Top 10 Times Rick Got What He Deserved on Rick and Morty
#10: Belittled by Jerry
“The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy” In this season three episode, Jerry and Rick are running away from an alien, Risotto Groupon, who’s out to kill Rick. At a security checkpoint to a transport ship, Rick is identified as a threat and is neutralized. This temporarily gives him the mental abilities of a child so that he isn’t deemed a threat when he boards the ship. Recognizing how powerless Rick is in this condition, Jerry decides to mess with him. Given how Rick belittles his son-in-law Jerry, it’s amusing to see the tables turn. Rick may not remember what happened in his temporary condition, but at least Jerry will remember getting one over on him.
#9: Stranded on the “Purge” Planet
“Look Who’s Purging Now” During one of Rick and Morty’s travels, they visit a planet that celebrates a festival where crime is legal for one night and the citizens are allowed to commit unspeakable acts of violence. Does that sound familiar? Out of curiosity, Rick desired to stay around and witness the carnage. However, Morty was horrified by the idea and wanted to leave immediately. Just as Rick was ready to leave, Morty wanted to stay to help one of the villagers. In the process, they get stranded on the planet with no way to escape. Rick could have avoided the whole mess if his morbid indifference toward living beings didn’t compel him to stay longer than he should have.
#8: Arrested by Glorzos
Arrested Development vs Dear White People - Bingeworthy? MojoTalks
“Promortyus” While escaping from a race of aliens that possessed them with parasites, Rick and Morty go a little overboard. In the heat of the moment, they decide to re-enact Pearl Harbor. When they have to go back because they left Summer on the planet, they’re met with hostility by the alien race, which no doubt had to do with their previous decisions. In hindsight, their escape should have been a little more discreet, and then maybe they wouldn’t have been so recognizable.
#7: A Prank that Backfired
Top 10 Times Rick and Morty Went Too Far
“The Old Man and the Seat” After office worker Tony uses Rick's private toilet, Rick tries to get back at him by setting up an elaborate prank. However, Rick inadvertently opens Tony's eyes to a new outlook on life, and he dies skiing down Mount Space Everest. Tony's death leaves Rick feeling conflicted over his relationship with the guy, and he never gets to pull off his prank on the intended target. Instead, the prank is activated on Rick, which was originally designed to show how insignificant Tony was, but now reveals how empty Rick is because of his inability to be close to anyone.
#6: Morty’s Mind Blowers
Top 10 Times Rick and Morty Broke the 4th Wall
“Morty’s Mind Blowers” Rick often shows Morty amazing things about the universe as a power play to demonstrate that he knows more things and will always be superior. One example of this is when Rick shows Morty memories that he extracted from his grandson. However, some of the memories that Morty is exposed to are ones that Rick considered embarrassing, such as one where he made a fool of himself by saying “taken for granite” instead of “taken for granted.” Morty doesn’t appreciate Rick keeping things from him, retaliates, and ends up wiping Rick’s memories.
#5: Another Plan Gone Wrong
Top 10 Times Rick Was Wrong
“Mort Dinner Rick Andre” Rick’s sworn enemy is Mr. Nimbus, a ruler of the sea who, among other things, has the ability to control the police. Needless to say, you don’t want to get on this man’s bad side. Rick decides to doublecross Mr. Nimbus by inviting him to dinner to smooth things over, while Summer grabs the shell that’s the source of the ocean king’s powers. After saving Rick’s life, the two set aside their differences, until Summer comes back with the shell, prompting Mr. Nimbus to beat up Rick. Not only does Rick deserve the beatdown for sneaking around behind Mr. Nimbus’s back, but also for sending Summer all the way to the Mariana Trench without bothering to explain what to do with the shell.
#4: The Council of Ricks
Top 10 Times Rick and Morty Committed Murder
“Rickmurai Jack” In the fifth season finale, we learn the backstory that explains why Rick is the way is. A Rick from an alternate universe killed Rick C-137’s wife and daughter, sending him on a mission to seek revenge for their murder. In his quest, Rick C-137 kills a whole bunch of other Ricks, which results in Ricks banding together to fight him. In the end, the two sides come to an agreement, and the Council of Ricks is formed. The organization has been a thorn in Rick’s side for years, and wouldn’t have been formed if he hadn’t gone on such a bloody rampage.
#3: Birdperson’s Rejection
“Rickternal Friendship of the Spotless Mort” After the Battle of Blood Ridge, Rick asks Birdperson to join him in adventures across the multiverse. However, Birdperson declines the offer, knowings instinctively to keep a certain distance from Rick after getting a sense of his warped values. Later on in the episode, Birdperson senses that Rick was thinking about withholding the whereabouts of a child Birdperson didn't even know he had, which further drives down his opinion of Rick. Rick respects Birdperson and regards him as a true friend, so Birdperson’s rejection is something that truly hurts. But we can’t say we blame him, either.
#2: His Ordeal as Pickle Rick
Top 10 Times Rick Crossed the Line on Rick and Morty
“Pickle Rick” Rick turning himself into a pickle is possibly the most iconic moment from the show. He goes to such an extreme measure to get out of going to therapy. After Morty points out Rick’s plan, Beth takes away the serum that would turn him back into a human. He ends up going through more trouble than if he had just gone to therapy with his family and supported their efforts to work out their problems. To be honest though, fighting sewer rats as a brined vegetable is probably the kind of thing he lives for.
#1: Blowback from Cloning Beth
“Star Mort Rickturn of the Jerri” Taking Rick’s advice, Beth allows herself to be cloned, thus allowing her to live two divergent lives, one where she’s going on space adventures, and one where she stays with her family. The thing is, she doesn’t know which one of her is the clone. When Beth and Space Beth come together, Rick shifts back and forth on who the clone is, but it’s eventually revealed that he doesn’t know, having wiped his own memories. The Beths decide that they don’t care, leaving Rick alone in the garage, watching the memory - and realizing just what a terrible father he is.
