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10 ‘Darkest’ Moments of Rick and Morty’s Pitch-Black Season 3 — So Far

Pickle Rick is just the tangy tip of the nihilistic third season.

by | September 25, 2017 | Comments

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Rick wasn’t kidding at all when he said this would be the darkest season of Rick and Morty’s adventures yet. Every dark corner season 3 has visited turned out to be not just edgy, but profound, too. You can’t just laugh at it; you also have to appreciate the gravity of the joke. Fans tuned in for Pickle Rick and ended up questioning their life choices.

Just imagine what creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon have in store for the season finale.

Rotten Tomatoes takes a look back at the most provocative moments of Rick and Morty season 3 and some of the reactions they provoked. And after Sunday’s finale, we’ll revisit this list to see if any moments topped the season so far.

10. THE IMMORTALITY RESORT — “THE WHIRLY DIRLY CONSPIRACY”

Anything involving Jerry (Chris Parnell) is obviously lowest on this list, but he should be happy he made the list at all. When Rick took Jerry to a resort where everyone could be immortal and guests killed each other for fun, it really made people think.

Jerry still sucks though.

Or was he even our Jerry?

9. DRUNK RICK’S DEATH TRAPS — “VINDICATORS 3: THE RETURN OF WORLDENDER”

When the Vidicators returned, they ended up in death traps Rick assembled while blackout drunk the night before. It was like Rick’s version of Saw just in time for Jigsaw in theaters this Halloween. Only because Morty knew Rick’s darkest beliefs could he solve the puzzles and save everyone, but even Morty had enough.

8. MORTY IN THE BLOODDOME — “RICKMANCING THE STONE”

Morty fighting in a Thunderdome knockoff with a steroid-inflated arm was funny enough, but the scene went really deep when Morty used it to vent all his rage about his parents’ divorce.

7. THE TRUTH ABOUT FROOPYLYAND — “THE ABCS OF BETH”

Rick and Beth (Sarah Chalke) finally have an adventure together, back to the childhood world he made to distract her, Froopyland. But Froopyland evolved in the 30 years since Beth was a kid. The Froopys now eat their own human-froopy offspring. If that’s hard to follow, the Froopys put on a graphic play outlining the food chain, and it’s way more than you’d really want to know.

6. TOXIC MORTY — “REST AND RICKLAXATION”

When Rick and Morty went for some “Rest and Ricklaxation,” the interdimensional resort took detox a little too seriously. All of Rick and Morty’s toxins formed their own autonomous beings. Rick’s toxins were no surprise, but Morty’s insecurities and self-doubt got too real, man.

5. DANNY TREJO AS JAGUAR — “PICKLE RICK”

For all the brilliance of “Pickle Rick,” one of the most profound elements was the character Jaguar, voiced by Danny Trejo. Jaguar was working for the agency Pickle Rick infiltrated, only doing their bidding in the hopes of finding his daughter. But the agency knew Jaguar’s daughter was already dead.

At least Jaguar returned to save Rick and Morty from the killer piano from the season 3 opening titles.

4. MORTY BLOWS FLOOP FLOOPIAN’S AFTERLIFE — “MORTY’S MIND BLOWERS”

So hard to pick from all of “Morty’s Mindblowers,” but one proved an afterlife not only existed, but Morty ruined it. Floop Floopians want to be killed by a great warrior so they can bask in the orgasmic afterlife. But Morty asks Zik-Zak about evidence and makes the poor Floop Floopian question whether he wants to live after all. Then he gets hit by a truck and goes to a nightmarish hell for dying the wrong way.

3. BETH CHOSE SUMMER OVER MORTY — “MORTY’S MIND BLOWERS”

Two “Morty’s Mindblowers” made the list, and Mr. Poopy Butthole proposing to Morty wasn’t even one of them. When Beth had to choose between one of her children, she chose Summer (Spencer Grammer). Without even thinking about it. So that happened.

2. RICK AND BETH GO TO SHONEY’S — “PICKLE RICK”

With all the magnificence of “Pickle Rick,” the most poignant moment came when Rick returned to human form. After dodging a therapy session, Rick and Beth had a genuine moment. They learned nothing from their adventure or therapy, but at least they’re talking again.

1. EVIL MORTY IN THE CITADEL — “THE RICKLANTIS MIXUP”

While Rick and Morty are in Atlantis, this episode returned to the Citadel of all the alternate Ricks and Mortys of the multiverse. A rather docile Rick got paired with a corrupt Morty cop. King Kong ain’t got nothin’ on him. This is the Rickest Morty in any universe.

What’s your favorite Rick and Morty season 3 moment? Tell us in the comments!

Rick and Morty’s season finale airs Sunday, October 1 at 11:30 p.m. on Adult Swim.

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