‘Rick and Morty’ Season 4 Episode 1 review: The most mind-bending yet – Inverse

Cryptozoic and Cartoon Network Enterprises announced a new board game called Rick and Morty: The Morty Zone Dice Game Wednesday, confirming that its based on the premiere. Oh boy, youve done it now, the description reads. You grabbed a Death Crystal and can see all of your potential fates.

Death Crystals are indeed the main plot hook for the episode introduced almost immediately, allowing anyone who touches them to perceive how theyll die. But every decision a person makes alters their fate, so their death is always changing. Collecting these crystals is another shameless business venture of Ricks, but things go off the rails very quickly.

The cover of the dice game depicts Morty with a crystal on his forehead and eyes aglow with the same vest and gear on his body as we see in the Akira-type situation featured in the Season 4 trailer. Mortys transformation comments on toxic masculinity and why someone who hasnt even fully matured yet should never get too much power.

The way the episode incorporates this Death Crystal mechanic feels earth-shattering once things jump into high gear, but the story course-corrects to a sense of normalcy by the end as Rick and Morty often does making good on Beths promise in the final moments of the Season 3 finale that things will be like Season 1 but more streamlined.

Season 3 explored how Beth and Jerrys separation impacted their children, but after they reconciled with one another in the Season 3 finale, we began to see them in a happier marriage for the first time (in this reality, anyway).

Jerry moved back into the house, Beth found peace of mind despite doubts that she might be a clone, and a more wholesome vibe developed between all members of the family except for Rick. Everyone presents a united front against their mad scientist grandpa.

Dad, you cant talk to Jerry that way anymore, Beth said at the end of Season 3. Were a real family now. In many ways, things will be like Season 1 but more streamlined. Now Jerry and I are happily married parents, and the idea that I was motivated by a fear of you leaving can be eschewed.

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'Rick and Morty' Season 4 Episode 1 review: The most mind-bending yet - Inverse