Rick and Morty Season 7 Episode 4 Review

Join Swimpedia as we review a screener of the fourth episode of Rick and Morty Season 7 with minimal spoilers.

[MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD]

Morty returns to the spotlight in an excellent Rick and Morty that explores the consequences of looking behind the curtain.

Morty has always been defined as someone with a strong moral code, often going behind Rick’s back to fix the mistakes or destruction left behind in the wake of their adventures. Morty will often suffer greatly for his code; either physically or mentally. This has been a common trope for this show, and in this week’s episode, we see it taken to its logical conclusion. In a stand-alone installment following the tradition of the Vat of Acid episode or last season’s Knights of the Sun episode, we see Morty try to fix a problem that maybe he should’ve just left alone, with dire consequences for an entire society. While this is something the show has done before, That’s Amorte offers up a clear and hilarious escalation.

This is the first episode with Harry Belden in the spotlight as Morty, and it’s a great showcase of his talent. His voice isn’t quite as spot-on as Ian Cardoni’s Rick, but the show’s sharp writing, excellent pacing, and impressive animation makes you forget the difference. You’re not watching someone AS Morty, you’re just watching Morty. Fans were disappointed by the lack of Morty in this season so far, but they won’t be here as he takes the center stage. Rick is mostly relegated to a mentor role, someone who’s allowing Morty to make his own mistakes while warning him of the consequences, yet still providing him with the tools to severely alter entire societies. We’ve been following a bit more of a terrestrial Rick this season, so it is fun to see how callous he is with other planets and societies. This is another episode with little to do for Summer, Jerry, or the Beths, but we’re overdue for another story heavily featuring those characters soon.

Rick and Morty is known for how truly dark it can get while still staying comedic, and this episode rides that line extremely well. This is one of the darkest episodes of the whole show, that deals with subjects and themes that broadcast cable is always a little antsy about tackling, but it does so with a classic Rick and Morty flair and never loses sight of its humor. This episode delivers on a unique sci-fi premise that only this show can do, while also giving us a look into a new type of alien society that isn’t commonly shown in modern science fiction. While the premiere episode of this season was a little rough, they have been on a massive hit streak since then, delivering three of the show’s strongest installments in a row. Not many shows could survive recasting the two title characters, but Rick and Morty truly feels like it’s just getting started.

The true standout thing about this episode however, is the spaghetti. Spaghetti has featured heavily in this season’s branding, and current Adult Swim President Michael Ouweleen has stated multiple times how much he loves this episode, and the spaghetti here truly doesn’t disappoint. This is an episode truly best enjoyed with a big plate of Italian pasta with a nice bolognese.