Summary
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Rick and Morty 10th Anniversary Special!The ‘Fear Hole’ episode inRick and Mortyseason 7 was easily the best of the season, and one of the best in the entire series. It was not only wildly entertaining and genuinely terrifying in some parts, but it also gave fans a better understanding of who Morty is as a character. And now,Rick and Mortyhas done the same thing to Rick, as he finally enters the Fear Hole, revealing to fanswhat ‘the great Rick Sanchez’ is actually afraid of(and it’s amazing for his character).
InRick and Morty 10th Anniversary Specialby Alex Firer, Fred C. Stresing, and Dean Rankine, Rick is moving out of his iconic garage to retire in a nursing home. He’s doing so upon Jerry’s request - at least, a request that was made ten years ago. Inthe Pilot episode ofRick and Morty, Jerry says that Rick should move to a retirement home, and now, ten years later, Rick finally decides it’s time. But, before he goes, he relives some of his greatest adventures with Jerry through the use of his ‘Mindblowers’ device.
One of the off-screen adventures Rick and Jerry went on was venturing into the Fear Hole that was first shown inRick and Mortyseason 7, episode 10 “Fear No Mort”. Once inside, both men were shown their greatest fears. For Jerry, it was just a sequence of generic, spooky things one would see in any given Spirit Halloween, like jack o’lanterns, skeletons, and even dog costumes. For Rick, however, things were a bit more serious.
EXCLUSIVE: Rick and Morty Announces RICK OR TREAT Halloween Special
Rick and Morty gets spooky in a new Halloween special, which will see new character Lil Wigsley relating a series of horror stories to the Smiths.
What Rick Saw in Rick and Morty’s Fear Hole (& What It Says About His Development)
Inside the Fear Hole, Rick is confronted by the damned souls of his family members that he left behind to die on worlds he abandoned throughout his adventures. One of them was his daughter, Beth, specifically the original Beth fromRick and Mortyseason 1. That Beth was left to die along with Summer and Jerry on an Earth swarmed with former humans that were mutated by Rick into ‘Cronenbergs’.
In the Fear Hole, the Beth that was killed on the world Rick ruined and then abandoned came to her father with empty pits where her eyes once were, rotting flesh creeping across her face, and surrounded by countless others Rick doomed to horrifying fates. Rick saw what had become of this version of his daughter, and felt genuine remorse for what he did to her. And that remorse extended to every other person who appeared to him - every other person who died horribly in his wake.
Rick’s No Longer Callously Apathetic About Abandoning People in Rick and Morty
When Rick took Morty and relocated them to another universe after their world was ‘Cronenberged’ back in season 1, he didn’t seem to care about what he did in the slightest. In Rick’s mind, he and Morty came out of that adventure on top, with the solution being to simply bail. However, as confirmed in this issue, that moment in Rick’s life now haunts him, which is a good thing for his character growth. Rick couldn’t continue going through life hurting those he cared about, he needed to feel shame and remorse for his actions. And now, he finally does.
Thankfully, this issue isn’t the first time Rick has shown growth when it comes to abandoning worlds he ruins, as he made sure his entire family (including Jerry) made it safely to another universe when the world became a Mr. Frundles in season 6, episode 1. However, even though it seems like Rick is correcting his borderline villainous nature, it’s clear that he’s still haunted by the sins of his past, which is a great character detail that was revealed when Rick entered the Fear Hole inRick and Morty.
Rick and Morty 10th Anniversary Specialby Oni Press is available now.
Rick and Morty
Cast
Rick and Morty is an animated science fiction series that follows the eccentric scientist Rick Sanchez and his impressionable grandson Morty Smith as they embark on perilous adventures across space and alternate dimensions. The show explores the impact of these exploits on Morty’s tumultuous family life and personal challenges.
