#fear hole

[fraiiss]

Fear hole

[smartestmammalintheuniverse]

“We’re Rick and Morty. I’m not leaving you in here.”

‘Fear Hole’ Rick sounds so robotic when he says this line. It seems like Morty can’t believe that Rick would say something like that so much so that it can’t even come out of ‘Rick’s’ mouth without sounding fake.

It sounds more convincing the second time like the hole could feel Morty clock it

[vicartless-old-blog]

Cutting his hair means letting her go.

[as-snow-falls-on-desert-sky]

“…you’re irreplaceable…”

[farewell-mon-capitaine]

On the we’re still in the hole thing.

I alternate between cringe and excitement at the thought of Fear Hole returning to reveal that the’re still in the hole, two seasons down. So I’ll indulge myself, push the cringe aside for a moment, fold a neat tinfoil hat and write down what gets me excited if that would be the case.

-Cultural take-

First of all if anyone would do this bold asshole move it would be this show. To render 2 seasons worth of show "not real"? Balls man! And yes I know it has been done before, but not in a long time.

Rick and Morty’s formula got us used to handling the ambiguity of what’s real and what’s not (and that both can be true at times). We got pretty good with comprehending alternative realities so it would piss people off, but it ultimately would go down. On top of that the established lore allows for a fresh and interesting take on this trope. It’s one thing when Buffy does it, where it’s out of the blue, and something else if a show that IS ABOUT THAT would do that.

Also Rick, being aware he is a tv show, would be so delightfully pissed off by that move and great dialog lines await to be written.

So that excites me from cultural point of view, looking from the outside of the fandom. Way to put your name into... tv history books (im not sure)?

-Story take-

Second point is more related to the shows story and archs. That move would flip the context of two seasons upside down. And I do admit I looked at those episode looking for a hint and there isn't much. But there is SOME (I’m not gonna break down season 8 to keep it shorter, but theres few episode which can be interpreted from this pov).

But its season 9 that sparked my interest in this theory so I’ll stick to it (I’m writing this before third episode airing, but I suspect it to be lightweight and non-impactful).

Both episodes can be read as talking about fear.

Something About Morty can be seen as expanding on two fears of Morty, defined in Fear no Mort

Fear of being repleacable

At the beginning of the episode we, along with Morty, see Rick truly enjoy time with Evil Morty. The smiles, the synchronicity Rick and EM share during fight with the Collective feel like a paralel to Blood Ridge. And it’s never picked up again, so it smells a bit off Checkov’s Gun to me. Before Rick destroys the Omega Device there’s a clear exposition of genuine enjoyment (also interesting part of that episode, that internal conflict).

Fear of relying on Rick

A fearful realisation that even if Morty would become most badass, self relying, detached version of himself, managed to escape CFC, get his hands on an Ultimate-upperhand-Rick-deterrent in form of the Omega Device - he’d still go back (on his own!). He’d still give into this toxic dependecy. Morty is who he is, and even EM is incapable of escaping this.

Right???

It gets better.

So if There’s Something About Morty works as a bridge between fears defined in Fear No Mort, concluding that there’s no escaping who you are, Rick Days, Seven Nights picks this up very directly. The thesis is: no hightech multiverse mumbo-jumbo will free Rick from who he fundementaly is OR the story his life is destined to cycle through.

He will loose a partner. He will become his own Prime (Admit it, you would have been me! t_t). He won’t be happy no matter what, he is and will be his own doom. Like he is cursed. Or destined.

So, what is destiny? A lack of control.

And what Rick strives the most in the entire world, what does he hold onto for dear life? Being in control, even smutty fanfics know that.

So his biggest fear would be?

There you go. 🫳🎤

So what both episodes ultimately say is: theres no escape. You are who you are. Cursed, destined and you have no control over it.

And if they are in the Hole, this is The Fear it’s feeding on.

Provided this theory is correct, theres a big reason to start season 9 (two seasons from Fear no Mort, as predicted by Rick) with episodes diving deep into fear theme.

—————

Anyways. I doubt they’ll do that, but the groundwork is there and I think it’s healthy for the brain to exercise it like this… and since the tinfoil hat is already on I will indulge even more.

-What’s next-

Currently I see three possibilities on how the show will end (or a combination of those).

Morty leaves Rick for good

No Rick and Morty, no show. A deconstruction of the title equals deconstruction of the show. And it fits an existing arch that can be picked up and build onto to lead to that finale. (Fear of relying on Rick)

Rick kills himself

In an act of self-kindess (I know this is controversial, but raw in just a way that fits the show) or sacrificing himself for his loved ones (redemption + much more digestable). Freeing himself from the torment of existing as Rick Sanchez. (Being your own doom)

They escape the cartoon

If they theres a "destiny" in this universe it is represended by writers of the show. I truly consider canon that Rick knows his life is a cartoon.

So if we continue the path of destiny = lack of control the only agency he has is to rebel, get the control. Which would be to escape the writers, ulitmately escaping the cartoon. (Fear of being out of control)

What does that mean? I have no idea. And in contrary to "haha those thing didn’t really happened it was all a dream" gimmic I don’t think escaping the show and ending it by consequence was ever done before. But in a similar way: if someone would be to do it — it would be this show. And I think they’d do it good.

Another way to put your name in history books. 

I just hope they don’t continue indefinitely. The grounds of the multiverse allow to write the cooles finale ever, it would be a waste.

[glitteringcrab]

STOP WISHING THE FIRST EPISODE WAS FAKE UNLESS YOU WANNA CRY

What if Morty Prime was still in the hole??? And since he doesn't really know much about Em, he probably mischaracterized him SO badly!! What if he's still in the hole??

STOP DOING THAT CUZ IF IT COMES TRUE I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN

(this is a joke. But seriously. Stop feeding my mind the angst that isn't even canon)

I legit don't think they would make Morty Prime still be in the hole.

It would be cheap. Poor writing. You could do that respectfully by making that last like, 1-2 episodes, tops. Not a whole season +

Unless they fired their good writers and now everything is cheap.

[fandomwe1rd0]

Guys listen to me...LISTEN TO ME!

So in season 6 episode 9, Rick got a chance to choose between Morty (The present) or Rick Prime (The past) and Rick, of course, chose Rick Prime. Still obsessed with the past and catching Rick Prime. But the next time we see him, we can automatically tell that this wasn't what made him happy.

"It's the most painful shit I ever had to deal with!"

He choose the past, not being able to walk away from it. Not because it made him happy, but he felt forced to. Like he was obligated to so he can finally avenge Diane.

Thennnn in season 7 episode 10, Fear no Mort, Rick again was faced with the choice of Morty (The present) and Diane (The past) only this time, Morty was outright pulling Rick into the present.

"You don't want to deal with it Rick...that was messed up mental shit in there...like Diane was in there."

Then, Rick ran to the Fear hole, and considered jumping in. Only this time, he was able to resist the pull of his past, and focus on his grandson. The one who's right here right now.

He simply puts up a picture of Morty, and walks away with a smile on his face. Content with the present and walking away from the past.

[gra55-tast3bad]

A dude who has destroyed galaxies and has the power of the multiverse at his fingertips still gets this soft and clingy over a fake version of his wife after all these years....

That's some unconditional love right there