Thirteen years after its initial broadcast, the sixth episode of Rick and Morty, titled “Rick Potion #9,” stands out as a critical turning point that reshaped the animated series. While the show frequently parodies horror and pop culture—ranging from A Nightmare on Elm Street to Total Recall—this early first-season episode moved beyond meta-gags to embrace genuine existential horror.
The descent into body horror
Written by Justin Roiland, the episode begins when Morty asks Rick for a love potion so he can woo his crush, Jessica, for the school’s flu season awareness dance. After an infusion of vole oxytocin causes Jessica to become overly affectionate, the situation quickly spirals out of control. Because Jessica has the flu, the serum spreads through the school and eventually transforms the entire global population into Cronenberg-inspired monsters covered in teeth, tentacles, and oozing flesh.
Rick attempts multiple quick fixes, first exposing everyone to praying mantis DNA and then deploying an antidote, but each effort only creates more bizarre mutations. Despite the graphic body horror unfolding around them, Rick encourages Morty to enjoy the spectacle, confident in his ability to set things right.
A permanent shift in multiverse stakes
The episode’s most disturbing twist arrives at the end when Rick and Morty accidentally kill themselves with a device while trying to fix the planet. Rather than finding a traditional reset button, the duo from the Cronenberg-mutated reality simply bury the original bodies and take over their lives.
This revelation established that Rick is a multiverse traveler unconcerned with abandoning ruined worlds. The bleak conclusion—featuring Morty’s haunted stare as Mazzy Star’s “Look on Down From the Bridge” plays—introduced an existential weight that would go on to shape the series.
Later seasons revisited the consequences of this decision, revealing that the seemingly happy outcome for Morty’s family in the Cronenberg world was short-lived. By demonstrating that Rick’s unchecked science could permanently shatter reality while leaving psychological trauma intact, “Rick Potion #9” set the narrative and emotional stakes for the rest of the series.
