Rick and Morty Season 1 Ep. 1 “Pilot”
The Introduction to Rick and Morty
The opening scene introduces us to Rick and Morty. Morty is sound asleep in bed when Rick, drunk, stumbles into the bedroom holding a bottle of XXX alcohol. Rick, whilst stumbling over, tells Morty that they have to leave and that he has a surprise for him. Dragging him out of bed by his feet, we are taken on our first tag-along adventure with Rick and Morty.
Rick introduces Morty to his new flying machine, and this is the first glimpse of Ricky superior intellect, stating that he built the craft from items he had found in the garage. Morty, seemingly unimpressed and concerned, asks if that was the surprise, in which Rick replies that he had to build a bomb. Rick shows his intention to decimate the planet, however, allowing Morty to pick up his high school crush Jessica from his maths class so they can repopulate the earth. Morty shows sheer panic at the thought of Rick destroying humanity, but Rick deflects Morty by simply stating that he won’t make a move on Jessica.
Morty, furious at Rick, fights to control the craft after Rick has armed the Neutrino bomb. Finally, after a scrap, Rick agrees to land the craft. However, upon landing, he falls out of the craft, along with an array of bottles of alcohol and states that the whole event was just a plan to make Morty more assertive, which Morty questions only for Rick to reply, “Sure. Why not? I don’t know.” not instilling much confidence that the plan existed.
Rick passes out, and the Neutrino bomb arms leaving Morty Confused and panicked, and we are then cut away to the opening credits.
The Smith Family introduction
We are taken to a scene with the Smith family sat around the breakfast table. Here we are introduced to Beth, Ricks daughter, Jerry, Beths Husband and the father of Morty and his older sister Summer.
Jerry opens up a conversation discussing a singing show on television, at which point Morty’s head slams under its own weight into his plate of food. Concerned, Beth asks Morty if he is sick and tells him that he shouldn’t practise kissing with the pillow in the living room as the dog sleeps on it. Morty explains that he hadn’t been practising kissing. He didn’t sleep well, stating that his dreams were too loud. At this point, summer points out that maybe it was because he was up all night with ‘Grandpa Rick’.
This immediately ensues an argument between Jerry, Beth and Rick, about Morty not studying because he is attending ‘high-concept sci-fi rigmarole’ with Rick. In response, rick tells of his lack of confidence in the education system, quoting a teacher asking what two plus two is and the students replying four, the bell ringing leading to students receiving a carton of milk and a piece of paper that says ‘you can take a dump or something.’ He finishes his rambling by stating that school is not a place for smart people, then moves on to manipulate his daughter Beth by complimenting the eggs that she had made and he wishes Beth’s mother was there to eat them, bringing Beth to tears as she lets out a lovingly ‘Oh Dad.’
Jerry is left confused by how easily Beth is manipulated emotionally by Rick, and we are left with Morty’s face slamming into his breakfast for a second time as Rick exits from the scene.
Morty’s School Life
We are taken to Morty sat in his Maths lesson where we are introduced to his teacher Mr Goldenfold and the infamous Jessica, Morty’s Crush, as Mr Goldenfold stands at the front of the class asking questions such as ‘What’s 2 x 2?’ and the class replying in sync apart from Morty who is just saying ‘Jessica’ repeatedly. Then, Morty drifts off into a dream where Jessica invites him to play her breasts. At which point we cut back to the classroom where Morty, still asleep, is fondling Mr Goldenfold, who exclaims, ‘Five more minutes of this and I’m gonna get mad.’ which paints the picture of the questionable character of the Maths teacher.
After class, in the corridor, Morty is attacked by Frank Palicky, another pupil at the school, which amplifies our impression of the social status of Morty. Pulling out a knife, Frank continues to berate Morty until he is frozen solid by Rick.
Introduction to travels to other Dimensions
Rick Explains to Morty that he has errands to run in an alternative dimension and needed an extra pair of hands. Morty expresses his concerns about skipping school again, but Rick convinces him of the importance of helping him instead. Morty asks if Frank needs to be unfrozen, Rick states that he will do it later.
Rick and Morty disappear around the corner as summer enters the scene, displaying her crush for Frank. As she walks nervously past Frank and says hi, he falls and splinters apart, causing Summer to scream and cry.
Beth, the Heart Surgeon
Beth, elbow-deep in a horse, is performing heart surgery when Jerry enters the operating room. Beth asks, almost hopingly, if Jerry is there for an urgent reason, to which Jerry replies to take her for Lunch. Beth asks Jerry if he knows that her job requires her to perform heart surgery? Jerry responds sarcastically ‘On horses.’ showing Jerry’s neediness and emotional immaturity.
Before getting into a fight, Jerry pretends to leave before “accidentally” dropping a brochure to a nursing home on the floor. He picks it up and suggests that they place Rick into a home.
That Portal Gun
The scene takes us to Rick using a remote/gun type object to create a bright luminescent green portal that he takes Morty through. They land on a planet in dimension 35C. Rick explains that the conditions are perfect for a special kind of tree called the ‘Mega Tree’. The Trees grow fruit, and inside those fruits are Mega Seeds. Rick explains that the Mega Seeds are extremely powerful and that he needs them for his research.
A creature approaches them, and Rick runs off, screaming after pushing Morty towards the creature but yelling for him to run. They successfully escape without harm. They cut to a scene with Rick inadvertently explaining that they are on an alternative evolutionary timeline suggesting that they may be present on an alternative dimension of the planet earth. They reach the location of the ‘Mega Trees’, which are located down a valley after a cliff face. Morty asks why the Seeds are special, to which Rick provides no purposeful response and tells Morty to stop asking so many questions. Rick hands Morty ‘Special Grappling shoes’ that he explains will allow Morty to stick to any surface and walk down the cliff. Morty steps over but starts to plummet to the ground. Rick shouts after him to state, ‘you have to turn them on, Morty. The shoes have to be turned on!’
The Father, Daughter Relationship
We cut back to Jerry and Beth, but we pick up on the nursing home conversation, this time in Beth’s office. Beth explains that she has just got her dad back in her life, but we have not disclosed at this point the reason for his absence. Jerry is trying his hardest to convince Beth to remove Rick from the Smith family home but to no avail. Jerry’s final argument is that Morty cannot afford to be taken out of school or have his school work affected by Rick. The conversation is cut short by a phone call that introduces us to Principal Vagina, the head of Morty and Summers School, requesting their presence to discuss Morty.
Break a leg
After Morty’s fall down the cliff, Morty has broken both of his legs and is in immense pain, sweating and groaning while Rick berates him about having to turn the shoes on for them to work. Finally, Morty cries out to Rick about his pain, only for Rick to ask him if he can still help him collect his seeds. Morty says that this is the last straw, comparing Rick to Adolf Hitler. Rick, realising he needs to do more leaves using his portal gun.
Rick returns with a syringe, and he injects the purple liquid inside into Morty’s legs, healing them instantly. Morty agrees to help him obtain the seeds. Rick explains that he visited a future dimension where the medicine was far more advanced than in their dimension. He explained that they had invented the broken leg serum. He goes on further to explain that they had also developed a way to halter the ageing process. He further explains that he was the oldest person there and that there were a lot of beautiful women that were fascinated with him. He says that he spent a lot of time with many beautiful women, and now his inter-dimensional portal gun had run out of charge.
Panicked, Morty asks how they are going to get back home. Rick explains that they can return, but they will need to go through inter-dimensional customs. He asks Morty for a further favour, Morty, identifies precisely where this is going as Rick hands him the large ‘Mega Seeds’. Rick explains that Morty is going to have to place the seeds into his rectum. Rick explains that he would do it, but he has done it too many times, and so they won’t stay in his rectum for an extended amount of time.
Rick the bad influence
Beth and Jerry are with Principal Vagina, who explains that Morty has attended a total of 7 hours of school over the last two months. Beth and Jerry ask why they haven’t been notified. The principal explains that he had been passing messages on to his Grandfather, which he thought was odd because he was the one taking Morty out of school all the time.
Jerry excitedly exclaims that he has been proven correct that Rick is a bad influence on Morty.
In the background, we can see Summer distressed and crying over a cross and flowers laid out for the late Frank.
The Brief introduction to the Federation
We skip back to inter-dimensional customs where Morty has now placed the seeds into his rectum.
We are first introduced to the Geromflomites, which are the main species of the Galactic Federation. The Galatic Federation are the main protagonists over the overarching storyline of Rick and Morty’s adventures as we advance through the seasons.
The Geromflomite explains at customs that Morty will need to go through a separate machine, and when questioned by Rick, explains that it for detecting items deep inside someone’s rectum.
Panicked, Rick and Morty make a run for it through customs exchanging in a firefight, as Rick programmes a Portal back to their dimension. Rick reassures Morty nervous about killing another living being because they are robots. Still, as one of the Geromflomites named Glenn has his leg shot off, Rick explains that this was just a metaphor because of their tie to bureaucracy.
Rick and Morty escape through the portal after a barrage of exchanged gunfire. Finally, they arrive at the school cafeteria, where Jessica is impressed by Morty’s arrival through a Portal.
Beth and Jerry are both presents at the school and display their anguish for Rick taking Morty out of school.
The Rick Manipulation
Back at the Smith Family home, Jerry and Beth are packing Ricks stuff into a removals van, explaining that he is going into a home.
Morty sticks up for Rick, but Jerry says that Morty is too immature to have an opinion. Rick questions why they are calling Morty stupid.
Beth argues that Morty is the last child that needs to be missing classes. Rick asks for clarification which leads to Jerry exclaiming that Morty must have some form of disability.
Jerry explains to Morty that he is slower than the other kids, so he needs to work twice as hard.
Rick asks Morty the square root of Pi. Morty stumbles, trying to explain that he cant. So Rick asks him again, at which point Morty, in a trance like state answers 1.77245385. He then asks Morty, “What is the first law of Thermodynamics?” Morty answers without hesitation this time.
Beth and Jerry are astonished by this and conclude that the adventures must be doing some good, but only after some careful emotional manipulation by Rick.
They agree that Morty can keep going on adventures with Rick as long as Morty attends school.
Morty is surprised that hanging around with Rick makes him more intelligent, at which point Rick explains that it is just a side effect of the seeds lodged in his rectum. They create temporary super-intelligence and will next make him lose control of his motor and brain functions for up to 72 hours.
This first episode is an excellent introduction to the Smith family and the dynamics between all the characters. We can see the way Rick manipulates all the different characters individually. We also see how Beth and Jerry underestimate Morty. Ricks apparent lack of respect for life is evident, and how far he will go to get what he wants. He is prepared to risk his family, especially Morty, to achieve the task at hand.
