DISCLAIMER: This recap of the Rick and Morty season finale episode “Ricktional Mortpoon’s Rickmas Mortcation” contains spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
Wubba lubba dub-dub! It’s season finale time, baby, and Rick and Morty veers into holiday territory with a Christmas episode. While National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation inspires the title, the plot derives inspiration from Star Wars. “Ricktional Mortpoon’s Rickmas Mortcation” goes all in on the contested commentary surrounding Star Wars, namely the contentious sequel trilogy. The episode also addresses the entitlement of fandoms, especially in the social media era, and the intergenerational arguments that spawn therein.
This season finale also repeats a few storylines, from Rick and Morty battling the president (Remember Season 3 Episode 10?) to Rick’s vehement monologue about how the next season will play out. I felt déjà vu re: the Szechuan sauce rant from the Season 3 premiere (See the pattern here?). I assume it’s a nod to the narrative repetitiveness of the most recent Star Wars projects.
Ready to delve into “Ricktional Mortpoon’s Rickmas Mortcation”? Let’s get to it.
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We open on the episode sans opening credits, just a festive (and normal) holiday display at the Smith/Sanchez home. Rick (Justin Roiland) gives Morty (also Roiland), Beth (Sarah Chalke), Jerry (Chris Parnell), Summer (Spencer Grammer) and Space Beth (also Chalke) their Christmas gifts. These range from an extended cut of Miracle on 34th Street to money and a photo from an alternate timeline. Morty’s present might be the best of all — a bona fide lightsaber. It even makes the noises! Someone, nominate Rick for Grandpa of the Year!
Next, Rick encourages Morty to test out his lightsaber in the garage. Morty slices seamlessly through fruit like a legitimate Jedi. Unfortunately, he loses his grip on the famed Star Wars weapon, and it falls through the ground, plasma blade first. Rick and Morty head into the former’s underground lab to stop the lightsaber from its groundward spiral.
Firstly, I had no idea there were 15 levels of Rick’s lab. Secondly, I still want a lightsaber. Rick directs the duo to the 15th floor to outrun the saber and prevent it from diving further underground. He urges his grandson to steer clear of the 10th floor. However, Morty fails to heed his grandfather’s words and comes face-to-face with his actual grandpa, who’s been hiding in his lab while searching for Rick Prime (the Rick who murdered his family).
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We learn that Rick put a robot version of himself in his place from the beginning of last week’s episode. He programmed his robot to be 22 percent more thoughtful. That explains the sudden change in Rick. And here I thought the therapy was working!
Irritated, Morty leaves Real Rick to his manhunt and Robot Rick to the rest of the family. Suddenly, the president (Keith David) lands in the driveway. He confronts Morty regarding the rogue lightsaber drilling its way toward the Earth’s core. If they don’t stop it, the planet will explode. Thanks for ruining Christmas, Morty! The prez also launches a rant about Star Wars as a franchise, causing Morty to cry. It’s the Gen X of it all.
Meanwhile, Rick delves deeper into his search for Rick Prime. The president corrals his team underground in Rick’s lab to construct a drill to intercept the flying lightsaber. Robot Rick watches the Miracle on 34th Street extended cut with Jerry, Beth, Summer and Space Beth. We see Jerry become increasingly disenchanted with the film when it turns out the previously deleted scenes consist of one man naming off miraculous streets.
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Then, Real Rick whips out his Vertisaber, a red lightsaber (Rick’s a Sith — I knew it!) that’ll track Morty’s runaway saber. Unfortunately, the Vertisaber bucks Rick’s orders and wreaks fatal havoc in Italy. So, there’s that. Robot Rick and the family play a game wherein players must guess who’s a robot and who’s human. He’s simultaneously desperate to reveal his robotic status while keeping it under wraps.
Later, Real Rick and Morty verbally battle it out. Morty’s angry at Rick for lying to him, while the latter’s furious about his grandson calling him “boring.” Rick storms out. The president and Morty hop aboard a special drill vessel that takes them into the Earth’s core, where they scoop up the rogue lightsaber before it destroys the planet. However, the prez keeps the lightsaber for himself instead of returning it to Morty. He feels entitled to it, given the impact Star Wars had on his generation. And they say the younger generation reeks of entitlement…
Next, Jerry bestows the honor of cutting the Christmas ham on Robot Rick. He feels they’re finally bonding. Robot Rick hesitates to accept Jerry’s generous gift, feeling he doesn’t deserve it because he’s not a human. Morty barges into the dining area and informs the group point-blank that Rick is a robot.
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Then, the Smith clan proceeds to dismember Robot Rick. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, indeed. The president plays around with Morty’s lightsaber and proceeds to make the same egregious mistake Morty made. The lightsaber burrows into the Earth once more. After launching the White House into space, the prez delivers an address to the nation, thoroughly placing the blame on Morty. Accountability is wonderful, isn’t it?
After learning that Real Rick bounced, the family reassembles Robot Rick to assist them in saving the world. Robot Rick accompanies Morty to space to confront the president. Thankfully, Robot Rick found Morty’s lightsaber. Morty and Robot Rick barge into the president’s office, saber in hand and ready for a showdown. The prez unleashes a bevy of lightsaber-equipped robots to battle it out with Morty.
The fight ends with Morty pointing a lightsaber Gatling gun at the president. Robot Rick jumps in front of the prez to facilitate his demise. The lightsabers lodged into Robot Rick’s torso slide out of him and fall through the ground. “Perfectly f*cking vertical,” the president says in shock. Suddenly, the floor beneath them explodes, and the trio almost flies away into space.
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Thankfully, Real Rick saves them, transporting Morty, the president and Robot Rick to the garage. Robot Rick finally dies after coughing up oil. Morty and Rick give the president the silent treatment as he slinks away. Rick invites Morty to join him in his lab. He shows Morty all the places Rick Prime’s in — he’s everything, everywhere, all at once. Rick informs Morty that Season 7 is about tracking down Rick Prime, the real villain of the series. It’s gonna take over their lives! Forget Szechuan sauce: this is IT!
In the end-credit scene, Mr. Poopybutthole emerges to update us on his life after Amy left. He’s getting in shape with his new trainer Carl, for starters. However, everything is again derailed when Mr. Poopybutthole is injured during a training session. He urges Carl to call Amy for him.
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“Ricktional Mortpoon’s Rickmas Mortcation” isn’t the show’s strongest episode, nor is it the strongest season finale. It was a bit underwhelming, save for that ending. I would love a more cohesive, overarching seasonal narrative for Rick and Morty, but we’ve been fed this meal. I assume Rick and Morty will pursue Rick Prime for a few episodes before either giving up or finding him/killing him.
Season 6 has some stellar moments, but it’s undoubtedly weaker compared to its predecessors. That said, the Rick Prime storyline might yield some exciting fruit, so I hope the series takes us in that direction for Season 7. Until then, I’ll just sit here and play with my lightsaber.
Rick and Morty Season 6 is now streaming on the Adult Swim site.
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