Rick and Morty are part of a family nobody wants to be a part of, like mid-era sitcoms. The parents are dissatisfied with their marriage and are constantly fighting, the grandfather Rick as an arrogant, drunken genius, Morty is the academically challenged son and daughter Summer is as close to normal as the family gets. This show is like mid-era sitcoms where people feel better about themselves and their families by watching one as dysfunctional as this one, who somehow manages to forgive each other and stay together by the end of the episode.
“Rick and Morty, “Lawnmower Dog” (Season 1, Episode 2, 2013.) Image from [http://giphy.com/search/beth-smith]
This show is also cool and HILARIOUS. Rick takes his grandson Morty on adventures around our universe and other universes, even other dimensions, such as a dimension where Rick’s from other dimension gather and have their own society. Their adventures together always get out of hand and Rick manages to save the day with his genius, even with the family managing to get in his way and wreck his plans. Like all geniuses however, Rick is not as together as he wants people to think he is. There is one scene where Rick, realizing his like is actually terrible, tries to commit suicide, but fails to do so when he passes out in a drunken stupor. Many shows also have this theme of a tormented genius who cannot relate to anyone around him and can only rely on his genius to keep his will to live. It is saddening to think that there are people who have these same thoughts and feelings, such as one of my friends from high school that, while brilliant, never committed himself to education and thus has yet to achieve the success his smarts should have helped him acquire. This inspires me to work even harder so that, even though I am not genius level, I will attain success.
“Rick and Morty, “The Ricks Must Be Crazy,” (Season 2, Episode 6, 2015.) Image from [http://uproxx.com/tv/rick-and-morty-the-ricks-must-be-crazy-gifs/2/]
This show also likes to torment viewers by releasing seasons with one year between each one. The anticipation builds up and the need to watch this fantastic show gets larger every time I think of it. As I right this I have the urge to binge watch both seasons right after I post this. It is a brilliant tactic to ensure that viewers will continue to watch the show, as I most certainly will.
TURNER ARRINGTON
WFUmediaphiles 
I love this show! My favorite episode is “Raising Gazorpazorp,” because it offers a critique of gender that is satirical but also progressive: while the women of Gazorpazorp make some good points about male ego at the expense of Rick, this all-female society is by no means perfect (a woman is punished with “the silent treatment” after getting bad bangs). Although one might get upset at the show’s pandering to gender stereotypes, I think this episode critiques gender in a very subversive way, at the expense of both men and women.
– REECE GUIDA
Honestly, right after I read this post I had to look up the once again revised release date for the newest season (now December 2016 according to itechpost.com). I absolutely love this show! It offers a sense of realism embedded with comedy that intertwines with each other so well. The tortured genius concept is very interesting because it also reminds me of the titular character, Malcolm, in the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. Both of their difficult family backgrounds have affected them deeply. Rick is an outlier in his family because of this, making it hard for him to relate to the other members of his family.
-Shelby Halliman
Great post. (You don’t want to be part of the Cleaver family?)