'Rick And Morty' April Fools' Day Episode, 'Bushworld Adventures,' Premieres Instead of Season 4
By Andrew Whalen On 4/2/18 at 9:51 AM EDT
Rick and Morty is back, but it's not for Season 4. This time, Rick's portal gun is just a gun, his spaceship an old sedan. Instead of aliens, there's fire ants and "bush wizards." And instead of a surprise Rick and Morty Season 4 premiere, this April Fools' Day brings the premiere of Bushworld Adventures, technically starring Reek and Mordi.
After streaming on TV until midnight on April 1, Adult Swim's Rick and Morty parody Bushworld Adventures, starring the "bloody bush dimension" versions of Rick and Morty (we're a long way from Dimension C-137) is now streaming on the Adult Swim site.
The boys head to the Bush Dimension. Streaming now and on TV till midnight: https://t.co/ewRdtVTwPe pic.twitter.com/Opb0CVD5VY
— Rick and Morty (@RickandMorty) April 2, 2018
The basic premise of Bushworld Adventures is similar enough to Rick and Morty, with Mordi's grandpa Reek taking him on wild adventures, except this time there's a lot less sci-fi and a lot more Australia. Instead of travelling to a distant planet, this adventure is a 12-hour road trip to the real city of Bendigo, in the Australian state of Victoria. "We're going to go to Bendigo to get me green cube," Reek says.
Can't believe @MichaelRCusack has single handidly saved the bendigo tourisim scene. Next thing you know Dubbo and wagga wagga going to be hitting him up. pic.twitter.com/cqpTtolSUu
— Milk (@MilkPls69) April 2, 2018
Along the way they stop at a gas station, hike into the outback for a place to pee and visit Uncle Barry.
Bushworld Adventures dramatically demonstrates just how much Rick and Morty's "dark" sense of humor is buoyed by the distancing effect of over-the-top and outlandish scenarios. Even with a layer of Aussie jokes, the basic Rick and Morty dynamic gets horrifying very quickly when brought down to earth. Rather than cosmically depressed, this Rick is just dangerously depressed. "I did some science to me portal gun and now it's also a real gun. I've got a real gun, Mordi!" Reek says. "I'm going to kill you today, you're actually going to die!"
Bushworld Adventures features a lot of overt references to Rick and Morty, including a guy transforming into a car and much sadder versions of Rick catchphrases. The abuse dynamic between Reek and Mordi might remind Rick and Morty diehards of the more disturbing relationship portrayed in Justin Roiland's original "Doc and Mharti" shorts, especially when Reek demands to suck the snake poison out of Mordi's swollen genitals. They even recycle Rick's line from the Rick and Morty pilot—"They're bureaucrats, I don't respect them!"—except this time Rick just killed a gas station attendant instead of an alien TSA agent.
"That's out of context," Mordi replies.
"This is our walking-along-the-highway Reek and Mordi adventure!" Adult Swim
Bushworld Adventures was written and directed by Australian animator Michael Cusack, with animation from Studio Yotta, who also animated the recent Rick and Morty Run the Jewels music video for "Oh Mama."
Though it's not exactly a surprise premiere for Rick and Morty Season 4, Adult Swim's April Fools' Day parody does feel in the spirit of the show, like a genuine interdimensional cable transmission from another Earth's version of Rick and Morty. And it's going to have to do, because Rick and Morty still hasn't been renewed and is unlikely to premiere its fourth season until late 2019 or even 2020.
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