Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Rick & Morty: Season 5, Episode 5 Post-Credits Scene Explained

WARNING: The following contains SPOILERS for Rick and Morty season 5, episode 5.

Rick & Morty season 5 episode 5 has important plots for all of the Smith family - but what was the purpose of its post-credits scene? Adult Swim's sci-fi comedy show is at its best when focusing on parodying conventional media by placing them in even more outlandish situations that they already exist in - exemplified best by "Amortycan Grickfitti". The episode managed to parody both the naturally surreal Cenobites from the Hellraiser series in the adventure Rick took Jerry on, while also serving up a side of a Ferris Bueller's Day Off homage by having Morty and Summer attempt to befriend Bruce Chutback, the seemingly cool new kid at their school.

Unsurprisingly, both episodes conclude by lambasting every member of the Smith family for their actions; Rick begrudgingly apologizing to his son-in-law for weaponizing his cringy nature in a deal with the demons, and Summer and Morty refusing to leave Bruce to rot in space jail for the groups' misdeeds, explaining that Bruce had merely been their excuse to do what they had. Despite this personal growth, the episode ends with Chutback telling the pair he'd check how popular they were at school before solidifying his friendship with them - something that would make their friendship impossible given their social standing. However, Bruce's farewell to the pair - a decidedly weird "byezies" - leaves the siblings less than upset about a budding friendship with Chutback being unlikely, as it appears to contrast to them with the rest of his cool guy nature.

Related: Rick & Morty: Why Episode 4 Is Secretly Season 5's Most Clever Episode

This strange moment is actually foreshadowing of sorts for Rick & Morty season 5 episode 5's post-credits scene, where Chutback is shown lounging with the popular kids at school, who almost immediately begin making fun of him when they realize he's been wearing the same pants two days in a row. Bruce's humiliation is brought home with a short song, and then with him being beaten up by the sentient mailboxes he and the Smith kids had previously terrorized. This is a suitable send off to a character meant to parody the nebulous "cool dude" characters such as Ferris Bueller, and also serves another crucial purpose, as it reminds the audience that the film trope of inherently composed teenagers simply doesn't exist, as every teen is one unimportant detail away from being deemed a dork by other adolescents.

Chutback's fate also serves as a moment that links the two parallel plots of the episode together, as Morty and Summer watch the formerly cool Bruce be ousted from his position much in the same way Rick is forced to drop his facade in order to admit to Jerry he loves him. Indeed, Rick's entire speech at the end of the episode - where he admits that he thinks the only thing less cool than being uncool is celebrating being cooler than other people - essentially repeats the moral of Chutback's experience in the episode.

Rick & Morty naturally makes fun of people a lot throughout the series, as it's a fundamental element of any parody. This makes the moments where it imparts moral lessons potentially even more impactful, as they're not born out of necessity as with some children's cartoons, but rather from a simple desire to communicate a message to the audience. A message that is communicated via a minute-long song making fun of an imaginary boy who just gained the nickname Chutpants, admittedly - but balancing comedy with reality has long been Rick & Morty's favorite hobby.

Next: Rick & Morty Season 5 Fixes Its Most Problematic Character



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July 20, 2021 at 12:19AM

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