Episode no. Season 1
Episode 1 Original air date December 2, 2013 | Directed by Justin Roiland ← Previous
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Written by Dan Harmon, Justin Roiland | ||
"Pilot" is the first episode of Rick and Morty. It premiered on Adult Swim on December 2, 2013. It is written by Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, and directed by Roiland. An alcoholic scientist, Rick, drags his innocent grandson Morty on a dangerous inter-dimensional adventure to fetch Mega tree seeds. The pilot had a mixed to positive reception and was seen by about 1.1 million viewers when airing.
Contents
Plot
Rick establishes himself as a bad influence on his grandson Morty when it is discovered that Morty has missed a semester of school in the time he's spent on adventures with Rick. Rick takes Morty to another dimension, known as Dimension 35-C, which has the perfect conditions for growing "Mega Trees", which Rick requires for his research. In order to get past intergalactic customs, Morty hides the Mega Tree seeds in his rectum, but when their cover is blown, Rick and Morty escape while engaging in a shootout with bureaucratic alien insects. Ultimately, the seeds are used to briefly make Morty highly intelligent, causing his parents to believe he is fine with his education. This, however, wastes the seeds' energy, so Rick informs Morty that they need to go back and get more, while their aftereffects leave Morty writhing on the floor.
Reception
Zach Handlen of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B+ rating, stating that "[the viewer is] never allowed to forget the dark implications of Rick’s ambitions. Which means there are still stakes, which makes the jokes funnier and keeps the stories interesting." ScreenRant's Jason Tabrys was overall positive in his review of the episode, drawing comparisons to Doctor Who and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, some of Harmon's inspirations.