Super Bowl this year?

My Picks for the Top Ten Animated Shows of the 2010s

By the time 2010 rolled around, almost all the cartoons I loved watching had ended their runs. As a result, I thought I grew out of them and started getting into documentary channels. Thankfully, the 2010s saw an animation renaissance that dragged me back into cartoons. I have no regrets whatsoever.

As we close out the 2010s, I thought it would be appropriate to look back on the decade’s animation renaissance. Thus, I’m giving you my picks for my top ten favorite cartoons of the 2010s. But first, some ground rules:

1. The shows have to have started after January 1st, 2010. Shows that started before then don’t count.
2. Each of these picks are shows that I watched. I know this means I’ll miss great shows like Bojack Horseman, but that’s how it is. Sorry in advance
3. I’m not counting anime. A show can be anime-esque or based on it, but anime itself is off the table.

With that out of the way, let’s get started!

Adventure Time (2010-2018)

What time is it? ADVENTURE TIME! In 2010, this gem created by Pendleton Ward premiered on Cartoon Network. Telling the story of Jake the shapeshifting dog and Finn the human boy, Adventure Time follows their adventures in the magical, post-apocalyptic land of Ooo. However, as time passed, the show began to build itself into something more than a cartoon.

Thanks to a combination of a strong supporting cast, deep mythology, overarching stories and willingness to tackle mature themes, Adventure Time became a massive hit for Cartoon Network. In fact, I largely credit it for kickstarting this animation renaissance, with Cartoon Network benefiting the most. In addition, many of the show’s staff went on to create equally popular shows like Steven Universe, O.K. K.O.! Let’s be Heroes, Over the Garden Wall, and more. This show was amazing, and it’s legacy will no doubt be felt for decades to come.

Avatar: The Legend of Korra (2012-2014)

I consider Avatar: The Last Airbender to be one of the greatest cartoons of all time. Thus, imagine my joy when I learned Nickelodeon was making a sequel called The Legend of Korra? Taking place 70 years after the end of A:TLA, Legend of Korra, the show follows the titular character as she fulfills her role as the new Avatar. However, Korra has to face enemies that make her question if the Avatar has a place in the world anymore.

Aside from continuing the story of my favorite cartoon, I loved Korra for multiple reasons. Firstly, it knows that the returning fan base were now teens and young adults. As such, it wasn’t afraid to touch on darker issues that reflect real world history like inequality, oppressive governments, and fanaticism. Secondly, it expanded upon the already rich world of its predecessor, adding more backstory. It even goes so far as to show us the Avatar’s origins, which is really cool. Thirdly, there’s plenty of callbacks to the original show.

Sadly, the show suffered from a scheduling problem during its run. By Season Three, they started dropping the episodes in huge chunks; then midway through it, they move it exclusively to streaming. As a result, the show ended sooner than necessary. It’s still a good show, but this move by Nick makes it less impactful in the end.

DuckTales! (2017- Present)

Of all the reboots I’ve seen to classic shows, the 2017 reboot of DuckTales! may be one of the best. This reboot reimagines the cast and premise of the classic 80s cartoon for a new generation of fans. The end result is a cartoon that captures the spirit of its predecessor while being able to stand as its own thing.

I’ve made my love of DuckTales! known in the past, so I’m going to bullet point what I like most about it.

• The callbacks and references to the original show and the Disney Afternoon cartoons of the 80s and 90s
• The art style’s reminiscent of 1950s comics
• The voice cast is incredible. They gave the Triplets different voice actors and personalities
• Della Duck becomes a prominent character
• That theme song!

Bottom line, this show’s worth watching.

Gravity Falls (2012-2016)

Disney’s first, and likely biggest, success from this decade’s animation renaissance, Gravity Falls is to the Mouse what Adventure Time is to Cartoon Network. The show follows the twins Dipper and Mabel Pines as they spend their summer vacation in the titular Oregon Town. However, they soon find out that the place is a magnet for weirdness and supernatural phenomena. With their new friends and con-artist Grunkle Stan, the two (mostly Dipper) work to uncover the mysteries behind the town and the danger threatening it.

Speaking of which, Gravity Falls revolves around mysteries. Creator Alex Hirsch loved throwing in mysteries and clues for fans to solve, from ciphers in every episode to a real-life scavenger hunt following the series finale. As a result, Gravity Falls attracted a large adult fan base that still supports the show years after it ended. In addition, like Adventure Time, several people who worked on Gravity Falls have gone on to create their own successful shows. Given the influence it’s had on Disney, it’s safe to say that Gravity Falls remains one of the most important cartoons of the 2010s.

Regular Show (2010-2017)

Don’t let the title fool you; it’s anything but. Regular Show follows the lives of Mordecai and Rigby, two slacker best friends working together in a second-rate Park. At least, they’re supposed to; in reality, they try to find ways to get out of work. This usually leads them to get into surreal misadventures that they have to get out of.

As a millennial and a young adult, J.G. Quintel’s creation really spoke to me. On the surface level, Regular Show was laden with pop culture references that many millennials would understand. However, underneath the surreal nature and references, it was a show about two guys going through the trials of young adulthood. It was goofy, heartfelt, and exciting, and an all-around good time. Heck, they even made going into space for the final season entertaining. Most shows would have jumped the shark by doing that!

Rick and Morty (2015- Present)

Few shows have ever been as amazing as Rick and Morty. Then again, I don’t think we’ve ever had a show like Rick and Morty. Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon’s sci-fi comedy follows the adventures of the titular duo. Rick’s the cynical genius who does whatever he wants because he knows nothing matters, and Morty’s his well-meaning but naive grandson. Now name a sci-fi story or scenario, add them in, and you’ve got Rick and Morty.

As I’ve made clear in the past, I’m a huge fan of Rick and Morty. It’s the show that’s not afraid to ask deep, philosophical questions while doing the absolute dumbest things. It’s funny and low-brow, yet also intelligent and philosophical. Also, it’s the show that single-handedly forces McDonald’s to bring back their Szechuan dipping sauce. I can’t think of another show that can do that! Rick and Morty is awesome!

RWBY (2013- Present)

The only web-based show on this list, Roosterteeth’s mega-hit RWBY has been called the first Western anime. In a world filled with dark creatures called Grimm, people called huntsman and huntresses battle to protect the people. The series itself follows the members of the titular team RWBY, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang, as they become huntresses and protect the world from evil.

Created by the now deceased Monty Oum, RWBY’s become one of the most popular anime in the world. I can’t even count how many people I see cosplaying the characters at conventions. I think part of the appeal comes from how it crosses various genres of anime. It’s got all the action and epic music of Shonen, the premise’s reminiscent of the magical girl genre, and the first three seasons are like a high-school/slice of life.

My favorite thing about RWBY, though, is how its existence shows how prevalent the influence of anime has become. Instead of merely importing it from Japan, now we’re exporting it to Japan! If you haven’t seen RWBY yet, I recommend you watch it. It’s a great gem of the ongoing animation renaissance.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (2010-2019)

Who knew that a show about traditionally girl toys would turn into a cultural phenomenon? My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic was created by Lauren Faust and served as the fourth iteration of the My Little Pony line. It follows the adventures of six friends as they learn about the importance of friendship and being nice to each other. That may sound lame on paper, but in reality, it’s really good.

Despite being aimed at kids and being about a toy line meant for girls, MLP: FIM broke the mold. The show was filled with a lot of action, the characters had three-dimensional depth to them, and was genuinely fun to watch. It made it cool for boys and adults to like things traditionally meant for girls. That alone makes it good enough to put on this list. In addition, it had some all-star talent working on it, like Tara Strong as the lead role.

Steven Universe (2013-Present)

Whereas shows like Legend of Korra and MLP opened the door on gender norms, Steven Universe knocked down the door, and the wall for good measure. The show follows the titular character, a half-human, half-alien boy, as he grows up and learns about himself and his place in the world.

It would be an insult to say that Steven Universe is nothing short of revolutionary. It goes out of its way to deal with topics few cartoons dared to tackle. From the aforementioned challenging of gender roles to encouraging the acceptance of the LGBT community, Steven Universe has helped change our culture for the better. I’m willing to bet that this show will go down as one of the most important cartoons in history. It’s a shining example of the best this animation renaissance has to offer people.

Star vs the Forces of Evil (2015-2019)

Considering how much it’s been brought up on this blog, it should be no surprise that this wound up being here. Instead of explaining it again, here’s a video that does the job for me:

I’m well aware that the fourth and final season wasn’t as great as it could have been. Furthermore, as much as I love how the finale lets Star and Marco remain together, I know some fans didn’t like it. That said, let’s not forget that at its peak, Disney was pushing Star vs as it’s flagship cartoon on Disney XD. When the 2-hour TV movie “The Battle for Mewni” premiered, it was trending on Twitter. In short, yes the show could have stuck the landing better. However, I don’t think it detracts from the fact that it was a good show. The fact that so many people want more of Star vs serves as a testament to how good it can be. If Disney does more with it, I’ll be thrilled. Until then, I still think it’s one of the best cartoons of the decade.

Also, there’s some really good fan fiction of it out there.

The 2010s Animation Renaissance

So, do you agree with my picks? For that matter, do you agree that this decade saw an animation renaissance take place? If I didn’t mention a cartoon you like, then leave a comment telling me about it down below. I know I missed a lot! Happy New Year!

Click here to see more stuff recapping past years.

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Rick and Morty Season 4, Episode 5 Review- Rattlestar Ricklatica

I can sum up the mid-season finale of Rick and Morty with three words: time-traveling snakes. If that sounds dumb, it’s supposed to. The people behind Rick and Morty took the dumbest idea possible and ran it so far into the ground that it comes out on the other side as this hilarious, timey-wimey story. I loved every minute of it.

Space Snakes

So, Rick gets a flat tire in space and has to pull over to fix it, and tells Morty to stay in the ship. Being Morty and a teenager, he gets out anyway. Next thing he knows, this snake in a space suit comes up and bites his ankle. While Rick makes a cure, he finds out the dead space snake came from a planet of billions of snakes ready to tear into each other. Given the fact that their snake astronaut’s first instinct upon meeting an alien race was to bite their ankles, it’s clear they suck. They make good jazz music though.

Morty thinks he should do the right thing and fix his screw-up, though Rick says they’re too dumb to be worth saving. Again, Morty does it anyway and replaces it with an Earth snake. Big mistake, as the space snakes figure out its not from their world. So they invent time-travel to kill Morty or something. I don’t know, it’s Terminator with snakes.

Terminator with Snakes

Like I said, it’s a dumb concept, but Justin, Dan and their team knows its a dumb concept and go with it. In my opinion, it’s the kind of plot where trying to look for meaning makes it less enjoyable. My advice is don’t think too hard on it and enjoy the ride, courtesy of Morty.

Eventually, the only way to get out of this nonsense is to create a big timey-wimey ball. So Rick gives the snakes time-travel in the fated year of 1985 and waits for them to screw up and get the Time Cops on their case. Thus the problem solves itself.

Jerry Goes Up

While this whole thing’s going on, Jerry tries to set up the Christmas lights. Since he’s Jerry, Rick makes his body lighter than air and his shoes heavy enough to keep him on the ground. However, because he’s Jerry, he manages to screw even that up, and ends up floating in the sky.

I normally don’t like most Jerry subplots, but this may be an exception. Seeing Jerry try not and fail not to look stupid, yet refuse Rick’s help to one up him, is funny. Somehow, the man manages to survive all of that, and finish setting up the lights. However, given the fact that he caused an airplane to crash, I can see why Rick hates him.

Great Wrap Up to the Year

There’s no telling how long we’ll be waiting to see the second half of the season. However, given how awesome this episode was, I can wait and listen to snake jazz. Rick and Morty closes the decade as one of the best cartoons on TV, and this episode proves that. Like the ouroboros, this episode’s so dumb it comes back around to be funny. As for Morty, he learned a valuable lesson: stay in the freaking car.

I give “Rattlestar Ricklatica: a 4.8/5. Don’t Mess With Time!

Stray Observations/Favorite Quotes

• “I am the Jesus Christ of Christmas”
• “Resistance is mouselike”
• “Unless it’s possible for Jerry to f*** up wearing shoes. …oh crap, he’s gonna die.”
• Did anyone else notice the “Back to the Future” poster with Snakes?

Click here to see my other animation stuff.

Rick and Morty Season 4, Episode 4 Review- Claw and Hoarder: Special Ricktim’s Morty

Dragons are some of the most iconic creatures in all of fiction, appearing in almost every culture I can think of. As cool as they are though, I know that having one as a pet would be a bad idea. Even if they’re one of the nice dragons, they’d still be a hassle. Why mention this? Because the plot of this week’s episode of Rick and Morty has the pair learn this the hard way. However, it’s not for the reasons you’d think.

Full disclosure: this episode gets weird, even for Rick and Morty. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Morty’s Drogon (I Know What I Wrote)

So, Morty decides that he wants Rick to get him a dragon as a reward for all the crap he goes through. Even though Rick tries to get out of this, in the end he gets Morty his dragon, Balthromaw, though he wants no part in it.

In my opinion, Balthromaw’s a mix of a few popular depictions of dragons. Firstly, he has his own lair where he hoards treasure like Smaug from Lord of the Rings. Physically, though, he looks like he could be the long-lost twin brother of Drogon from Game of Thrones. As a bonus, Balthromaw’s voiced by GoT alumni Liam Cunningham, AKA Ser Davros.

At any rate, Morty soon realizes that having a dragon’s not as fun as it sounds. As a result, Rick decides to slay him, and then probably planned on saying “I told you so” later. However, the show twists its typical formula by having the two bond over all the cool stuff Balthromaw.

Then, things take a turn into left field. The two end up “soul-bonding”, which is thinly-veiled metaphor for sex. Instead of hiding it, the show goes all out, with the dialogue even making it sound like sex.

Um… Dragon “Soul-Bonding”

So, from here, things get very weird even by Rick’s standards. Firstly, Balthomaw gets taken back for bonding with more than one soul. However, since Rick’s soul-bonded to him, if the dragon dies, Rick does. As a result, they have to go rescue him in a dimension where Rick’s science doesn’t work. Some other reviews have said it’s a missed opportunity to not have Rick deal with the fact that his expertise is useless, but I disagree. He’s still Rick Sanchez, and even when put into an unfamiliar environment without any of his tools, he’d still find a way to thrive.

It doesn’t matter in the end, though. The whole fantasy adventure ends up being something everyone wants to forget. As a result, Morty tells Balthomaw to get lost, unable to stand the revelation of how horny dragons can be. If it weren’t for what I just witnessed, I’d be laughing at the deadpan, baritone way Cunningham voices the dragon’s attempts to reconcile.

Jerry and Garfield and the Noodle Incident

While all this is happening, Jerry’s on his own adventure with a talking cat a la Garfield. There’s no explanation whatsoever as to why the cat can talk: all that we know is that Rick has nothing to do with it. The two go on a silly road trip to Florida for the heck of it, but just leaves them to have to call Rick for a ride home. Naturally, Rick uses this chance to scan the cat’s mind and find out why it can talk.

We never learn what Rick and Jerry see, but whatever it was, it was horrific. The two are so disgusted that Jerry starts vomiting, and Rick almost kills himself. If someone as messed-up as Rick’s tempted to choose suicide rather than live with seeing something, then it has to be bad.

I thought this pay-off was a hilarious example of the “Noodle Incident” trope. Getting its name from the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, TV Tropes defines a noodle incident as something either so ridiculous or offensive that it can’t be shown. Fortunately, Rick mercifully wipes Jerry’s memory of the whole thing. As much as Rick hates his son-in-law, he can’t subject him to what they just saw.

What Just Happened?

So, even after watching this episode, I still have no idea what the point behind it was. However, maybe that’s the whole point of what I just witnessed. I honestly don’t know, because I’m still trying to get over the fact that Rick and Morty took dragons and made them into horny beasts. Maybe it was just Justin, Dan and the others wanting to mess around. Or the whole thing was a subtle defense to the ending of Game of Thrones.

One thing’s for sure, though: I think Rick’s going to steer clear of fantasy worlds for a while.

I Give “Claw and Hoarder: Special Ricktim’s Morty” a 3/5.

By the way, I wanted to get this off my chest: that wizard used a wand to create a portal to travel between dimensions. This was the perfect opportunity to reference another form of magic-based interdimensional travel and they wasted it.

Stray Observations

Look at all the cool things that Balthomaw had in his lair. Some of that stuff’s worth more than all that treasure!

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My Plans for December 2019

Thanksgiving Day’s behind us and we survived Black Friday; and I hope the Force was with you if you went shopping. Now the holiday season’s here, and if you’ve followed RJ-Writing Ink since last year, you’ll remember what I did. I watched a holiday special a day, then reviewed it here. Now I’m here to say that I won’t be doing that again this year.

There are multiple reasons behind this. Firstly, trying to write a special a day got hectic for me. I still had to do my other posts, and it got a little difficult. Secondly, there are a few things that I want to focus on for this December. Thus, here are my plans for December 2019. I think you’ll find them taking you to a galaxy far, far away.

Star Wars Hype Build-Up

I don’t get as much of a chance to write about it here, but I’m a huge fan of Star Wars. I enjoy everything from the movies to the books, games, and lore. Despite my love of the franchise, I’ve been a skeptic about the sequel films since they started. However, I refuse to let my optimism be diminished. As such, I aim to make sure the Force is with me for December.

All throughout December, I’m going to be writing about all things Star Wars. There’s no set theme for this, as it can be about anything from the franchise. Some ideas I do have, though, include:

• Favorite Moments in Star Wars
• A look at the philosophies of the Jedi and Sith (and their flaws)
• Characters in Star Wars I’m a fan of
• Good things about the Star Wars prequels
• My biggest problems with the Star Wars sequels

All of this will lead up to my review of Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. May the Force be with us this December.

A Look Back on 2019

If you’ll recall, I wrote a post at the end of last year calling 2019 “The Year of Endings.” The rationale being that this year saw the end of a lot things in pop culture. With the year coming to a close, I want to look on some of the things that came to an end this year. I’m not sure if this will be one post or a series of posts, but I can tell you that I plan to have it up between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

To clarify, most of what I’ll be writing about will be things I’ve already written on RJ-Writing Ink.

A Look Back on the 2010s

For better or for worse, the 2010s were an eventful decade for humanity. From world-changing historic events to the rise of cultural icons, the 2010s were big. Thus, with the decade coming to a close, I felt it’s appropriate to look back on the big highlights.

Expanding on my look back on 2019, I’ll be writing on a number of topics. I already have some ideas in place:

• Biggest Global Events of the 2010s
• Best Movies of the 2010s
• Biggest moments for pop culture in the 2010s
• Best TV shows
• Best animated TV shows

There’s no set timetable for this, though. All I know is that I’ll be posting it throughout December.

Some Holiday Specials

Alright, I know I said that I wouldn’t be focusing on holiday specials this year. However, if I see a special or movie that I like, then I want to write about it. Don’t expect it to take up much of my blog, though.

May the Force Be With Us

Well, that’s everything that I wanted to say. In between all this, I’ll be doing posts on my regularly scheduled topics. May the Force be with you!

Click here for some of my Star Wars stuff.

Come here to see some of my Animanga stuff.

Click here to see my other animation stuff.

Rick and Morty Season 4, Episode 3 Review- One Crew Over The Crewcoo’s Morty

Have you ever seen something where you haven’t the foggiest idea what’s going on, yet you love it? After watching last night’s episode of Rick and Morty, it feels like I went through that. The episode, “One Crew Over The Crewcoo’s Morty” was one big rip on heist movies that included every possible cliche. I loved it!

Rick’s Big Rip

The episode starts off with a classic Rick and Morty adventure a-la Indiana Jones. However, it goes off the rails when Rick discovers that some thief stole whatever they were after. As a result, Rick drags Morty to Heist Con, an actual convention for thieves, so he tear the guy down. Truthfully, though, it feels like he only wanted to do one big rip on everyone there by saying he hates heist movies.

In this era where the term “nerd” can be a badge of pride, we essentially rule pop culture now. Thus, conventions are like geekdom pilgrimages where we congregate; perfect fodder for a cynical guy like Rick. Seeing him rip on fan culture, as mean as it can be, almost feels like an honor for me. We’ve gotten so big that Rick sees fit to tear into us. Also, I don’t really watch heist movies myself.

One Convoluted Cliche After Another

When you try to get down to the bare bones of the plot, you run into the inherent problem of the episode: it has no real plot. The whole thing’s a series of attempts by people trying to one up each other in terms of being clever. In Rick’s case, he creates a robot called the Heist-o-tron to one up that thief from before. Only the robot double-crosses him and starts heisting on a planetary scale. The Heist-o-Tron literally steals planets! Yet despite the deliberate cliches, I found the episode hilarious.

The reason the whole thing works is because, again, this is one big rip on heist movies; whether its genuine or playful, I don’t know. Yet Rick and Morty is the kind of show that thrives on convoluted, audacious moments such as this. Heck, the ending to “Rickshank Redemption” revealed that everything was part of Rick’s plan to get rid of the Galactic Government and Jerry.

Through the same kind of complex, over the top planning and outsmarting others, Rick manages to thoroughly confuse the Heist-o-Tron enough that it self-destructs. However, it could have also done so after failing to understand what was going on. Either way, Rick wins.

A Hilarious Spoof of Heist Films

After Rick’s big rip, my opinion on heist movie’s changed a bit. Yes, they can be cliche, and the way they try to focus on being clever can get stale. Yet that’s also the reason why they can be so much fun to watch when done right. Whether intentionally or not, Rick fulfills many of the tropes and cliches found in heist movies. I think the irony’s hilarious.

As a side-bonus, we got the return of fan-favorite character Mr. Poopy Butthole to the canon. After getting shot back in Season Two, we only saw him at the end of each season where he commented on the show. getting to see him reunite with Rick and Morty was a delight. On top of that, Elon Musk guest starring as “Elon Tusk” joke got a few chuckles out of me. The man’s actually played himself in several shows by now.

Big rip or not, I thought that “One Crew Over The Crewcoo’s Morty” was one of the series stronger episodes. It makes no sense whatsoever, but it doesn’t need to in order to be funny. Wubba-lubba-dub-dub!

I Give ” One Crew Over The Crewcoo’s Morty” a 4.5/5.

Stray observations

• Blink and you’ll miss the Arby’s product placement at the start of the episode
• “Big Pluto”. LOL, nice callback to Season One.

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Rick and Morty Season 4, Episode 2 Review- The Old Man and the Seat

I always knew that I would find an episode of Rick and Morty I wouldn’t like. After watching last night’s episode, “The Old Man and the Seat” I think I found it. It’s not that it wasn’t funny, because it was. To put it simply, I don’t think I’m a big fan of jokes involving poop. That’s basically what this episode revolved around, and Rick’s Secret Seat.

Rick’s Secret Seat

Remember that image we got of Season Four, of Rick walking through an alien meadow of grass? It turns out that was a planet that Rick reserves exclusively to use the bathroom on, private fancy toilet and all. However, when he finds out someone else used his secret seat, Rick goes on a quest for revenge.

On some level, I think many of us can understand where Rick’s coming from. I enjoy the privacy of my bathroom and how it offers a respite from the day’s events. Although, we see Rick hold the 470,000 kids of a fly mobster hostage and alter a war between robots and lizard aliens to find the culprit. It’s funny to see Rick go to such lengths over something so mundane, but it’s also sad. Did I mention I don’t like poop jokes?

Great Moments in Stupidity: Jerry Version

While Rick’s off having his own solo adventure over his secret seat, Morty gets caught in one courtesy of his dad. It’s been established that Jerry’s an idiot that people think little of. Morty’s respect for him has plummeted over the show’s run, but Seat has him verbalize it.

Long story short, Jerry teams up with Rick’s intern Glurty to develop an app. That’s despite the fact that Glurty has a tattoo on his forehead that says “do not develop my app”. The resulting Tinder-esque app ends up distracting everyone on the planet. As a result, Glurty’s alien masters can invade the Earth as part of their convoluted plan to steal the planet’s water.

I’m not sure what the message behind this story was. It seemed like a commentary on how obsessed people are with apps. While it may seem dumb for an app to be used for world domination, I think there’s a grain of truth. Keep people distracted long enough, and this can happen.

While it may not seem as strong to some as the quest for the Secret Seat, I liked the app story for reversing the Rick and Morty roles. In this case, though, it’s Morty and Jerry, with Morty being the Rick to Jerry’s Morty. It helped drive home the fact that Morty’s smarter than his dad, and that leads him to act like a Rick. That’s irony!

The Right Combination of Stupid

Ultimately, while I’m not a fan of poop jokes or the story of Rick’s Secret Seat, I can appreciate what they were trying to do; I think. The whole episode seemed to emphasize what we already knew: that Jerry’s an idiot, and that Rick’s lonely and miserable because he lets his genius alienate him from others. One thing’s for sure, though: I’m not developing an app.

I Give “The Old Man and the Seat” a 3.5/5

Hilarious Observations

• There’s such a thing as Mount Space Everest. That’s shoehorning at his simplest.
• Scan the QR Code on Rick’s hat here. It takes you somewhere cool!

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Rick and Morty Season 4, Episode 1 Review- Edge of Tomorty: Rick, Die, Rickpeat

Wubba-lubba dub dub, Rick and Morty is back, baby! Last night, Adult Swim’s mega-hit Rick and Morty made its grand return. It’s been 770 days since new episodes came on, and yes, Adult Swim kept count. However, as the bumper the channel showed right before the season points out, it’s worth the wait. After watching the premiere episode, Edge of Tomorty: Rick, Die, Rickpeat, I agree. Whereas other shows may start to grow stale, Rick and Morty finds a way to stay fresh while also going back to basics. Only Rick could do that.

Same Junk, Different Day for Rick

At the end of the last season, Rick had his status upended by Jerry moving back into the house. Now Rick has to deal with the new status quo of having to ask Morty to go on adventures. Edge of Tomorty sees him taking it as well as a sociopathic genius who thinks he’s better than everyone else will. In other words, he considers the whole thing a huge pain.

I think Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon did this to address complaints from fans who want the show to return to its season one. As Rick would probably say, shows end up changing over time; everything does. It’s how the universe works, and eventually everything ends. Speaking of which, Rick’s adventure involves stealing crystals that show the user how they die. It’s a clever concept on paper, but in pratice, its hilarious. Since the future’s always changing, the crystal’s won’t work outside of being a cool hack in a fight.

However, Morty ends up addicted to the crystals when they show him a future dying old with Jessica at his side. So when Rick dies and he’s left to his own devices, Morty refuses to revive him so he can take the best route to this perceived perfect ending.

Morty Goes Akira (God I love that) and Wasp Rick

Longtime viewers are well aware of how ruthless and sociopathic Rick can be, and Morty can get pretty dark when pushed too far. However, I feel this episode drove home much like Rick Morty can be when he wants to. In a homage of the anime film Akira, which is pointed out in the episode, Morty goes on a rampage. He uses Rick’s inventions and the Meseeks boxes to stop anything between him and his dream death. If there was any doubt that anime’s now mainstream and that my generation rules pop culture, I think this eliminates it.

So, not only is Morty capable of being as badass as Rick, but just as ruthless and uncaring? For all the times he tries to hold the moral high ground, Morty turns out just as bad as Rick.

Meanwhile, thanks to a cloning project he did two seasons ago, our Rick wakes up in alternate realities. He then gets disturbed by the fact that a lot of them are fascist dystopia’s. It’s a nice, yet disturbing, running gag in the episode. In the end, the one reality where he’s safe is the one where people evolved from wasps. My mortal enemies, and this episode reinforces that mindset for me. They sting people, eat others alive, and lay eggs in others. However, as Wasp Rick points out, when something evolves to be that big a jerk, empathy goes a long way. Seeing his counterpart get along with his family helps make Rick realize that he may not have it so bad. Can’t say the same for Mr. Goldenfold, though.

Edge of Tomorty: A Lesson No One Understands

In the end, Rick gets back home and saves Morty from his enslavement to the crystal. Yet if there’s a moral to be found in Edge of Tomorty, Rick can’t find it. I think the whole thing’s meant to either be a jab at fans who want to return to the basics and at moving forward. Rick actually sums up what may be the lesson of the whole debacle: that you should learn to live in the moment and think ahead. That would have solved both of their problems.

However, given how Rick (and now Morty) go into the “Rick and Morty forever” rant, I think there’s another message. This season, Justin and Dan are going to try and mix the classic formula while trying to test out new material. Just like Rick, I don’t think they give two cents about what other people think.

Sometimes, I think it’s better not to worry about deeper meanings, though, and just enjoy the ride. Next to The Rickshank Redemption, Edge of Tomorty may be my favorite of the Season Premiere’s. The jokes, that range from Rick’s clone troubles to what the stinger shows about Morty’s “dream death” are enough to have me howling with laughter. It’s a real strong start to the season, and with 70 more episodes ordered, the next decade’s going to have plenty of Rick and Morty. Rick and Morty forever and forever a hundred years Rick and Morty some things! This was worth staying up till midnight to see!

I Give “Edge of Tomorty: Rick, Die, Rickpeat” a 4.9/5. Rick and Morty’s still got it.

Hilarious Observations

• In a hilariously blatant attempt to self-promote their work, we got a shot of an ad for Trover Saves the Universe, a video game made by Justin Roiland that came out on PS4 and PC over the Summer.

• I may hate wasps and want to shout the Dalek war cry at them, but I like Wasp Rick.
• My favorite scene: The Wasp Smiths casually eating Goldenfold.
• Green Portal Productions. That’s a thing now.

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