‘Rick and Morty’ Recap Season 3, Episode 4: A Literal Call to Adventure

As far as Rick and Morty episodes go, “Vindicator 3: The Return of Worldender” is fairly by the books. At its core, the episode follows the same pattern we’ve come to know and expect— Rick and Morty (Justin Roiland) embark on a crazy, high-concept sci-fi adventure, things go wrong both because of Rick’s genius and his alcoholism, and we leave not knowing whether Rick is the hero or the villain. However, Season 3’s Avengers parody works so well because the show has established all of these themes before. “Vindicator 3” isn’t so much a conversation about Rick’s morality. It’s a painful reflection of his lack of morality and invincibility hidden under a layer of smart superhero mockery.

There’s something biting and brilliant about the show introducing its “third” Vindicator adventure with the amount of confidence it does. Though we know nothing about this team of superheroes and even less about how Rick and Morty came to know them, the series presents them as certainly as it presents well-known characters like Summer (Spencer Grammer). This may be the first time we’ve ever met The Vindicators, but because of franchises like The Avengers and whatever DC is trying to pull off, we already have a script for these characters and know their story.

Episode 4 is packed with superhero jabs, from Rick’s suspicions that he could take care of a year of the team’s work in a couple of hours to the revelation that Vindicators 2 killed off three heroes of color, a criticism that hits hard in a pop culture landscape still dominated by white heroes. Even starting with the third Vindicator adventure as opposed to the first mocks the predictability of superhero movies, which is something Dan Harmon took shots at back in his Community days. However, as usual Rick sums up the show’s criticism of superhero movies best. In response to Morty fanboying about The Vindicators’ beacon, Rick says, “They’re the writers of their own press releases, Morty. They’re a bunch of drama queens that spend an hour talking and 20 minutes jumping around while shit blows up. They’re a phase. We did one. It was the big event of that summer. Let it die.” Ouch.

But as is always the case with this deceptively smart series, “Vindicator 3”s super-powered adventure is nothing more than a backdrop for another deep dive into Rick’s unpredictability and darkness. The Vindicators have summoned Rick and Morty to defeat the show’s answer to Marvel’s Thanos, Worldender. However, that threat is soon replaced by something even more disturbing — Rick’s alcoholism. While in the middle of a blackout, Rick managed to defeat one of the greatest foes in the galaxy and devise several elaborate, Saw-like challenges devised to either insult The Vindicators or kill them all. The result is as cruel and bloody as you’d expect.

Rick has always been a deeply impressive and deeply disturbing character, able to build inventions and devise plans that make the show’s science look like magic. However, Season 3’s Rick is more than just a mad scientist. He’s practically a god. “The Rickshank Rickdemption” started with Rick destroying most of the Citadel of Ricks and the Galactic Federation while escaping from prison, a mass loss of life that was taken with seemingly minimal effort and less hesitation. “Pickle Rick” saw that same combination of genius and disregard for life on a smaller scale. “Vindicators 3” shows the ultimate extension of this arrogance, quite literally turning Rick into a villain. As A.V. Club’s Zach Handlen pointed out in his recap for the episode, you can argue that Supernova (Gillian Jacobs) is evil in this superhero saga, but the main bad guy is indisputably Rick.

While Rick is becoming darker and more powerful, Morty is allowed to grow this episode. “Vindicators 3” doesn’t go off the rails when it comes to portraying Morty’s intelligence. He has some overly optimistic, bordering on naive lines that are classic Morty, and though he has his own heart-warming conclusion in mind, he’s unable to figure out the ending of drunk Rick’s plan. Instead this is a version of Morty that has learned from his abusive, distant, and constantly drunk grandfather, for better or for worse. It’s funny and oddly uplifting to see Morty act as the episode’s intellectual guide for once, but it’s also bleak. His deadpan responses about how no one is special or different and his knowledge of Rick’s (cringe-worthy) opinions on Israel prove that Morty has spent way too much time with his grandfather, and it’s starting to wear on him. Season 1’s Morty may have been stupider, but he at least seemed happier.

“Vindicators 3” is such an exercise in Rick’s ability to manipulate and destroy everything he touches when The Vindicators start attacking one another, it almost feels expected. Likewise, when Supernova escapes after killing two of her teammates and almost murdering Rick and Morty, there’s no panic in her escape, not in the same way that Tammy’s return prompted. Simultaneously destroying one of the universe’s greatest foes, wiping out a team of superheroes, making a new superpowered enemy, and planning an epic party with Logic all while blackout drunk is just another day in Rick’s life. That’s as hilarious as it is horrifying.

New episodes of Rick and Morty premiere on Adult Swim Sundays at 11:30 p.m. ET.

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