M. Night Shaym-Aliens!

Plot

Aliens hold Rick and Jerry captive in a virtual reality to steal Rick's recipe for Concentrated Dark Matter, which would enable faster space travel. Rick attempts escape with Morty (later revealed to be a simulation) and discovers multiple virtual realities layered atop each other, each simulation's aliens running the one below. Jerry, oblivious to system glitches, keeps trying to sell his apple slogan. Rick gives the aliens a fake recipe, and they return Rick and Jerry to Earth; the aliens' ship explodes when they prepare the concoction. In a post-credits scene, Jerry is fired after debuting his slogan in the real world. Later, a drunk Rick threatens Morty with a knife, demanding to know if he is a simulation; Morty's terror convinces Rick, who apologizes and passes out.

Reception

Upon its airdate, the episode was watched by 1.32 million American viewers. The first season holds a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 28 reviews, with an average rating of 8.19 out of 10; the site's critics consensus describes the show as making an instant impression with vivid color, improvisational voice acting, and densely-plotted science fiction escapades that bring heart to a cosmically heartless premise. Joe Matar of Den of Geek praised Jerry's role, noting that the episode gives insight into what a sad sack Jerry is, as his best day ever took place in a low-functioning simulation, and that it is nice to see an episode focus on another family member while still holding up alongside the main sci-fi action.

Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club commented that Jerry's story—in which he has the best day of his life inside a simulation operating at five percent processing speed—fits the character well, mixing dark existential comedy (Jerry being so pathetic that sex with a duplicate of his wife that does not take off its clothes or move is the best sex of his life) with computer glitch jokes, and that the complex balance of reference and humor remains character-based.

Corey Plante of Inverse wrote that the push and pull of intimacy mixed with malignant alcoholism and abuse pervades the show as a defining feature, and that nowhere is it more firmly established than in this episode, though the sci-fi gimmicks are better used in future episodes.