Carol and the End of the World & Rick and Morty Connection Explained

Carol & The End of The World Rick and Morty: Martha Kelly as Carol
Credit: Netflix Animation

Carol & The End of The World Rick and Morty: Martha Kelly as Carol
Credit: Netflix Animation

Who says cartoons are for kids? In Netflix's case, some of its animated shows are not for kids. Take for example Carol & The End of The World and Rick and Morty these two shows are prime examples of what not to let young kids watch.

But what are these shows about and what is the connection between them? Here's what you need to know.

What is The Connection Between Carol & The End of The World and Rick and Morty?

Carol & The End of The World Rick and Morty
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Credit: Williams Street Harmonious | Claptrap Starburns Industries (seasons 1–2) | Justin Roiland's Solo Vanity Card Productions (seasons 1–7) | Rick and Morty, LLC. (seasons 2–3) | Green Portal Productions

Carol & The End of The World and Rick and Morty are two animated shows written by Dan Guterman.

Early in his career, Guterman contributed scripts for the famous Rick and Morty animated series. To be more specific, Guterman wrote the episodes The Ricks Must Be Crazy and Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate.

Meanwhile, the limited series, Carol & The End of The World, was created by Guterman. This is why these two shows have similar humor in them.

But as far as connecting the two shows, they do not seem to be direct competitors. The only two things that connect them are that they have the same writer and they are adult animation shows.

RELATED: Carol and The End of The World: Surfing Scene Explained

Why Did Dan Guterman Make Carol & The End of The World?

Carol & The End of The World Rick and Morty: Martha Kelly as Carol
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Credit: Netflix Animation

So what inspired Dan Guterman to make Carol & The End of The World? The creator revealed in an interview that the show is "a love letter to routine." He also refers to it as a "show about the comforts of monotony. An animated and existential comedy about the daily rituals that make up the gaps that make up a life."

Guterman also shared that he wanted to do something that "viewers had never seen before in an animated series." The creator took "influence from outside the animated world, and bring them into the show."

"We wanted to make something that mixed naturalism with surrealism. We had a goal to let moments linger, cascade, and blur into each other. Carol is 10 short films. It borrows from literature and live action and life. Nowhere else can you watch an animated series about a quiet and uncomfortable 42-year-old woman, adrift in the world. The show is a dreamscape, a fugue state. It’s melancholy and heartbreaking, but also hopeful and kind."

Carol & The End of The World follows the story of a 42-year-old woman who doesn't feel the need to go crazy with the upcoming end of the world. It's a beautiful story that makes you wonder how you, as the viewer, would react to the threat of an impending doom.

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