Rick and Morty (season 2)

Rick and Morty (season 2)
DVD cover
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	10
Release
Original network	Adult Swim
Original release	July 26 – October 4, 2015

The second season of the animated television series Rick and Morty originally aired in the United States on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim, which premiered on July 26, 2015 with "A Rickle in Time", and concluded on October 4 with "The Wedding Squanchers". This season aired a total of ten episodes.

Production

In January 2014, the series was renewed for a second season that began on July 26, 2015.^[1]

Wes Archer, Dominic Polcino, Bryan Newton and Juan Meza-Leon served as directors, while series co-creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, Matt Roller, David Phillips, Ryan Ridley, Mike McMahan, Tom Kauffman, Dan Guterman and Alex Rubens served as writers. All episodes in the first season originally aired in the United States on Adult Swim. All episodes are rated TV-14, with the exception of "Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate", which was rated TV-MA.

The second season has featured appearances from Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Paul F. Tompkins, Andy Daly, Jemaine Clement, Christina Hendricks, Patton Oswalt, Jim Rash, Alex Hirsch, Alan Tudyk, Tara Strong, Kevin Michael Richardson, Keith David, Matt Walsh, Kurtwood Smith, Stephen Colbert, Nathan Fielder, Werner Herzog, Gary Cole, Chelsea Kane, James Callis, Tricia Helfer, and Arin Hanson as well as the return of several of the season one guest stars such as Tom Kenny and Rob Paulsen.

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
12	1	"A Rickle in Time"	Wes Archer	Matt Roller	July 26, 2015	2.12[2]
Six months after the events of "Ricksy Business", Rick, Morty, and Summer unfreeze time, but because the three of them were displaced from time for months, the kids' uncertainty about their relationship with Rick causes time to break, splitting into two separate timelines in a decaying, Schrödinger's cat-filled dimension, that both does and does not exist. Meanwhile, Beth and Jerry go out for ice cream and end up hitting a deer. Jerry questions Beth's ability to save it, so they make their way to an animal hospital. Upon arriving it is revealed that the deer was shot by a hunter, just prior to being hit by the car, and the hunter is claiming it for his own. Beth is able to save the deer's life and release him, to the delight of a nearby Native American. Rick manages to sync his grandchildren with their counterparts, but he loses his sync when he attempts to remerge the timelines, causing another fracture that attracts the notice of an all-powerful, fourth-dimensional being. The being makes collars for the trio that re-merges the humans' timelines, but then attempts to arrest them as Rick's device was powered by a stolen crystal. Rick, Morty, and Summer break their collars, and use uncertainty to break time further, allowing Rick to beat up the being simultaneously across multiple timelines. Morty's collar's latch is broken so Rick sacrifices himself, and gives Morty his collar, as the dimension they are in is crumbling around them. Rick is in the process of accepting his fate, when he manages to find and fix Morty's collar, at the last second. Post-Credit Scene: The being and his friend beat up Albert Einstein (whom they mistook for Rick) for messing with time. After they leave, Einstein swears revenge on the two beings and comes up with formula E=mc². Guest starring: Keegan-Michael Key as 5th Dimension Testicle Monster #1, Jordan Peele as 5th Dimension Testicle Monster #2 and Paul F. Tompkins as Hunter's Lawyer.
13	2	"Mortynight Run"	Dominic Polcino	David Phillips	August 2, 2015	2.19[3]
During a flying lesson, Rick and Morty realize that Jerry has stowed-away. After dropping Jerry off at an unregistered, cross-temporal daycare designed specifically for Jerrys by another Rick, Rick sells an antimatter gun to Krombopulous Michael, an alien assassin. Rick reveals he sold the gun to afford an afternoon at a video arcade "Blips & Chitz", including a game called "Roy" that simulates an entire human life. Morty, upset by Rick's immoral decision, goes about stopping Krombopulous Michael from killing his target. After accidentally crushing the assassin with his poor piloting, Morty is introduced to the assassin's target, who assumes the name "Fart". Morty insists on freeing Fart and helping him get back to the wormhole he came through to return him to his race. Government forces give chase, leading to a shoot out with lots of civilian casualties, and Rick arguing that none of these people would have died if Morty hadn't interfered with Krombopulous Michael. After returning Fart to the wormhole to his home planet, Fart reveals his plan to return with his race and "cure" all carbon based life forms from the universe. Morty is then forced to make a moral decision, and kills his friend using the antimatter gun. Meanwhile, Jerry socializes with many other Jerrys at the Jerry day care, including a group left indefinitely at the centre as their respective Ricks and Morties never returned. Jerry tries to leave the centre on his out from defiance, but after wandering confusing and horrible alien streets eventually returns before being picked up at the end of the day. Post-Credit Scene: It's a promotional ad for "Blips & Chitz". Guest starring: Andy Daly as Krombopulos Michael, Jemaine Clement as Fart
14	3	"Auto Erotic Assimilation"	Bryan Newton	Ryan Ridley	August 9, 2015	1.94[4]
Rick, Morty, and Summer follow a distress signal to a planet occupied by Unity, Rick's ex-lover, an organism that has assimilated all individuals on the planet and intends to do the same to the rest of the universe, through the use of its hive mind. During Rick's time there, the planet is visited by a second hive mind, Beta 7, who clearly has a crush on Unity. Summer finds it unethical, but changes her mind when several individuals regain their identities and start a race war. After being rescued, Morty and Summer return to Earth while Rick stays with Unity, but Unity decides to leave him for its own good. Meanwhile, Beth and Jerry find an underground room built by Rick in the garage, containing a slug-like creature chained to the wall. As they argue about Rick's motives for keeping the creature there, it breaks free and tells them that it is a murderous, baby-eating, disease-carrying monster, but has decided to leave Earth due to his irritation with Beth and Jerry's arguing. Rick later returns home apathetic, brings a small creature to life and then kills it, and verges on killing himself with the same laser in the garage before passing out. Post-Credit Scene: Rick attempts to contact Unity only to be blocked by Beta 7, telling him he is "classified as a hostile entity". Guest starring: Christina Hendricks as Unity, Patton Oswalt as Beta 7
15	4	"Total Rickall"	Juan Meza-Leon	Mike McMahan	August 16, 2015	1.96[5]
While the family is eating breakfast, Rick kills an alien parasite who was posing as a brother of Jerry, "Uncle Steve". They are also revealed to have an unusual new friend called Mr Poopy Butthole who they all accept as a longtime friend. Rick then warns the family that they might be infested with alien parasites, which are capable of creating and manipulating memories to convince their hosts that they have always been longtime acquaintances. To prevent the spread of the parasites, Rick locks down the entire house, behind security shutters. More and more parasites appear as different zany characters introduced during flashbacks (including but not limited to Beth's "real husband" Sleepy Gary, the family butler Mr. Beauregard, Frankenstein's Monster, Pencilvester, Tinkles the Fairy Lamb, and the Reverse Giraffe) and try to convince Rick and the family to lift the lock-down. The parasites also begin sowing mistrust among the family that they might be the parasites. Most of the family is quickly swayed by the parasites, while Rick begins to question his own sense of reality. Finally, on his way to execute Rick as a believed parasite, Morty comes to the realization that while the parasites can manipulate memories, they can only create positive memories. The family is then able to confirm each other's existence, due to the various negative memories they have of each other, and begins killing all of the parasites of whom they are unable to recall negative memories. The group sits down to dinner afterwards, but Beth, still believing him to be a parasite, shoots Mr. Poopy Butthole, revealing him as a real friend all along. Beth sneaks away, devastated by her mistake, and begins drinking. Post-Credit Scene: It is revealed that Mr. Poopy Butthole survived the incident and is going through physical therapy when he turns away the visiting family, because he doesn't want to see them. He tells his physical therapist to apologize on his behalf for the family having no bad memories of him. Beth is still devastated at her mistake as Rick comforts her. Rick then closes out the scene with one of his catchphrases. Guest starring: Keith David as Reverse Giraffe, Matt Walsh as Sleepy Gary
16	5	"Get Schwifty"	Wes Archer	Tom Kauffman	August 23, 2015	2.12[6]
A massive alien head appears over the Earth, interfering with Earth's gravity and spawning several global disasters in the process. When the head exclaims, "Show me what you got," Rick travels to The Pentagon to inform the President of the United States that the alien head is a Cromulon, and it seeks a live performance of a catchy new song. Unfortunately, an earthquake hit the Grammy Awards presentation, killing all of Earth's most famous musicians (including but not limited to Pharrell Williams, Randy Newman, Billy Corgan, and The-Dream) with the exception of Ice-T. In desperation, Rick and Morty compose and perform the song "Get Schwifty". The head is pleased and transports the entire Earth to an intergalactic musical competition, viewed by more Cromulons, where the losers' planets are obliterated. Rick and Morty team up with Ice-T to compose a new song, but Morty panics and steals Rick's portal device to save his family. Ice-T reveals himself to be a jaded alien and leaves Rick alone. Jerry, Beth, and Summer get involved with a religious cult whose beliefs are based on their coincidental and incorrect interpretation of the actions of the Cromulons. Morty gets lost and traverses several portal openings, eventually stumbling onto Bird Person's world. Bird Person encourages Morty to have faith in Rick and sends him back to Earth. The Cromulons disqualify Earth, but Ice-T returns and saves the planet from annihilation. Rick and Morty, back together again, perform a new hit song, satisfy the Cromulons, and win the contest. Meanwhile, the alien head cult quickly disbands after realizing it was all a musical reality show. Post-Credit Scene: Ice-T returns to his home planet, Alphabetrium. His father rewards his heroic actions on Earth by lifting his exile and returning him to his true water form. When Alphabetrium is attacked by the Numbericons, "Water-T" rushes out to battle the invaders. The scene is then revealed to be an action movie promo. Guest starring: Keith David as the President of the United States, Kurtwood Smith as General Nathan
17	6	"The Ricks Must Be Crazy"	Dominic Polcino	Dan Guterman	August 30, 2015	1.91[7]
While heading to get ice cream in an alternative Earth universe with Morty and Summer, Rick's car won't start, so he and Morty attempt to fix it by journeying into the battery. Rick leaves Summer alone in the car waiting for their return, instructing the car to "Keep Summer safe." Inside the battery, Morty learns that it contains a miniature universe -- a "micro-verse" -- created by Rick, and inhabited by intelligent life, which Rick has provided with manual electricity generators. They happily direct the excess into a volcano, which powers Rick's car. Rick dismisses Morty's protest that enslaving a world is wrong. They learn that the power has been interrupted because the micro-verse world's smartest scientist, Zeep Xanflorp, has created a technology that makes the manual electricity generators obsolete: a battery exactly like Rick's, containing a "mini-verse." Zeep escorts Rick and Morty into the battery. Rick protests that enslaving a world is wrong, just as Morty did, and Zeep dismisses him, just as Rick did. Inside the mini-verse, they find a scientist who is working on his own miniature battery universe, a "tiny-verse." Zeep then starts to give the same "enslaving a world is wrong" speech, only to realize what Rick has done to his world and starts fighting him. During this the mini-verse scientist realizes his efforts to create a tiny-verse are meaningless and commits suicide, destroying his transporter and stranding Rick, Morty, and Zeep inside the tiny-verse battery in Zeep's mini-verse battery. In the main universe, a man approaches the car. Summer panics, and the car kills the man, gruesomely slicing him into many small pieces with a laser. Summer forbids the car from killing, so it paralyzes the next person to approach. When the police arrive and Summer forbids violence, the car manifests a duplicate of the dead son of one of the police officers, causing it to melt as he hugs it. Horrified, he and the police back up into a stand-off with the car. Summer forbids the car from psychologically damaging anyone, which the car complains is making its job of keeping her safe very difficult. Rick and Zeep sabotage each others' attempts to escape the battery, while Morty, sick of their childish fighting, chooses to live with the native tree people. Morty, now leader of the tree people, forces Rick and Zeep to cooperate to get them out of the tiny-verse, as much to escape from the debased and superstitious tree people as anything. After escaping, Zeep immediately seeks to betray Rick and trap him in his battery, leading to a chase. The three all leap Zeep's battery, and Rick immediately breaks it, killing all its inhabitants. The race resumes to escape Rick's battery; at one point Rick tells Morty that he injected him with nanobots that allow him to turn into a car, only to find a taxi before Morty gets the chance to transform. After a final unarmed fight out of honour, Rick and Morty escape the battery, trapping Zeep in it. Back in the main universe, the car has negotiated a peace treaty between that multi-verse's human and telepathic spider populations as the only way to keep Summer safe. Rick confidently starts the car, blithely pointing out that Zeep knows that if the battery ever stops working, Rick will just destroy it and create another. The inhabitants of the micro-verse are now grimly aware of their enslavement, but will never rebel. Rick, Summer, and Morty, now able to drive to get ice cream, realize that Summer's peace negotiation has ruined the experience as all food contains flies so as to be "telepathic spider-inclusive". Post-Credit Scene: Morty is daydreaming in math class and suddenly turns into a red car. Guest starring: Stephen Colbert as Zeep Xanflorp and Nathan Fielder as Suicidal Mini-Verse Alien.
18	7	"Big Trouble in Little Sanchez"	Bryan Newton	Alex Rubens	September 13, 2015	1.97[8]
At breakfast, Summer suggests that Rick transform into a younger body and come to school to help deal with a vampire threat. Jerry and Beth bicker, and Rick says they should either get counseling or a divorce. Rick drops them off at the best marriage counselors in the universe (Nuptia Ford), where Glaxo Slimslom connects them to a machine that scans their brains and produces physical manifestations of their visions of each other. Jerry's vision of Beth is a towering megalomanic insectoid vaguely reminiscent of the Xenomorphs from Alien, while Beth's vision of Jerry is an ultra-pliable, servile worm. Rick shows up at Morty and Summer's school in a teenage body, calling himself Tiny Rick. They dispatch the responsible vampire, Coach Feratu, at school off-camera, but Tiny Rick has become popular and stays. However, through various performances and drawings, Tiny Rick communicates that he is frustrated in his teenage body, and longs to return to his older self. Beth and Jerry's visions of each other cooperate to escape their enclosure, carving a bloody path through the facility. Glaxo Slimslom escapes, leaving Beth and Jerry behind. The Beth vision captures Beth and secures her in the vision machine with a steel bar to generate more Jerry worms for an army. Jerry is chased by the Jerry vision, but after effortlessly browbeating it he resolves to rescue Beth. When Jerry stands up to the Beth vision, the Jerry visions produced by the machine become normal Jerries and fight the slug creatures; similarly, when Jerry fights hard the visions become stronger and more capable as Beth's impression of Jerry improves, and when he stops to boast the Jerrys are self-congratulative and idle. To free Beth from the machine, Jerry gets an inspiration and puts the machine's helmet on a strong Jerry vision. Because the strong Jerry is Beth's ideal version of Jerry, his impression of Beth is even more ideal: a glowing, angelic being that easily destroys the monster Beth. Summer has Tiny Rick expelled from school for killing the gym coach. At home, she and Morty manage to return Rick to his old body, after reminding him who is really is. He then reveals multiple other cloned bodies of himself at various younger ages, and immediately slaughters the lot of them with an axe, calling his project a failure and gleefully celebrating his old age. Post-Credit Scene: The lead vampire receives a status report. Upon hearing that Coach Feratu was killed, he rails against vampires using names that give away their status as vampires, and suggests that they just use regular, plain names. He then bloodily feeds on a young woman. Guest starring: Jim Rash as Glaxo Slimslom, Alex Hirsch as Toby Matthews
19	8	"Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate"	Juan Meza-Leon	Dan Guterman, Ryan Ridley & Justin Roiland	September 20, 2015	1.79[9]
After eating a pint of Cherry Garcia that Rick was using to store a virulent bacteria he was experimenting on, Jerry is rushed to an alien hospital to be treated. As the doctors operate on Jerry, the rest of the family goes into the waiting room, where they watch various inter-dimensional television programs after Rick does the same cable trick he did in "Rixty Minutes." Meanwhile, Jerry is approached by an alien delegation, who inform him that his penis can be converted into a replacement heart for Shrimply Pibbles, the galaxy's most famous civil rights activist. Jerry, desperate to be liked and offended that the aliens believe he won't be willing to donate his penis, rashly agrees to the operation. However, he quickly gets second thoughts and attempts to bring in Beth to refuse the treatment on his behalf. Beth, however, is enticed by the range of prosthetic penises the hospital is willing to provide and tells Jerry the decision is up to him. Jerry then finds out Pibbles is a heroin addict and reveals this at a press conference, only to be told that Pibbles' species requires heroin to survive. The aliens deduce that Jerry is trying to back out of the donation, and he quickly becomes the most hated man in the galaxy. The entire galaxy immediately donates enough money to the hospital to build a prosthetic heart for Pibbles. Jerry, desperate not to be hated by the galaxy, holds the doctors hostage and demands they go through with the transplant procedure. Jerry is shot dead by security, but is revived thanks to alien medical technology. Beth berates Jerry for his irrational need to be liked by everybody and the family returns home. Post-Credit Scene: Jerry sneaks into Rick's cupboard, where he takes out a box of alien Eyeholes cereal (a bizarre product marketed in one interdimensional advert) only for the Eyehole Man to burst through the window and begin relentlessly beating him for eating his Eyeholes. As Morty and Summer try to get the Eyehole Man off of Jerry, Rick scolds Jerry for performing this action and puts the Eyeholes back into his cupboard. As the Eyehole Man continues to beat up Jerry, Morty asks Rick why he has the box of Eyeholes in his cupboard. Guest starring: Werner Herzog as Alien in Wheelchair, Gary Cole as Jerry's Doctor
20	9	"Look Who's Purging Now"	Dominic Polcino	Dan Harmon, Ryan Ridley & Justin Roiland	September 27, 2015	1.89[10]
After running out of windshield wiper fluid, Rick and Morty go to a planet where they learn that the peaceful local populace are preparing for the "Festival", an annual event where the people are free to commit crimes for one night without consequence, as a way to vent their violent tendencies (an event Rick compares to The Purge and The Purge: Anarchy). Rick decides to stay to observe the purge, while Morty is against the entire concept. Morty forces Rick to rescue one of the aliens, a young girl named Arthricia, before she is attacked. However, Arthricia betrays them and steals Rick's gun and spaceship, leaving Rick and Morty to fend for themselves. Back on Earth, Jerry's attempts to bond with Summer are interrupted by a call from Rick asking for a beacon to be sent to them. Rick and Morty find a lighthouse to improve the beacon's signal strength. The peaceful lighthouse owner asks only that Morty listen to "his tale", a poorly written screenplay. Morty is initially polite, but the lighthouse owner pushes him for a critique - the moment Morty is honest, the lighthouse owner becomes indignant and orders Rick to remove the beacon. Morty loses his temper and shoves the lighthouse owner, who falls down a flight of stairs to his death. When the beacon arrives, Rick and Morty receive a pair of advanced power armor suits sent by Summer. Morty goes on a rampage (to the tune of "Feels Good" by Tony! Toni! Toné!), finally releasing his pent up anger and killing every alien he sees before finding Arthricia. She pleads with them that she only stole their spaceship to kill the corrupt nobility who implemented the purge system in the first place. Rick knocks out a still angry Morty and helps Arthricia execute the nobles before leaving. However, within seconds of Rick and Morty leaving the planet, rioting breaks out over disagreements about how its new society should be arranged stemming from one alien asking for a loaf of bread, and the group only settles because of an oscillating debate between socialistic and entrepeneurial models. When Morty feels guilty over the aliens he's killed, Rick lies to him that the chemicals in a candy bar he had eaten caused him to go on the rampage, even though the wrapper shows that the product is "purgenol free". Post-Credit Scene: Jerry is forced to admit to Beth that he had wasted all of his money on a paid service where he could talk with another person over the phone. Beth tells Jerry to get a job. Guest starring: Chelsea Kane as Arthricia
21	10	"The Wedding Squanchers"	Wes Archer	Tom Kauffman	October 4, 2015	1.84[11]
After Rick receives a wedding invitation from Birdperson via intergalactic parcel delivery, Jerry is accidentally sent, using that same service, to the wedding destination. In order to retrieve Jerry, Rick is forced to attend his best friend's wedding on a distant planet along with the rest of the family, despite his objections. During the reception the bride reveals herself to be a Galactic Federation agent, kills Birdperson, and has numerous agents attack the guests, most of whom - like Birdperson and Rick - are wanted terrorists. Rick is able to get the family out of the wedding safely, but they are unable to return to Earth as the Federation would be looking for them there. The family hides out on a very small planet which is one of only three possible Earth-like choices (with one orbiting a screaming sun and the other where all life and geography was "on the cob") outside the Federation's reach. As Rick leaves to explore the planet, Jerry suggests to Morty, Beth, and Summer that they should return to Earth and turn Rick in citing Rick's selfishness. However, the rest of the family defends Rick saying that they want to stay with him, unconditionally, out of love. Rick hears all this from under the floor. After convincing Morty that he is leaving to go get ice cream, Rick leaves the planet, calls the Federation, and turns himself in while freeing his family from a life on the run. The Galactic Federation rescues the family and they are returned to Earth, which has now joined the Federation and is infested with alien tourists. After being told many times to get a job, Jerry finally is assigned a job by the Federation upon returning to Earth and heads to where he will be assigned his job. Post-Credit Scene: Mr. Poopy Butthole is shown watching the credits while still recuperating from his injury that occurred in "Total Rickall." After receiving his pizza delivery, Mr. Poopy Butthole implores the viewers to tune in "in a year and a half or longer" in order to see how the cliffhanger is resolved in season 3. Guest starring: Arin Hanson as Cyborg Photographer, James Callis as Tammy's Dad, Tricia Helfer as Tammy's Mom

Home release

The second season was released on DVD (Region 1) and Blu-ray on June 7, 2016.

References

1. Adult Swim (May 14, 2015). "'Twitter'". Twitter. Adult Swim. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
2. Kondolojy, Amanda. "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'I am Cait' Tops Night + 'Naked & Afraid XL', 'Rick & Morty', 'True Detective', NASCAR, 'Ballers' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
3. Bibel, Sara. "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Rick and Morty' & 'Naked and Afraid XL', Win Night, 'True Detective', 'The Last Ship', 'Ballers', 'The Strain', 'Ray Donovan' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
4. "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'True Detective' Tops Night + 'Naked and Afraid XL', 'Rick and Morty', 'Ballers', & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
5. Sara, Bibel. "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Naked and Afraid XL' Wins Night, 'Rick & Morty', 'Ballers', 'The Last Ship', 'The Strain', 'Ray Donovan' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
6. "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Fear the Walking Dead' Tops Night + 'Talking Dead', 'Naked & Afraid', 'Rick and Morty' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
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8. "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Fear The Walking Dead' Tops Night + 'Rick & Morty', 'The Strain', NFL Countdown & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
9. Metcalf, Mitch. "SHOWBUZZDAILY'S Top 100 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 9.20.2015". Showbuzzdaily. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
10. Metcalf, Mitch. "SHOWBUZZDAILY'S Top 100 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 9.27.2015". Showbuzzdaily. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
11. Metcalf, Mitch. "SHOWBUZZDAILY'S Top 100 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 10.4.2015". Showbuzzdaily. Retrieved October 6, 2015.