Rick and Morty season 3 episode 5 review: It's a Rick and Jerry adventure!

** Spoilers for ‘The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy’ ahead **

Rick and Morty

Unlike Beth, I’ve missed Jerry. With the disorderly Dad absent from the majority of the last few episodes, there’s been a certain innocence missing from Rick and Morty’s darkest adventures yet. Perhaps that’s why ‘The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy’ feels more like ‘old’ Rick and Morty more than any other season three episode to date.

Why have I missed Jerry, then? Well, there’s no one who quite rubs Rick up the wrong way like Jerry. Sure, Morty causes the genius issues, but Rick really cares about his Grandkids more than he admits. Jerry’s not family and the only reason Rick puts up with someone whose IQ level can’t match his robotic little finger’s is because of family.

Putting these two in a holiday resort where everyone’s immortal is inspired. Perhaps Rick worries he may accidentally kill Jerry himself? After all, that’s where Jerry thought they were going. Or perhaps Rick just wants Jerry to lighten up somewhere Jerry can’t do further harm to himself? There are dozens of reasons Rick has chosen this exact place.

Unfortunately, there’s not much time for any bonding as Jerry’s soon attempting to help the resort’s owner — a former world ruler and another victim of Rick’s many adventures — assassinate Rick. At the last minute, Jerry changes his mind, not wanting to murder his father-in-law because Rick finally admits he may hold some responsibility towards the divorce.

That humanity — the moment that Rick comes face-to-face with his issues and comes to an actually healthy conclusion — is short-lived, the pair being thrown into an alien jungle and having to make their way home using desperate means. Along the way, they meet the villain once more and go through a wonderfully Doctor Strange/Moonman like sequence where everyone transcends their bodies, the adventure concluding with neither Rick nor Jerry having learnt a damn thing.

Then there’s the side-adventure, featuring the rest of the Smith’s. Morty just wants a break, but Summer and Beth can’t let that happen. When Summer’s teenage insecurities come to a head, she uses Grandpa Rick’s alien tech to enhance her breasts, something that goes horribly wrong, Beth’s own Daddy issues getting in the way of actually helping. The whole sub-plot, riddled with humour, sees Morty once again as the voice of reason, something he’s become by default since Dad left.

Again, it’s all classic Rick and Morty: an upbeat sci-fi adventure turned sideways with smatterings of dark humour throughout (such as the child killing the other child when the shield goes down) mixed with the family’s various antics. Whilst the weekly spoofs of various action genres have been fun, there’s something truly brilliant when all five members of the Smith’s are on screen. Finger’s crossed, for Jerry’s sake, they all get back together soon.