Summary
Although it seems supremely unlikely, the popular animated comedy seriesBob’s Burgerspulled off one ofRick and Morty’s bizarre season 7 gags before the R-rated series got around to the joke.Rick and Mortyhas its fair share of flaws, but one thing that the anarchic Adult Swim series can’t be faulted for is invention. For better or worse, even the weakest episodes ofRick and Mortyare brimming with unbridled invention. Sometimes this can even be a problem for the show, as evidenced by the mixed critical reaction to episodes featuring giant killer sperm and dragon orgies.
WhileRick and Morty’s cast of charactersborrow from plenty of earlier sitcoms and sci-fi shows, the series has a knack for creating wholly original supporting characters, settings, and premises. This was evidenced inRick and Morty’s season 7 finale, which combined elements ofThe Twilight Zone, 2009’sThe Hole,Jacob’s Ladder, andThe Matrixto create something totally new and fresh. However, some ofRick and Morty’s best jokes come from surprising sources. For instance, season 6, episode 4, “Night Family,” borrowed part of its premise fromAmerican Dad, season 4, episode 9, “Stan Time.”
Rick and Morty’s Highest Rated Episode In 4 Years Will Reshape Season 8
Rick and Morty season 8 will be reshaped by a radical change that occurred during the show’s most highly rated episode of the last four years.
Bob’s Burgers Originated Rick and Morty Season 7’s Stephen King Parody
The Animated Family Comedy Imagined A Killer Clothes Story
Similarly,Rick and Mortyseason 7’sMaximum Overdrive parody was featured inBob’s Burgersa decade earlierin season 3, episode 15, “O.T.: The Outside Toilet.” SinceBob’s Burgersis a more grounded series, the show’s version of this scene consisted of Linda freaking out Teddy by describing killer clothes attacking him.Rick and Mortycommitted to the bit more thoroughly in season 7, episode 6, “Rickfending Your Mort.” The anthology episode featured a clip from a world where clothes had become sentient and started attacking humans, much like the killer machines of Stephen King’s movieMaximum Overdrive.
Both scenes were brief, but they provided a perfect illustration of the two shows' diverging styles. AfterRick and Mortyseason 7 killed off Rick Prime, the show needed a chaotic, comedy-centric outing like “Rickfending Your Life" to lighten up its tone.Rick and Morty’s “Maximum Overdrive with Clothes” parody was gruesome and gory but inherently silly, whereas theBob’s Burgersgag was a lot less absurd. Linda teasing Teddy highlighted how much of the humor inBob’s Burgerscomes from the character’s everyday interactions, whereasRick and Mortytends to favor large-scale surrealism as in this vignette.
Rick and Morty and Bob’s Burgers’ Maximum Overdrive Spoofs Prove Their Strengths
Rick and Morty Is Edgier And More Surreal
TheBob’s Burgersgag was fun as it proved the show’s unique blend of warmth and edge is consistently charming. In contrast, the memorably bizarreRick and Mortyscene showcased the ambitious, dark, and often absurd style of its humor. Despite sharing some recurring cast members and both following dysfunctional animated families,Bob’s BurgersandRick and Mortyare wildly divergent when it comes to their respective tones. A PG-rated series couldn’t pull off a gag as gory asRick and Morty’s Stephen King spoof while, in contrast, the Adult Swim show lacks the family-friendly appeal ofBob’s Burgers.
