Rick & Morty Therapy & Codependency
It took a cartoon albeit, a funny, wicked, insane cartoon on Adult Swim to bring home the type of client I dont quite get. Its a type familiar to most of us. They are separated in word if not in fact and definitely going to pull the trigger on a divorce and everything that goes with it real soon. The problem is and may always be that theres always a reason for not moving forward. On one side its a feeling of guilt and/or shame and/or abysmally low self-esteem and/or fear.
This is especially exacerbated where the other person in the relationship is the flip side of one or more of the above. This forms the basis of a codependency and Im here to tell you that it is a bear to work with in family law.
I have a friend who filed for divorce five years ago. Then withdrew it. Then separated. Is now filing again. And well see. A former client dragged her separation out for over four years, every time we tried to address an ending guilt and shame reared their ugly heads and we took three steps back from whence we came.
I tend not to dwell on these things, and usually do that pretty well, but when Im zipping through channels at 11:30 at night and stumble across the awesome Rick and Morty and they are absolutely nailing it in a show about family therapy well, Im blown away.
https://youtu.be/W4S_jewhLi8
Great stuff, right? Beth and Jerry seem on the path to fixing everything. Until their mythologs interact and proceed to destroy the planet.
Meant To Be: Jerry Puts Up With Rick For Beth
In a marriage, one has to make sacrifices. Jerry proves to be a good match for Beth when it comes to the subject of Rick. Beth went the majority of her life not knowing her father. Beth became happy when he suddenly appeared. Even though Rick has caused major issues in their family for Jerry, he still puts up with him.
He realizes that Beth is getting whats she desperately wanted all these years. Although Jerry does bring up how toxic Rick is to Beth, he never tried to forcefully push him out.
Toxic: Beth Never Supports Him Job Wise
For a majority of episodes, the topic of Jerry’s unemployment becomes a major issue. He mopes around the house annoying everyone. But one of the reasons why Beth is toxic for Jerry is that she doesn’t uplift him or encourage him in a loving way to find a job.
Instead, Beth gives him a bored and cold stare and tells him “Get a job.” Jerry feels less determined to go out and do something. The way to get to Jerry is if Beth had a meaningful conversation with him to figure out what he wants to do in life or in a career.
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Rick And Princess Poeta
Not only did Princess Poñeta risk her safety and the approval of her father to save Rick and Morty from being executed, but when she revealed that she was pregnant, Rick had a much better reaction than with Gaia. Rick and Princess Poñeta also seemed to be on the same wavelength in that they appreciated what they had and the child they created.
When Rick was told that the kids basically come out ready to go off on their own, he and Princess Poñeta parted ways mutually and there were no hard feelings. Even though it wasn’t meant to be, their respect for each other means something.
Toxic: Jerry Doesn’t Believe In Her As A Horse Surgeon
Beth was able to somewhat accomplish part of her dream. While she dreamed of being a human surgeon, she settled for being a horse surgeon. A career she is extremely proud of. She is always determined to save an animal’s life as seen in a “Rickle of Time.”
What makes Kerry toxic for Beth is his inability in taking pride in her career. He often teases Beth that she’s only a horse surgeon. He corrects her when she refers to herself as a surgeon in general. Jerry makes it a point to demean her hard work for never making it as a human surgeon.
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Good: Jerry Never Abandoned Beth
A major reason why Beth and Jerry would work together is Jerry’s commitment to Beth. They were only 17 when Beth got pregnant. Through raising a kid in high school and veterinary school, Jerry never left Beth. He was the main male figure in her life when she needed him.
Beth was harboring deep emotions against Rick for leaving her. Jerry most likely saw how much it affected her but also loved Beth to never leave her. Even as Rick returned and changed their family, Jerry never thought of abandoning ship.
Morty And His Girlfriend
In “The Vat Of Acid Episode,” Morty saved his place with the invention that Rick made for him before introducing himself to a brunette. The two seemed instantly compatible and their relationship unfolded over a montage. They texted each other, went on dates, and even a trip together where they survived a plane crash and several days on a snowy mountaintop. It’s the longest and most developed relationship Morty has had on the show.
However, Jerry hit the reset button on the invention, and Morty was sent back to before they met. When he tried to explain what happened, she pepper sprayed him although, part of her must have remembered their other life, as she appeared tearful when Morty jumped into the fake acid vat.
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Toxic: Beth Always Brings Up Her Teen Pregnancy
Between the two, Beth is quite toxic when regarding how she and Jerry got together. They were teenagers and decided to have intercourse on prom night. It led to an unplanned pregnancy which would have resulted in an abortion if they didn’t get a flat tire. Jerry recalls their past with fondness and good times.
Beth always brings up the fact that she got pregnant young. Almost as if it was the cataclysm as to why her future happened the way it did. Audiences can tell that Beth has some ill feelings about what happened. Meanwhile, Jerry sees it as something good that happened in his life,
Meant To Be: They’re Each Others Missing Link
Beth and Jerry met when they were just teenagers. Taking a closer look at their personalities, they both have character traits the other doesn’t possess. In a way, they each make up for whats missing in each other. Jerry is more emotional and thinks from the heart. He also tends to look past the facade Rick has put on his family.
Beth, on the other hand, is more in control and strong-willed. When Jerry really doesn’t have the chops to stand up, Beth is there to aid him. The same goes for Beth. When Beth can’t seem to rationalize something Rick does or explain her emotions, Jerry is able to help her. They’re both dysfunctional together.
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Rick And Morty Couples
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Beth’s Father Abandoned Her
Beth’s abandonment issues are the inciting incident for the entire series. Without Beth’s daddy complex, it’s safe to say there would be no Rick and Morty. Such is the extent of the psychological damage caused by Rick’s 20-year absence from his daughter’s life.
Fear of losing her father again and the complementary need to please him drives just about every one of Beth’s decisions and actions. She regularly risks her children’s lives just to keep her father around. Every time Rick traps an alien child molester with space AIDS in their garage or turns himself into a pickle to avoid family therapy, Beth finds a way to dig her head further in the sand about the dangers of staying close to Rick Sanchez. When Rick and Jerry come into intractable conflict, Beth kicks her husband to the curb to make room for her father. Jerry has to move out of his own house and watch his father-in-law adversely possess his family, just so Beth can feel secure in Rick’s love. Beth’s actions are certainly unkind, but they’re entirely motivated by what happened to her in the past. That’s some deep-seated trauma right there.
Because of its enduring impact on her day-to-day life, Rick’s 20-year abandonment is the worst thing that’s happened to Beth on Rick and Morty.
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Jerry And Sleepy Gary
Sleepy Gary, a parasite from the movie and television reference-filled “Total Rickall” episode, was originally paired up with Beth, but his secret romance with Jerry was much more interesting and had more chemistry. On the surface, the two were supposed to be best friends, but after a vacation and a sexually charged conversation about Star Wars filming locations, Jerry and Sleepy Gary start a passionate affair.
The two definitely cared about each other, but Sleepy Gary couldn’t be allowed to live in the house, and his parasite inner self had ulterior motives.
Toxic: Beth Wishes Jerry Was Completely Different & Has A Superiority Complex
In the marriage counseling episode, audiences finally see what Beth thinks of Jerry. When manifesting creatures to represent each other, Jerry is this sweaty and submissive slug. Beth doesn’t see Jerry as a worthwhile companion who could take care of her.
It’s only when Jerry fights back for her that his image changes to a muscular and big form. In the episode with Mr.Meseeeks, Beth also showcases her regret for getting pregnant so young and not fulfilling her needs. Beth often talks about what she wants, but never what Jerry really wants.
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Rick And Mortys Big Trouble In Little Sanchez: Atypical Relationships And Adolescence
On last nights episode of Rick and Morty, Big Trouble in Little Sanchez, Ricks consciousness is trapped in an angst-ridden teenage brain, and Beth and Jerrys marriage counseling goes the way of Jurassic World.
The unique joy of Rick and Morty isnt just the gloriously freewheeling sci-fi premise, its that the comedy feels like a stand-up routine adapted for a sitcomand Im not talking about dime-a-dozen Family Guy one-line cheapshots, but full-formed routines complete with setup, punchline, and expansion. Unlike other absurdist Adult Swim productions that cater to the nocturnal brain, Rick and Morty takes its cues from the mundane, and that foundation gives it a relatability that translates into real wit and bite. Of course from there, brain-swap hijinx and alien insect queens take over, but damn, that foundation
A failing marriage doesnt sound like the most interesting scenario in a series that claims interdimensionality and intergalactic locales as its stomping ground, but writer Alex Rubens manages to cut deep into that well-trod material and pull out a shtick thats truly genius.
Sick of Beth and Jerrys constant bickering, Rick drops them off at the most well-renowned marriage counseling program in the universe, located on the planet Nuptia IV. Through the power of futuristic science, the counselors are able to turn Jerry and Beths mental perceptions of each other into living, breathing creatures.
The Worst Thing That Has Ever Happened To Beth On Rick And Morty
It isn’t easy being the daughter of a reckless, nihilistic scientist who believes himself the smartest person in any universe.
Voiced by Sarah Chalke on the Adult Swim animated series Rick and Morty, Beth Smith has enough complexes to put a dozen psychologists’ children through med school. For one, she’s a horse surgeon which is totally just as important and difficult as being a human surgeon. She’s also married to Jerry Smith , a man of inferior intellect, whom she only stayed with because he got her pregnant in high school. Worst of all, Beth is stuck in an adolescent pursuit of validation from a father who abandoned her.
With all that baggage, you might think Beth would have enough issues to be getting on with. Unfortunately, life with her whole extended family living under one roof hasn’t always been kind. Although she rarely participates in her father Rick and son Morty’s interdimensional adventures, Beth manages to get herself into plenty of difficult situations anyway. Rick may be to blame for many of the Smith family’s woes, but more often than not, Beth is the maker of her own misery, and everyone around her has the potential to end up collateral damage.
Beth has done plenty of unsavory things in her days, but what’s the worst thing that has happened to the Smith family matriarch on Rick and Morty?
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Meant To Be: They Choose To Be Together
Since season one of the show, audiences have learned a lot about Beth and JErry’s relationship. Throughout their story, fans have come to the realization that the couple are meant to be because they choose so. Yes, their marriage is devoid of romance or deep-rooted love.
At the end of the day, Beth and Jerry are together because they choose to be together. Despite all the flaws, Jerry’s lacked machismo or Beth’s lack of caring empathy, they still come back to each other. It’s the saying, “if you love something, let it go.” Beth and Jerry have let go a lot but still boomerang back.
Meant To Be: They Still Tried To Make It Work
Jerry and Beth’s constant rubber band effect of wanting to fix their marriage can be good and bad. In this case, it might be a good sign. They have been together for years and only when Rick came into the picture did their relationship start to crumble.
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With everything going on in their lives, Jerry and Beth still found reasons to stay together. They wanted to fight for their marriage on multiple occasions. In some cases, it was Beth who made the approach or it was both of them at the same time. Beth and Jerry care for each other enough to find a reason to stay.
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Beth Smith Failed At Marriage Counseling
Beth and Jerry don’t exactly have a fairytale marriage, but can you really blame them? How many happy marriages start with an accidental teen pregnancy? And living in the same house with Beth’s megalomaniacal father certainly adds some tension. We still have to give them credit for trying to tough it out, though. Other than a brief hiatus during Rick and Morty season 3 to “spend some time divorced,” they’ve mostly tried to make things work. These efforts at sustaining a troubled marriage once even included a trip to an alien counseling retreat on Rick’s recommendation. It didn’t go great.
On the season 2 episode “Big Trouble in Little Sanchez,” Beth and Jerry check into Glaxo Slimslom’s couples therapy at an advanced alien counseling center on a far-away planet. As a feature of his therapeutic practice, Slimslom uses a device to create “mythologs,” living manifestations of Beth and Jerry’s opinions of each other. We learn that Jerry envisions Beth as a murderous, razor-clawed alien overlord, while Beth envisions Jerry as a feckless worm. The exercise is designed to help feuding couples see each other through their partner’s eyes, but Beth and Jerry’s relationship is so toxic that their mythologs conspire to break out of their cells and destroy the counseling center. Shockingly, this incident doesn’t directly result in divorce, but it has to sting knowing your relationship isn’t just bad by human standards it’s bad on an intergalactic scale.
Toxic: Jerry Always Weasels Out First
Some may argue that what Beth wants in a relationship is a man who will protect her and stand up for her. Audiences have seen on any occasions Jerry abandoning ship first. Take for example in the episode “Big Trouble in Little Sanchez,” when the couple therapy retreat’s creatures escape.
Jerry is more than content to wait out the fight and gets into a crawl space. Jerry never puts Beth before his own needs. He was okay with Beth trying to find her own shelter and find her own way to survive. There are moments when Jerry becomes the hero to save Beth.
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Rick And Morty: Big Trouble In Little Sanchez
How many Tiny Ricks will it take to make Morty look cool enough for school? Here’s our latest Rick and Morty review…
This episode is divided into two plots: one about Rick putting his consciousness into a teenage version of his body to help Morty and Summer be more popular at school and another about Jerry and Beth going to off-world couples therapy. What Im surprised and impressed by is that I found the Jerry and Beth plot to be the more engaging one.
Lately, I had been getting worried that Jerry and Beth having their own stories without any of the rest of the family was unsustainable, just like their insanely bad marriage. Sometimes Jerry and Beth plots degenerate into two people screaming at each other for, like, a while. I know thats how a really dysfunctional marriage actually looks, but after a point its just not fun to keep seeing. Am I right or what, people who were the product of a dysfunctional union? High five!
This couples therapy plot works because, though their bitter feelings toward one another certainly come out, mostly theyre in the form of material projections of their worst perceptions of each other called mythologizations rather than loads of shouted dialogue . And when the mythologizations start wreaking havoc, theres an actual conflict for the two of them to deal with, so that shuts em up pretty good.
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