Rick And Morty: 5 Ways It’s Similar To Community (& 5 Things It Does Differently) – Screen Rant
Posted: December 16, 2020 at 12:58 am
Dan Harmon was behind both Community and Rick and Morty. Here are ways the shows are similar, and what they do differently.
From a failed pilot on Fox to getting removed from The Sarah Silverman Program, it seemed like television didn't love Dan Harmon the same way that he loved it. However, that all changed when he got to create Community, a cult-hit comedy series about the trials and tribulations of college life. Sadly, Harmon would see the same rejection that plagued him for years and was removed even from his brainchild (though he'd return soon enough).
RELATED:Community: 10 Small Details You May Have Missed
His other seminal series has been the Adult Swim giant, Rick and Morty, which has penetrated the zeitgeist as a sci-fi epic and gotten a lot of kids in trouble for staying up late. Given that they're from the same mind, it's a given that there are some similarities between the two Harmon works, but Rick and Morty has still done a lot to maintain its own identity.
Something that's just embedded in Harmon's DNA is the capacity to call out television tropes on-screen while also calling out the fact that a character is calling out things. This confusing eye on an eye is the meta-humor and dialogue that has made Community and Rick and Mortyseemingly smarter than their television colleagues.
While Rick and Morty's writing prides itself in being mostly improvised, it still facilitates the same genre self-awareness that made Community so inventive. If anything, this type of writing is even more necessary for a series about the "Smartest Man in the Universe."
While Community has always dipped its toes into action/adventure tropes and science fiction, it always had to revert things back to reality. Set in a community college, Dan Harmon ran the risk of doing what Charles Schulz did to Snoopy if he were to let the school get too fantastical to still maintain its human charm.
RELATED:10 Non-Sci-Fi Movies To Watch While Awaiting Rick And Morty's Return
Fortunately enough, none of those concerns exist in a series about exploring, saving, and destroying the world with the half-baked experimentsof a mad scientist. Using animation to its fullest extent, Dan Harmon got to revel in the type of high-concept, surreal adventures that he could only ever dream of implementing in Community.
Television can take Dan Harmon away from Jeff Winger, but it can't get the cold lawyer's voice out of his head. With plenty of disillusionment and hardship going on within his own life, Harmon is famous for bringing his pain onto the screen and allowing it to entertain and empathize with the same lonely outcasts that his shows attract.
In Community, the main cynic of the series was the cold, calculating, and street smart Jeff Winger whose always had to fend for himself, though his same capacity for being realistic has bled into the study group every now and then. In Rick and Morty, every character besides Jerry Smith seems to have been infected by Rick's logic and skepticism and now battles the cold truth of reality more often than they actually fight aliens.
One of the most subtle differences between Community and Rick and Morty is the change in character dynamics. Community focused on a close, friend group comprised of people from starkly different backgrounds. This always kept the faces fresh in the series while also bringing a constantly different voice on the topic at hand.
RELATED:10 Best Television Families Of The 70s and 80s
Rick and Morty, however, has a much closer dynamic, bringing the family close to a family with their own, interwoven stories but a much more familiar understanding of one another. They don't have the same intermingled romances or buddy themes from Community. If something goes wrong between the Smiths, it's not just a group of friends growing apart from one another but an entire family falling apart.
Meta-humor just wouldn't be the same without a wide, lexicon of movies and television to draw from. One of the most famous elements of Community was its long line of genre parodies that helped paint college life as this one, big movie waiting to happen.
RELATED:Rick And Morty: The 10 Best Pop Culture References In Season 2
While most Rick and Morty stories aren't as obviously derivative, they do have parodies of Mad Max, The Nightmare on Elm Street, The Purge, and the entire heist genre under their belt, and their dialogue is rife with actors constantly trying to one-up one another with what celebrities and films that they know.
Community may have had its fair share of adult situations; but at the end of the day, it was a family sitcom that always held back from being even cruder and more immature than it already was. That same restraint is gladly not seen in the Adult Swim landscape which eats adult situations for breakfast.
With the freedom of a network literally dedicated to being as mature as possible, Rick and Morty's dialogue reaches new levels of color as it allows its cast to use the full expanse of the urban dictionary to their advantage. While plenty of this dialogue is still heavily bleeped, the series isn't making the job of the censors easy.
While Community and Rick and Morty may be advertised as comedy series, they've managed to maintain the imaginations of their audience by taking some of their more adventurous and physical elements seriously. This is more apparent in Rick and Morty where the titular duo's adventures are constantly putting them at odds with galactic federations and killer aliens.
Community, however, was directed by the Russo Brothers, the same, acclaimed duo responsible for the recent films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They allowed the action and camera work in the series to be much more dynamic, with episodes like the paintball series and "Pillows and Blankets" having their clear influence.
As action-packed as Community may have gotten, the series never treaded even close towards PG-13 territory. Not wanting the show to get much more colorful than paintballs would allow, Community kept its violence and gore to a minimum. Rick and Morty has no restraints and uses the color red more often than the silver in Rick's hair.
Taking full advantage of the dangers of the universe and Rick's own disillusionment, the series has gotten bloody and killed multiple characters with ease, almost to the point where it seems like Rick and Morty are the real villains in the series.
It's weird thinking that a show about community college and a show about a drunken scientist share the same proclivity for alternate dimensions. But that's the type of world(s) that Dan Harmon lives in. Rick and Morty obviously loves to utilize Rick's portal gun to go on a variety of mind-bending adventures, and the duo have even utilized the infinite expanse of possibility to skirt grander consequences.
Community gets to share that same, high-concept thread with one of their most famous and critically-acclaimed episodes to date, "Remedial Chaos Theory." Here, a dice roll creates Community's iconic, alternate timeline gag as well as the "Darkest Timeline" that haunts the study group for a couple of seasons.
One of the greatest advantages that Rick and Morty has over Community is how its story and settings don't have to be limited by resources and budget restraints. While the audience has grown familiar and even adoring of Community's study room, it is only a symptom of a series that never tried to stray too far from Greendale.
In Rick and Morty, one would be hard pressed to accurately describe the Smith household given that most of the show's adventures are exploring some strange and visually exciting world. Straying further and further from a small, community college in Colorado, Rick and Morty always has a fresh, new background to delight fans.
NEXT:Rick And Morty: 5 Things That Changed After The Pilot (& 5 That Stayed The Same)
Next Supernatural: 10 Best Episodes Post-Kripke Era, Ranked (According to IMDb)
Read the original post:
Rick And Morty: 5 Ways It's Similar To Community (& 5 Things It Does Differently) - Screen Rant
- Ram Dass - How To Accept Yourself - February 8th, 2021
- Leo Gura - The Collective Ego - January 15th, 2021
- News of the World Review: Quiet Ballad of the Lost and Found - The Wall Street Journal - December 22nd, 2020
- Star Trek: Every Hologram That Gained Sentience (& Their Fate) - Screen Rant - December 22nd, 2020
- Taking Charge Of Your Life: Could Your Questions Be The Answer? - Web Hosting | Cloud Computing | Datacenter | Domain News - Daily Host News - December 22nd, 2020
- Most Organizations Still Miss the Mark on Diversity & Inclusion - GlobeNewswire - December 22nd, 2020
- Has The Mandalorian Succumbed to the Dark Side? - Vulture - December 22nd, 2020
- Can Animals Recognize Their Own Reflection? : Short Wave - NPR - December 22nd, 2020
- Self-Delusion on the Russia Hack - The Dispatch - December 22nd, 2020
- Best albums of all time by Black artists - Grand Island Independent - December 22nd, 2020
- The SolarWinds Hack Is Just The Same Sort Of Espionage The US Government Engages In Every Day - Techdirt - December 22nd, 2020
- Geltzeiler: Knicks have 'least-talented' roster in the NBA - RADIO.COM - December 22nd, 2020
- 3 practices every strong leader should embrace to build trust with their employees - Business Insider - Business Insider - December 22nd, 2020
- From Community Cousin to Canada's Highest Court: Rebecca Olivia Watmough - Vancouver Island University News - December 22nd, 2020
- Business communication during the pandemic grew in three key areas - Financial Post - December 22nd, 2020
- Vaccine effective against the new strain of COVID-19, says UAE - Gulf Today - December 22nd, 2020
- Tower Of God: 10 Differences Between The Anime & The Manhwa, Season 1 - CBR - Comic Book Resources - December 22nd, 2020
- How do men who have sex with men develop resilience in response to HIV? - aidsmap - December 22nd, 2020
- If you say any of these 6 things during the job interview, don't expect to get an offer: Career expert - CNBC - December 16th, 2020
- Niemi: CASEL Is Updating the Most Widely Recognized Definition of Social-Emotional Learning. Here's Why - The 74 - December 16th, 2020
- OKC musician Chase Kerby's new band Hotel Nights' wintry video for 'Pains of the Weekenders' is a mood on an Oklahoma snow day - Oklahoman.com - December 16th, 2020
- Why Carat is putting emotional intelligence at the core of media buying - Campaign US - December 16th, 2020
- Give it some brainvita - The New Indian Express - December 16th, 2020
- Kyrie Irving is once again reminding us who he is, and the Nets need to take notice - CBS Sports - December 16th, 2020
- What Therapy for Narcissism Involves: Steps and What to Expect - Healthline - December 16th, 2020
- An open letter to Lions fans everywhere: I'm always on your side - The Pioneer - December 16th, 2020
- Using art to help kids tap into their creative side - Joplin Globe - December 16th, 2020
- What 2020 has taught us - The Daily Wildcat - Arizona Daily Wildcat - December 16th, 2020
- $15 million in funding to support health and medical research - University News: The University of Western Australia - December 16th, 2020
- Dean Spade: 'Mutual Aid Always Pops Up Where Disasters Are' - Progressive.org - December 16th, 2020
- I Never Thought I'd Say This, but Offset's Defense of Cardi B Was Absolutely Right - POPSUGAR - December 16th, 2020
- The Thing You Need To Know About Letting Go - Forbes - December 16th, 2020
- Cast headed by Meryl Streep makes Let Them All Talk a winner - Detroit Free Press - December 16th, 2020
- If You're Too Busy for These 3 Things, Your Leadership Skills May Need a Tune-Up - Inc. - December 16th, 2020
- Using Meditation to Achieve Mindfulness - Chicago Health - December 16th, 2020
- 7 skills you need to stand out at work - Yahoo Finance Australia - December 11th, 2020
- One Way to Stop Whitewashing: It's Got to Be Taught - American Theatre - December 11th, 2020
- Coach K not the first with concerns about basketball in a pandemic, but he's the loudest - Union Democrat - December 11th, 2020
- Pondering the Question 'Who Am I?' - Shepherd Express - December 11th, 2020
- Review: The Saved by the Bell reboot gave me an existential crisis - Vox.com - December 11th, 2020
- Overcoming workplace bias - The Miami Times - December 11th, 2020
- Manners are important to teach our children | Health | The Daily News - Galveston County Daily News - December 11th, 2020
- How to recognize and stop self-sabotage at work - Fast Company - December 11th, 2020
- 2021 Will Be The Year Of Mind Gyms, Tele-Therapy & The Rise Of Mental Fitness - mindbodygreen.com - December 11th, 2020
- Mank: A Writerly Life of Words, Alcohol and Inner Conflicts in 1930s Hollywood - The Wire - December 11th, 2020
- A Thinking Environment | theHRD - The HR Director Magazine - December 11th, 2020
- What to do when there's 'nothing' to do... - Boulder Weekly - December 11th, 2020
- Parenting through the pandemic - Fast Company - December 11th, 2020
- White clicktivism: why are some Americans woke online but not in real life? - The Guardian - December 11th, 2020
- The Bachelorette episode 9 recap: Just when you thought he was out, one guy (tries to) pull himself back in - Gold Derby - December 11th, 2020
- GTFOH Trump Watch: Hes Taking This Breakup Really Hard - The Root - December 11th, 2020
- This Is How to Make a Reboot in 2020 - The Ringer - December 11th, 2020
- We Weigh In: Is B&B's Liam Spencer The Worst Man On Daytime TV? - Fame10 - December 11th, 2020
- Making therapy accessible - Gainesville Sun - October 28th, 2020
- The 10 Best Ways To Make The Rest Of 2020 Suck Less - Forbes - October 28th, 2020
- Creative Arts Therapy Club Reaches Out to Campus - West Liberty University News & Media Relations - October 28th, 2020
- 'The Craft: Legacy' is the sparkly savior your Halloween needs: Review - Mashable - October 28th, 2020
- Following up with UO's progress on combating racism and systemic oppression - Oregon Daily Emerald - October 28th, 2020
- What it takes to become a collaborative leader - Chief Learning Officer - October 28th, 2020
- The Unspoken Social and Emotional Benefits of a College Education - The Apopka Voice - October 28th, 2020
- 6 soft skills you'll need for the post-Covid working world - Siliconrepublic.com - October 28th, 2020
- My parents gave my brothers and me $8 million in bonds, stocks and ETFs. Id like to use my profit to travel. My parents refuse - MarketWatch - October 28th, 2020
- 'They Look Like People' and the Horror of Schizophrenia [Unveiling The Mind] - Bloody Disgusting - October 28th, 2020
- My journey from being a young-earth Creationist, Dispensationalist Republican to seeing my neighbor as worthy of my vote - Baptist News Global - October 28th, 2020
- Cam Newton says he wont change the way he dresses - NBC Sports - NFL - October 28th, 2020
- Manhood on the ballot: Trump's self-absorbed bullying vs. Biden's compassion and humility - USA TODAY - October 28th, 2020
- Banyan Tree leads by example and rolls out three new staff mental health initiatives - Spa Business - October 28th, 2020
- It doesn't matter what month it is, the work to raise awareness on disabilities continues for this local school division - WYDaily - October 28th, 2020
- What's on TV: Friday, October 30 to Thursday, November 5 - Sydney Morning Herald - October 28th, 2020
- Effective Hybrid Team Leadership: The New Performance Factor For Successful Companies - Forbes - October 28th, 2020
- How masks are helping these Saskatoon residents beyond stopping COVID-19 - CTV Toronto - October 28th, 2020
- 3 Ways to restore Self-Worth in Your Kids after an Uncertain Year - Crosswalk.com - October 28th, 2020
- Breast oncologist breaks down myths, prevention and tell-tale signs - FOX40 - October 21st, 2020
- Why embracing diversity, equity and inclusion matters to financial advisor firms - CNBC - October 21st, 2020
- New Research Shows Why Crows Are So Intelligent and Even Self-AwareJust Like Us - Good News Network - October 21st, 2020
- How Leaders Can Learn To Be Humble And More Effective - Forbes - October 21st, 2020
- 5 Strategies You Can Use to Build an Emotionally Intelligent Team - Entrepreneur - October 21st, 2020
- How music therapy benefits the autistic brain - Big Think - October 21st, 2020
- UW studies investigate need for and impact of culturally aware mentorship training - University of Wisconsin-Madison - October 21st, 2020
- A guide to male height - University of Virginia The Cavalier Daily - October 21st, 2020