Rick and Morty: Meeseeks and Destroy Rewatch

June 16, 2015 8:13 AM - Season 1, Episode 5

Morty finally gets to choose his own adventure, but ends up having giant-sized problems as a result. After Jerry demands Rick do something to help the family, Rick leaves them with a magical box that summons Meeseeks, a blue race who live only to serve and achieve a task. When Jerry demands help with his golfing game, the Meeseeks face their greatest challenge yet.

Rick and Morty is available for streaming for free at Adult Swim and as part of a subscription service at Hulu.

posted by Atreides (11 comments total)

We all want to die!
posted by French Fry at 9:30 AM on June 16, 2015 [6 favorites]

I am living every day like a Meeseeks in a world full of Jerrys.

LOOK AT ME!
posted by Parasite Unseen at 11:34 AM on June 16, 2015 [4 favorites]

First time through, I found the Meseeks very annoying. (That's fine, really; it adds to the desperate urgency.) They're much less annoying on rewatch; having sympathy for them from the start changes everything.
posted by Sys Rq at 8:37 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]

Question: Was it me or did the giant who slipped and brained himself on the table look a lot like Dan Harmon? (Also note: his wife had red hair, like then fiance/girlfriend, Erin McGathy)

I remember the first time I watched, I got really uncomfortable with Morty and Mr. Jellybean in the bathroom. The second time around, I was still kind of unsettled by what pretty much was an attempted rape. I don't know if it was necessary to push that scene as long to convey why Morty was ready to give up on his adventure.

I also found the Meseeks kind of annoying, too, but I think it was also be design to help add fuel to the fire when they start to lose it over Jerry's golf score.
posted by Atreides at 7:43 AM on June 17, 2015

It was a constant struggle after viewing this episode to not preface all my questions at seminars--actual, real, grown-up academic seminars--with "I'M MR. MEESEEKS! LOOK AT ME!".
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 7:59 AM on June 17, 2015 [6 favorites]

The attempted rape scene felt a little too Family Guy-y (and sadly, modern day Simpsons-y) until the post-credits tag where they find evidence of Mr. Jellybean's crimes in his effects and ponder how to have the good-king-bad-man to be remembered. That's some real shit. Even in a place as silly as the jellybean kingdom the stakes are real, there are consequences, etc.
posted by elr at 12:22 PM on June 17, 2015 [5 favorites]

Every long tiresome meeting I've had since watching this the first time makes me giggle now.
posted by French Fry at 12:22 PM on June 17, 2015

This was the episode that hooked me on Rick and Morty.

I don't know if it was necessary to push that scene as long to convey why Morty was ready to give up on his adventure.

That wasn't the only role for that scene. It also marked the first time that Rick seemed to feel some understanding and concern for Morty.
posted by JHarris at 12:24 PM on June 17, 2015 [2 favorites]

I think this episode is the most quoted one around our house. We have tried so hard to nail that "Can do!" but it is deceptively tricky. "Meeseeks are not born into this world fumbling for meaning, Jerry!"

I hated the Jellybean assault scene, and like many of you was thinking "this here is some Family Guy bullshit" but having the townspeople struggling afterwards to square it with the benevolent leader they thought they knew was pitch perfect.
posted by town of cats at 9:55 PM on June 17, 2015 [2 favorites]

Atreides: "I remember the first time I watched, I got really uncomfortable with Morty and Mr. Jellybean in the bathroom. The second time around, I was still kind of unsettled by what pretty much was an attempted rape."

Interestingly, the writers backed down at criticism of this scene, offering some lame post-hoc explanation on Reddit that it wasn't really rape -- something about Jellybean wanting to lick Morty because humans were like a super-potent form of Ecstasy for his people. It was very cringeworthy.
posted by Rhaomi at 3:45 PM on June 23, 2015 [1 favorite]

That sounds pretty cringeworthy, as it's completely unsupported by the dialogue and what not. They should either defend it and explain why it works or admit it didn't end up the way they expected it and it was a bad idea.
posted by Atreides at 8:24 AM on June 24, 2015 [2 favorites]