We’ve never meta Rick and Morty quip that didn’t make us literally LOL

One of the things that sets Rick and Morty apart is how much time is spent waiting for new seasons – the scarcity of episodes only seems to add to the appeal of this outrageous, twisted, downright funny show.

Season 4B is currently streaming, with all episodes now available on Showmax. And boy, is it a wild ride of sci-fi randomness and nihilism.

Episode 6 is probably one of the most meta storytelling episodes of the entire series – and that’s saying something, since Rick and Morty routinely breaks the fourth wall, the trademark of shows by Dan Harmon (who’s also the brains behind hit show Community).

Snowpiercer vibes with a touch of meta storytelling

The commentary in episode 6 is classic Rick and Morty – not only holding a mirror up to society, but packing some snide jokes made at the expense of clichéd storytelling devices.

This is a show that’s well aware of how popular it is. The writers know what fans want, and they deliver. It has its hand firmly on the pulse of popular culture, with episode 6 giving off some serious Snowpiercer vibes with its runaway train theme. The sheer unexpectedness of this episode makes it one of my favourites – it’s right up there with Pickle Rick.

And that’s exactly what makes the second half of Season 4 so great. In a show that’s outright bonkers, like huffing-break-fluid-from-a-crashed-alien-ship bonkers, we expect it to feel – well, unexpected. But it goes way beyond not being dull. The writing always feels as sharp as a space wasp and as fresh as newly forged beige clay beings from planet Gaia (see episode 9).

This season sees a lot more of Rick and Morty sci-fi-ish adventures, with Summer making the odd appearance – in one episode, she is worshiped as a queen by face-hugging aliens (what would a sci-fi show be without face-hugging aliens?!).

On-brand weirdness that’s the perfect salve for a world gone mad

Each warped episode in this much-loved show stands alone quite well – they could be stories about any of the other Ricks and Mortys from any of the other universes. But the Smiths and their strange (but completely identifiable) family dynamic is the golden thread that pulls everything together.

Morty is still resentful of Jerry – who’s currently unemployed. Beth is doing the most to gain her father’s approval. And we can’t help but wonder whether Summer’s acerbic remarks are a sign of all the time she’s spent with her grandfather.

There’s a recurrent theme that runs through this season, among the dark and twisted humour and often disturbing plot lines. It’s like the writers are giving us the message that, whether it’s knowing your future, insisting that you don’t need any friends, or playing video games and partying, getting what you want rarely makes you feel as good as you think it will.

Watching Rick and Morty is very much like being on that runaway train, filled with odd-ball characters, toilet humour, satiric snarky jibes, and pure mentalness. It’s an adventure.

All episodes of Season 4 are streaming on Showmax now.