Edge of Tomorty Gets Rick and Morty Back to Basics

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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