Rick and Morty’s first Emmy-winning episode quickly became a fan-favorite, but it’s also been widely criticized. Season 3, episode 3, “Pickle Rick,” is easily one of Rick and Morty’s most iconic episodes. Rick turns himself into an anthropomorphic pickle in order to get out of attending a group therapy session with the family. Out of spite, Beth throws away the serum that would turn him back into a human the second they left, so Rick has to figure out a way to get back into his own body (and ends up in a John Wick-style shootout with a criminal organization).
At the time of its release, “Pickle Rick” was met with widespread acclaim, and it remains one of Rick and Morty’s highest-rated episodes to this day. But it hasn’t been met with universal praise; there have been some criticisms, too. Rick and Morty dissenters have used “Pickle Rick” as a prime example of what they hate about the show. There are very few sitcom episodes that have been as polarizing as “Pickle Rick,” but why has such a silly storyline divided viewers so much?
How “Pickle Rick” Became Rick And Morty’s Most Infamous Episode
It’s The Quintessential Rick And Morty Episode (For Better Or Worse)
As soon as the trailer for Rick and Morty season 3 dropped, the clip of Rick gleefully telling Morty that he’d turned himself into a pickle instantly went viral. While the explanation of how Rick would escape from an intergalactic prison following the bombshell season 2 finale cliffhanger was eagerly awaited, the “Pickle Rick” episode was even more highly anticipated. A rough cut of the episode premiered at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2016, a year ahead of its 2017 airdate. When the episode finally aired, it was met with an overwhelmingly positive response.
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“Pickle Rick” was praised by critics and fans alike. Inspired by Breaking Bad season 2, episode 9, “4 Days Out,” in which Walter White is stranded in the desert and has to use his scientific knowledge to jumpstart a dead car battery without a generator, “Pickle Rick” puts a spotlight on Rick’s genius. Even when he’s turned into a pickle and washed into a sewer, Rick figures out a way to give himself arms, legs, and a working brain, get back up to the surface, find his way home, and return to his original body.
“Pickle Rick” has been the subject of countless memes, and it’s become the flagship episode of the series.
This unique and very Rick-like storyline made “Pickle Rick” one of the most famous Rick and Morty episodes. It won the 2018 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, marking Rick and Morty’s first Emmy win, and a bunch of “Pickle Rick” merchandise was produced to capitalize on the episode’s popularity. “Pickle Rick” has been the subject of countless memes, and it’s become the flagship episode of the series. But it also became one of Rick and Morty’s most infamous episodes. It’s been used to criticize the show for its broad, random humor.
Why Rick And Morty Remains Associated With “Pickle Rick” 8 Years Later
“Pickle Rick” Encapsulates Rick And Morty’s Tone
Eight years after the episode initially aired, Rick and Morty is still associated with “Pickle Rick.” It was huge when it came out, and since the series’ tone never changed that much, it’s often used as an example of Rick and Morty at its best (or at its worst). TV shows tend to be associated with the episodes that best exemplify their tone and style of humor. Seinfeld will forever be associated with “The Contest,” The Simpsons will forever be associated with “Marge vs. the Monorail,” and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia will forever be associated with “The Nightman Cometh.”
“Pickle Rick” originally aired on Adult Swim on August 6, 2017.
“Pickle Rick” is that for Rick and Morty. It encapsulates the show’s ability to use out-there sci-fi concepts to explore broad, random gags. In recent years, Rick and Morty has leaned into the legacy of “Pickle Rick.” Rick and Morty season 7 parodied “Pickle Rick” with a brief cutaway in which Rick turns himself into a leg. It was a hilarious lampoon of the absurdity of the original premise and an acknowledgment of the fact that, all these years later, Rick and Morty is still associated with “Pickle Rick.”
“Pickle Rick” Is Neither The Best Nor The Worst Rick And Morty Episode
It’s A Pretty Typical Episode That Got Overhyped
“Pickle Rick” isn’t the all-time greatest episode of Rick and Morty, as it’s sometimes described, but it’s not the absolute worst, either. It’s a pretty typical episode: Rick does something ridiculous to avoid facing his feelings and it culminates in a bloodbath with plenty of the show’s signature shock humor. There’s nothing that makes “Pickle Rick” stand out as especially great or especially terrible; it’s a really funny episode with a lot of great character work, but due to its notably absurdist premise (and masterful use of viral marketing), it ended up becoming much bigger than it needed to be.
Due to its notably absurdist premise (and masterful use of viral marketing), it ended up becoming much bigger than it needed to be.
The best episodes of Rick and Morty have a lot more substance than “Pickle Rick.” Season 1, episode 6, “Rick Potion #9,” established early on that nothing was off-limits for this show as it permanently relocated the titular duo to a new universe following an apocalyptic mishap. Season 2, episode 4, “Total Rickall,” is a mind-bending trip into the nature of memories. Season 3, episode 7, “The Ricklantis Mixup,” is basically a sci-fi version of The Wire commenting on inequality, politics, police corruption, and the class divide. These episodes are all better than “Pickle Rick,” but “Pickle Rick” isn’t bad.
The Problems With “Pickle Rick” Go Beyond The Episode Itself
“Pickle Rick” Just Became The Face Of The Show As A Whole
Whenever people criticize “Pickle Rick,” they’re usually criticizing the show as a whole. “Pickle Rick” just became the face of those problems, because it’s a prime example of Rick and Morty’s comedic sensibility. The episode’s simplistic high-concept premise has made it an easy target; the simplicity of the gag could be a sign of its genius or just a sign that it’s a cheap, overrated laugh.
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Rick and Morty’s reliance on crass humor, broad gags, and outright randomness is what attracted its fervent fan base, but it’s also what the show’s detractors dislike about it. “Pickle Rick” is the epitome of that, so audiences who enjoy Rick and Morty’s style will point to “Pickle Rick” as evidence of its greatness, while audiences who don’t will point to “Pickle Rick” as evidence of its inferiority. It’s an odd legacy for a half-hour cartoon about a man who transforms himself into a pickle.
Rick and Morty
8/10
- Release Date
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December 2, 2013
