Rick and Morty Season 6 Episode 9
Continuing the trend from last week, this is another episode about something painfully dumb being used as a vehicle for character development. Last time, it was piss which helped Rick learn about selflessness and avoiding unnecessary conflict. This time, we’ve moved onto the only logical topic to cover after piss: cutting off dicks. And this concept of dick severance is the framing for a story in which Rick tries to be more supportive and nicer to Morty. Like, genuinely! Let’s note up front that, without the milestone of Rick being truly, openly kind to Morty, “A Rick in King Mortur’s Mort” would be a slight, silly episode. That’s not to say it’s a bad episode, because it’s quite consistently funny. It’s just one of those Rick and Mortys where our heroes are dealing with a stupid situation that they know is stupid; they’ve resigned themselves to having to handle it, but it feels like a hassle they need to tidy up, rather than an actual problem. In other words, this is one of those episodes where Rick and Morty, who are sci-fi guys, cross paths with fantasy guys, so, like the dragon episode before it, everything is presented with an air of detachment. “Analyze Piss” may have sunk to just as dumb depths with its piss-focused plot, but it also pulled off an effectively dark and sad scene with the Pissmaster’s suicide. In contrast, “A Rick in King Mortur’s Mort” never really tries to rise above its flippant tone. Rick and Morty find these dumb fantasy dudes and their wiener-chopping ceremonies annoying and the episode seems to regard them that way too from start to finish. Ironically, the stakes are significantly higher in this episode compared to the last, as it turns out this reliance on penis detachment is linked to the entire balance of the solar system. Still, the point is it’s all presented as much ado about nothing. The episode never deviates from its goofy tone and makes no attempt at one of those emotional gut-punches the series is sometimes known for.
