Rick And Morty: 10 Things That Make No Sense About Jerry

It’s hard to describe the hit sci-fi comedy Rick and Morty without using the terms “odd” or “nonsensical” once or twice. For all its nuances and thought-provoking bouts, there are an equal or greater amount of goofy and absurd moments in this laugh-out-loud animation from Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon. This is certainly the case when it comes to Morty’s humorous dad Jerry – whose ignorance and dimwitted moves set the stage for quite a few head-scratching moments.

Of course, any show involving multiple dimensions, memory-altering parasites, and Meeseeks boxes demands the suspension of disbelief to a degree. Still, there are many things about Jerry that raise an eyebrow or two. This list will take a closer look at this silly, peculiar father and cover ten traits, details, and actions of his that don’t quite add up.

10 Seeks Admiration Of His Family Despite His Clashing With Rick

Jerry and Rick end up butting heads quite a bit for the perceived title of “patriarch” of the Smith family. Between this, and Rick’s constant belittlement of Jerry, it makes sense that Morty’s dad isn’t particularly fond of Rick, who he believes is toxic for the family.

Still, it’s odd how much he tries to undermine, sabotage, or shut out Rick, given how angry this makes the family whose love and admiration he seeks. In fact, an apparently scorned Jerry even tries to aid in Rick’s murder during the episode “The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy.” Isn’t this a case of cutting off one’s nose to spite their face?

9 Why He’s So Famous Interdimensionally

There’s an abundance of hilariously odd, random moments to be had during the episode “Interdimensional Cable.” One detail that stands out amidst dueling corn and baby-legged detectives is the seemingly high amount of clout Jerry has as an entertainer in other dimensions.

How a naive underachiever like Jerry is able to make it on to Letterman – as well as direct and star in film and TV roles – is anyone’s guess… It’s even more surprising how much he’s seen or referred to considering the infinite channels being flipped through.

8 His Love For Kiara

It’s hard to think of a more unlikely duo in Rick and Morty than the timid, dimwitted Jerry and the assertive, telekinetic alien huntress Kiara. Yet, these two inexplicably end up together for a brief stint in “The ABC’s of Beth,” despite their clear incompatibility – not to mention disapproval from their kids.

It does come out that these two essentially used each other as a “rebound” following recent breakups. Still, one can’t help but question Jerry’s thought process in being smitten by a figure that seems more akin to a Marvel supervillain than a lover.

7 His Strange 180 In His Decision To Donate His Penis

Much like its predecessor, “Interdimensional Cable 2” is wrought with hilarious gags and weird occurrences. But the B plot manages to stand out too, as Jerry is pressured into agreeing to donate his penis to the Galactic Civil rights leader, Shrimply Pibbles.

Of course, such a commitment would give most people pause, even if one is rewarded with heroic status. And Jerry is certainly hesitant – at first. Yet, his prominent insecurity and fragile ego hit new levels of absurdity as he makes a drastic shift to demanding the alien doctors take this organ. It’s quite the 180, considering he goes from denying this request to threatening the lives of the hospital staff (or so he thinks) to have it removed.

6 His Infatuation With Doofus Rick

During the episode “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind,” Jerry strikes up a rather odd friendship with the aptly-named “Doofus Rick.”

Sure, one can make the argument that Dufus Rick’s childlike naivety is ironically more comparable to Jerry than the countless other versions of Rick. Still, it’s peculiar that Jerry could be so drawn to any iteration of a man he seems to detest. It’s still Rick at the end of the day, just a “different kind of Rick.”

5 A Bizzare Line Reveals He May Have Been Sexually Assaulted – But It’s Never Followed Up

Jerry’s love of pop culture is reaffirmed in the episode “Ricksy Business,” which sees he and Beth embark on a Titanic recreation experience. In a rather awkward scene, Jerry nearly gets sexually assaulted by another Titanic superfan who seeks to recreate the ’97 James Cameron film, after which Beth says “I didn’t peg Lucy for a rapist.”

Jerry responds by asking what exactly it is she’d expect a rapist to look like. But what follows is a peculiarly-detailed description of this theoretical abuser. The specific nature of the answer raises an eyebrow – and one can’t help but wonder why this apparent red flag is dropped and never explained. If the implication is true, it’s a pretty big detail to simply shrug off.

4 Seemingly Losing Telekinetic Powers After Getting Them From Kiara

Another head-scratching bout related to Jerry’s Warrior girlfriend comes in the form of the telekinetic powers that Jerry has somehow picked up from her. Even in the rather warped, boundless multiverse of Rick and Morty, this is a pretty strange occurrence. But on top of this – Jerry then mysteriously seems to lose this ability with no explanation as to why.

Perhaps he does hold onto this power but simply forgets how to use it – or for some reason, no longer wants to? Or maybe it’s a matter of being tied to the “Soul Bonding” that came with this relationship, which ceases after their breakup? Regardless, it’s a detail that’s left some fans wondering and speculating.

3 Being So Easily Manipulated By Sleepy Gary

The colorful parasites in the episode “Total Rickall” are apparently quite effective in implanting fake memories into their human hosts. Still, it’s rather odd that, at least when it comes to Jerry, they’re also able to affect the emotions and attractions of humans as well.

Jerry’s infatuation with Sleepy Gary – even to the point of wanting to end it all to be with him – is pretty sudden and drastic considering his own wife is in the same room.

2 The Drastic Change Of Jerry C-137

It stands to reason that a planet infested with mutated “Cronenberg” monsters would make someone battle-hardened and rugged. Regardless, the shift Jerry C-137 sees is so vast that he doesn’t even resemble the same character when Morty and Summer decide to visit the show’s original universe.

This despite the fact that the c-137 versions of Summer – and to a lesser extent, Beth – at least partly resemble their original selves. Jerry manages to transform from a timid and meek person to a buff, feral caveman who has no qualms about smashing Morty and Summer’s portal gun and attacking them.

1 His Unlikely Success As A Galactic Federation Employee

There would seem to be a silver lining to the intrusive Galactic Federation taking over the earth at the start of the show’s third season – at least for Jerry. He promptly gets “assigned a function” shortly after returning to earth.

But despite Jerry not even knowing what his job is or what he’s supposed to do, he manages to get promoted six times by this apparently sophisticated government. Doesn’t exactly check out, given his track record.

About The Author

Stephen Lagioia
(250 Articles Published)

Stephen is an avid Nintendo, Indie, and retro gamer who dabbles in Xbox on occasion, mainly in the form of binge sessions of Overwatch. He’s a history buff, an aspiring writer of short fiction, and a devout metalhead who enjoys poorly drumming along to Black Sabbath on his cheap drum set. When his beloved Chicago Cubs or Bulls are not playing, he typically likes to watch random documentaries or campy horror films.

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