Pickle Rick

A genius mind trapped in a brined vegetable, escaping reality one pickle at a time.

"Pickle Rick" is the third episode of the third season of the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty. Written by Jessica Gao and directed by Anthony Chun, the episode premiered on August 6, 2017. The plot follows eccentric scientist Rick Sanchez as he turns himself into a pickle to avoid attending a family therapy session. The episode parodies action films and was inspired by the Breaking Bad episode "4 Days Out." In a continuation of the third season's storyline of Beth and Jerry's divorce, "Pickle Rick" explores Beth's unhealthy relationship with Rick and their views on intelligence and self-improvement. The episode was highly anticipated, with a rough cut animation premiering at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con, and was watched by 2.3 million viewers when it first aired on Adult Swim.

Quick Facts

Series: Rick and Morty
Runtime: 23 minutes
Air date: 6 August 2017
Writer: Jessica Gao
Director: Anthony Chun
Guests: Susan Sarandon as Dr. Wong; Danny Trejo as Jaguar; Peter Serafinowicz as Foreign Government Agency Director Pavel Bartek

Lore & Background

The episode was written by Jessica Gao. Series creator Dan Harmon said that he thought the concept originated from a writer suggesting an episode beginning with Rick turning himself into a pickle. They discussed his motivation and thought that he would do it "because he could" and to prove something to himself. The therapy subplot was introduced so that the episode would "keep addressing the divorce story of the season."

Harmon also said that the Pickle Rick design is phallic and "emblematic of self-torture," as Rick is his "own worst enemy" and does this transformation to himself. "Pickle Rick" was one of Harmon's favorite episodes of the season. He said that the episode took inspiration from the Breaking Bad episode "4 Days Out," where Walter White's recreational vehicle breaks down in the desert while he is cooking crystal meth with Jesse Pinkman; rather than being able to trick or negotiate with anyone, White has to use his science knowledge to survive and restart the van.

Harmon thought it was interesting to see Rick in a situation with limited resources. Writer Ryan Ridley said that the episode is "not a spoof of anything in particular," but it does make reference to the films 127 Hours (2010) and Gravity (2013). During the writing process, Harmon was undergoing a divorce and had entered therapy, which influenced the episode: he said of the speech Dr. Wong gives to Rick, "I don't know if I could've written that two years ago [...] I would've made sure Rick got the final word."

Reader's Guide

Character designer Kendra Melton estimated that Pickle Rick's rat suit underwent 100 different design versions. Maximus Pauson, also a character designer, stated that the one used was chosen so it "emphasized the pickle-ness." Harmon commented that initial designs for the rats were "too adorable" considering that Rick murders many of them: Melton said that fur was removed, boils were added and their backs became more arched. According to Harmon, the writers gave more detailed instructions to animators than for most episodes, in particular "about the process of hacking the cockroach to give Rick mobility."

The episode received positive reviews, with critics praising the animation and design of Pickle Rick, the fight scenes, the performance of guest actor Danny Trejo (as Jaguar), and the episode's ending. It won Rick and Morty the 2018 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, the show's first Emmy Award. Several merchandise products, particularly of the character Pickle Rick, have been released. A Nerdist article connected the scene where Rick controls the movement of the cockroach by poking its brain with his tongue to a 2015 study "Central-Complex Control of Movement in the Freely Walking Cockroach," published in Current Biology, where researchers were able to stimulate neurons of a cockroach with the aim of controlling its movement.