Rick and Morty: Season 4 Episode 8 – The Vat of Acid Episode

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Rick and Morty falling into a vat of acid

Storyline

Rick and Morty find themselves in a predicament where they have to use the classic trick of jumping into a vat of acid when there’s no way out. Morty finds this method to be cheap and not the usual Rick-level genius plan. Following an argument over what Rick can and can’t do, Morty challenges him to create a play-saving device. The device allows Morty to pause and play life at the push of a button. Morty uses the device to his advantage until things start to go wrong and the device backfires on him. Jerry also kind of messes things up as usual.

This episode won the series an Emmy award.

Quotes

Rick: “I pre-scouted this location and placed a vat of fake acid amongst the real ones. It’s got air hoses and a compartment of bones at the bottom. If things go wrong, which they won’t, we jump into the vat of acid, and I’ll release the bones, they’ll float up…What is this face you’re making?

Morty: “Aren’t you an inventor?”

Rick: “Yeah, what part of a fake acid vat with built-in air supply and quick-release bones isn’t inventive enough for you, and when did my job become pitching you ideas?”

Morty: “Alright, let’s just do this. I have English homework.”

Rick: “You’re still learning English?”

Morty: “What about my video-game-style place-saving device?”

Rick: “Oh my God, here we go.”

Morty: “It’s a good idea, Rick!”

Rick: “Save your place like in a video game but in real life so that you can try stuff and then go back to your save point, yes, Morty, I saw it on Futurama.”

Rick: “Say the vat is good.”

Morty: “The vat is good.”

Rick: “Kiss the vat.”

References

  • The episode is a playoff many popular 80s movies where the villain is dropped into a vat of acid. One example is Batman.
  • Following the plane crash, the surviving passengers are dressed very similarly to the boys in South Park.
  • Rick’s explanation of how the place-saving device works is a reference to the film The Prestige.
  • When Morty pushes the old man out of the wheelchair, the bar behind him is Moe’s Tavern from The Simpsons.
  • The orb that Rick is working on is an apparent homage to the devices used by the Tall Man from the Phantasm series of films.

Easter Eggs

  • The plane crash is based on the 1979 tragedy The Andes Flight Disaster.
  • The Judge from Edge of Tomorty: Rick Die Rickpeat is among the people in the crowd.
  • When Morty runs at the pair of police officers, one cop is holding a Shoney’s mug.
  • The sign that reads “Moscow Morty” is based on “Moscow Mitch”, the name given to Mitch McConnel after he blocked election security bills for then-President Trump.
  • The writer of this episode, Jeff Loveness, went on to write the 2020 sequel to Ant-Man and the Wasp, which Rick mentions derisively.
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