Rick and Morty Kicks Off New Season With Japanese Sci-Fi Homages


Wubba lubba dub dub! Rick and Morty is back with an all-new fourth season and has kicked it all off with several references to 2014's Edge of Tomorrow: Live Die Repeat and the Japanese sci-fi novel from which the film was based on, All You Need is Kill. Entitled "Edge of Tomorty: Rick Die Rickpeat," the episode is split between two story threads, with one for Rick and another for Morty.

The former bears more semblance to the Edge of Tomorrow/All You Need is Kill plotline, with Rick dying and being resurrected in a continuous cycle, but unlike in the movie where its protagonist always returns in the same timeframe, Rick's deaths and resurrections send him in various universes. In some of these worlds, fascism is a common trend. CBR reports that this may be a reference to the show's now-infamous fandom and may be read as a sort of commentary on their toxic presence online.

Morty's arch, on the other hand, goes against Rick's and zeroes in more on a parody of another manga and anime: Akira. In an attempt to pursue his ideal death, he goes against Rick together with his crush Jessica and uses Rick's technology to go haywire, similar to one plot point in Akira.

The show's lineup of titles reference to several other bodies of work and so far has homages to The Old Man and the Sea, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and even Battlestar Galactica. You may catch new episodes of Rick and Morty on Adult Swim on Sundays at 11:30 pm.

Related: New Rick and Morty Game Released Prior To Season 4 Premiere

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