Rick and Morty - Season 4: Part 2
adult swimIn the last half of its fourth season, Rick and Morty is committed to two things: returning to the status quo; and deconstructing itself as a story. These five episodes in particular adopt an almost aggressively meta quality, forcing the viewers to watch a show have a conversation with itself. Tasked with the pressure of fulfilling a seventy-episode order by Adult Swim, it seems that Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland are scrambling to invent new ways to give the show staying power and ensure its vitality.
Season four’s last five episodes have a lot going on: a massively entertaining episode which deconstructs Dan Harmon’s famed story circle; a more inclusive — and expected — use of the main cast; Justin Roiland’s vocal talents in peak form; and a surprisingly serialised, heartfelt season finale. What’s missing though is a story arc. The very nature of sitcoms allows for a more episodic format and this show is no exception to the rule. However, Rick and Morty has always boasted a fine grasp of subtle serialisation and character growth throughout its contained episodes, which all usually pay off in the end. This time around, each episode accomplishes something different story-wise, but does nothing for the characters. Rick and Morty and the rest of the family seem trapped in a state of arrested development.
All of this is not to say that the episodes aren’t funny or well-crafted on an individual level. Episodes such as Never Ricking Morty, The Vat of Acid Episode and Star Morty Rickturn of the Jerri are all classic examples of the show utilising the height of its episodic storytelling power. Each episode aims to provide insight into the creative process of the show, something which creates the aforementioned meta quality. Meta does suit this show mainly because of how deconstructive most episodes are by nature. However, since a sitcom reset button is pressed at the end of each episode, it seems as though the writers hardly even try to give these characters any episodic or serialised arcs. This season is entirely focused on plot and the analytical dissection of the show and storytelling in general.
In another show that didn’t start with such dynamic and flawed characters, this wouldn’t be a problem. However, Rick and Morty has never been a show that disregards its characters in favour of sci-fi trickery. It's conceptual by nature and even makes fun of shows that build to high stakes plots without focusing on its characters. Though there are some potentially great moments for each character, ultimately each episode is in service of nothing and the finale is just a series of callbacks to random unresolved narrative threads. It’s a disappointing end to an uneven season.
In previous years, character growth was essential and made the more emotional moments of the show feel earned. This season lays out those same emotional moments with less sincerity and more obligation and as a result they feel more perfunctory. Looking back on this season as a whole, it feels unfocused because it provides payoffs and resolutions to story threads that have nothing to do with how the season began. Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland are gifted storytellers, and earlier seasons of this show prove how they can balance comedy, conceptual genius and character depth with grace and aplomb. In its fourth season, Rick and Morty turns into a bit of a mess, losing sight of what the show is really about: the characters.
