And just like that, season 3 of Rick and Morty has come to a close with the episode The Rickchurian Candidate, where President Keith David returns. And, oh boy, did it end on somewhat of a mild (yet mysterious) note.
Here’s a brief recap of the episode. Spoilers are abound. If you haven’t watched it yet, feel free to minimize your browser, watch the episode, and come back.
Our titular heroes are once again called upon by the President of the United States to get rid of an alien miscreant lurking in the Kennedy sex tunnels (yes, you read that right) of the White House. After finding their mission to be a tad boring, Rick and Morty teleport back to their home for a game of Minecraft.
The president and his advisers are not happy that Rick and Morty bailed on their country, and decides to cut the duo off completely – in lieu of a drone strike.
But a mere order from the president is not going to stop Rick and Morty. When they go to check out a colony of tiny aliens in Brazil, they are cut out by the president, who decides to take the matter into his own hands.
Meanwhile, after the events of last week’s episode, The ABC’s of Beth, Beth is having a meta crisis, wondering if she actually took her father’s offer and is actually a cloned version of herself. She calls Rick in an attempt to get an answer, but when he denies it and also throws in a comment about clones becoming self-aware, it makes her whole situation worse.
Back to the president, who is beaten to the punch when making first contact with the miniature society by Rick and Morty. They also managed to solve the crisis in the Middle East, which has significantly improved his approval ratings. This only angers the president further.
Beth’s goes to Jerry in her moment of crisis, where he recounts their first date and how much she means to him. The two reconnect.
Rick and Morty ambush the White House, wanting to take a selfie with the president for taking care of what he could not. The duel gets pretty intense, with a number of secret service agents getting killed in the crossfire. It turns out the president has just as many resources as Rick does, but Rick is still able to get the upper hand and get the selfie he and his grandson wanted. Only Morty is nowhere to be found.
Beth and Jerry have taken their kids to a cabin where Rick can’t find them, fearing Rick would murder his (potentially) clone of a daughter. Rick, realizing he doesn’t want to lose his family, gives up on his fight with the president and attempts to win them back.
Back at the Smith house, everything seems to be back in place. It’s a new start for the family, all under the same roof once more. It’s all a little too hunky-dory compared to the ending of season 2.
And with that, the season 3 of Rick and Morty has come to a close. While this season had some of the best episodes of the entire series thus far (see: Pickle Rick, The Ricklantis Mixup), it did have a few underwhelming episodes, including its season finale. Go on, search Twitter, and you’ll see a fan base divided.
Granted, this may be due to the fact this season was way too hyped due to its extended hiatus, and the following it had built over that time. There were just so many questions left unanswered, and plot points left unfulfilled. Why didn’t we get to see Phoenix Person return? What is Evil Morty’s ultimate scheme?
Regardless of how you feel about the season 3 finale, or the season in its entirety, you cannot deny the utter genius and thought that’s put into every episode. There are layers of depth and moments of tragedy that topple the dramas seen on television today. It’s also completely bonkers.
When the show will return remains to be seen. It could be a year and a half. It could be longer. It seems like the creators are in no rush.
