Rick and Morty (S2E06): The Ricks Must Be Crazy
Rick and Morty Season 2, Episode 6, titled “The Ricks Must Be Crazy,” is a highly inventive and humorous exploration of complex scientific concepts, mainly nested universes and the ethics of creating and exploiting such realities.
In this episode, Rick and Morty venture into the microverse within Rick’s car battery, where Rick has created an entire universe (the microverse) to power his vehicle. The inhabitants of this microverse unknowingly generate power for Rick through their daily activities. The plot thickens when they discover that a scientist in the microverse has created a mini-microverse to power his own planet, unaware that he, in turn, is in a universe inside a car battery.
This episode brilliantly plays with the idea of nested realities and the ethical implications of creating universes for personal gain. Rick, as the creator of the microverse, faces a moral conundrum when his creations gain the capability to challenge his authority and purpose.
“The Ricks Must Be Crazy” also delves into themes of free will, manipulation, and the nature of reality. The episode is a satirical take on the god-complex and the philosophical implications of creation and power. It raises questions about the responsibility of creators towards their creations and the ethical limits of using sentient beings for personal benefits.
Common themes
The episode “The Ricks Must Be Crazy” from “Rick and Morty” aligns intriguingly with the concepts of infinity as explored on the Wheel of Heaven website. The episode’s narrative, centered on nested universes within Rick’s car battery, reflects the idea of an infinite, layered reality, resonating with the Wheel of Heaven’s portrayal of existence as endless and devoid of a central point or end.
This thematic alignment is further deepened by the episode’s exploration of the micro and macro realms, mirroring the Wheel of Heaven’s concept of infinite realms of life at varying scales, as well as the cyclical and repetitive nature of existence across all levels of the cosmos. The episode’s representation of these nested realities and the ethical implications of their creation and exploitation echoes the Wheel of Heaven’s contemplation on the infinite nature of existence and the human position within this continuum.