“Rick and Morty” Season 5 Finale: Ooh wee! It’s Multi-ricking Mortness!

Hi. We’re Mr Mee-Seeks. Look at us!

After 8 episodes, the fifth season of “Rick and Morty” concludes with a zip-zap bang of a citadel gang. The series has always delivered with its dry, bawdy humour and relatable reflections engulfing its very themes. And with its breakneck speed, each episode feels like a capsuled version of life itself, challenging the very notions of purpose and meaning…

What’s more? In the lead-up to this week’s finale, fans were treated to a sensational promotion featuring Christopher Lloyd and Jaeden Martell as the C-132 versions of Rick and Morty. With the show having developed off a parody of the beloved Zemeckis creation, this was a memorable full-circle event that made the Internet go wild!

Great Scott, won’t you look at that? We’ve stared at it for 3 days in a row now. It’s scintillating! Now, let’s just hope they don’t bite the dust in an extravagant manner as some of their less unfortunate counterparts…

But enough, we’re just a bunch of Mee-seeks who were tasked with getting through this finale and disappearing after completing that goal. So, please, for God’s sake, do not interrupt us. (existence is pain…)

In the two-part finale of Season 5, most of the regular supporting cast are sidelined in favour of a more title-centric narrative. There’s no doubt that if they were going to end the season, it would have to round itself up with minimal Jerry stakes. Take away the familial clones. No elections. And that’s exactly what the two-parter accomplishes.

Episode 9 aka “Forgetting Sarick Mortshall” begins with Morty using his grandpa’s portal gun to check some boxes off his personal list. Seeing that the quantum transport solution is running flat, he haphazardly dilutes a concoction of leftover fluid with some Mountain Dew. He’s almost off the hook, except he’s Morty ya’ know. Some of the liquid spills over onto his palm and a wild portal appears to which a man’s visage appears from within.

Rick soon enters the frame as his sense overrides Operation-Cover-Up-With-Soda to deliver a diminishing tirade toward the bug-eyed boy. Accusations! Accusations! Neither party refuses to back down as the argument soon turns into something a fraying couple would say.

“Oh, you wanna replace me? You’d dare???”

“Hell yes! Witness me!”

We all know how effed up some break-ups can be? Indeed, there are tons of partner fallout horror stories that have emerged. Mean, nasty blow-out-your-brains-stuff that’s done out of spite. Grievances. Battery. Some end up committing murder due to a blinded form of insecurity…

It is the embrace of blind fury that demolishes the foundations. No, this isn’t a Paramore-laden request to remove each brick by boring brick. It’s pure napalm reinforced with a dozen wrecking balls closing in on the target at the same time. The ground itself burns and screams with every ounce of misery fuel.

Rick’s moment of spite begins with him stating that Morty’s worth is as good as two crows, something Morty takes offence to in an instant. So, he goes out and does just that: collect two random crows in his backyard to make them his new sidekicks. Morty, on the other hand, sees that he has been replaced and proceeds to find solace in his newfound portal buddy.

Both of them find an instant rebound in their new lives. A form of mint-freshness. A new treasure to their works. While Rick zooms off to outer space with his avian buds, Morty sees a connection form between him and Nick aka Portal Man aka anti-Rick. In an action sequence that Morty likens to Jackie Chan, there is a certain synergy that the two possess as they dispatch guards with Portal Kombat.

On the other hand, the actual cultural significance of the two birds catches up with Rick finding a gain to it. What might have started off as a senseless and vilifying juxtaposition to his grandson instead becomes an illuminated truth. The scientist supreme sees that the empathy of the birds contains the value and starts to realise that his abusive relationship with Morty had borne resentment and toxicity.

While Rick’s crow bros seem to be a boon, Morty’s relationship with Nick turns sour when he discovers Nick’s crueller intentions. It’s a bitter comparison between the two generations as the underdog realises the brutal errors of his ways. In the quest to find validation of identity, Morty loses a limb and eventually realises his connection to Rick had run deeper than he ever thought it would.

Granted, stakes and consequences aren’t exactly something that “Rick and Morty” fans are used to. By the ultimate episode titled “Rickmurai Jack” (which utilises an apt anime opening), the duo is back together again for some ridiculous hijinks in the Citadel. However, it’s the process of learning and trusting that Morty and Rick both understand their weird but strangely authentic dynamic. It’s wonderful, gut-piercing moments like these that remind us as to why “Rick and Morty” is such a great show.

For those wondering if “Rick and Morty” has lost its swan-song brilliance, well, yes. In a sense, that gold glitter of old is gone. But is that a horrific thing? Absolutely not. That’s because this show is still evolving with creative and unconventional methods to develop its staples.

Who could forget the tear-jerking moments of Episode 3 where Morty develops a relationship with Planetina. In that episode, Morty hooks up with the force of nature only to find that she wasn’t actually derived from her 20th-century source, but rather, the sadistic Don Cheadle satire. Ah, the funny bone of college. No. No. Uhh… It’s actually really heartbreaking.

Siobhan Thompson, one of the writers for the show states that “it’s more fun when you have empathy and when you care about people“. While the quote actually refers to Rick’s growth during “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”, we as the audience also understand that it carries more weight if you truly care. Truly, there’s gravity when you actually delve into what the characters are going through and give some thought to their perspective.

Where and how the show moves on will be exciting to see. They’ve played their cards but left enough room so as to not use them all up. Indeed, from giant sperms to torture paradoxes, mega-Voltrons .to life model decoys, Season 5 has left fans with loads of pure WTF moments to be burned into our cranium. Ooh wee, we certainly can’t wait for more!!

*POOF*