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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
After five seasons, they’ve finally joined forces for a Power Rangers-esque special! Last week’s Rick and Morty — Season 5 Episode 7 — is titled, “Gotron Jerrysis Rickvangelion”. Producer John Harris serves as the episode’s writer, while storyboard artist Jacob Hair serves as its director.
In this spoiler review, I will discuss and analyze the details of the episode. Please beware if you have not yet seen it.
Plot Summary
The episode begins with Morty Smith (Justin Roiland), his older sister Summer (Spencer Grammer), and their grandfather Rick Sanchez (also Roiland) on their way to another planet’s amusement park called “Boob World.” Their trip is shortly interrupted when they discover GoTron ferrets abandoned on a moon. They take the machines home, where Summer convinces her parents Beth (Sarah Chalke) and Jerry Smith (Chris Parnell) to join and help form an intergalactic team of heroes.
Rick’s obsession with collecting the GoTron ferrets grows once he gathers five Smith families to combine their five GoTron machines. This leads to a mafia-like narrative that results in absolute chaos…as usual. Together, they create a GoGoTron, and from there, Rick of Universe C-137 persuades the families to create a GoGoGoTron. The families fall apart, and Rick has to confront his family’s “giant incest baby” created from a few episodes ago.
Roiland also voices parallel universe versions of the title characters, including Rick-ardo Montoya, Hot Head Rick, Little Ricky Wrap-It-Up, Yo-Yo Rick, and a group of Mortys who went to Boob World.
Eric Bauza, Darren Criss, Maurice LaMarche, and Lauren Tom also make voice appearances in the episode.
Discussion
It seems Dan Harmon has recycled a narrative style from NBC’s Community Season 1, Episode 21 — “Contemporary American Poultry”. (In this episode, the study group, too, has employed and assembled a mafia boss-like hierarchy to achieve a common goal.) This time, instead of securing chicken fingers from a cafeteria, the series’ protagonists here have secured the GoTron ferret machines from different parts of space and time. The entire episode is a ridiculous combination of The Godfather, Scarface, Voltron, and Power Rangers that just works… Shall we get started?
At the beginning of the episode, Morty says, “Anything is never quite everything”. Rather than establishing a democracy, Rick has made himself a Rick-public (republic) of Smith families, with his universe’s Summer under his wing. When one member of the extended family does not conform to the rules and chain of commands, they are kicked out of the group. For example, Hot Head Rick is threatened when his black GoTron ferret is blown up right in front of him. This is similar to car bombs used in mafia movies.
Morty is bribed with “Boob Bucks” from Boob World by the original members of the GoTron before the Smiths took over. Instead, he crashes the car they took him in and limps back home. I guess this passes the test of loyalty to the capo, that family is family no matter what. (F9 and Black Widow know what’s up!) Of course, isn’t that the idea? When a family is together, they make an unstoppable force like none other. That’s a corny thing to think about, but sometimes, it’s true.
This Week’s Rick and Morty Crew
James McDermott replaces Robbie Erwin as the episode’s editor. Carlos Ortega Madden leads the character design, while Rafael “Rafa” Hurtado leads in the background design department.
Rufino Roy Camacho II, Douglas Einar Olsen, Fill Marc Sagadraca join Eugene Huang, Kyounghee Lim, and Dan O’Connor in the storyboard art department. Meanwhile, Ghazarian, Erica Hayes, and Pat Keegan join Dik Pose, Jim Shellhorn, and Steve Yurko in the additional storyboards.
Kendra Melton joins Kari Kilpela, Justin K. Noel, Elisa Phillips, Wilder Rees, and Orlando David Velez in character design. Lauryn Danae Bremmer, Vance Caines, and Robbie Erwin join Chris S. Bolden, Alex J. Lee, and Tommy Scott in the background design. Meanwhile, Elora Lyda and Monica Smith take over in the design clean-up.
Lastly, I have to give credit to Nick Bear, Andrew Covalt, Morgan Ngu, Jason Lee, Christina Raygoza, and Hedy Yudaw for leading a hand in background paint.
Performances and Character Developments
Roiland is in over his head as Rick Sanchez in this episode, and it’s batshit crazy what antics the character has gone into here. The larger focus is on grandson, Morty Smith, and how he is just an adventure that his mad scientist grandfather has spearheaded.
I also appreciate the repercussions that the Smith family (Summer included) face with the giant incest baby. To possibly trigger the anime community, they’ve named the monstrosity “Naruto”. I will never understand what the writers were up to when this was conceptualized and the process taken to create this story.
Final Thoughts
If Episode 503 — “A Rickconvenient Mort” — was any indication, part of this season will tamper with the purity that is Saturday morning cartoon nostalgia for the 1990s kids. Captain Planet, My Little Pony (questionable), Transformers, and now Voltron and Power Rangers. The episode also pokes fun as mafia movies, as if the wires used to garrote the original GoTron members weren’t obvious enough. We have three episodes left of the season before it comes to a close. My, where has the time gone?
Rick and Morty Season 5 is now on Adult Swim!
Have you seen this new season? What are your thoughts on it? Let us know! For more animation, adventure, comedy, fantasy, and science-fiction-related news and reviews, follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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