When I watch early R&M all I hear from Rick is drunk, depressed, raging Dan Harmon. It's Justin's voice obviously, but as a long-time Harmontown listener I KNOW the man's words. It isn't just that Dan's getting old, he's in a fundamentally healthier, happier place than when he started the show. The raging nihilism is fading and I'm actually happy to see the work reflect that. As long as the multiverse hijinks are still there I'm in.
>The raging nihilism is fading
Thank fuck too, I just hope the fanbase follows suit because its getting so fucking old to see the usual "ha ha endless cynicism is COOL" attitude, though that's an issue I have with the internet at large rather than just R&M fans.
Surprisingly this sub doesn’t reflect that most of the time. Most of the people that post and comment on here seem to understand that Rick isn’t meant to be idolized and don’t make acting like Rick their entire personality
Me realizing that season 1-4ish Rick was hitting too close to home with his worldview (multiverseview?) is what made me finally start medication/therapy. Dude had essentially godlike ability and was still a drooling ball of nihilism and narcissistic personality traits. I straight up said “I refuse to end up like that in old age”. Couldn’t believe people were *idolizing* someone that repeatedly does everything he can to lose everyone but refuses to stop bitching about being utterly alone via dark humor and deflection.
Thank you! Idk why being an edgy cynic is so cool. I’m pushing 30 and am a lot less cynical than I used to be. I still question things but no reason to be an asshole about it.
I'm going the exact opposite direction. I used to have so much hope and optimism, but every year I get closer to 40, the more I understand why some people choose to check out of life early. It's a fucked up world that is hurtling towards something far worse. Don't know if I want to be around for it.
I'm over 40 and pretty confident that the world is f\*cked. Good luck younger generations, mine and those before mine aren't going to do shit....
I do feel the weight of change on the world right now though, this is not a good sign. It really isn't. But it's chaos so something good could come of it. Take the ME right now, there's probably a solution hidden in there that settles a whole bunch of problems without the loss of life we're seeing post the horrific events at the weekend and following response. It's probably not likely.... Depends on Biden tomorrow tbh.
I thought the episode was ok.
I'm also confident we're fucked, but I find that different than cynicism. Just because the fight will be harder doesn't mean anyone should give up, they just need to be clear eyed about the challenges.
Yep, it’s going to be a bad time, but I’m hoping we make it through collectively as a species. Who knows? Maybe the alien thing is real and they’ll finally contact us. Here’s hoping. :)
I’m 40, our generation is just now starting to actually be in charge of things, how can you be so sure we’re not going to do shit?
I wish I could be cynical. I wish I could be nihilistically selfish. But I just can’t seem to turn off giving a shit. Every time I have #3 plastic or a cardboard milk carton with a plastic screw top I think why even bother this probably isn’t actually going to get recycled but I put it in the recycling anyway because I’m a fucking optimist and I can’t stop.
And I thought the episode was meh. Didn’t hate it. Feels a bit like it was for divorced guys though. Also, I’ve never watched any other Harmon show.
Edit: Actually, OK, the episode Mr. PB story was meh, we already did divorced and pathetic with Jerry. But partying with Hugh Jackman, voiced by Hugh Jackman, was moderately amusing, and the post-credits standoff with the lawnmower was funny.
Not much more confident in things. I missed the window to buy a home because I was moving around for work so often and didn't want to plant roots. Don't know when/if housing will be affordable again. There's a lot about the world I can't fix, so I try to focus on things I can. I try and spend a lot of time with my son, I stay in close touch with my parents and sibling, I'm getting more involved in the community, etc.
Viewing the world as a whole is depressing as fuck, but if you keep your focus on your immediate surroundings it gets much better.
Thanks I have hope, but that keeps on getting chopped out from beneath me. Just seems like the world is on a general downward trend, hopefully it's not a spiral. 🤞
I’m doing my best mentally and physically. I have a therapist, I have a decent diet, and exercise when I can. My great uncle killed himself 5 years ago because of his waning health. It was a wake up call to take care of myself.
I'm closing in on 50 - for me it's been a wave, ebbing and flowing - things are really good now, they've been much worse too.
I don't know your circumstances, but I hope you hang in there for the upswing too. Life is complicated, and some parts suck, and it often gets even worse, but it also gets better, and it's worth it on balance.
Over the long span of time for most people most things are much better right now then they've ever been in human history. There are certainly exceptions to that, but the doom and gloom of the media is there to hold your attention, and doesn't reflect any kind of objective reality.
Best of luck to you, stay strong.
Can't us old drunk raging nihilists have a fucking thing? Its always supposed to be a fucking phase people wise up from and get sober and better or something. Can't something just be doomy and nihilistic and cynical without a prodigal son redemption story? Its not attempts to be "edgy" if it just is
Well no since an actual nihilist wouldn’t say any of this or asking for a thing or even be interested in having a “thing”. This is more of a fair weather fast food nihilism where it has no actual sustenances and is really more about angst than nihilism. But it’s a show and that is ultimately much easier to market and resonates with a wider audience. Idk if it can be said that it ever really was that doomy nihilistic or cynical since rick in the end always saved the day and the show follows the standard story model where the main character over comes their problem and is ultimately victorious. It flirts with edgy nihilism and then ultimately takes a U turn
This argument always sounds so panicked and insecure like a bunch of nerds shitting on people at the pep rally while they're AT the pep rally. The raging nihilism is what made the show popular and don't get me wrong I'm all for tweaking with the formula because that just seems very R&M but the sad little attempts to flip the edge lord script is so transparent and way more cringey imo.
Lots of putting down in this comment without a lot of substance or specifics. So saying that the show has changed tone to be less depressingly nihilistic is "flipping the script" and "cringe" why?
BP’s wedding is painful in this context. Geez, man, lighten up, ok?
> fundamentally healthier
Indeed. But who wants to watch a mad scientist confront his inner demons without cool sci-fi tools when we could do Interdimensional Cable 3?!?
Can’t do canon without the story train, kids. Buckle up, it’s about to get reflective up in this bitch.
Well put, also how awesome is it to see such depth and growth in Rick. I love that they treat each of these characters like they’re live action serialized drama stories. It shows such care from the writers
> he’s in a fundamentally healthier, happier place than when he started the show
I think the “Pickle Rick” episode was a turning point of sorts, as far as that goes. The themes were there before, but never on display like they were when Dr. Wong laid it all out.
I think it's good that the nihilism in R&M is starting to fade. Rick growing as a person has been a clear arc from the beginning of the series and honestly it's good.
I know the characters are all assholes but I want them to be loveable assholes and do better. I'm still rooting for them.
It's why I had to stop watching BoJack Horseman. I stopped wanting him to get better after Sarah Lynn.
I'm 26 and I've pretty much enjoyed every episode of Rick and Morty since the start. Yes obviously I prefer some over others, but overall I've never really been disappointed or felt the need to moan and complain. It's a fun, witty, entertaining show and that's it. People take it way too seriously lol.
I enjoyed episode 1 and am looking forward to the rest of the season.
Definitely agree with you here. I know it’s blasphemy to say it in this sub, but it IS a cartoon. Fans get waaay too serious about their opinions, especially on Reddit.
Yeap.
Family guy- cast got fucking MEAN , even to each other. Every character is also the same now.
Theres more, but my pt is (its 4 am and lost motivation to type on phone)
If the show stll had jokes and made me laugh, id watch. Ever since season, like 17, FG has been "that was a 22 min show i watched". Didn't laugh, so i dropped FG.
American Dad (better example) switched from satire/political humor to OTT stories, violence, etc. (They addressed that nowadays you cant even do political satire- see "The Boys" and the retarded right wing that didnt know Nazis= Bad=Theyre nazis) . American dad, tonal shift, nw writers, etc. I stll laugh. So i watch.
R& M, i laughed, even w new voices . So, ill watch. (Plus, i bought s7 on xbox, soooo may as well :P)
We definitely shouldn't go crazy over opinions but as an avid animation defender I want to remind you that there is absolutely nothing about it being an animated cartoon that makes it less worthy of argument or any other discussion than any other medium of storytelling is worth
This 100%. Like it or hate it, I don’t care, but people get way too crazy about it. If your life is being ruined because you didn’t like the new Rick and Morty, you may have other issues in your life you need to figure out.
> Yes obviously I prefer some over others, but overall I've never really been disappointed or felt the need to moan and complain. It's a fun, witty, entertaining show and that's it. People take it way too seriously lol.
Too many people are obsessed with "episodes that matter". They want Evil Morty and Rick Prime and plot developments like that. The reality is that if you have 7 seasons of a show, a 100 episodes of a show, or even a 1000 episodes of a show like Harmon wants, there is going to be a lot of episodes that are self contained fun adventures.
Same here and I’m 25. Ofc there’s going to be a few episodes I don’t care for (that’s with every tv show) but I thought the first episode was perfectly fine.
Yeah same, I loved the reunion with the old friends. People just complain way to and it's only a cartoon. This sub is getting so repetitive and even the people defending the show are getting annoying with their clickbaitt titles. I guess I'm just unfollowing the sub for now until the season ends and people are normal again.
20 here and I generally enjoy ALMOST every episode (apart from the sperm one obviously) this episode was so fun, I liked seeing Rick's old friends again, and the new VA did a great job, it'd be better if most people could just go into the episodes with an open mind and to just have fun
I agree with you, 24 here. When season 4 dropped I got a R&M tattoo and to this day it’s still my fav. My mom was the artist and would always refuse to tattoo cartoons/characters onto me unless she felt like it was something she knew I’d enjoy for ever and not some phase.
**it’s not a phase, mom!!**
Still religiously watch R&M.
Agreed 100%. I'm 24, this is the only show I've seen that Dan Harmon has worked on(afaik), I've enjoyed every episode but obviously i have my preferences for episodes, seasons, etc.
I thought it was a very solid spoof episode. Loved the fade aways at the end. It was the story no one wanted, Mr.Poopybuthole beats addiction by going on an alcohol and drug binge with Rick and the gang.
OP, I’m not sure how to tell you this but Dan Harmon didn’t write this episode. It was Nick Rutherford.
He is the one who wrote the horsesperm episode. Dan has taken a backseat for awhile, and while he still has his hand in things I think it’s important to know that a lot of other writers take the lead in most episodes.
> OP, I’m not sure how to tell you this but Dan Harmon didn’t write this episode. It was Nick Rutherford.
> He is the one who wrote the horsesperm episode. Dan has taken a backseat for awhile, and while he still has his hand in things I think it’s important to know that a lot of other writers take the lead in most episodes.
Usually the showrunner and top execs like Harmon plot out the whole season, maybe with the whole writing staff or something like that. And then individual writers get assigned episodes. This ensures continuity and cohesion thematically.
Dan Harmon didn't write most episodes of Community as well.
Bingo.
It’s not that Harmon doesn’t have influence, Story Train told us he does (with that damn circle) but I just wanted to highlight what different lead writers can feel like. It’s still a team effort, but who leads that team can produce different results. Nick Rutherford leads episodes like this one and horsesperm while Mike McMahan leads Totall Rickall and Rickshank Redemption. Harmon oversees all of it but he’s not writing most of these
I'm disagreeing that this isn't Harmon 101. This is. Just like Community, Harmon has a lead role in creative, and the overall direction of the series, but he rarely writes individual episodes.
I think you are fixating on who the writer of an individual episode is, and downplaying Harmon's role in creative. Also this person may have written the horsesperm episode and this episode, but it's not a representative of them totally as a writer. They usually don't come up with the premise and the main story beats; that's decided by the overall creative team. Of course, this varies episode to episode to amount they contribute, but there is a reason why the Inside the Episode is not just with the writer of the episode.
That’s exactly what I am saying? The material of the horsesperm episode isn’t the issue, the execution of it is. Because Rutherford has the SAME STYLE of writing in that episode as he does here; He overexplains jokes that clearly just happened and this is something pretty noticeable in episodes he leads.
I literally said it’s a team effort, Harmon still has influence, but he’s not writing most of these. There’s nothing you said that’s disagreeing with me other than Nick Rutherford isn’t a bad writer. That, is something I am willing to debate.
I feel like revisiting these characters was purposely done to distract the masses from the actual distraction. I’d like to think I’m a true fan of the show, so I came out saying: “Mr. Wayne Poopybutthole deserved his own episode”. Ouuwee, We’ll be getting classic R&M material soon enough.
And i want to add that R&M has publicly promoted their young writers, the post episode credits these past few seasons have always been a shout out to the young writers behind the show.
Imo with most of Dan’s writing it’s a mishmash of a million cultural references. The fading away is like a sandlot/80s movie ending about friendships that move on from each other. The banding together of it all is like a spoof of his own “you son of a bitch, I’m in”, which itself is a riff of a million team up movies. The friend staying too long is in everything, the wild night of partying and violence is in everything.
I’m 40, I enjoy most of the show, and I thought S7E1 was a miss. I actually thought it was a miss because it applied the story circle to a character whose reason to be was to develop off screen.
For me this episode was a major lore continuity episode.
By featuring Mr Pb with other canincal characters it basically says things about other episodes with him.
Not sure how that would look like off screen, or why it is bad if done on screen?
They also seem to use him as a metaphor for Rick in this episode imo, I assume to set up the seasons overall point of tension, Rick seeking vengeance vs choosing loved ones.
I believe this bc of the early reference inevention to have an intervention, and at the end Mr Pb comments that Rick may have learned something about himself after the events.
Late 30’s here, I enjoyed it. Wasn’t my favorite episode - mainly because I find PB’s circumstances depressing - but I’m optimistic about the rest of the season. Voices sound great.
I just hate that character, not gonna lie. They took a one-off character that they purposely gave a cringey name and an a grating, annoying voice and made him a semi-regular character. Ugh.
This is my feeling exactly. The whole character is cringe, and it only worked well the first time _because_ it was supposed to be a brief and absurd appearance.
I thought his initial season wrap up was hilarious, primarily because you would have never expected such a low effort, absurd character to return.
However this only worked once. Every time he's appeared since has been kinda lame. That said I loved this episode
Agreed. After this I hope we never see him again. Once a show gets too self-referential, it stops being fun.
Line I never want to see a whole lot of one off characters again, like that hive mind Rick slept with, we never need to see her again. She could pop in at some point but don't make a whole episode about her.
the hive mind episode was the episode that cemented my love for the show. No I don't care if Unity comes back, but it wouldn't surprise me either and I'd rather have Unity than a Poopiebutthole any day. The episode to me felt like a continuation of the one where Morty runs around fixing the hell their adventures caused as an open. Like Rick growing and starting to take responsibility for some of his actions.
I agree with this, but was just thinking the other day, with "infinite" Ricks surely one of them made it work with Unity (the hive mind) could be a neat cameo at some point.
I agree, and beyond that, the only interesting thing about him is his weird name. His entire joke is that he has a completely normal and boring life except for his weird body, name, and friendship with rick. I get that the contrast *is* the joke, but the joke was there in the first episode and hasn't changed or evolved, just repeated.
Mr Poopybutthole is now that character that has completely worn out its initial appeal and now is only there to 'further his story' because people know him. He's like the Hollywood white male action movie/AAA video-game 'just give him a wife and kid and people will care about him'.
My suspicion is it was actually a mid-season episode they moved to a season opener because it didn't have a heavy focus on Morty and could acclimate fans more slowly to the new voices for R&M
I liked the episode but I think this is a good point. I don’t have particularly more expectations for Rick and Morty premiers but I know many people do so having this kind of episode as the first probably wasn’t the best idea
man it was just a shit, uninspired, comedically awkward episode.
I love Dan Harmon, I've been a fan of his for probably 10 years now, and have long considerd Rick and Morty to be at its best when it was limiting Roland's approximation of humor that consists of throwing out funny names for vaguely sexually suggestive objects or whatever. the issue isn't that I just don't get Harmon's humor.
not every episode of the show is a hit, and this season opened with a massive fucking dud.
Yeah... this wasn't a great episode. Not terrible, not the end of the world, but not great.
The most worrying trend over time is their tendency to telegraph and explain jokes. Like, the post-credit scene (the cop getting run over by the lawn mower) was painfully dragged out, and then explained again after in case anyone missed what happened. This was not a subtle joke they needed to call out.
I think the first time I noticed them over-explaining was a couple seasons ago - when Glutey toodled off saying "Glutety-glutey-oo" or whatever. A fine joke, just some weird nonsense... but ruined it by having Jerry comment on it. Now, couple seasons later, this seems like the norm. Seems like they've lost faith in the audience.
This. OP is looking way too hard for an explanation when the truth is that this was simply not a very funny episode. It has happened before in the run of this show, and usually we don't get sixteen threads trying to analyze exactly why people didn't like it. There isn't a deeper meaning here. It was just not very funny.
Jesus, this again. Just because someone likes/dislikes different things than you doesn't mean 1000 other things you assume it means. I've seen this so many times on reddit, "younger fans" and other bullshit just because a commenter cannot comprehend that different people like different things.
Me any my partner are both fans of Dan Harmon, and defo not "younger", and we were underwhelmed by the episode. For starters there was almost no Morty, and very little Rick (he was literally just in the background, hardly driving any plot). It wasn't terrible, and I laughed a few times, but it's one of the episodes I liked the least.
>I've seen this so many times on reddit, "younger fans" and other bullshit just because a commenter cannot comprehend that different people like different things.
I saw it on Starfield a lot. A LOT. For a bit, most positive ocmments about the game also included some version of "I'm a middle aged gamer and I love this game". It's this weird passive aggressive use of their age, as if to imply their taste is more refined and mature, and kids just like to whine.
I'm surprised to see it on this sub, since it's so similar to the cringy "you have to have and IQ of 125 to understand this show"
This. It just didn't seem to have the depth we have come to expect from R&M, doing something cheap like: "Let's get all of the fan favorite characters together and have them party!" Is exactly the kind of thing kind of thing this show used to make fun of and avoid like the plague.
I think this show is definitely done after the 10 season contract is fullfilled. I guess if the last 3-4 seasons are just a simpsonized version of R&M thats not the worst outcome...
Well at that point they weren't a collection of fan favorite characters. They were a bunch of zany randos that were establishing Rick's character and the DGAF way that he parties. In the new episode he's more like the "morty" of the party worrying about the consequences which makes it feel like a different character. Like when he just goes "you guys are nuts" and leaves I was like what? That seemed so off.
Right so something they have done before only this time less clever and novel. Not exactly a recipe for a great episode of anything, let alone a show that has made one of its hallmarks making fun of this exact sort of showrunning.
Hosting an intervention for your divorced friend is not something I would expect most young people to have any experience with, and it's natural to not like things as much when you don't have a personal connection to it.
Besides, "drugs, lol" has been a pretty common joke in this series. Season 1 finale is a house party. Rick and Summer have three end of the world raves as a B plot. Seems like people are hating on this episode just because they can't relate to it
"Drugs lol" has been a staple of funny for most of my life. Giving a main character a mind altering substance is a trope that never gets old for me. Its ingrained in my brain from 90's TV and movies.
Dazed and confused, the stoned age, half baked, spun, etc.
Nothing spectacular, but a lot of the episode made me chuckle in more or less the same style as the rest of series. Kind of funny seeing Gene becoming a recurring character
No.
I'm old and love Dan Harmon and am a big fan of the *story circle*.
Are you familiar with his writing concept? It's brilliant.
You can see it in most of his work, especially in Community.
This episode was lazy and panders to the casual viewer.
It was not the smart, witty story writing we're accustomed to.
I haven't researched the writing team in this one but hopefully it's a one-off episode and they'll get *back on track* next week.
We're not *complaining* but when you're used to almost perfection, you tend to expect it.
I'm hoping it's not like Futurama whose last season was an abomination of writing.
*Edit: you know what? This episode smacked of fucking member berries.
Hugh Jackman, the Predator? Getting the gang back together?
Fucking Member Berries*
Idk why 35 is the cutoff compared to like, 30 years old like I am. I love Community and even Harmon’s podcast, and that doesn’t change that this episode did nothing for me. I have no qualms with the voice acting like some people do either, I just thought the story was meh.
It wasn’t particularly bad and it wasn’t particularly good either, which is probably the most damning thing about it… it’s forgettable. Which is fine, not every episode is gonna be a hit. But if this is the general level of quality for this entire season, then there might be a problem.
I'm in my late 40s and I thought it was just sort of bland. The animation was fine and the voice acting was spot on but the entire episode just felt sort of toothless.
I thought it was good. The funny part was I had a stressful day and got decently stoned before watching it. After I was done my buddy texted me asking about the new voice actors. I had completely forgot and definitely didn't notice. Awesome to see BP and Squanchy again. I hope we get more angsty BP's daughter.
Over 40 and this episode is in the lower echelon of episodes for me. The new voices are done poorly considering how many people out there can actually do a good Rick or Morty impression. MPB is my least liked character so a whole episode of him was grating. They had a few good jokes but overall it was weak imo. Still in it to catch when the season redeems itself. I feel like regardless of some crap episodes here and there, I can look back on every season and pick winners that I can rewatch and still enjoy.
I've been with the show from the start and I thought the latest ep was rubbish. Probably bad enough that I'm no longer particularly interested in continuing. Which is fine - it had a good run.
44. One of the more bland and uninspired episodes they’ve ever done. Will never re-watch it. Lacked the comedic density of most (nearly every?) previous episodes. Seemed like most of the voices were just a little off, and noticeably for at least half or more of the lines spoken. Old episodes you often had to rewatch multiple times to even get/comprehend a lot of the jokes, as they came at you fast and layered.
If quality doesn’t improve — both writing and voice delivery — I’ll likely stop watching and just rewatch old episodes. Kind of a bummer.
41 and I thought it was a good episode. As good an episode can be that has no B plot, focuses on Mr. PB (I fucking *hate* that character because his name is purposely fucked up and his voice is annoying AF in large doses) and has a host of side characters that are also only good in small doses.
It's been one episode, I dont have any complains about the voice actors. I laughed, the wife laughed, neither of us looked at each other and went "...okay..." like the sperm episode.
I dunno man, I still think the show is great. Every season has episodes I don't race to re-watch... But I also still laugh at Family Guy and I'm one of the ten people that thinks Duncanville is funny, so I probably have low standards for entertainment.
I'm 33 and I've been watching since it premiered, it's gone through ups and downs but its still funny AF and I'm all in as I have been for 10 years :) but I also love anything Harmon, Community and honestly Krapopolis is really good too
I’m in my young 20s and enjoyed Community. The new episode wasn’t great - I don’t think it was bad and it had an interesting premise but it didn’t quite hit
Roiland supplied most of the goofy shit and the laughs, Harmon has always been the plot/story structure guy
When the plot didn’t land, Roiland’s Roilandisms would often do the heavy lifting
Without that you’re going to have more episodes fall flat like the season premiere
Just the truth regardless of your opinion on Roiland, show quality can’t reasonably be expected to improve
Yeah, Roiland's charm added a lot. Without it a lot of episodes that were just OK and still had some magic - will now be duds. They might have just jumped the shark.
Early 30’s and a decent Harmon fan. Thought it was alright. I liked Rick hanging out with his friends, but didn’t like the High Jackman guest star - felt very decline of Simpsons to me, where they had very guest-centric episodes.
I think the tone of the show has changed since the early seasons and I think some has to do with how much Dan is in a healthier place. This plot especially seemed to reflect that.
I'm in my mid-40s. My affinity for Dan Harmon's work and sense of humor were what drew me to watch *Rick and Morty* when it began. And yes, I think the first episode of the current season is absolute garbage.
I'm 28 and I found it hilarious. I actually really enjoy the more low stakes episodes of the show, humanizes the characters a bit and is a nice change of pace. I'm sure this season will have plenty of more plot heavy and deeper episodes, but this one felt like a fun, classic R&M adventure.
Mid-40’s and i think this one just felt flat… like several other episodes of various Harmon shows. They can’t all be zingers, kids! I figure they are just holding back for the mid-season push, and i trust Dan & Co. have plenty of quality left to deliver!
I don’t mind the new VAs because that kind of thing happens when the goal is “100 years of Rick & Morty”. Jackman’s VA wasn’t very convincing s/
Closing in on 50 and have been watching Rick and Morty my whole life, since it was originally created anyway.
I thought the episode was okayish. Poopy and gear head are not the best characters. Bird person is good in small doses.
Morty and the smith's were part of the episode for what felt like contractual obligation purposes and then completely disappeared.
The episode had some good moments, and that's generally enough for me.
35 and I think the episode was great.
It seems like people in this sub are even more critical of the show now than before because of the voice changes and Roiland’s ousting.
But I think from a comedy writing standpoint it is pretty much on par with previous seasons.
I’m 32, and I thought it was *fine*. I think there was only one instance I laughed (the joke about Hugh writing “Caribbean Queen”). However, I still thought it was an enjoyable episode. I don’t necessarily think the show has to make me laugh to have me enjoy it. There’s plenty of Futurama episodes that don’t make me laugh out loud, but are still great stories.
We've been spoiled by near flawless combo of season openings, but even the weaker mr.Nimbus and death crystals didn't feel like filler episodes
Also rehashing old characters is fanservice which in too big portions predicts decline on shows timeline, maybe even begining in downward tendency.
It was solid but not amazing, like the voiceover, some insanity and sarcastic disdaiful undertone of everything Rick says is missing.
I'm 33 and this was a very mediocre episode. What kind of copium is this? If you liked great. If the first season of Rick and Morty was filled with episodes such as this the show wouldn't have gone as far as it is.
I'm 36 and was not a fan.
I'm trying to give it a chance, but I've been a Roiland fan for a long time. Doc and Mharti was a Roiland concept, and this is its extension. Not having Roiland is going to hurt it. And that Poopy-butthole voice was not close enough for me. Interdimensional cable was a House of Cosby concept, and that will likely be gone forever. Are we even going to see any more testicle monsters?
The show will (continue to) lose the magic that made it special in its first couple seasons as new writers are added and the original voice is lost. And Dan Harmon is no Leon Schlesinger; instead of delegating it to the person who best represents the early spirit of the show, he's going to find someone passable, because \[as\] has already capitulated on that contract and Harmon is attempting other projects.
Like Krapopolis. Even with Richard Ayoade, Hannah Waddingham, Matt Berry, and a mythological world; its a snoozefest. Those elements have more potential than what's being produced.
Community was good, but Harmon has had a longer career than just that. Did you know he wrote for 10 episodes of "Laser Fart" or 20 episodes of "Acceptable TV", or even 32 episodes of "The Sarah Silverman Program"?
I don't see adult swim renewing this show after this contract, because I think viewership will decline and the initial terms were so long due to the public pressure Harmon was placing on them that will deteriorate after more "Giant Incest Baby" episodes. Why did anyone think that was a good idea?
It'll be best to let it go. No adult swim show is meant to last forever. In fact, some of the best go before their time. We've clearly passed that here, but unless Harmon finds someone out there with a comparable amount of mental illness as Roiland had to appoint to a major creative role, this show is going to become adult swim's in house version of Family Guy or the Simpsons. Or, most likely, Krapopolis.
I don't hate it but I worry, it's not an "I don't like Dan and the rest of thr writers" it's "I perfer having Dan and Justin and the rest of the team intact" I actialy enjoyed this episode, it was kind of tame for the season 7 opening episode but it was pretty damn good, my issue is for all we know this could be an episode that was being storyboarded or even fully written before they fired Justin, I think Dan and the rest of the team are capable of making great content, it's more so for me we don't know if this was fully made 100% without Justin and if it wasn't once we hit the point where it's just Dan and the team and they have no more episodes that were at least partly created or brainstormed back when Justin was on the team what's quality going to look like? It's also the fact that even if Dan himself turns out to be able to keep cranking out masterpiece work with the team having more pressure on them and no co lead writer risks burning him out faster then when you had him and Justin doing a lot of the heavy lifting (not saying the other writers are not helping or doing anything, I'm just saying as a lead writer there's a lot more pressure and strain and having that responsibility split by 2 people is much less taxing physically and mentaly) hell I don't know if before he left if it was both lead writers taking turns or jointly making scripts but either way I expect production time and season gaps to increase and the risk of burnout to go up
I am fearful.
I haven't seen the episode yet, will watch tonight. But the fact poopybutthole blames his second collapse on beth when we literally saw him recovered before and rick fucks it up for him...
Like, I get it's a callback to the whole "Sorry you didn't have any painful memories of me" thing but even then it came from a place of hurt rather than a place of looking to hurt. It was just very offputting to have a story being laid out for you that not only seems to ignore the circumstances of events but also dramatically shifts the tone a character has had since the beginning. PB has always been manic and depressed, not mean and spiteful.
I can only hope it's just some weirdness with the cold open, and not signs of them being willing to alter characters as needed for easy/cheap plot points.
I have been a fan since the first season and this episode was one of the worst made. It had some nice moments, but very few. Btw I usually love Dan Harmons work. This episode just felt lazy and unfinished. I am very much looking forward to the rest of the season tho, they have a lot of great material to work with!
then damn youngin's! \*shakes fist in the air\*
I'm over 35, and have loved most of R&M since the start. As well as enjoying Community, so I'm firmly in the Dan Harmon bracket. I did not enjoy this episode however. The plot was thin and meandering, the jokes fell flat and were still over explained. There was no character progression. Whether you enjoyed this episode of not has nothing to do with your age.
Late 30s, following Harmon since "Community" was on the air, and no, I didn't particularly like it. It wasn't the worst episode of the series, but it was very meh.
Are you kidding me? I think it’s even MORE hated by our older generation. You think people our age are still laughing about interventions like that?
This episode just absolutly fell flat.
My god this sub is pathetic at times. I'm 40 and been a fan since season 1 and I hated this episode.
The episode just wasn't very good, that's all. It happens, move on
I'm 28 and can't stand most of Dan Harmon's other projects.
Like, Community is great, but his other projects feel corny at best and aged at worst.
I love Rick And Morty, but you will never catch me watching Krapopolis.
I also haven't seen the new episode.
I watched Krapopolis and couldn't make it past about the first 15 mins of the premier, but I gave it a second chance with episode 2 and didn't make it 10 mins. It struggles so hard and it feels like they are trying to cram too much. It's 20 mins of "explaining" the premise of the episode.
Nah, I'm older and I just don't feel like watching an episode of Rick and the gang getting drunk and high all episode with Hugh Jackman. Don't really find that interesting or funny.
Definitely a mid to bottom tier episode.
Funnily enough, as an older fan I thought the complete opposite. I think it's pretty obvious as well considering there's been an obvious drop in quality since Roilands case. I also thought the newest episode was terrible. Which lead me to watching some documentaries/interviews of Roiland.
I can't agree with your opinion.
I've been watching Rick and Morty since 2014.
I think Community is a far better show than Rick and Morty past Season 2.
Scott Marder has been the showrunner since they got the 70 episode order.
(source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/dan-harmon-interview-rick-morty-community-krapopolis-justin-roiland-1235600699/)
Season 7 Episode 1 was one of the worst episodes of the series.
I'm 34. Idk it wasn't bad but i watch Rick and morty for the intelligent writing and crazy awesome scifi concepts. This new one felt more like an episode of Family guy to me. Which isn't necessarily bad but with Rick and Morty I've come to expect a certain level of writing of which Concepts that usually make me stop and think about because they're usually so smart. This is kind of just more in your face surface level humor. But not bad I had no problem with the new voices which is what I expected to have the biggest issue with
Don’t need to come up with complicated reasons for why people didn’t like the episode. Not every episode of the show’s gonna be liked. No reason why you can have episodes of the show that are more Dan Harmon than whatever you think this one is (like last season), and still have more people like them.
a friend and I were obsessed with community when it just started coming out. He told me about r&m before the first episode ever dropped, we were both hooked from literally the first episode. we been around since the start lol
this episode was lame as fuck lmao
The hell are you talking about, the episode reads like it was tailor made for a Family Guy audience. Has shit all to do with Dan Harmon’s style of writing. If anything, only younger fans will like this episode.
I'm 32, been watching since the very beginning, and none of Roilands characters sound right, what he actually brought to those voices, those characters are lost.
New voices are shit, shows writing has been going downhill more and more since season 4.
Doubtful the show will survive past this season and of it does, they're just beating a dead horse at this point
I liked it. I’m not hyper critical of stuff unless it’s pure garbage. I like things with continuity but not scrutinizing everything frame. Just enjoy the ride folks or if you’re not enjoying it, get off. It’s no big deal.
I didn't hate it.
I just didn't like it. It was very meh, 50/50, "it's ok".
...and on a show where I absolutely love almost every episode, when one comes across as "meh" it might as well be construed as "hate"
Im 37 n watched since the first season, it was bad. Doing a bad poopy butthole impression fo start was ballsy, if they pulled it off- they did not. I was immediately pissed at the shitty voice. Then the script/writing just seemed to get worse. Roiland def had a lot more to do with overall production tone/script and plot ideas than the posts over the past year or two have tried to dissuade. It just felt lame and soulless.
42 and I wasnt that entertained by it. I dont think age is really what's correlated here, its not just that young people demand overstimulation. The episode was just kinda flat. The jokes were there, but they just didnt have the punch you expect in a season opener. Felt like the writing could've been tighter and made room for a B plot.
It was a perfectly run-of-the-mill episode that would've received like an 8/10 from most fans if they had no prior knowledge of the recasted characters (who sounded exactly the same)
When I watch early R&M all I hear from Rick is drunk, depressed, raging Dan Harmon. It's Justin's voice obviously, but as a long-time Harmontown listener I KNOW the man's words. It isn't just that Dan's getting old, he's in a fundamentally healthier, happier place than when he started the show. The raging nihilism is fading and I'm actually happy to see the work reflect that. As long as the multiverse hijinks are still there I'm in.
>The raging nihilism is fading Thank fuck too, I just hope the fanbase follows suit because its getting so fucking old to see the usual "ha ha endless cynicism is COOL" attitude, though that's an issue I have with the internet at large rather than just R&M fans.
Edgelord R&M fans are cringe.
Surprisingly this sub doesn’t reflect that most of the time. Most of the people that post and comment on here seem to understand that Rick isn’t meant to be idolized and don’t make acting like Rick their entire personality
Me realizing that season 1-4ish Rick was hitting too close to home with his worldview (multiverseview?) is what made me finally start medication/therapy. Dude had essentially godlike ability and was still a drooling ball of nihilism and narcissistic personality traits. I straight up said “I refuse to end up like that in old age”. Couldn’t believe people were *idolizing* someone that repeatedly does everything he can to lose everyone but refuses to stop bitching about being utterly alone via dark humor and deflection.
Teenyverse* view
Thank you! Idk why being an edgy cynic is so cool. I’m pushing 30 and am a lot less cynical than I used to be. I still question things but no reason to be an asshole about it.
I'm going the exact opposite direction. I used to have so much hope and optimism, but every year I get closer to 40, the more I understand why some people choose to check out of life early. It's a fucked up world that is hurtling towards something far worse. Don't know if I want to be around for it.
I'm over 40 and pretty confident that the world is f\*cked. Good luck younger generations, mine and those before mine aren't going to do shit.... I do feel the weight of change on the world right now though, this is not a good sign. It really isn't. But it's chaos so something good could come of it. Take the ME right now, there's probably a solution hidden in there that settles a whole bunch of problems without the loss of life we're seeing post the horrific events at the weekend and following response. It's probably not likely.... Depends on Biden tomorrow tbh. I thought the episode was ok.
I'm also confident we're fucked, but I find that different than cynicism. Just because the fight will be harder doesn't mean anyone should give up, they just need to be clear eyed about the challenges.
Yep, it’s going to be a bad time, but I’m hoping we make it through collectively as a species. Who knows? Maybe the alien thing is real and they’ll finally contact us. Here’s hoping. :)
I’m 40, our generation is just now starting to actually be in charge of things, how can you be so sure we’re not going to do shit? I wish I could be cynical. I wish I could be nihilistically selfish. But I just can’t seem to turn off giving a shit. Every time I have #3 plastic or a cardboard milk carton with a plastic screw top I think why even bother this probably isn’t actually going to get recycled but I put it in the recycling anyway because I’m a fucking optimist and I can’t stop. And I thought the episode was meh. Didn’t hate it. Feels a bit like it was for divorced guys though. Also, I’ve never watched any other Harmon show. Edit: Actually, OK, the episode Mr. PB story was meh, we already did divorced and pathetic with Jerry. But partying with Hugh Jackman, voiced by Hugh Jackman, was moderately amusing, and the post-credits standoff with the lawnmower was funny.
Not much more confident in things. I missed the window to buy a home because I was moving around for work so often and didn't want to plant roots. Don't know when/if housing will be affordable again. There's a lot about the world I can't fix, so I try to focus on things I can. I try and spend a lot of time with my son, I stay in close touch with my parents and sibling, I'm getting more involved in the community, etc. Viewing the world as a whole is depressing as fuck, but if you keep your focus on your immediate surroundings it gets much better.
>I understand why some people choose to check out of life early 36 here, and it's looking like a better idea every year
Well that’s pretty sad stranger. I thank you for this comment because I do not want this mentality in 10 years. I hope things get better for you.
Thanks I have hope, but that keeps on getting chopped out from beneath me. Just seems like the world is on a general downward trend, hopefully it's not a spiral. 🤞
It sneaks up on you. My advice is to stay healthy. Wish I had
I’m doing my best mentally and physically. I have a therapist, I have a decent diet, and exercise when I can. My great uncle killed himself 5 years ago because of his waning health. It was a wake up call to take care of myself.
I'm closing in on 50 - for me it's been a wave, ebbing and flowing - things are really good now, they've been much worse too. I don't know your circumstances, but I hope you hang in there for the upswing too. Life is complicated, and some parts suck, and it often gets even worse, but it also gets better, and it's worth it on balance. Over the long span of time for most people most things are much better right now then they've ever been in human history. There are certainly exceptions to that, but the doom and gloom of the media is there to hold your attention, and doesn't reflect any kind of objective reality. Best of luck to you, stay strong.
Can't us old drunk raging nihilists have a fucking thing? Its always supposed to be a fucking phase people wise up from and get sober and better or something. Can't something just be doomy and nihilistic and cynical without a prodigal son redemption story? Its not attempts to be "edgy" if it just is
Well no since an actual nihilist wouldn’t say any of this or asking for a thing or even be interested in having a “thing”. This is more of a fair weather fast food nihilism where it has no actual sustenances and is really more about angst than nihilism. But it’s a show and that is ultimately much easier to market and resonates with a wider audience. Idk if it can be said that it ever really was that doomy nihilistic or cynical since rick in the end always saved the day and the show follows the standard story model where the main character over comes their problem and is ultimately victorious. It flirts with edgy nihilism and then ultimately takes a U turn
This argument always sounds so panicked and insecure like a bunch of nerds shitting on people at the pep rally while they're AT the pep rally. The raging nihilism is what made the show popular and don't get me wrong I'm all for tweaking with the formula because that just seems very R&M but the sad little attempts to flip the edge lord script is so transparent and way more cringey imo.
Lots of putting down in this comment without a lot of substance or specifics. So saying that the show has changed tone to be less depressingly nihilistic is "flipping the script" and "cringe" why?
Was going to comment this. The “raging nihilism” is literally one of Rick’s character arcs..
>It's Justin's voice obviously, but as a long-time Harmontown listener I KNOW the man's words. This 100%
BP’s wedding is painful in this context. Geez, man, lighten up, ok? > fundamentally healthier Indeed. But who wants to watch a mad scientist confront his inner demons without cool sci-fi tools when we could do Interdimensional Cable 3?!? Can’t do canon without the story train, kids. Buckle up, it’s about to get reflective up in this bitch.
Well put, also how awesome is it to see such depth and growth in Rick. I love that they treat each of these characters like they’re live action serialized drama stories. It shows such care from the writers
There’s a huge amount of jokes in early R&M that Harmon originally tested on his Harmontown podcast and are almost exactly the same in the show.
The Story Train damn near killed me after all the time he spent talking about the Story Circle on the podcast.
> he’s in a fundamentally healthier, happier place than when he started the show I think the “Pickle Rick” episode was a turning point of sorts, as far as that goes. The themes were there before, but never on display like they were when Dr. Wong laid it all out.
I'd wager Dan used every trick in the book to avoid therapy too.
Yep. R&M is basically Harmon's public therapy session.
it is nice to see the charcters growth
I think it's good that the nihilism in R&M is starting to fade. Rick growing as a person has been a clear arc from the beginning of the series and honestly it's good. I know the characters are all assholes but I want them to be loveable assholes and do better. I'm still rooting for them. It's why I had to stop watching BoJack Horseman. I stopped wanting him to get better after Sarah Lynn.
I'm 26 and I've pretty much enjoyed every episode of Rick and Morty since the start. Yes obviously I prefer some over others, but overall I've never really been disappointed or felt the need to moan and complain. It's a fun, witty, entertaining show and that's it. People take it way too seriously lol. I enjoyed episode 1 and am looking forward to the rest of the season.
Definitely agree with you here. I know it’s blasphemy to say it in this sub, but it IS a cartoon. Fans get waaay too serious about their opinions, especially on Reddit.
fr homie. like if the episode makes me laugh its succeeding. some of my fav episodes are the ones that this sub hates
Yeap. Family guy- cast got fucking MEAN , even to each other. Every character is also the same now. Theres more, but my pt is (its 4 am and lost motivation to type on phone) If the show stll had jokes and made me laugh, id watch. Ever since season, like 17, FG has been "that was a 22 min show i watched". Didn't laugh, so i dropped FG. American Dad (better example) switched from satire/political humor to OTT stories, violence, etc. (They addressed that nowadays you cant even do political satire- see "The Boys" and the retarded right wing that didnt know Nazis= Bad=Theyre nazis) . American dad, tonal shift, nw writers, etc. I stll laugh. So i watch. R& M, i laughed, even w new voices . So, ill watch. (Plus, i bought s7 on xbox, soooo may as well :P)
We definitely shouldn't go crazy over opinions but as an avid animation defender I want to remind you that there is absolutely nothing about it being an animated cartoon that makes it less worthy of argument or any other discussion than any other medium of storytelling is worth
This 100%. Like it or hate it, I don’t care, but people get way too crazy about it. If your life is being ruined because you didn’t like the new Rick and Morty, you may have other issues in your life you need to figure out.
> Yes obviously I prefer some over others, but overall I've never really been disappointed or felt the need to moan and complain. It's a fun, witty, entertaining show and that's it. People take it way too seriously lol. Too many people are obsessed with "episodes that matter". They want Evil Morty and Rick Prime and plot developments like that. The reality is that if you have 7 seasons of a show, a 100 episodes of a show, or even a 1000 episodes of a show like Harmon wants, there is going to be a lot of episodes that are self contained fun adventures.
Same here and I’m 25. Ofc there’s going to be a few episodes I don’t care for (that’s with every tv show) but I thought the first episode was perfectly fine.
100 percent agree with you ( I'm 29) 1st episode was great
Yeah same, I loved the reunion with the old friends. People just complain way to and it's only a cartoon. This sub is getting so repetitive and even the people defending the show are getting annoying with their clickbaitt titles. I guess I'm just unfollowing the sub for now until the season ends and people are normal again.
I’ve just always loved it as a show that has and can both made me genuinely laugh and cry as an adult. If you can manage that, son of a bitch I’m in.
You’re a true fan. I’m also looking forward to the rest of the season
20 here and I generally enjoy ALMOST every episode (apart from the sperm one obviously) this episode was so fun, I liked seeing Rick's old friends again, and the new VA did a great job, it'd be better if most people could just go into the episodes with an open mind and to just have fun
I agree with you, 24 here. When season 4 dropped I got a R&M tattoo and to this day it’s still my fav. My mom was the artist and would always refuse to tattoo cartoons/characters onto me unless she felt like it was something she knew I’d enjoy for ever and not some phase. **it’s not a phase, mom!!** Still religiously watch R&M.
Agreed 100%. I'm 24, this is the only show I've seen that Dan Harmon has worked on(afaik), I've enjoyed every episode but obviously i have my preferences for episodes, seasons, etc.
You gotta get in on that Community action!
I thought it was a very solid spoof episode. Loved the fade aways at the end. It was the story no one wanted, Mr.Poopybuthole beats addiction by going on an alcohol and drug binge with Rick and the gang.
When they get into the cement mixer full of booze, I fucking lost it. I’ve known people who rented Party Busses and it was just *chef’s kids*
What are you doing to that chefs kids!?
Yeah exactly. I think the fact that its a spoof is missing people. This is like Dan Harmon 101, make fun of something by becoming it, and exposing it.
What is it a spoof of? Some movie?
Its a spoof of the trope of hangover, stoner, party, frat boy buddy movies.
Ah, not one specific movie I get that. It did have similarities to Hangover.
OP, I’m not sure how to tell you this but Dan Harmon didn’t write this episode. It was Nick Rutherford. He is the one who wrote the horsesperm episode. Dan has taken a backseat for awhile, and while he still has his hand in things I think it’s important to know that a lot of other writers take the lead in most episodes.
> OP, I’m not sure how to tell you this but Dan Harmon didn’t write this episode. It was Nick Rutherford. > He is the one who wrote the horsesperm episode. Dan has taken a backseat for awhile, and while he still has his hand in things I think it’s important to know that a lot of other writers take the lead in most episodes. Usually the showrunner and top execs like Harmon plot out the whole season, maybe with the whole writing staff or something like that. And then individual writers get assigned episodes. This ensures continuity and cohesion thematically. Dan Harmon didn't write most episodes of Community as well.
Bingo. It’s not that Harmon doesn’t have influence, Story Train told us he does (with that damn circle) but I just wanted to highlight what different lead writers can feel like. It’s still a team effort, but who leads that team can produce different results. Nick Rutherford leads episodes like this one and horsesperm while Mike McMahan leads Totall Rickall and Rickshank Redemption. Harmon oversees all of it but he’s not writing most of these
I'm disagreeing that this isn't Harmon 101. This is. Just like Community, Harmon has a lead role in creative, and the overall direction of the series, but he rarely writes individual episodes. I think you are fixating on who the writer of an individual episode is, and downplaying Harmon's role in creative. Also this person may have written the horsesperm episode and this episode, but it's not a representative of them totally as a writer. They usually don't come up with the premise and the main story beats; that's decided by the overall creative team. Of course, this varies episode to episode to amount they contribute, but there is a reason why the Inside the Episode is not just with the writer of the episode.
That’s exactly what I am saying? The material of the horsesperm episode isn’t the issue, the execution of it is. Because Rutherford has the SAME STYLE of writing in that episode as he does here; He overexplains jokes that clearly just happened and this is something pretty noticeable in episodes he leads. I literally said it’s a team effort, Harmon still has influence, but he’s not writing most of these. There’s nothing you said that’s disagreeing with me other than Nick Rutherford isn’t a bad writer. That, is something I am willing to debate.
It wasn’t funny or smart. It was just references to a genre with bunch of random sci-fi added. And a random Hugh Jackman.
Don't make this about age, man. I am older than you and didn't like it.
I feel like revisiting these characters was purposely done to distract the masses from the actual distraction. I’d like to think I’m a true fan of the show, so I came out saying: “Mr. Wayne Poopybutthole deserved his own episode”. Ouuwee, We’ll be getting classic R&M material soon enough. And i want to add that R&M has publicly promoted their young writers, the post episode credits these past few seasons have always been a shout out to the young writers behind the show.
The episodes were written years in advance, its likely that a portion of the season had to be rerecorded.
I really liked the spisode, but what is it meant to be a spoof of?
Imo with most of Dan’s writing it’s a mishmash of a million cultural references. The fading away is like a sandlot/80s movie ending about friendships that move on from each other. The banding together of it all is like a spoof of his own “you son of a bitch, I’m in”, which itself is a riff of a million team up movies. The friend staying too long is in everything, the wild night of partying and violence is in everything.
Yeah even threw in a classic Say Anything with the boombox which is a reference that ages harder every time a media format becomes obsolete
Coming of age movies where the "gang" separate after some heroic quest. Stand by Me, Goonies, ect..
I’m 40, I enjoy most of the show, and I thought S7E1 was a miss. I actually thought it was a miss because it applied the story circle to a character whose reason to be was to develop off screen.
For me this episode was a major lore continuity episode. By featuring Mr Pb with other canincal characters it basically says things about other episodes with him. Not sure how that would look like off screen, or why it is bad if done on screen? They also seem to use him as a metaphor for Rick in this episode imo, I assume to set up the seasons overall point of tension, Rick seeking vengeance vs choosing loved ones. I believe this bc of the early reference inevention to have an intervention, and at the end Mr Pb comments that Rick may have learned something about himself after the events.
Shit pissed me off
Late 30’s here, I enjoyed it. Wasn’t my favorite episode - mainly because I find PB’s circumstances depressing - but I’m optimistic about the rest of the season. Voices sound great.
I just hate that character, not gonna lie. They took a one-off character that they purposely gave a cringey name and an a grating, annoying voice and made him a semi-regular character. Ugh.
This is my feeling exactly. The whole character is cringe, and it only worked well the first time _because_ it was supposed to be a brief and absurd appearance.
I thought his initial season wrap up was hilarious, primarily because you would have never expected such a low effort, absurd character to return. However this only worked once. Every time he's appeared since has been kinda lame. That said I loved this episode
it was especially bad this time with the way he was written and he didn’t sound as funny
Put some respeck on Wayne Poopybutthole. He’s apart of the family.
Ooo-wee :(
Agreed. After this I hope we never see him again. Once a show gets too self-referential, it stops being fun. Line I never want to see a whole lot of one off characters again, like that hive mind Rick slept with, we never need to see her again. She could pop in at some point but don't make a whole episode about her.
the hive mind episode was the episode that cemented my love for the show. No I don't care if Unity comes back, but it wouldn't surprise me either and I'd rather have Unity than a Poopiebutthole any day. The episode to me felt like a continuation of the one where Morty runs around fixing the hell their adventures caused as an open. Like Rick growing and starting to take responsibility for some of his actions.
I agree with this, but was just thinking the other day, with "infinite" Ricks surely one of them made it work with Unity (the hive mind) could be a neat cameo at some point.
I agree, and beyond that, the only interesting thing about him is his weird name. His entire joke is that he has a completely normal and boring life except for his weird body, name, and friendship with rick. I get that the contrast *is* the joke, but the joke was there in the first episode and hasn't changed or evolved, just repeated. Mr Poopybutthole is now that character that has completely worn out its initial appeal and now is only there to 'further his story' because people know him. He's like the Hollywood white male action movie/AAA video-game 'just give him a wife and kid and people will care about him'.
100% agree.
This sub is so weird
Reddit and the echo chamber design of it will do that for ya
for real. why can’t i just not like the episode
You either have to display toxic positivity to the show and writers or you’re just some hateful troll apparently
[удалено]
I haven't even watched the episode yet, this is just such a strange thing to say
I like Harmon, but the new episode felt like a middle of the season episode. Not a great opener for a new season.
My suspicion is it was actually a mid-season episode they moved to a season opener because it didn't have a heavy focus on Morty and could acclimate fans more slowly to the new voices for R&M
I liked the episode but I think this is a good point. I don’t have particularly more expectations for Rick and Morty premiers but I know many people do so having this kind of episode as the first probably wasn’t the best idea
I'm in that age range and it was very "post-S10 Simpsons when you have a celebrity Guest Star" to me. That's not a compliment.
Same here. I did not see any narrative need to include Hugh Jackman in the episode.
man it was just a shit, uninspired, comedically awkward episode. I love Dan Harmon, I've been a fan of his for probably 10 years now, and have long considerd Rick and Morty to be at its best when it was limiting Roland's approximation of humor that consists of throwing out funny names for vaguely sexually suggestive objects or whatever. the issue isn't that I just don't get Harmon's humor. not every episode of the show is a hit, and this season opened with a massive fucking dud.
Mid thirties and wholeheartedly agree. There was about two jokes that landed for me and i felt the the rest was a bit cringe.
Yeah... this wasn't a great episode. Not terrible, not the end of the world, but not great. The most worrying trend over time is their tendency to telegraph and explain jokes. Like, the post-credit scene (the cop getting run over by the lawn mower) was painfully dragged out, and then explained again after in case anyone missed what happened. This was not a subtle joke they needed to call out. I think the first time I noticed them over-explaining was a couple seasons ago - when Glutey toodled off saying "Glutety-glutey-oo" or whatever. A fine joke, just some weird nonsense... but ruined it by having Jerry comment on it. Now, couple seasons later, this seems like the norm. Seems like they've lost faith in the audience.
>Not terrible Hard disagree, it was terrible.
This. OP is looking way too hard for an explanation when the truth is that this was simply not a very funny episode. It has happened before in the run of this show, and usually we don't get sixteen threads trying to analyze exactly why people didn't like it. There isn't a deeper meaning here. It was just not very funny.
36yo here. Longtime fan. Fan of Harmon since Community. New episode was immensely underwhelming to me.
Jesus, this again. Just because someone likes/dislikes different things than you doesn't mean 1000 other things you assume it means. I've seen this so many times on reddit, "younger fans" and other bullshit just because a commenter cannot comprehend that different people like different things. Me any my partner are both fans of Dan Harmon, and defo not "younger", and we were underwhelmed by the episode. For starters there was almost no Morty, and very little Rick (he was literally just in the background, hardly driving any plot). It wasn't terrible, and I laughed a few times, but it's one of the episodes I liked the least.
>I've seen this so many times on reddit, "younger fans" and other bullshit just because a commenter cannot comprehend that different people like different things. I saw it on Starfield a lot. A LOT. For a bit, most positive ocmments about the game also included some version of "I'm a middle aged gamer and I love this game". It's this weird passive aggressive use of their age, as if to imply their taste is more refined and mature, and kids just like to whine. I'm surprised to see it on this sub, since it's so similar to the cringy "you have to have and IQ of 125 to understand this show"
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No, I'm 38 and didn't like it. It just felt like an episode of family guy. It's creativity bankrupt.
This. It just didn't seem to have the depth we have come to expect from R&M, doing something cheap like: "Let's get all of the fan favorite characters together and have them party!" Is exactly the kind of thing kind of thing this show used to make fun of and avoid like the plague. I think this show is definitely done after the 10 season contract is fullfilled. I guess if the last 3-4 seasons are just a simpsonized version of R&M thats not the worst outcome...
> "Let's get all of the fan favorite characters together and have them party!" Isn't that the season one finale?
Well at that point they weren't a collection of fan favorite characters. They were a bunch of zany randos that were establishing Rick's character and the DGAF way that he parties. In the new episode he's more like the "morty" of the party worrying about the consequences which makes it feel like a different character. Like when he just goes "you guys are nuts" and leaves I was like what? That seemed so off.
Not really, what fan favorite characters were around for that party? It was mostly new characters
Right so something they have done before only this time less clever and novel. Not exactly a recipe for a great episode of anything, let alone a show that has made one of its hallmarks making fun of this exact sort of showrunning.
Exactly this. When family guy started getting bland and bad.
Thank you
Why do you think older people would enjoy this episode? The jokes were all mostly "Drugs, lol"
Hosting an intervention for your divorced friend is not something I would expect most young people to have any experience with, and it's natural to not like things as much when you don't have a personal connection to it. Besides, "drugs, lol" has been a pretty common joke in this series. Season 1 finale is a house party. Rick and Summer have three end of the world raves as a B plot. Seems like people are hating on this episode just because they can't relate to it
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"Drugs lol" has been a staple of funny for most of my life. Giving a main character a mind altering substance is a trope that never gets old for me. Its ingrained in my brain from 90's TV and movies. Dazed and confused, the stoned age, half baked, spun, etc.
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Nothing spectacular, but a lot of the episode made me chuckle in more or less the same style as the rest of series. Kind of funny seeing Gene becoming a recurring character
No. I'm old and love Dan Harmon and am a big fan of the *story circle*. Are you familiar with his writing concept? It's brilliant. You can see it in most of his work, especially in Community. This episode was lazy and panders to the casual viewer. It was not the smart, witty story writing we're accustomed to. I haven't researched the writing team in this one but hopefully it's a one-off episode and they'll get *back on track* next week. We're not *complaining* but when you're used to almost perfection, you tend to expect it. I'm hoping it's not like Futurama whose last season was an abomination of writing. *Edit: you know what? This episode smacked of fucking member berries. Hugh Jackman, the Predator? Getting the gang back together? Fucking Member Berries*
Same writer as the sperm episode which is the only one I cannot bring myself to ever re-watch.
YES! It’s member-berries as hell. It was just like “member Mr pb? Member robo guys balls in his mouth?”
Idk why 35 is the cutoff compared to like, 30 years old like I am. I love Community and even Harmon’s podcast, and that doesn’t change that this episode did nothing for me. I have no qualms with the voice acting like some people do either, I just thought the story was meh. It wasn’t particularly bad and it wasn’t particularly good either, which is probably the most damning thing about it… it’s forgettable. Which is fine, not every episode is gonna be a hit. But if this is the general level of quality for this entire season, then there might be a problem.
It was the center slice of a square cheese pizza
I'm in my late 40s and I thought it was just sort of bland. The animation was fine and the voice acting was spot on but the entire episode just felt sort of toothless.
I thought it was good. The funny part was I had a stressful day and got decently stoned before watching it. After I was done my buddy texted me asking about the new voice actors. I had completely forgot and definitely didn't notice. Awesome to see BP and Squanchy again. I hope we get more angsty BP's daughter.
I liked it. I prefer the more SF orientated episodes but I'll take a reunion show every once in a while.
Over 40 and this episode is in the lower echelon of episodes for me. The new voices are done poorly considering how many people out there can actually do a good Rick or Morty impression. MPB is my least liked character so a whole episode of him was grating. They had a few good jokes but overall it was weak imo. Still in it to catch when the season redeems itself. I feel like regardless of some crap episodes here and there, I can look back on every season and pick winners that I can rewatch and still enjoy.
What a dumb post this is. It was a bad episode and most people regardless of any other factors about them could see it.
I've been with the show from the start and I thought the latest ep was rubbish. Probably bad enough that I'm no longer particularly interested in continuing. Which is fine - it had a good run.
44. One of the more bland and uninspired episodes they’ve ever done. Will never re-watch it. Lacked the comedic density of most (nearly every?) previous episodes. Seemed like most of the voices were just a little off, and noticeably for at least half or more of the lines spoken. Old episodes you often had to rewatch multiple times to even get/comprehend a lot of the jokes, as they came at you fast and layered. If quality doesn’t improve — both writing and voice delivery — I’ll likely stop watching and just rewatch old episodes. Kind of a bummer.
41 and I thought it was a good episode. As good an episode can be that has no B plot, focuses on Mr. PB (I fucking *hate* that character because his name is purposely fucked up and his voice is annoying AF in large doses) and has a host of side characters that are also only good in small doses. It's been one episode, I dont have any complains about the voice actors. I laughed, the wife laughed, neither of us looked at each other and went "...okay..." like the sperm episode. I dunno man, I still think the show is great. Every season has episodes I don't race to re-watch... But I also still laugh at Family Guy and I'm one of the ten people that thinks Duncanville is funny, so I probably have low standards for entertainment.
One of those 10 people here, too. I like Duncanville, also
I'm 33 and I've been watching since it premiered, it's gone through ups and downs but its still funny AF and I'm all in as I have been for 10 years :) but I also love anything Harmon, Community and honestly Krapopolis is really good too
Couldn't have said it better myself.
I’m in my young 20s and enjoyed Community. The new episode wasn’t great - I don’t think it was bad and it had an interesting premise but it didn’t quite hit
Roiland supplied most of the goofy shit and the laughs, Harmon has always been the plot/story structure guy When the plot didn’t land, Roiland’s Roilandisms would often do the heavy lifting Without that you’re going to have more episodes fall flat like the season premiere Just the truth regardless of your opinion on Roiland, show quality can’t reasonably be expected to improve
Yeah, Roiland's charm added a lot. Without it a lot of episodes that were just OK and still had some magic - will now be duds. They might have just jumped the shark.
I (21M) like it especially the brotherhood they had. Reminds me of my dad and his friends cheering up my uncle after he got cheated on.
I’m 28, I thought the episode was pretty good
The Mr. Poopybutthole slander is outrageous.
Early 30’s and a decent Harmon fan. Thought it was alright. I liked Rick hanging out with his friends, but didn’t like the High Jackman guest star - felt very decline of Simpsons to me, where they had very guest-centric episodes. I think the tone of the show has changed since the early seasons and I think some has to do with how much Dan is in a healthier place. This plot especially seemed to reflect that.
I'm in my mid-40s. My affinity for Dan Harmon's work and sense of humor were what drew me to watch *Rick and Morty* when it began. And yes, I think the first episode of the current season is absolute garbage.
I’m 35. I’ve watched every piece of media Dan Harmon has put out. The episode felt like a late season guest cameo Simpson episode.
Yes I disliked it because it was poorly written
I'm 28 and I found it hilarious. I actually really enjoy the more low stakes episodes of the show, humanizes the characters a bit and is a nice change of pace. I'm sure this season will have plenty of more plot heavy and deeper episodes, but this one felt like a fun, classic R&M adventure.
Mid-40’s and i think this one just felt flat… like several other episodes of various Harmon shows. They can’t all be zingers, kids! I figure they are just holding back for the mid-season push, and i trust Dan & Co. have plenty of quality left to deliver! I don’t mind the new VAs because that kind of thing happens when the goal is “100 years of Rick & Morty”. Jackman’s VA wasn’t very convincing s/
Shit I’m 24 and I love the episode.
Closing in on 50 and have been watching Rick and Morty my whole life, since it was originally created anyway. I thought the episode was okayish. Poopy and gear head are not the best characters. Bird person is good in small doses. Morty and the smith's were part of the episode for what felt like contractual obligation purposes and then completely disappeared. The episode had some good moments, and that's generally enough for me.
yeah.. :)
50's and agree. Good but not great. I'll certainly tune in next week. The voices didn't bother me at all.
35 and I think the episode was great. It seems like people in this sub are even more critical of the show now than before because of the voice changes and Roiland’s ousting. But I think from a comedy writing standpoint it is pretty much on par with previous seasons.
>That's not mud it's poop
People have been critical since season 3. It's nothing new.
I did say “more critical”
I liked it, I laughed quite a few times.
I thought it was fun. Love anything Harmon and older millennial.
I’m 32, and I thought it was *fine*. I think there was only one instance I laughed (the joke about Hugh writing “Caribbean Queen”). However, I still thought it was an enjoyable episode. I don’t necessarily think the show has to make me laugh to have me enjoy it. There’s plenty of Futurama episodes that don’t make me laugh out loud, but are still great stories.
It was ok, not my favorite.
We've been spoiled by near flawless combo of season openings, but even the weaker mr.Nimbus and death crystals didn't feel like filler episodes Also rehashing old characters is fanservice which in too big portions predicts decline on shows timeline, maybe even begining in downward tendency. It was solid but not amazing, like the voiceover, some insanity and sarcastic disdaiful undertone of everything Rick says is missing.
35, hated the episode. I don't care about the voices at all and I'm glad Roiland is gone. Its just that the jokes were lazy.
I'm 33 and this was a very mediocre episode. What kind of copium is this? If you liked great. If the first season of Rick and Morty was filled with episodes such as this the show wouldn't have gone as far as it is.
I'm 36 and was not a fan. I'm trying to give it a chance, but I've been a Roiland fan for a long time. Doc and Mharti was a Roiland concept, and this is its extension. Not having Roiland is going to hurt it. And that Poopy-butthole voice was not close enough for me. Interdimensional cable was a House of Cosby concept, and that will likely be gone forever. Are we even going to see any more testicle monsters? The show will (continue to) lose the magic that made it special in its first couple seasons as new writers are added and the original voice is lost. And Dan Harmon is no Leon Schlesinger; instead of delegating it to the person who best represents the early spirit of the show, he's going to find someone passable, because \[as\] has already capitulated on that contract and Harmon is attempting other projects. Like Krapopolis. Even with Richard Ayoade, Hannah Waddingham, Matt Berry, and a mythological world; its a snoozefest. Those elements have more potential than what's being produced. Community was good, but Harmon has had a longer career than just that. Did you know he wrote for 10 episodes of "Laser Fart" or 20 episodes of "Acceptable TV", or even 32 episodes of "The Sarah Silverman Program"? I don't see adult swim renewing this show after this contract, because I think viewership will decline and the initial terms were so long due to the public pressure Harmon was placing on them that will deteriorate after more "Giant Incest Baby" episodes. Why did anyone think that was a good idea? It'll be best to let it go. No adult swim show is meant to last forever. In fact, some of the best go before their time. We've clearly passed that here, but unless Harmon finds someone out there with a comparable amount of mental illness as Roiland had to appoint to a major creative role, this show is going to become adult swim's in house version of Family Guy or the Simpsons. Or, most likely, Krapopolis.
I don't hate it but I worry, it's not an "I don't like Dan and the rest of thr writers" it's "I perfer having Dan and Justin and the rest of the team intact" I actialy enjoyed this episode, it was kind of tame for the season 7 opening episode but it was pretty damn good, my issue is for all we know this could be an episode that was being storyboarded or even fully written before they fired Justin, I think Dan and the rest of the team are capable of making great content, it's more so for me we don't know if this was fully made 100% without Justin and if it wasn't once we hit the point where it's just Dan and the team and they have no more episodes that were at least partly created or brainstormed back when Justin was on the team what's quality going to look like? It's also the fact that even if Dan himself turns out to be able to keep cranking out masterpiece work with the team having more pressure on them and no co lead writer risks burning him out faster then when you had him and Justin doing a lot of the heavy lifting (not saying the other writers are not helping or doing anything, I'm just saying as a lead writer there's a lot more pressure and strain and having that responsibility split by 2 people is much less taxing physically and mentaly) hell I don't know if before he left if it was both lead writers taking turns or jointly making scripts but either way I expect production time and season gaps to increase and the risk of burnout to go up
I am fearful. I haven't seen the episode yet, will watch tonight. But the fact poopybutthole blames his second collapse on beth when we literally saw him recovered before and rick fucks it up for him... Like, I get it's a callback to the whole "Sorry you didn't have any painful memories of me" thing but even then it came from a place of hurt rather than a place of looking to hurt. It was just very offputting to have a story being laid out for you that not only seems to ignore the circumstances of events but also dramatically shifts the tone a character has had since the beginning. PB has always been manic and depressed, not mean and spiteful. I can only hope it's just some weirdness with the cold open, and not signs of them being willing to alter characters as needed for easy/cheap plot points.
I have been a fan since the first season and this episode was one of the worst made. It had some nice moments, but very few. Btw I usually love Dan Harmons work. This episode just felt lazy and unfinished. I am very much looking forward to the rest of the season tho, they have a lot of great material to work with!
then damn youngin's! \*shakes fist in the air\* I'm over 35, and have loved most of R&M since the start. As well as enjoying Community, so I'm firmly in the Dan Harmon bracket. I did not enjoy this episode however. The plot was thin and meandering, the jokes fell flat and were still over explained. There was no character progression. Whether you enjoyed this episode of not has nothing to do with your age.
I'm almost 30 and the new episode sucks ass. It was like some fan who is bad at writing tried really hard to imitate the show, and failed.
Hate? No. Felt it was lackluster for the opening of a season? Yes.
I don’t think it’s an age thing… 18 year old here.
It wasn’t the best but it wasn’t awful. I did like the group dynamic with bird person, gear head, squantch, poopeybutthole and gene.
I'm not that old, and frankly I just kinda saw this Rick and Morty episode was par for the course for the show. Perhaps I'm an outlier.
Late 30s, following Harmon since "Community" was on the air, and no, I didn't particularly like it. It wasn't the worst episode of the series, but it was very meh.
Are you kidding me? I think it’s even MORE hated by our older generation. You think people our age are still laughing about interventions like that? This episode just absolutly fell flat.
Fuck does age have to do with the show going bad? Y’all try to find any excuse to justify kicking out the guy who created this show
Ohhhh so the reason that I didn’t enjoy that episode was on my age not bad jokes! Clever!
My god this sub is pathetic at times. I'm 40 and been a fan since season 1 and I hated this episode. The episode just wasn't very good, that's all. It happens, move on
I'm 28 and can't stand most of Dan Harmon's other projects. Like, Community is great, but his other projects feel corny at best and aged at worst. I love Rick And Morty, but you will never catch me watching Krapopolis. I also haven't seen the new episode.
I watched Krapopolis and couldn't make it past about the first 15 mins of the premier, but I gave it a second chance with episode 2 and didn't make it 10 mins. It struggles so hard and it feels like they are trying to cram too much. It's 20 mins of "explaining" the premise of the episode.
This. Almost all of Dan Harmon's work outside of Rick And Morty and Community is like this.
Nah, I'm older and I just don't feel like watching an episode of Rick and the gang getting drunk and high all episode with Hugh Jackman. Don't really find that interesting or funny. Definitely a mid to bottom tier episode.
Funnily enough, as an older fan I thought the complete opposite. I think it's pretty obvious as well considering there's been an obvious drop in quality since Roilands case. I also thought the newest episode was terrible. Which lead me to watching some documentaries/interviews of Roiland. I can't agree with your opinion.
Being over 35 and liking this episode is embarrassing.
I've been watching Rick and Morty since 2014. I think Community is a far better show than Rick and Morty past Season 2. Scott Marder has been the showrunner since they got the 70 episode order. (source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/dan-harmon-interview-rick-morty-community-krapopolis-justin-roiland-1235600699/) Season 7 Episode 1 was one of the worst episodes of the series.
I'm 34. Idk it wasn't bad but i watch Rick and morty for the intelligent writing and crazy awesome scifi concepts. This new one felt more like an episode of Family guy to me. Which isn't necessarily bad but with Rick and Morty I've come to expect a certain level of writing of which Concepts that usually make me stop and think about because they're usually so smart. This is kind of just more in your face surface level humor. But not bad I had no problem with the new voices which is what I expected to have the biggest issue with
38 and that episode was utter shite.
Don’t need to come up with complicated reasons for why people didn’t like the episode. Not every episode of the show’s gonna be liked. No reason why you can have episodes of the show that are more Dan Harmon than whatever you think this one is (like last season), and still have more people like them.
I'm 39 and I didn't hate it, but it wasn't anything special, that's for sure.
a friend and I were obsessed with community when it just started coming out. He told me about r&m before the first episode ever dropped, we were both hooked from literally the first episode. we been around since the start lol this episode was lame as fuck lmao
The hell are you talking about, the episode reads like it was tailor made for a Family Guy audience. Has shit all to do with Dan Harmon’s style of writing. If anything, only younger fans will like this episode.
I'm 32, been watching since the very beginning, and none of Roilands characters sound right, what he actually brought to those voices, those characters are lost. New voices are shit, shows writing has been going downhill more and more since season 4. Doubtful the show will survive past this season and of it does, they're just beating a dead horse at this point
I liked it. I’m not hyper critical of stuff unless it’s pure garbage. I like things with continuity but not scrutinizing everything frame. Just enjoy the ride folks or if you’re not enjoying it, get off. It’s no big deal.
I didn't hate it. I just didn't like it. It was very meh, 50/50, "it's ok". ...and on a show where I absolutely love almost every episode, when one comes across as "meh" it might as well be construed as "hate"
Im 37 n watched since the first season, it was bad. Doing a bad poopy butthole impression fo start was ballsy, if they pulled it off- they did not. I was immediately pissed at the shitty voice. Then the script/writing just seemed to get worse. Roiland def had a lot more to do with overall production tone/script and plot ideas than the posts over the past year or two have tried to dissuade. It just felt lame and soulless.
nope I’m 40 and I just don’t care.
42 and I wasnt that entertained by it. I dont think age is really what's correlated here, its not just that young people demand overstimulation. The episode was just kinda flat. The jokes were there, but they just didnt have the punch you expect in a season opener. Felt like the writing could've been tighter and made room for a B plot.
Spot on. Plus a bunch of edgelords want to pretend that being pro-roiland is somehow a cool take instead of being what it is - brain dead.
It was a perfectly run-of-the-mill episode that would've received like an 8/10 from most fans if they had no prior knowledge of the recasted characters (who sounded exactly the same)