The Curicksous Case of Bethjamin Button

I said in my review of the last episode of "Rick and Morty" that season eight had, in my opinion, served two poor episodes, two good ones and one that was 50/50, so this episode would be the one to break tie and I'm happy to say that I thought this was a real return to form.

Both feeling a sense of dissatisfaction with their lives, Beth and Space Beth (Sarah Chalke) use an anti-aging booth to revert to their ten-year-old selves, having forgotten that, at that age, they were psychotic tearaways. Meanwhile, Rick (Ian Cardoni), Morty (Harry Belden), Summer (Spencer Grammer) and Jerry (Chris Parnell) head to "Earth World" a notoriously low rent and dangerous Earth themed theme park that Rick has visited before. He's disgusted to learn that the park has had a corporate makeover since his last visit and the creator Dr. Dogballs (Danny DeVito) has been removed.

In every episode of this season, I've be-moaned the departure from the classic "A" and "B" storyline model that was utilised so well in earlier seasons, well finally it's back! And used to good effect in this one where Rick is the only real crossover between the two adventures. Admittedly the Earth World storyline, of a theme park gone awry is one that the show has done before, more than once, but there was some decent comedy in this one with random 'mascots' becoming crazed killers.

It's not a first few season classic, by any means, but it's another tick in season eights "good" column.

I never thought I'd feel this way about Rick and Morty again. Season 3 was the peak for me - since then, the show's been clever but never truly moving. But this episode? It shattered me.

Without spoiling anything, I can only say this: it's not just funny, it's honest. There's something quietly powerful about the way it unfolds. It made me laugh, then made me cry - not out of sadness, but because something deep clicked. Like the show remembered what made it special in the first place.

This isn't just a return to form. It's a reminder that behind all the sci-fi chaos, Rick and Morty still has the heart to reach you when you least expect it.

10/10 - for the feeling I didn't know I missed.

I'm used to Rick and Morty delivering a few bangers every season sprouted with a couple mediocre episodes here are there. This episode wasn't half bad it was good but not great. The whole Beth was a animal murderer and sadist as a kid was quickly overlooked as a gag; when I'm not sure you can use something that gruesome as a gag? The whole HumanWorld plot twist was done a million times over by the show's creators I'm not impressed. Hopefully the elite writers took over for episodes 7-10 because apart from episode 1 the rest of the season has been pretty medicore. The Father daughter sentiment was quite nice at the end of the episode but the whole two Beths thing still urks me. Pretending this weird ass Space Beth is normal cog of the show is peculiar to me. I liked the show better when they were separate and not together like before season 7.

Rick and Morty has lost its spark without Justin Roiland. His iconic voice acting for Rick and Morty was pitch-perfect, infusing every line with chaotic energy and wit that defined the show's charm. Beyond vocals, Roiland's creative input shaped the wild, inventive plots that hooked fans. The new voices feel flat, lacking the manic brilliance he brought. Storylines now feel formulaic, missing his unpredictable genius. The show's soul is gone, replaced by a hollow imitation. Fans deserve better than this sanitized version. Bring back Roiland's magic! Bring him back and fix this train wreck of a show.

Rick and Morty is not about bloody plots. It's about bringing audiences the stories of these two characters. For example, how they interact with each other, how they face different challenges together. To me, it's not just a simple animation. It's educational at the same time.

It really doesn't matter if the episode's really funny. The directors of this animation are trying to tell people that aspirations not only come from the reality but also from something seems not close to our daily lives. It's a cliché to say Rick and Morty broaden our horizons and develop our creativity. In a brief, I would summarize this animation as fantasy of family challenges.