Rick and Morty season 5, episode 7 spoilers follow.
So the much-maligned Giant Incest Baby made a dramatic return in the latest episode of Rick and Morty, proving that one of the show’s most disturbing creations wasn’t just a throwaway gag after all.
Titled 'Gotron Jerrysis Rickvangelion’, the seventh episode of season five saw this enormous abomination – created from Morty’s sperm and Summer’s egg – come to the rescue after Rick’s plans to collect a series of Voltron-like mecha suits naturally ended in disaster.
Prior to its heroic intervention, the Giant Incest Baby (affectionately named Naruto after the Manga series) was referenced multiple times by the characters. We didn’t expect the events of 'Rickdependence Spray' to come back and haunt us so soon, but in true Rick and Morty fashion, that expectation was shaved away like the grumbo on a Plumbus.
Perhaps what we shouldn’t find so surprising, though, is the topic of incest cropping up once again. If we didn’t know better, we’d say Rick and Morty is obsessed with it. Or at the very least, mildly curious.
Cast your mind back to 'Lawnmower Dog', the second episode ever, and you may remember a particularly disturbing scene set in the dreams of Morty’s maths teacher, Mr Goldenfold. In the depths of an imaginary sex dungeon, an erotically dressed version of Summer approaches Rick and Morty and suggests making an "intergenerational sandwich", prompting her grandfather and brother to convulse in abject disgust.
And then at the end of season three, an alternate version of Morty openly wishes for incest porn to have "a more mainstream appeal… for a friend". And in 'Raising Gazorpazorp', Beth even jokes about the possibility of Rick and Morty having an incestuous relationship.
It’s this kind of content, plus the apparent power dynamic between Rick and Morty, that ultimately led to the creation of "C-137cest", a fan community utterly obsessed with the notion of an alternate reality where the pair are romantically involved. There’s an abundance of artwork and fan fiction floating around on the internet, demonstrating just how popular this troubling fixation is. (We’ll leave you to explain your search history to your loved ones.)
Erotic fan fiction is nothing new, but the main difference here, at least according to members of the C-137cest community, is that the "RickMorty" fascination has been fuelled and supported by the show itself.
Speaking to Vice back in 2018, a fan fiction account by the name of Futagogo argued: "For all their contrasting qualities, the writers of the show [included] this undeniable link between them: despite Rick’s seeming self-sufficiency/genius, Rick still needs Morty."
"This is, in part, explained in 'Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind' with a 'brainwave cloaking element' between Ricks and Mortys. It automatically makes a seasoned, fiercely independent genius like Rick at the absolute mercy of the powerless Morty. That power dynamic is very appealing for fan creators to explore and take to the next level."
Then of course, in a show with infinite realities, there must be infinite possibilities. If an unlimited number of Ricks and Mortys are knocking about in the multiverse, it stands to reason that at least one version could have this kind of relationship. And that’s very much the basis for a lot of C-137cest fan fiction.
"The infinite universes are absolutely key to the RickMorty fandom," added Futagogo. "Unlimited possible versions of these beloved characters conceivably exist, so this gives fan creators an endless sandbox in which to craft their own characters. [Fan fiction versions of Rick and Morty] can feel more valid than the average fan fiction since they could very well exist in the official Rick and Morty universe."
Show creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon haven’t just supported this notion, they’ve actually confirmed it, suggesting a future episode about an incestuous Rick and Morty is potentially on the cards.
"In many realities, Morty and Rick ARE in a passionate healthy romantic relationship," Roiland told Vice. "Maybe we’ll do an episode about it."
Also refusing to rule it out, Harmon added: "I could never ever, as a bona fide, card-carrying nerd, pervert, and fantasy advocate want to see an internet where written words entertaining even the darkest of fantasies are somehow not allowed… Why go down the path of making anybody so ashamed of their thoughts that they don’t express them?"
Following firmly in the footsteps of the famously controversial South Park, Rick and Morty clearly revels in tackling taboo subjects that cause disgust – and incest jokes just so happen to be their weapon of choice. Why else would they bring back a massive incest space baby from the worst-rated episode of the entire series? Granted, 'Gotron Jerrysis Rickvangelion' was made before the release of 'Rickdependence Spray', but they clearly knew such material was going to garner a reaction.
But for Harmon, provoking a reaction is entirely the point. In an almighty rant about kink-shaming on his 2015 podcast Harmontown, the co-creator explained how avoiding taboos would only limit the show’s creative expression and shock value.
"It’s really important that people who have taboo thoughts are able to express them in a way that doesn’t hurt anybody else." However, he also admitted that "it’s equally important that people who are disgusted by those thoughts can say that they’re disgusting".
Considering Harmon also tackled the subject of incest in a season six episode of his hit sitcom Community, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s his go-to punchline. Either way, both he and Roiland seemingly have no problem with it feeding an obsessive fan community, especially if it plays into the weirdness of the disturbing world they’ve created.
In any case, it’s probably worth reminding ourselves that a previous episode of this show saw a man forcibly impregnate multiple alien beings, only to eat the deformed babies that immediately spat out of them. Does it really get more messed up than that?
Rick and Morty airs on Adult Swim in the US, and on E4 and All 4 in the UK.
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