🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 192 (from laksa066)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa192.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity\/","crawl_time":1776364393,"first_indexed_time":1624857653,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,denofgeek!www,\/tv\/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity\/ s443","src_root_hash":"13977860436572702792","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 2 Review: Mortyplicity | Den of Geek","meta_descriptions":["Rick and Morty all but does away with conventional characterization with an ambitious and complicated episode."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"By\nJoe Matar\n|\nJune 28, 2021\n|\n|\n0\nThis\nRICK AND MORTY\nreview contains spoilers.\nMan,\nRick and Morty\nis a weird fucking show.\nI know I’m stating the obvious here but I mean it’s weird on a fundamental storytelling level because, the thing is, under all the sci-fi madness, there’s meant to be a gooey sitcom center to this series and sitcoms usually want you to care a lot about their characters. You’re supposed to get emotional highs and lows from them and want them to succeed. In short, you’re supposed to love them.\n“Mortyplicity” is one of those\nRick and Morty\nepisodes that very loudly and clearly tells you that you should\nnot\nbe invested in these characters’ lives. You’re supposed to love them, in a way, but that way is as cynical, wisecrack-spouting, sci-fi comedy vehicles. However, you’re not really supposed to invest in them as believable facsimiles of people on their own journeys through life because, well, it’s awfully hard to do that when the show basically tells you it has no consistent protagonists.\nSure, the series has dabbled in this stuff plenty before, with episodes where it’s implied Rick may be taking home the wrong Jerry or Morty and that it’s irrelevant to him. And, of course, there’s the whole cloned Beth debacle (which this episode calls back to a lot). Still, I believe (and please correct me if I’m wrong) that this is the first episode in which there is no grounding the viewer by letting them know they are following the adventures of a specific Rick, or a specific Morty, or a specific any other member of the Smith family.\nThe plot is that Rick has made decoys (i.e., clones) of the family to throw off would-be assassins, but since the decoys\/clones are functionally copies, some of the Rick clones\/decoys think they’re the real Rick so they, in turn, have made more decoys who have made more clones, and so on, and so forth. It’s purposefully absurd and complicated so we won’t go into why, but the decoys have taken to killing off one other.\nRead more\n“Mortyplicity” is explicitly unconcerned with giving you characters to invest in and is much more interested in escalating its crazy sci-fi premise, following one family of Smiths only to have them murdered by another family, so then the perspective changes to that family and then we follow them for a while. Post-commercial-break, we get a montage of clones killing clones and other clones suiciding themselves, so that, by the time the montage ends, it’s become entirely irrelevant which family we’re following and whether they’re clones or not. The ending briefly introduces what seems to be the “real” family before revealing the whole decoy disaster is yet ongoing, suggesting nothing is certain and that Rick and Morty and family are stuck in a cycle of murdering themselves in perpetuity. (So,\nthat’s\nhow they’re going to fulfill the remainder of\nthat 70-episode order contract.\n)\nThe episode does, cleverly, manage to squeeze in just a smidge of that heartfelt sitcom stuff by way of a brief heart-to-heart between a Rick and a Beth (wearing Muppet costumes). It’s a nice moment in which Beth successfully argues that Rick cares about his family or he wouldn’t have been so paranoid as to clone them a bazillion times and Rick apologizes and tells Beth he loves her. The scene somewhat convincingly proves\nRick and Morty\ncan still make us care about its characters despite doing away with conventional protagonists and instead plotting an emotional through line across a collective of Ricks and Smith decoys (for characterization similar to this, see Meg Ryan’s performances in 1990’s\nJoe Versus the Volcano\n).\nHowever, it’s still only somewhat convincing because this is one tiny emotional moment in what is mostly an episode of the Smith family cynically dispatching clones while, as is the standard for modern\nRick and Morty\n, snapping angrily at each other almost constantly. I laughed a few times; my favorite lines were “Actually, I get hard protecting my family” and “We’re gonna live in the woods like libertarians.” The wooden puppet clones with the compressed audio voices were kind of charming, too. And the\nBuffalo Bill\n-esque serial killer Rick was inspired in how disturbing it was. But, in the end, “Mortyplicity” is one of those episodes, like\n“A Rickle in Time”\nor\n“One Crew over the Crewcoo’s Morty”\nbefore it, that’s primarily invested in the escalating complexity of its bonkers sci-fi premise. You’ll either love every moment of the freewheeling violence and madcap sci-fi rigamarole or you’re one of the fans like me who more appreciates the sitcommy characterization side of the series and will therefore find a lot less to latch onto.\nThat said, I can’t deny the creativity and ambition of plots like these, so I’m forced to grade it higher than last week’s premiere.","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to main content area](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity\/#main)\n\n[Menu](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity\/#nav-primary__wrapper)\n\n[Subscribe](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/newsletter\/)\n\n[Den of Geek](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/)\n\n- [Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/denofgeek\/)\n- [Youtube](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/denofgeektube)\n- [TikTok](https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@denofgeektv?lang=en)\n- [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DenOfGeekUS)\n- [X](https:\/\/x.com\/DenofGeekUS)\n\nToggle search\n\n- [Movies](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/movies\/)\n- [TV](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/)\n- [Games](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/games\/)\n- [Comics](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/comics\/)\n- [Books](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/books\/)\n- [Collectibles](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/collectibles\/)\n- [Magazine](https:\/\/issuu.com\/denofgeek)\n- [Shows & Podcasts](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/podcasts\/)\n- [Video](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/videos\/)\n- [Newsletter](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/newsletter\/)\n\n[Subscribe](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/newsletter\/)\n\n- [Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/denofgeek\/)\n- [Youtube](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/denofgeektube)\n- [TikTok](https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@denofgeektv?lang=en)\n- [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DenOfGeekUS)\n- [X](https:\/\/x.com\/DenofGeekUS)\n\n[Reviews](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/reviews\/)\n\n# Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 2 Review: Mortyplicity\nRick and Morty all but does away with conventional characterization with an ambitious and complicated episode.\n\n![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=200&d=mm&r=g) By [Joe Matar](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/author\/joe-matar\/) \\|\n\nJune 28, 2021\n\n\\|\n\n- [Share on Facebook (opens in a new tab)](https:\/\/facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.denofgeek.com%2Ftv%2Frick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity%2F&t=Rick%20and%20Morty%20Season%205%20Episode%202%20Review:%20Mortyplicity)\n- [Share on X (opens in a new tab)](https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.denofgeek.com%2Ftv%2Frick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity%2F&text=Rick%20and%20Morty%20Season%205%20Episode%202%20Review:%20Mortyplicity)\n- [Share on Linkedin (opens in a new tab)](https:\/\/reddit.com\/submit\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.denofgeek.com%2Ftv%2Frick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity%2F&title=Rick%20and%20Morty%20Season%205%20Episode%202%20Review:%20Mortyplicity)\n- [Share on email (opens in a new tab)](<mailto:?body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.denofgeek.com%2Ftv%2Frick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity%2F%3Futm_source%3Demailshare%26utm_medium%3Darticle%26utm_campaign%3Darticleshare&subject=Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 2 Review: Mortyplicity>)\n\n\\| [0](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity\/#disqus_thread)\n\n![Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 1](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2.jpg?resize=768%2C432)\n\n*Photo: Adult Swim*\n\n*This **RICK AND MORTY** review contains spoilers.*\n\n## Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 2\nMan, ***[Rick and Morty](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/rick-and-morty\/)*** is a weird fucking show.\n\nI know I’m stating the obvious here but I mean it’s weird on a fundamental storytelling level because, the thing is, under all the sci-fi madness, there’s meant to be a gooey sitcom center to this series and sitcoms usually want you to care a lot about their characters. You’re supposed to get emotional highs and lows from them and want them to succeed. In short, you’re supposed to love them.\n\n“Mortyplicity” is one of those ***Rick and Morty*** episodes that very loudly and clearly tells you that you should *not* be invested in these characters’ lives. You’re supposed to love them, in a way, but that way is as cynical, wisecrack-spouting, sci-fi comedy vehicles. However, you’re not really supposed to invest in them as believable facsimiles of people on their own journeys through life because, well, it’s awfully hard to do that when the show basically tells you it has no consistent protagonists.\n\nAd\n\nAd – content continues below\n\nSure, the series has dabbled in this stuff plenty before, with episodes where it’s implied Rick may be taking home the wrong Jerry or Morty and that it’s irrelevant to him. And, of course, there’s the whole cloned Beth debacle (which this episode calls back to a lot). Still, I believe (and please correct me if I’m wrong) that this is the first episode in which there is no grounding the viewer by letting them know they are following the adventures of a specific Rick, or a specific Morty, or a specific any other member of the Smith family.\n\nThe plot is that Rick has made decoys (i.e., clones) of the family to throw off would-be assassins, but since the decoys\/clones are functionally copies, some of the Rick clones\/decoys think they’re the real Rick so they, in turn, have made more decoys who have made more clones, and so on, and so forth. It’s purposefully absurd and complicated so we won’t go into why, but the decoys have taken to killing off one other.\n\n## Read more\n[![Hoovy's offspring in Rick and Morty season 5 episode 1](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Rick-and-Morty-Season-5-Episode-1-Sci-Fi-Consequences.jpg?resize=400%2C400)](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-1-hoovy-jim-gaffigan\/)\n\n[TV](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/)\n\n### [Rick and Morty Once Again Reveals That Science Fiction Has Consequences](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-1-hoovy-jim-gaffigan\/)\nBy [Alec Bojalad](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/author\/alec-bojalad\/)\n\n[![Morty, Beth, Rick, and Summer battle foes in Rick and Morty](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Has-Rick-and-Morty-Lost-the-Zeitgeist.png?resize=400%2C400)](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/has-rick-and-morty-lost-the-zeitgeist\/)\n\n[TV](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/)\n\n### [Has Rick and Morty Lost the Zeitgeist?](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/has-rick-and-morty-lost-the-zeitgeist\/)\nBy [Joe Matar](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/author\/joe-matar\/)\n\n“Mortyplicity” is explicitly unconcerned with giving you characters to invest in and is much more interested in escalating its crazy sci-fi premise, following one family of Smiths only to have them murdered by another family, so then the perspective changes to that family and then we follow them for a while. Post-commercial-break, we get a montage of clones killing clones and other clones suiciding themselves, so that, by the time the montage ends, it’s become entirely irrelevant which family we’re following and whether they’re clones or not. The ending briefly introduces what seems to be the “real” family before revealing the whole decoy disaster is yet ongoing, suggesting nothing is certain and that Rick and Morty and family are stuck in a cycle of murdering themselves in perpetuity. (So, *that’s* how they’re going to fulfill the remainder of [that 70-episode order contract.](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-morty-what-that-70-episode-order-means\/))\n\nThe episode does, cleverly, manage to squeeze in just a smidge of that heartfelt sitcom stuff by way of a brief heart-to-heart between a Rick and a Beth (wearing Muppet costumes). It’s a nice moment in which Beth successfully argues that Rick cares about his family or he wouldn’t have been so paranoid as to clone them a bazillion times and Rick apologizes and tells Beth he loves her. The scene somewhat convincingly proves ***Rick and Morty*** can still make us care about its characters despite doing away with conventional protagonists and instead plotting an emotional through line across a collective of Ricks and Smith decoys (for characterization similar to this, see Meg Ryan’s performances in 1990’s ***Joe Versus the Volcano***).\n\nHowever, it’s still only somewhat convincing because this is one tiny emotional moment in what is mostly an episode of the Smith family cynically dispatching clones while, as is the standard for modern ***Rick and Morty***, snapping angrily at each other almost constantly. I laughed a few times; my favorite lines were “Actually, I get hard protecting my family” and “We’re gonna live in the woods like libertarians.” The wooden puppet clones with the compressed audio voices were kind of charming, too. And the [Buffalo Bill](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/web-stories\/the-male-gaze-in-silence-of-the-lambs\/)\\-esque serial killer Rick was inspired in how disturbing it was. But, in the end, “Mortyplicity” is one of those episodes, like [“A Rickle in Time”](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-morty-season-2-premiere-review-a-rickle-in-time\/) or [“One Crew over the Crewcoo’s Morty”](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-morty-season-4-episode-3-review-one-crew-over-the-crewcoo-s-morty\/) before it, that’s primarily invested in the escalating complexity of its bonkers sci-fi premise. You’ll either love every moment of the freewheeling violence and madcap sci-fi rigamarole or you’re one of the fans like me who more appreciates the sitcommy characterization side of the series and will therefore find a lot less to latch onto.\n\nAd\n\nThat said, I can’t deny the creativity and ambition of plots like these, so I’m forced to grade it higher than last week’s premiere.\n\nAd\n\nAd – content continues below\n\nRating:\n\n4 out of 5\n\n- Share:\n- [Share on Facebook (opens in a new tab)](https:\/\/facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.denofgeek.com%2Ftv%2Frick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity%2F&t=Rick%20and%20Morty%20Season%205%20Episode%202%20Review:%20Mortyplicity)\n- [Share on X (opens in a new tab)](https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.denofgeek.com%2Ftv%2Frick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity%2F&text=Rick%20and%20Morty%20Season%205%20Episode%202%20Review:%20Mortyplicity)\n- [Share on Linkedin (opens in a new tab)](https:\/\/reddit.com\/submit\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.denofgeek.com%2Ftv%2Frick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity%2F&title=Rick%20and%20Morty%20Season%205%20Episode%202%20Review:%20Mortyplicity)\n- [Share on email (opens in a new tab)](<mailto:?body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.denofgeek.com%2Ftv%2Frick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity%2F%3Futm_source%3Demailshare%26utm_medium%3Darticle%26utm_campaign%3Darticleshare&subject=Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 2 Review: Mortyplicity>)\n\n\\|\n\nComment:\n\n[0](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity\/#disqus_thread)\n\nTags: [Adult Swim](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/adult-swim\/)[Animation](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/animation\/)[Comedy](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/comedy\/)[Rick and Morty](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/rick-and-morty\/)\n\n## MORE RICK AND MORTY\n[![Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 1](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-1.jpg?resize=768%2C432)](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-1-review-mort-dinner-rick-andre\/)\n\n[TV](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/)\n\n### [Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 1 Review: Mort Dinner Rick Andre](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-1-review-mort-dinner-rick-andre\/)\nJune 21, 2021\n\n\\| By [Joe Matar](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/author\/joe-matar\/)\n\n[![Rick and Morty Trading Cards](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Rick-and-Morty-Trading-Cards.jpg?resize=768%2C432)](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/the-best-rick-and-morty-trading-cards-so-far\/)\n\nPartnership\n\n### [The Best Rick and Morty Trading Cards So Far](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/the-best-rick-and-morty-trading-cards-so-far\/)\nApril 9, 2021\n\n\\| By [Joe Matar](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/author\/joe-matar\/)\n\n[![Rick and Morty Character Guide](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Rick-and-Morty-Character-Guide.png?resize=768%2C432)](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-morty-character-guide-dark-horse\/)\n\n[TV](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/)\n\n### [Rick and Morty Character Guide Delves Into the Multiverse](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-morty-character-guide-dark-horse\/)\nDecember 3, 2020\n\n\\| By [Alec Bojalad](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/author\/alec-bojalad\/)\n\n[![Rick and Morty Gruesome Deaths header image](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Rick-and-Morty-Gruesome-Deaths-composite.jpg?resize=768%2C432)](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-mortys-most-gruesome-deaths\/)\n\n[TV](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/)\n\n### [Rick and Morty’s Most Gruesome Deaths](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-mortys-most-gruesome-deaths\/)\nSeptember 8, 2020\n\n\\| By [Jamie Andrew](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/author\/jamie-andrew\/)\n\nAd - content continues below\n\n## Popular\n[![Elden Ring Nightreign](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/elden-ring-nightreign.jpg?resize=768%2C432)](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/games\/biggest-upcoming-games-2025-ps5-xbox-nintendo-pc\/)\n\n[Games](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/games\/)\n\n### [New Video Game Releases 2025: Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, PC](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/games\/biggest-upcoming-games-2025-ps5-xbox-nintendo-pc\/)\nFebruary 12, 2025\n\n\\| By [Matthew Byrd](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/author\/matthew-byrd\/) and 2 others\n\n[![Upcoming Movies in 2025 like Superman, Mickey 17 and Wicked For Good](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Upcoming-Movies-in-2025.jpg?resize=768%2C432)](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/movies\/the-must-watch-movies-coming-in-2025\/)\n\n[Movies](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/movies\/)\n\n### [New Movies 2025: Theatrical Releases, Streaming, Netflix, Prime Video, Horror, Sci-Fi](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/movies\/the-must-watch-movies-coming-in-2025\/)\nFebruary 11, 2025\n\n\\| By [Joe George](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/author\/joe-george\/) and 1 other\n\n[![Mark (Adam Scott) from Severance, Shauna (Melanie Lynskey and Sophie Nélisse) from Yellowjackets, and Joel (Pedro Pascal) from the Last of Us](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Must-Watch-TV-2025.jpg?resize=768%2C432)](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/the-must-watch-tv-shows-coming-in-2025\/)\n\n[TV](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/)\n\n### [New TV Series for 2025: Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Max, FX, NBC, Disney+, Prime Video, Paramount+](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/the-must-watch-tv-shows-coming-in-2025\/)\nFebruary 6, 2025\n\n\\| By [Brynna Arens](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/author\/brynna-arens\/) and 3 others\n\n[![Matthew Goode looking worried with a beard in Dept. 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You’re supposed to get emotional highs and lows from them and want them to succeed. In short, you’re supposed to love them.\n\n“Mortyplicity” is one of those ***Rick and Morty*** episodes that very loudly and clearly tells you that you should *not* be invested in these characters’ lives. You’re supposed to love them, in a way, but that way is as cynical, wisecrack-spouting, sci-fi comedy vehicles. However, you’re not really supposed to invest in them as believable facsimiles of people on their own journeys through life because, well, it’s awfully hard to do that when the show basically tells you it has no consistent protagonists.\n\nSure, the series has dabbled in this stuff plenty before, with episodes where it’s implied Rick may be taking home the wrong Jerry or Morty and that it’s irrelevant to him. And, of course, there’s the whole cloned Beth debacle (which this episode calls back to a lot). Still, I believe (and please correct me if I’m wrong) that this is the first episode in which there is no grounding the viewer by letting them know they are following the adventures of a specific Rick, or a specific Morty, or a specific any other member of the Smith family.\n\nThe plot is that Rick has made decoys (i.e., clones) of the family to throw off would-be assassins, but since the decoys\/clones are functionally copies, some of the Rick clones\/decoys think they’re the real Rick so they, in turn, have made more decoys who have made more clones, and so on, and so forth. It’s purposefully absurd and complicated so we won’t go into why, but the decoys have taken to killing off one other.\n\n## Read more\n“Mortyplicity” is explicitly unconcerned with giving you characters to invest in and is much more interested in escalating its crazy sci-fi premise, following one family of Smiths only to have them murdered by another family, so then the perspective changes to that family and then we follow them for a while. Post-commercial-break, we get a montage of clones killing clones and other clones suiciding themselves, so that, by the time the montage ends, it’s become entirely irrelevant which family we’re following and whether they’re clones or not. The ending briefly introduces what seems to be the “real” family before revealing the whole decoy disaster is yet ongoing, suggesting nothing is certain and that Rick and Morty and family are stuck in a cycle of murdering themselves in perpetuity. (So, *that’s* how they’re going to fulfill the remainder of [that 70-episode order contract.](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-morty-what-that-70-episode-order-means\/))\n\nThe episode does, cleverly, manage to squeeze in just a smidge of that heartfelt sitcom stuff by way of a brief heart-to-heart between a Rick and a Beth (wearing Muppet costumes). It’s a nice moment in which Beth successfully argues that Rick cares about his family or he wouldn’t have been so paranoid as to clone them a bazillion times and Rick apologizes and tells Beth he loves her. The scene somewhat convincingly proves ***Rick and Morty*** can still make us care about its characters despite doing away with conventional protagonists and instead plotting an emotional through line across a collective of Ricks and Smith decoys (for characterization similar to this, see Meg Ryan’s performances in 1990’s ***Joe Versus the Volcano***).\n\nHowever, it’s still only somewhat convincing because this is one tiny emotional moment in what is mostly an episode of the Smith family cynically dispatching clones while, as is the standard for modern ***Rick and Morty***, snapping angrily at each other almost constantly. I laughed a few times; my favorite lines were “Actually, I get hard protecting my family” and “We’re gonna live in the woods like libertarians.” The wooden puppet clones with the compressed audio voices were kind of charming, too. And the [Buffalo Bill](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/web-stories\/the-male-gaze-in-silence-of-the-lambs\/)\\-esque serial killer Rick was inspired in how disturbing it was. But, in the end, “Mortyplicity” is one of those episodes, like [“A Rickle in Time”](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-morty-season-2-premiere-review-a-rickle-in-time\/) or [“One Crew over the Crewcoo’s Morty”](https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/tv\/rick-and-morty-season-4-episode-3-review-one-crew-over-the-crewcoo-s-morty\/) before it, that’s primarily invested in the escalating complexity of its bonkers sci-fi premise. You’ll either love every moment of the freewheeling violence and madcap sci-fi rigamarole or you’re one of the fans like me who more appreciates the sitcommy characterization side of the series and will therefore find a lot less to latch onto.\n\nThat said, I can’t deny the creativity and ambition of plots like these, so I’m forced to grade it higher than last week’s premiere.","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	By Joe Matar \| June 28, 2021 \| \| 0 This RICK AND MORTY review contains spoilers. Man, Rick and Morty is a weird fucking show. I know I’m stating the obvious here but I mean it’s weird on a fundamental storytelling level because, the thing is, under all the sci-fi madness, there’s meant to be a gooey sitcom center to this series and sitcoms usually want you to care a lot about their characters. You’re supposed to get emotional highs and lows from them and want them to succeed. In short, you’re supposed to love them. “Mortyplicity” is one of those Rick and Morty episodes that very loudly and clearly tells you that you should not be invested in these characters’ lives. You’re supposed to love them, in a way, but that way is as cynical, wisecrack-spouting, sci-fi comedy vehicles. However, you’re not really supposed to invest in them as believable facsimiles of people on their own journeys through life because, well, it’s awfully hard to do that when the show basically tells you it has no consistent protagonists. Sure, the series has dabbled in this stuff plenty before, with episodes where it’s implied Rick may be taking home the wrong Jerry or Morty and that it’s irrelevant to him. And, of course, there’s the whole cloned Beth debacle (which this episode calls back to a lot). Still, I believe (and please correct me if I’m wrong) that this is the first episode in which there is no grounding the viewer by letting them know they are following the adventures of a specific Rick, or a specific Morty, or a specific any other member of the Smith family. The plot is that Rick has made decoys (i.e., clones) of the family to throw off would-be assassins, but since the decoys/clones are functionally copies, some of the Rick clones/decoys think they’re the real Rick so they, in turn, have made more decoys who have made more clones, and so on, and so forth. It’s purposefully absurd and complicated so we won’t go into why, but the decoys have taken to killing off one other. Read more “Mortyplicity” is explicitly unconcerned with giving you characters to invest in and is much more interested in escalating its crazy sci-fi premise, following one family of Smiths only to have them murdered by another family, so then the perspective changes to that family and then we follow them for a while. Post-commercial-break, we get a montage of clones killing clones and other clones suiciding themselves, so that, by the time the montage ends, it’s become entirely irrelevant which family we’re following and whether they’re clones or not. The ending briefly introduces what seems to be the “real” family before revealing the whole decoy disaster is yet ongoing, suggesting nothing is certain and that Rick and Morty and family are stuck in a cycle of murdering themselves in perpetuity. (So, that’s how they’re going to fulfill the remainder of that 70-episode order contract. ) The episode does, cleverly, manage to squeeze in just a smidge of that heartfelt sitcom stuff by way of a brief heart-to-heart between a Rick and a Beth (wearing Muppet costumes). It’s a nice moment in which Beth successfully argues that Rick cares about his family or he wouldn’t have been so paranoid as to clone them a bazillion times and Rick apologizes and tells Beth he loves her. The scene somewhat convincingly proves Rick and Morty can still make us care about its characters despite doing away with conventional protagonists and instead plotting an emotional through line across a collective of Ricks and Smith decoys (for characterization similar to this, see Meg Ryan’s performances in 1990’s Joe Versus the Volcano ). However, it’s still only somewhat convincing because this is one tiny emotional moment in what is mostly an episode of the Smith family cynically dispatching clones while, as is the standard for modern Rick and Morty , snapping angrily at each other almost constantly. I laughed a few times; my favorite lines were “Actually, I get hard protecting my family” and “We’re gonna live in the woods like libertarians.” The wooden puppet clones with the compressed audio voices were kind of charming, too. And the Buffalo Bill -esque serial killer Rick was inspired in how disturbing it was. But, in the end, “Mortyplicity” is one of those episodes, like “A Rickle in Time” or “One Crew over the Crewcoo’s Morty” before it, that’s primarily invested in the escalating complexity of its bonkers sci-fi premise. You’ll either love every moment of the freewheeling violence and madcap sci-fi rigamarole or you’re one of the fans like me who more appreciates the sitcommy characterization side of the series and will therefore find a lot less to latch onto. That said, I can’t deny the creativity and ambition of plots like these, so I’m forced to grade it higher than last week’s premiere.
Markdown	[Skip to main content area](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity/#main) [Menu](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity/#nav-primary__wrapper) [Subscribe](https://www.denofgeek.com/newsletter/) [Den of Geek](https://www.denofgeek.com/) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/denofgeek/) - [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/user/denofgeektube) - [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@denofgeektv?lang=en) - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/DenOfGeekUS) - [X](https://x.com/DenofGeekUS) Toggle search - [Movies](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/) - [TV](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/) - [Games](https://www.denofgeek.com/games/) - [Comics](https://www.denofgeek.com/comics/) - [Books](https://www.denofgeek.com/books/) - [Collectibles](https://www.denofgeek.com/collectibles/) - [Magazine](https://issuu.com/denofgeek) - [Shows & Podcasts](https://www.denofgeek.com/podcasts/) - [Video](https://www.denofgeek.com/videos/) - [Newsletter](https://www.denofgeek.com/newsletter/) [Subscribe](https://www.denofgeek.com/newsletter/) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/denofgeek/) - [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/user/denofgeektube) - [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@denofgeektv?lang=en) - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/DenOfGeekUS) - [X](https://x.com/DenofGeekUS) [Reviews](https://www.denofgeek.com/reviews/) # Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 2 Review: Mortyplicity Rick and Morty all but does away with conventional characterization with an ambitious and complicated episode. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/?s=200&d=mm&r=g) By [Joe Matar](https://www.denofgeek.com/author/joe-matar/) \\| June 28, 2021 \\| - [Share on Facebook (opens in a new tab)](https://facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.denofgeek.com%2Ftv%2Frick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity%2F&t=Rick%20and%20Morty%20Season%205%20Episode%202%20Review:%20Mortyplicity) - [Share on X (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.denofgeek.com%2Ftv%2Frick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity%2F&text=Rick%20and%20Morty%20Season%205%20Episode%202%20Review:%20Mortyplicity) - [Share on Linkedin (opens in a new tab)](https://reddit.com/submit/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.denofgeek.com%2Ftv%2Frick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity%2F&title=Rick%20and%20Morty%20Season%205%20Episode%202%20Review:%20Mortyplicity) - [Share on email (opens in a new tab)](<mailto:?body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.denofgeek.com%2Ftv%2Frick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity%2F%3Futm_source%3Demailshare%26utm_medium%3Darticle%26utm_campaign%3Darticleshare&subject=Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 2 Review: Mortyplicity>) \\| [0](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity/#disqus_thread) ![Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 1](https://www.denofgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2.jpg?resize=768%2C432) Photo: Adult Swim This RICK AND MORTY* review contains spoilers.* ## Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 2 Man, *[Rick and Morty](https://www.denofgeek.com/rick-and-morty/)* is a weird fucking show. I know I’m stating the obvious here but I mean it’s weird on a fundamental storytelling level because, the thing is, under all the sci-fi madness, there’s meant to be a gooey sitcom center to this series and sitcoms usually want you to care a lot about their characters. You’re supposed to get emotional highs and lows from them and want them to succeed. In short, you’re supposed to love them. “Mortyplicity” is one of those *Rick and Morty* episodes that very loudly and clearly tells you that you should not be invested in these characters’ lives. You’re supposed to love them, in a way, but that way is as cynical, wisecrack-spouting, sci-fi comedy vehicles. However, you’re not really supposed to invest in them as believable facsimiles of people on their own journeys through life because, well, it’s awfully hard to do that when the show basically tells you it has no consistent protagonists. Ad Ad – content continues below Sure, the series has dabbled in this stuff plenty before, with episodes where it’s implied Rick may be taking home the wrong Jerry or Morty and that it’s irrelevant to him. And, of course, there’s the whole cloned Beth debacle (which this episode calls back to a lot). Still, I believe (and please correct me if I’m wrong) that this is the first episode in which there is no grounding the viewer by letting them know they are following the adventures of a specific Rick, or a specific Morty, or a specific any other member of the Smith family. The plot is that Rick has made decoys (i.e., clones) of the family to throw off would-be assassins, but since the decoys/clones are functionally copies, some of the Rick clones/decoys think they’re the real Rick so they, in turn, have made more decoys who have made more clones, and so on, and so forth. It’s purposefully absurd and complicated so we won’t go into why, but the decoys have taken to killing off one other. ## Read more [![Hoovy's offspring in Rick and Morty season 5 episode 1](https://www.denofgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Rick-and-Morty-Season-5-Episode-1-Sci-Fi-Consequences.jpg?resize=400%2C400)](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-1-hoovy-jim-gaffigan/) [TV](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/) ### [Rick and Morty Once Again Reveals That Science Fiction Has Consequences](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-1-hoovy-jim-gaffigan/) By [Alec Bojalad](https://www.denofgeek.com/author/alec-bojalad/) [![Morty, Beth, Rick, and Summer battle foes in Rick and Morty](https://www.denofgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Has-Rick-and-Morty-Lost-the-Zeitgeist.png?resize=400%2C400)](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/has-rick-and-morty-lost-the-zeitgeist/) [TV](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/) ### [Has Rick and Morty Lost the Zeitgeist?](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/has-rick-and-morty-lost-the-zeitgeist/) By [Joe Matar](https://www.denofgeek.com/author/joe-matar/) “Mortyplicity” is explicitly unconcerned with giving you characters to invest in and is much more interested in escalating its crazy sci-fi premise, following one family of Smiths only to have them murdered by another family, so then the perspective changes to that family and then we follow them for a while. Post-commercial-break, we get a montage of clones killing clones and other clones suiciding themselves, so that, by the time the montage ends, it’s become entirely irrelevant which family we’re following and whether they’re clones or not. The ending briefly introduces what seems to be the “real” family before revealing the whole decoy disaster is yet ongoing, suggesting nothing is certain and that Rick and Morty and family are stuck in a cycle of murdering themselves in perpetuity. (So, that’s how they’re going to fulfill the remainder of [that 70-episode order contract.](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-what-that-70-episode-order-means/)) The episode does, cleverly, manage to squeeze in just a smidge of that heartfelt sitcom stuff by way of a brief heart-to-heart between a Rick and a Beth (wearing Muppet costumes). It’s a nice moment in which Beth successfully argues that Rick cares about his family or he wouldn’t have been so paranoid as to clone them a bazillion times and Rick apologizes and tells Beth he loves her. The scene somewhat convincingly proves *Rick and Morty* can still make us care about its characters despite doing away with conventional protagonists and instead plotting an emotional through line across a collective of Ricks and Smith decoys (for characterization similar to this, see Meg Ryan’s performances in 1990’s *Joe Versus the Volcano). However, it’s still only somewhat convincing because this is one tiny emotional moment in what is mostly an episode of the Smith family cynically dispatching clones while, as is the standard for modern Rick and Morty*, snapping angrily at each other almost constantly. I laughed a few times; my favorite lines were “Actually, I get hard protecting my family” and “We’re gonna live in the woods like libertarians.” The wooden puppet clones with the compressed audio voices were kind of charming, too. And the [Buffalo Bill](https://www.denofgeek.com/web-stories/the-male-gaze-in-silence-of-the-lambs/)\-esque serial killer Rick was inspired in how disturbing it was. But, in the end, “Mortyplicity” is one of those episodes, like [“A Rickle in Time”](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-season-2-premiere-review-a-rickle-in-time/) or [“One Crew over the Crewcoo’s Morty”](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-season-4-episode-3-review-one-crew-over-the-crewcoo-s-morty/) before it, that’s primarily invested in the escalating complexity of its bonkers sci-fi premise. You’ll either love every moment of the freewheeling violence and madcap sci-fi rigamarole or you’re one of the fans like me who more appreciates the sitcommy characterization side of the series and will therefore find a lot less to latch onto. Ad That said, I can’t deny the creativity and ambition of plots like these, so I’m forced to grade it higher than last week’s premiere. Ad Ad – content continues below Rating: 4 out of 5 - Share: - [Share on Facebook (opens in a new tab)](https://facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.denofgeek.com%2Ftv%2Frick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity%2F&t=Rick%20and%20Morty%20Season%205%20Episode%202%20Review:%20Mortyplicity) - [Share on X (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.denofgeek.com%2Ftv%2Frick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity%2F&text=Rick%20and%20Morty%20Season%205%20Episode%202%20Review:%20Mortyplicity) - [Share on Linkedin (opens in a new tab)](https://reddit.com/submit/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.denofgeek.com%2Ftv%2Frick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity%2F&title=Rick%20and%20Morty%20Season%205%20Episode%202%20Review:%20Mortyplicity) - [Share on email (opens in a new tab)](<mailto:?body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.denofgeek.com%2Ftv%2Frick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity%2F%3Futm_source%3Demailshare%26utm_medium%3Darticle%26utm_campaign%3Darticleshare&subject=Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 2 Review: Mortyplicity>) \\| Comment: [0](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity/#disqus_thread) Tags: [Adult Swim](https://www.denofgeek.com/adult-swim/)[Animation](https://www.denofgeek.com/animation/)[Comedy](https://www.denofgeek.com/comedy/)[Rick and Morty](https://www.denofgeek.com/rick-and-morty/) ## MORE RICK AND MORTY [![Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 1](https://www.denofgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-1.jpg?resize=768%2C432)](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-1-review-mort-dinner-rick-andre/) [TV](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/) ### [Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 1 Review: Mort Dinner Rick Andre](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-1-review-mort-dinner-rick-andre/) June 21, 2021 \\| By [Joe Matar](https://www.denofgeek.com/author/joe-matar/) [![Rick and Morty Trading Cards](https://www.denofgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Rick-and-Morty-Trading-Cards.jpg?resize=768%2C432)](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-best-rick-and-morty-trading-cards-so-far/) Partnership ### [The Best Rick and Morty Trading Cards So Far](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-best-rick-and-morty-trading-cards-so-far/) April 9, 2021 \\| By [Joe Matar](https://www.denofgeek.com/author/joe-matar/) [![Rick and Morty Character Guide](https://www.denofgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Rick-and-Morty-Character-Guide.png?resize=768%2C432)](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-character-guide-dark-horse/) [TV](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/) ### [Rick and Morty Character Guide Delves Into the Multiverse](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-character-guide-dark-horse/) December 3, 2020 \\| By [Alec Bojalad](https://www.denofgeek.com/author/alec-bojalad/) [![Rick and Morty Gruesome Deaths header image](https://www.denofgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Rick-and-Morty-Gruesome-Deaths-composite.jpg?resize=768%2C432)](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-mortys-most-gruesome-deaths/) [TV](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/) ### [Rick and Morty’s Most Gruesome Deaths](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-mortys-most-gruesome-deaths/) September 8, 2020 \\| By [Jamie Andrew](https://www.denofgeek.com/author/jamie-andrew/) Ad - 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Readable Markdown	![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/?s=200&d=mm&r=g) By [Joe Matar](https://www.denofgeek.com/author/joe-matar/) \\| June 28, 2021 \\| \\| [0](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-season-5-episode-2-review-mortyplicity/#disqus_thread) This RICK AND MORTY* review contains spoilers.* Man, *[Rick and Morty](https://www.denofgeek.com/rick-and-morty/)* is a weird fucking show. I know I’m stating the obvious here but I mean it’s weird on a fundamental storytelling level because, the thing is, under all the sci-fi madness, there’s meant to be a gooey sitcom center to this series and sitcoms usually want you to care a lot about their characters. You’re supposed to get emotional highs and lows from them and want them to succeed. In short, you’re supposed to love them. “Mortyplicity” is one of those *Rick and Morty* episodes that very loudly and clearly tells you that you should not be invested in these characters’ lives. You’re supposed to love them, in a way, but that way is as cynical, wisecrack-spouting, sci-fi comedy vehicles. However, you’re not really supposed to invest in them as believable facsimiles of people on their own journeys through life because, well, it’s awfully hard to do that when the show basically tells you it has no consistent protagonists. Sure, the series has dabbled in this stuff plenty before, with episodes where it’s implied Rick may be taking home the wrong Jerry or Morty and that it’s irrelevant to him. And, of course, there’s the whole cloned Beth debacle (which this episode calls back to a lot). Still, I believe (and please correct me if I’m wrong) that this is the first episode in which there is no grounding the viewer by letting them know they are following the adventures of a specific Rick, or a specific Morty, or a specific any other member of the Smith family. The plot is that Rick has made decoys (i.e., clones) of the family to throw off would-be assassins, but since the decoys/clones are functionally copies, some of the Rick clones/decoys think they’re the real Rick so they, in turn, have made more decoys who have made more clones, and so on, and so forth. It’s purposefully absurd and complicated so we won’t go into why, but the decoys have taken to killing off one other. ## Read more “Mortyplicity” is explicitly unconcerned with giving you characters to invest in and is much more interested in escalating its crazy sci-fi premise, following one family of Smiths only to have them murdered by another family, so then the perspective changes to that family and then we follow them for a while. Post-commercial-break, we get a montage of clones killing clones and other clones suiciding themselves, so that, by the time the montage ends, it’s become entirely irrelevant which family we’re following and whether they’re clones or not. The ending briefly introduces what seems to be the “real” family before revealing the whole decoy disaster is yet ongoing, suggesting nothing is certain and that Rick and Morty and family are stuck in a cycle of murdering themselves in perpetuity. (So, that’s how they’re going to fulfill the remainder of [that 70-episode order contract.](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-what-that-70-episode-order-means/)) The episode does, cleverly, manage to squeeze in just a smidge of that heartfelt sitcom stuff by way of a brief heart-to-heart between a Rick and a Beth (wearing Muppet costumes). It’s a nice moment in which Beth successfully argues that Rick cares about his family or he wouldn’t have been so paranoid as to clone them a bazillion times and Rick apologizes and tells Beth he loves her. The scene somewhat convincingly proves *Rick and Morty* can still make us care about its characters despite doing away with conventional protagonists and instead plotting an emotional through line across a collective of Ricks and Smith decoys (for characterization similar to this, see Meg Ryan’s performances in 1990’s *Joe Versus the Volcano). However, it’s still only somewhat convincing because this is one tiny emotional moment in what is mostly an episode of the Smith family cynically dispatching clones while, as is the standard for modern Rick and Morty*, snapping angrily at each other almost constantly. I laughed a few times; my favorite lines were “Actually, I get hard protecting my family” and “We’re gonna live in the woods like libertarians.” The wooden puppet clones with the compressed audio voices were kind of charming, too. And the [Buffalo Bill](https://www.denofgeek.com/web-stories/the-male-gaze-in-silence-of-the-lambs/)\-esque serial killer Rick was inspired in how disturbing it was. But, in the end, “Mortyplicity” is one of those episodes, like [“A Rickle in Time”](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-season-2-premiere-review-a-rickle-in-time/) or [“One Crew over the Crewcoo’s Morty”](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rick-and-morty-season-4-episode-3-review-one-crew-over-the-crewcoo-s-morty/) before it, that’s primarily invested in the escalating complexity of its bonkers sci-fi premise. You’ll either love every moment of the freewheeling violence and madcap sci-fi rigamarole or you’re one of the fans like me who more appreciates the sitcommy characterization side of the series and will therefore find a lot less to latch onto. That said, I can’t deny the creativity and ambition of plots like these, so I’m forced to grade it higher than last week’s premiere.
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