Maybe hindsight is working against this season, given that by this point in Season 2, “Rick and Morty” had already brought in fresh spins on quantum timelines, the bizarre concept of Jerry day care, and a long glimpse at Unity (the last of which arguably works as a better “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. There’s an element to the “Morty gets to choose the adventure” punch card at the end of the cold open that feels like the rest of the show is taking on as well. (On second thought, maybe the fact that this show can make a sentence that nonsensical actually have some meaningful character moments behind it means we should give it more credit.) And although the Disneyland-inspired ride through Drunk Rick’s feelings had a satisfying Noob Noob fakeout, that character felt a little like Mr.
In some ways, this felt like a superhero story grafted onto the “Anatomy Park” episode, another series of bizarre obstacles resulting in unexpected character deaths. Wong might not have been the most appropriate name for the Susan Sarandon-voiced therapist, Morty rattles off a list of more diverse erstwhile Vindicators members that didn’t survive to see the sequel.)Īs entertaining as parts of this episode are, it’s hard not to spot the growing sense of greatest hits syndrome that also crept into the show’s surprise season premiere. (It’s also the second episode in a row with a not-so-oblique reference to on-screen representation: After Pickle Rick’s casual mention that Dr. When he explains why Morty might be the answer to save the team at the end of the final puzzle, there’s some genuine affection sprinkled in amongst the desire for self-preservation. Summer took charge in “Rickmancing the Stone” seeing Morty do the same while navigating this horror show mirrors the steps he’s taking in Rick’s estimation. Sure, all of these death traps are of a riggity riggity wrecked Rick’s design, but once again “Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender” uses another Season 3 installment to nod toward what Rick’s partners in crime are learning after spending some dangerous time at his side. (If anything, the closest analogue in the world of super-powered entertainment is probably another animated series, “The Awesomes.”) But the highly specific powers of each member, all the way down to the regenerative properties of the ant mound, hint at a highly lucrative spin-off had each of them not been systematically destroyed by some booby-trap machinations. The Vindicators wisely aren’t a direct send-up of a specific team. And the very idea that this episode works off an unspoken assumption of “Vindicators 1” events that are never actually explained is a fun bit of joke by omission.Įven when deconstructing the superhero team-up idea, it’s fun to see the unlimited possibility of this character design shine through. The Vindicators, as an organization, feel like a writers’ room dream of random-yet-viable superheroes: Supernova, a celestial being with the power of a collapsing star, crocodile-robot hybrid Crocubot, ghost train summoner Alan Rails, a blob of a Million Ants and a Christian Slater-voiced offbrand Star-Lord as the human leader with swagger and a jetpack. Read More: ‘Rick and Morty’ Review: ‘Pickle Rick’ Turns the Simplest Premise Into a Spectacular Action Animation Showcase
Even if some of it feels a little familiar, at least it’s sending things in a different direction. It’s no surprise that this show would take a premise with unlimited possibilities and trap this supersquad in a simplistic “Saw”-bstacle course. What starts as a means for a “Guardians of the Galaxy”-style adventure against a looming foe gets the “Rick and Morty” treatment by putting that formula in reverse. “Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender” is an episode as deceptive as its title. Dogs taking over the world, parasites taking over happy memories, and a school dance becoming the platform for an army of Cronenbergs all came from a simple premise warped so fully that the result was twisted, unrecognizable bliss. At its best, “ Rick and Morty” is a show that’s been able to take the basic, ordinary parts of human life and spin them into grand, misshapen sci-fi horrors.