DISCLAIMER: This recap of the Rick and Morty season premiere episode, “Solaricks,” has spoilers. Prepare for some sci-fi sh*t, and proceed at your peril.
Wubba lubba dub-dub! Welcome back, interdimensional travelers! Rick and Morty kicks off Season 6 with more crazy timeline shenanigans. We deal with the aftermath of last season’s explosive finale and the destruction of the Citadel. Space Beth returns to the fold. Rick, Morty and Jerry wind up in their original timelines for a hot minute before reuniting. “Solaricks” feels like part-family drama, part-comedy, and that’s okay with me.
Ready to delve into “Solaricks”? Let’s get to it.
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This Is the End
We open with Rick (Justin Roiland) providing narration as he enters his final hours following the destruction of the Citadel in the Season 5 finale. He scolds Morty (also Roiland) for not recording his last message because he’s not like that dude in the Avengers with the helmet. Our fave space and time-traveling duo are on their collective last leg. Time to die!
Thankfully, Space Beth (Sarah Chalke) comes to their rescue with a corny line that results in some bickering among the family. After bringing Rick and Morty home, Regular Beth (also Chalke) and Summer (Spencer Grammer) greet them.
Now that interdimensional travel is out of the question, Rick tries to restore the portal fluid in his gun, but he flubs it. We see Rick and Morty emit a green glow, as does Jerry (Chris Parnell) when he barges into the garage. So, what does this mean? Rick, Morty and Jerry will vanish to their original timelines. Rick advises Summer on how to send a beacon from the Citadel’s ruins so they can all reunite.
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After the trio disappears, Summer gets to work. She asks Space Beth to join them on this lil side quest. The Smith gals are going on an adventure.
“I forgot I wanted to be haunted.”
Meanwhile, Rick arrives in his original timeline. He hears the voice of his late wife, Diane, which he constructed to torture him essentially. “I forgot I wanted to be haunted,” he says. Diane inquires if Rick has found her and Beth’s killer yet. Rick tinkers with his sci-fi stuff in his garage, waiting for Summer’s signal.
Next, Morty lands in his time: a post-apocalyptic hellscape. After slaughtering a beast residing in Morty’s decimated home, he heads to a convenience store. While perusing through a Sexy Vogue issue, his original Jerry creeps up behind him. Morty stabs him in the arm, as you would typically do to your father. Based on his appearance, Jerry has assimilated into the dystopian culture.
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Later, the two Beths and Summer arrive at the ruinous Citadel. They encounter a handful of smuggler-like creatures as they nick items from the abandoned structure. Summer unleashes her Wolverine claws (I’d also like to note that earlier when Summer showed the Beths her claws, we also see Mjolnir in the background on a shelf.) and makes quick work of their foes. Space Beth also kicks ass because, duh, Space Beth. Regular Beth tries her best.
Then, Rick reunites with an older gentleman, Mr. Goldmanbachmajorian, who he presumed was dead. A few older folks are roaming about outside his house. The man mentions a strange letter written by someone claiming to be him. The man rereads the note, revealing that his mind is held captive by a time loop, “trapped in the day of a traumatic event.”
Well, it makes sense, as does seeing the other elderly people. Rick wanted to recreate the day of his wife and daughter’s murder to catch the killer. Thus, everyone is enmeshed in a loop of that fateful day.
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After slamming the door in Mr. Goldmanbachmajorian’s (try saying that 10 times fast) face, Rick pulls a lever, killing the older man. Then, he soars into space with no coordinates, hoping that he’ll receive the beacon’s signal from Summer.
Downbeat
Meanwhile, Jerry and Morty return to their home and feast on the carcass of the creature Morty slaughtered. They reminisce about the good ole days. Morty runs upstairs to retrieve a board game they used to play. However, when he returns to the living room, Jerry is gone. He leaves a few notes in his wake for Morty to read, including a harmless, fun booby trap to impede Morty from giving chase.
Morty finally tracks down his original father, who claims he loathes Morty for abandoning them. Well, Rick was in prison, so he did what he had to do. Now, Jerry lives with the fact that he lost his wife and daughter because of Morty’s actions. Jerry believes Rick was right about not caring — it’s freeing. Damn, this Jerry is dark.
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Later, while flying through space, Rick hears Summer calling out to him. Huzzah! Summer and the two Beths have installed the beacon, leading a few unsavory beasts toward them. The two Beths bicker over parenting while fighting the creatures. Unfortunately, one of them swallows both Beths whole.
Rick lands in Morty’s original timeline, saving the day. We learn that Morty’s grandpa, his original Rick, killed our Rick’s wife and daughter. Thus, he takes Morty on a quick trip to track down that Rick.
Rickarent Trap
So, they arrive at the coordinates for the murderous Rick’s current location. However, a series of monitors pop up containing prerecorded messages and a version of a naked Rick that may or may not be the one for whom Rick’s searching. Is this a trap? Morty believes it is and that his original gramps wants to lure Rick to his death.
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Meanwhile, the two Beths chill inside the stomach of the creature that swallowed them. They hash things out — well, somewhat. Summer saves them, revealing that, as a 17-year-old girl, her affections change directions like the wind. It’s all gravy.
Then, the space monsters Summer and the Beths slaughtered merge to form one super duper space creature. Uh-oh. Thankfully, Rick and Morty arrive, and Rick destroys the beast without so much as blinking.
Season 2 Vibes
Later, we see Jerry sitting around the dinner table with Rick, Morty, Summer and Beth. Everyone’s arguing. Jerry and Beth’s marriage is on the rocks, and Morty reveals his expulsion from school. Suddenly, our crop of characters lands in Jerry’s original timeline to save him. Rick notes there are “Season 2 vibes” in Jerry’s original house.
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Everyone heads home after an exhausting, exciting adventure. Season 2 Jerry pops up unexpectedly, with Mr. Frundles in tow. Mr. Frundles bites Season 2 Jerry, causing his ankle to become Mr. Frundles. Then, Mr. Frundles spreads to each object, inhabiting them, and it’s an epidemic of Frundleian proportions. Even Earth morphs into Mr. Frundles. Rick, Morty, Summer, Jerry and the two Beths leave the planet.
However, their search for a new home will be challenging without the ability to jump dimensions. Finally, they find a somewhat suitable home. Well, except their counterparts are pretty dead. So, they bury them in the backyard, just like Rick and Morty did in their last home.
Space Beth asks Regular Beth if she can regularly visit, which the latter accepts. Rick and Morty wonder why their counterparts of that time refused to say “Parmesan” correctly.
My Rickmortal
In the end credits scene, we see the Rick our Rick was looking for arriving in Morty’s original timeline. He chats with Jerry, who seems keen on teaming up with him. After all, they hate the same people. But this Rick works alone, so after Jerry tries to kill him and fails, Rick fatally wounds Jerry. So, this version of Rick is immortal.
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“Solaricks” is a solid reentry into this universe, brimming with Rick and Morty‘s signature self-referential, meta, biting humor. Rick’s story with Diane surprisingly tugs at the heartstrings, as we’re reminded of how much he endured before uniting with the crew we know and love. There’s lots of self-loathing there.
Plus, bringing the Rick that murdered our Rick’s family into the fold is an intriguing twist. Here’s hoping the show doesn’t forget about him.
Rick and Morty drops new episodes every Sunday at 11 pm on your Adult Swim affiliate.
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