Exploring the Conqueror's Complex: Rick & Morty Breaks Dan Harmon's Story Rule 3 Times in Just 6 Seasons
Unveiling the Time-Bending Secrets of Rick & Morty: Unraveling the Myth of Time Travel in 3 Epic Episodes
Despite co-creator Dan Harmon's prohibition on time travel storylines in Rick and Morty, the show has already broken this rule on at least three occasions. Rick and Morty frequently parodies popular culture, particularly renowned science fiction films and TV shows, and its premise can be described as a fusion of Doctor Who and Back to the Future. Although the hit Adult Swim series initially started as a crude parody of Back to the Future, fans may have noticed one crucial element missing from the beloved sci-fi adventure.
While Rick keeps a box labeled "time travel stuff" on the shelf in the Sanchez family garage, he and Morty have yet to embark on an actual time travel escapade together. In episodes like "A Rickle in Time," they do manage to fracture time, but they do not physically travel forwards or backwards. Rick and Morty have even made elaborate efforts to dismiss anything that could be misconstrued as time travel, as seen in "The Vat of Acid Episode," where Morty mistakenly assumes that a time-saving device "gifted" by Rick involves time travel, when in fact it only transports him to alternate realities instead.
The 3 Rick And Morty Episodes That Broke The Time Travel Rule
Rick and Morty's co-creators may have avoided using time travel, but it still managed to make its way into three episodes. The first instance occurred in the pilot episode, when Morty injures his legs during an adventure with Rick. In order to help him, Rick journeys to a future dimension to acquire medicine that instantly heals Morty's broken limbs. Although the exact details of the far-future world Rick visited were never shown, it still qualifies as time travel since he remained there long enough for his portal gun to lose power, causing complications for the duo upon his return.
Naturally, the pilot episode of Rick and Morty was the very first installment, created before the series established firm rules. This may explain why time travel was incorporated before the show implemented a series-wide ban on such elements. Time travel resurfaced in "A Rickle in Time," where the Sanchez family's manipulation of time catches the attention of a Time Cop, who seeks to bring Rick to justice for his actions. However, instead of facing consequences, Rick sends the Time Cop (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key) back in time. In a mid-credits scene, the cop teams up with another Time Cop voiced by Jordan Peele to track Rick across different time periods.
They eventually encounter Albert Einstein, whom they mistakenly identify as Rick, and proceed to brutally assault him, resulting in the creation of his famous equation E = mc2. The ultimate occurrence of time travel in Rick and Morty defies all conventions, as demonstrated in season 4's "Rattlestar Ricklactica," where a planet populated by snakes, with some assistance from Rick, invents a time travel device that wreaks havoc across multiple timelines, reminiscent of the Terminator franchise. This episode serves as an intricate parody of time travel shows and movies, highlighting the absurd complexity they often entail.
Why Rick And Morty Avoids Time Travel Storylines (Usually)
In a 2015 CBR interview, Dan Harmon explains why the "time travel stuff" box remains untouched in the garage - it's a joke in itself. Harmon clarifies that Rick and Morty consciously avoids delving into time travel because it is a notorious narrative pitfall. He elaborates that introducing time travel into a show's canon is akin to using a dangerous toy that can unravel the story due to plot holes and logical inconsistencies. This decision seems justified when considering the track record of movies and TV series featuring time travel, such as Back to the Future, which often encounter such flaws.
Rick Has Actually Only Traveled Through Time Once On Rick & Morty
One example of a movie that deliberately avoids explaining the mechanics of time travel is the 2012 film Looper starring Bruce Willis as Old Joe. In this movie, Old Joe actually makes fun of the idea of attempting to explain it. Similarly, in the episode "Rattlestar Ricklactica," the TV show Rick and Morty playfully disregards Harmon's time travel rule and instead presents a ridiculous and exaggerated version of it. Not only is the adventure itself a complicated mess, but the main characters also lack any real emotional investment in it, as they are simply forced to clean up the chaos.
Rick and Morty have broken their time travel rule three times, but it is interesting to note that Rick has personally only traveled through time once. Apart from when he went to retrieve medicine for Morty's legs in the "Pilot," Rick has deliberately avoided any further time travel. In the two other instances, either the Time Police or the snake planet became entangled in time-related mischief.
There is a strong possibility that Rick and Morty may incorporate a time travel storyline in the future, considering its potential to defy established rules. It would be intriguing to delve into Rick's personal disdain for time travel adventures and see him reluctantly participate in one. However, Harmon has maintained a strict prohibition on this concept thus far.
