Rick and Morty season 3 episode 7 review: Atlantis, here we come!

**Spoilers for 'The Ricklantis Mix-up’ ahead**

Rick and Morty shines brightest when taking a concept and flying all the way to the Cygnus-5 expanse with it. Season three offers some perfect examples, ‘Pickle Rick’ being the most prominent and possibly funniest (although, nearly every episode has been excellent). ‘The Ricklantis Mix-up’ takes things one step further.

Rather than focus on our Rick and Morty, the episode decides to completely ignore their self-contained adventure to Atlantis (gotta love the misdirection), instead offering a deeply unsettling look at the newly rebuilt Citadel of Ricks where Ricks cannot Rick and Mortys cannot Mort.

By following four main storylines — Cop Morty, Worker Rick, Slick Morty, and President Morty — we explore almost everything that happens at the Citadel, coming to truly understand why our Rick, the Rickest of all the Ricks, despises the place.

The main story concerns President Morty, AKA Evil Morty (finally, we can all leave behind those theories about our Morty actually being Evil Morty). It’s difficult not to draw comparisons with modern day politics within the storyline: as anyone who follows the news could tell you, there are some deep divisions across the world right now. Evil Morty tackles division head-on, calling for union between Ricks and Mortys, going from the underdog candidate to becoming the President, but only marginally. Sounds almost familiar.

The bleak solution, as seen during the last moments, is killing those who wish to divide the world. That includes Constable Morty, the crooked cop who works with mob bosses (Big Morty), decides to kill Mortys, and blames everything on other Mortys. The Cop Morty story works fantastically well, delving into the previously unseen darkness of the Citadel of Ricks where Mortys run wild, their minds programmed for a Rick they no longer have.

Clearly, Mortys need a Rick that fits, including Cop Morty, who needs someone to make him obey the law. Slick Morty further helps prove the point. Without a Rick, the Morty ends up jumping into the Wishing Well/rubbish portal. Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland have never shied away from dealing with heavy subjects, and having the unselfish-yet-moody Morty give up life wishing for a better world comes as a dark twist.

Finally, there’s Worker Rick, who makes biscuits from Simple Rick’s memories. It’s perhaps the saddest story of them all: a Rick constrained by the system, knowing deep inside what being a true Rick means but unable to act upon those urges. Another twist, as the almost suicidal Rick gets turned into the new Simple Rick. Does Worker Rick find true happiness, being sedated to relive the same happy memory over and over again? Perhaps that’s all any Rick needs.

Thanks to the interweaving stories, the episode zooms by while touching upon all the issues Rick and Morty does best: the value (or worthlessness) of life, manufactured happiness, how Rick and Morty need each other.

Written at breakneck speed, the jokes, as always, come thick and fast. Yet, there’s an overriding sense that everything’s terrible. The Citadel’s run by Evil Morty, for Rick’s sake. And although I’m left feeling pretty f**king terrible about life, I cannot help but adore ‘The Ricklantis Mix-up’ for taking this batsh*t crazy multi-dimensional idea and running away with it. That’s just why I love Rick and Morty, because it goes where many TV shows wouldn’t and this episode sums that up almost perfectly. Another stellar addition to an already excellent season.