Rick and Morty: Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate
September 21, 2015 8:06 AM - Season 2, Episode 8 - Subscribe
Wubba lubba dub dub, it's a clip shooooowww! Well, that's the b-story and the source of the episode title. It's a sequel (of sorts) to Rixty Minutes from season 1, but this time Jerry's in an alien hospital (well, alien for him - for the aliens it's just a hospital), and his family is waiting for him to recover from an alien bacteria, only to find out he's now fine, but now there's a big decision for him and Beth to make. Can he make a personal sacrifice for more intergalactic peace?
Ditto - and the A.V. Club is more positive about the episode than I was. I was a solid "meh" on this one, for the reasons they noted (hard to follow up Rixty Minutes, lacked the big emotional punch or even anything really zany to make it a ton of fun).
posted by filthy light thief at 8:34 AM on September 21, 2015
posted by filthy light thief at 8:34 AM on September 21, 2015
Yeah, it didn't have the energy of the previous one. Really the first episode of the series that felt tired.
posted by Catblack at 8:40 AM on September 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Catblack at 8:40 AM on September 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
Beth's facial expressions were the best part of this pretty meh episode.
posted by ryanrs at 8:42 AM on September 21, 2015
posted by ryanrs at 8:42 AM on September 21, 2015
If you haven't seen the episode of Boondocks narrated by Herzog, it's a highlight of the series.
He's also done voice acting on The Simpsons and Metalocalypse and acted onscreen on Parks & Rec.
Dan Harmon talked about the recording session on a recent Harmontown and said Herzog seemed pretty self aware about the personal he's built / public perception of his persona, and how to exaggerate it for effect.
posted by elr at 9:03 AM on September 21, 2015 [3 favorites]
He's also done voice acting on The Simpsons and Metalocalypse and acted onscreen on Parks & Rec.
Dan Harmon talked about the recording session on a recent Harmontown and said Herzog seemed pretty self aware about the personal he's built / public perception of his persona, and how to exaggerate it for effect.
posted by elr at 9:03 AM on September 21, 2015 [3 favorites]
Herzog also did a self-parody on American Dad!. I think this was his best one, and he was definitely the highlight of the episode.
This is the second episode in a row where I was sure there would be a GOTCHA! twist ending, and I was once again greatly relieved to be wrong.
Also: It's not that the intergalactic cable isn't fun, but, like, it seems like maybe those channels are a lot more fun to make than they are to watch. And it feels mostly like filler, like they couldn't be bothered with a B plot, which is weird, since, you know, the show is called Rick and Morty, not Beth and Jerry, so it's like the A plot would've been the B plot in a fully fleshed-out episode.
All that said, I liked it.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:28 AM on September 21, 2015
This is the second episode in a row where I was sure there would be a GOTCHA! twist ending, and I was once again greatly relieved to be wrong.
Also: It's not that the intergalactic cable isn't fun, but, like, it seems like maybe those channels are a lot more fun to make than they are to watch. And it feels mostly like filler, like they couldn't be bothered with a B plot, which is weird, since, you know, the show is called Rick and Morty, not Beth and Jerry, so it's like the A plot would've been the B plot in a fully fleshed-out episode.
All that said, I liked it.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:28 AM on September 21, 2015
I love the concept of drunkenly desperately improvising scenes and then having a team of animators flesh it out, but I don't think it can/should be a whole episode again.
It seems like the show is a big enough hit for [as] that may be it can ve a series of webisodes, bumps, or supplemental material (although I have absolutely no idea what ANY THING costs to animate)
posted by elr at 10:01 AM on September 21, 2015
It seems like the show is a big enough hit for [as] that may be it can ve a series of webisodes, bumps, or supplemental material (although I have absolutely no idea what ANY THING costs to animate)
posted by elr at 10:01 AM on September 21, 2015
I liked the Jerry subplot well enough, particularly for Werner Herzog talking about dick jokes, but I think Catblack called the TV bits: they really just felt tired.
Past having better segments overall, everyone was just so energetic narrating Rixty Minutes, and so... not, here. The closest they came to that in this one seemed to be Jan Quadrant Michael 16, but it was a pale shadow of Two Brothers.
posted by mordax at 11:43 AM on September 21, 2015
Past having better segments overall, everyone was just so energetic narrating Rixty Minutes, and so... not, here. The closest they came to that in this one seemed to be Jan Quadrant Michael 16, but it was a pale shadow of Two Brothers.
posted by mordax at 11:43 AM on September 21, 2015
I thought this was the worst episode of the series to date, and at that level I still enjoy it from beginning to end. I think my favorite bit from the A plot was the "That was always an option???"
posted by phearlez at 12:03 PM on September 21, 2015
posted by phearlez at 12:03 PM on September 21, 2015
Hopefully they don't try to turn Interdimensional Cable into a tradition like Anthology of Interest.
posted by isthmus at 5:51 PM on September 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by isthmus at 5:51 PM on September 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
I think they're on record saying they want to do one Interdimensional Cable episode per season. But given the lukewarm-to-cold reception this one has gotten, who knows if they'll stick with that. I think the episode's title, and the ass-shaking intro to match, is a hint that they didn't think this episode was as strong a showing, right?
I wasn't thrilled with this episode, and Rixty Minutes was hands-down my favorite episode last season. I think an episode like this needs a really interesting, deep b-plot and this episode didn't have it. For me, what made Rixty Minutes so fucking amazing was that they had Gazorpazorpfield, "Real Fake Doors", Ants-in-my-Eyes Johnson, Beth and Jerry having this insane interdimensional marital breakthrough of sorts, and Morty telling his sister about his own shallow grave in the backyard and concluding with, "Nobody exists on purpose, nobody belongs anywhere, everybody’s gonna die...come watch TV?" in the same 22 minutes of television. If you don't have that kind of sucker punch waiting, though, you don't have much of an episode. This episode tried to capture that same nihilistic thematic unity, but it just didn't quite gel for me.
I was really hoping Jerry would end up getting pressured into giving up his penis. THAT would have raised the stakes. As it stands, I agree with ryanrs that Beth's facial expressions were the best part of the episode. Gosh, imagine being given a catalog to pick out a new state-of-the-art bionic penis for your husband. I have friends who've gotten reconstructive boob jobs and nose jobs and both of them have described what a mindfuck it is to pick them out. It's not every day you get to shop for a new body part. Jerry could have made the best of the situation. But then I'm not a human man and it does seem like y'all are pretty attached to your bits. Loved Werner Herzog explicating the "hey, I'm pencil dick man!" party phenomenon.
I honestly still love the Interdimensional Cable conceit and if they want to make that their Treehouse of Horror I am on board. But I think I'm unusual in that assessment. I'm glad the AVClub reviewer liked it!
But seriously...how DID she get there??
posted by town of cats at 8:07 PM on September 21, 2015 [5 favorites]
I wasn't thrilled with this episode, and Rixty Minutes was hands-down my favorite episode last season. I think an episode like this needs a really interesting, deep b-plot and this episode didn't have it. For me, what made Rixty Minutes so fucking amazing was that they had Gazorpazorpfield, "Real Fake Doors", Ants-in-my-Eyes Johnson, Beth and Jerry having this insane interdimensional marital breakthrough of sorts, and Morty telling his sister about his own shallow grave in the backyard and concluding with, "Nobody exists on purpose, nobody belongs anywhere, everybody’s gonna die...come watch TV?" in the same 22 minutes of television. If you don't have that kind of sucker punch waiting, though, you don't have much of an episode. This episode tried to capture that same nihilistic thematic unity, but it just didn't quite gel for me.
I was really hoping Jerry would end up getting pressured into giving up his penis. THAT would have raised the stakes. As it stands, I agree with ryanrs that Beth's facial expressions were the best part of the episode. Gosh, imagine being given a catalog to pick out a new state-of-the-art bionic penis for your husband. I have friends who've gotten reconstructive boob jobs and nose jobs and both of them have described what a mindfuck it is to pick them out. It's not every day you get to shop for a new body part. Jerry could have made the best of the situation. But then I'm not a human man and it does seem like y'all are pretty attached to your bits. Loved Werner Herzog explicating the "hey, I'm pencil dick man!" party phenomenon.
I honestly still love the Interdimensional Cable conceit and if they want to make that their Treehouse of Horror I am on board. But I think I'm unusual in that assessment. I'm glad the AVClub reviewer liked it!
But seriously...how DID she get there??
posted by town of cats at 8:07 PM on September 21, 2015 [5 favorites]
If you haven't seen the episode of Boondocks narrated by Herzog, it's a highlight of the series.
He's also done voice acting on The Simpsons and Metalocalypse and acted onscreen on Parks & Rec.
Heh. I don't watch much TV and I had no idea any of these were things that Werner Herzog did. (Well, maybe I read about The Simpsons.) Sometimes I forget that he crossed the line years ago separating arthouse stalwart from genuine celebrity.
I didn't think this was a great episode -- I guess it is in the bottom third of the series so far -- but I still enjoyed it pretty thoroughly.
posted by Mothlight at 9:07 PM on September 21, 2015
He's also done voice acting on The Simpsons and Metalocalypse and acted onscreen on Parks & Rec.
Heh. I don't watch much TV and I had no idea any of these were things that Werner Herzog did. (Well, maybe I read about The Simpsons.) Sometimes I forget that he crossed the line years ago separating arthouse stalwart from genuine celebrity.
I didn't think this was a great episode -- I guess it is in the bottom third of the series so far -- but I still enjoyed it pretty thoroughly.
posted by Mothlight at 9:07 PM on September 21, 2015
Loved Werner Herzog explicating the "hey, I'm pencil dick man!" party phenomenon.
Not to mention the meta joke that Harmon and Jeff Davis both have composed songs about [object] penis men, be it pringles can or chicken noodles.
I enjoyed the episode, but "Rixty Minutes," was definitely superior.
posted by Atreides at 10:38 AM on September 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Not to mention the meta joke that Harmon and Jeff Davis both have composed songs about [object] penis men, be it pringles can or chicken noodles.
I enjoyed the episode, but "Rixty Minutes," was definitely superior.
posted by Atreides at 10:38 AM on September 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
I was really hoping Jerry would end up getting pressured into giving up his penis. THAT would have raised the stakes.
Jerry not getting his penis bionically replaced is pretty much what's wrong with this season - there's no sense at all that any previous episodes' shenanigans are having any impact on any of the characters, and no sense that the writers are taking interesting risks. That was a big part of what made the first season so fun: the oddball unpredictable continuity building from episode to episode. There's none of that this season, so we're stuck in boring EpisodeResetEveryWeek Land, and it shows in the relatively uninspired stories. Re-using the TV channel thing so heavily and obviously was a big misfire.
It's still a funny show that makes me laugh out loud once or twice every episode but it's nowhere near as funny as it was just a few short months ago, and it's disappointing to be wondering if the show's already shot most of its comedic wad. Sure hope not.
posted by mediareport at 7:17 PM on September 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Jerry not getting his penis bionically replaced is pretty much what's wrong with this season - there's no sense at all that any previous episodes' shenanigans are having any impact on any of the characters, and no sense that the writers are taking interesting risks. That was a big part of what made the first season so fun: the oddball unpredictable continuity building from episode to episode. There's none of that this season, so we're stuck in boring EpisodeResetEveryWeek Land, and it shows in the relatively uninspired stories. Re-using the TV channel thing so heavily and obviously was a big misfire.
It's still a funny show that makes me laugh out loud once or twice every episode but it's nowhere near as funny as it was just a few short months ago, and it's disappointing to be wondering if the show's already shot most of its comedic wad. Sure hope not.
posted by mediareport at 7:17 PM on September 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
I really enjoyed 'Rixty Minutes', but this time the improv telly just felt forced. It didn't help that the writers had Rick wonder why they were bothering since they'd 'nailed it' the last time around. (See also: Community's four increasingly tedious paintball episodes.)
Abed 'Real Abed' Gheith's tiny food restaurant bit was particularly weak - possibly not a great idea to improv something you've improv'd before to great effect?
The Jerry plot seemed like a bit of a rehash, too. We knew exactly how he'd act in that situation, because we've already seen him making a massive arse of himself for alien approval in 'Something Ricked This Way Comes'.
Still, I laughed! A lot! A sub-par R&M is still streets ahead of most comedy on the telly at the moment.
there's no sense at all that any previous episodes' shenanigans are having any impact on any of the characters
Mostly, but I do like the way Morty is becoming more irascible, cruel and Rick-like with every episode.
posted by jack_mo at 5:06 AM on September 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Abed 'Real Abed' Gheith's tiny food restaurant bit was particularly weak - possibly not a great idea to improv something you've improv'd before to great effect?
The Jerry plot seemed like a bit of a rehash, too. We knew exactly how he'd act in that situation, because we've already seen him making a massive arse of himself for alien approval in 'Something Ricked This Way Comes'.
Still, I laughed! A lot! A sub-par R&M is still streets ahead of most comedy on the telly at the moment.
there's no sense at all that any previous episodes' shenanigans are having any impact on any of the characters
Mostly, but I do like the way Morty is becoming more irascible, cruel and Rick-like with every episode.
posted by jack_mo at 5:06 AM on September 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Yeah, that unattractive evolution of Morty is about the only thing they seem to have thought to do across episodes this season.
posted by mediareport at 7:36 AM on September 23, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by mediareport at 7:36 AM on September 23, 2015 [5 favorites]
...is still streets ahead ...
I see what you did there.
posted by Pendragon at 9:44 AM on September 23, 2015
I see what you did there.
posted by Pendragon at 9:44 AM on September 23, 2015
I don't know why everybody was so down on this one - it doesn't do anything new or twisted like their best work but the interdimensional TV improv gags are still plenty funny to me.
posted by atoxyl at 12:18 AM on September 24, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by atoxyl at 12:18 AM on September 24, 2015 [3 favorites]
Yeah, that unattractive evolution of Morty is about the only thing they seem to have thought to do across episodes this season.
Morty's creator-mouthpiece rant in this one was odd though. I mean the Simpsons took some really memorable shots at fan critics and I get the idea behind putting something in that you want to express while also making fun of it to pull your punch. You could read it as Justin having his say then telling himself to get a grip (and put it in a backpack!) or maybe even Justin as Dan telling Justin to get a grip. But it just doesn't really fit for Morty, even this season's Morty.
posted by atoxyl at 12:47 AM on September 24, 2015
Morty's creator-mouthpiece rant in this one was odd though. I mean the Simpsons took some really memorable shots at fan critics and I get the idea behind putting something in that you want to express while also making fun of it to pull your punch. You could read it as Justin having his say then telling himself to get a grip (and put it in a backpack!) or maybe even Justin as Dan telling Justin to get a grip. But it just doesn't really fit for Morty, even this season's Morty.
posted by atoxyl at 12:47 AM on September 24, 2015
Uh so Jerry's dead, though. There's no way that guy at the end isn't a replacement Jerry from an adjacent universe.
Though I guess the Jerry that got killed isn't the original one either, due to the swap that happened in the Jerry daycare episode....
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 11:19 PM on September 24, 2015
Though I guess the Jerry that got killed isn't the original one either, due to the swap that happened in the Jerry daycare episode....
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 11:19 PM on September 24, 2015
In Community, the paintball and fake-clip-show episodes worked multiple times because there was a sort of grand audacity in making them at all that just doesn't exist for an adult-swim show. In "Rixty Minutes," we understood from the beginning that there was sort of a bond with Rick in that Morty was completely uninterested in viewing his alternate universe selves, and the A and B plots merged beautifully with Morty's speech to Summer, both bleak as hell and kind of life-affirming in its insistence that the here and now is what's real and we should accept and appreciate that for what it is.
This one was fun, but definitely didn't have any of the magic of the previous one. Also, come on, Beth. Jerry was being played here and only went crazy because you didn't back him up there at the end. May this be the only time I ever take Jerry's side on anything.
posted by Navelgazer at 9:58 PM on December 29, 2015
This one was fun, but definitely didn't have any of the magic of the previous one. Also, come on, Beth. Jerry was being played here and only went crazy because you didn't back him up there at the end. May this be the only time I ever take Jerry's side on anything.
posted by Navelgazer at 9:58 PM on December 29, 2015
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posted by Mothlight at 8:27 AM on September 21, 2015 [5 favorites]