Animated, Unusual and Clever

You’ve seen the “Back to the Future” trilogy, right? If you haven’t, this year marks the 30th anniversary of the first film, so it’s the perfect time to watch it. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Ah, you’re back. Wasn’t that a great movie? Now imagine an animated series in which a drunk and belligerent Emmett “Doc” Brown drags Marty McFly on adventures through seemingly endless dimensions for his own financial and personal gain. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you to the premise of Adult Swim’s “Rick and Morty.”

This clever animated series, which was co-created by Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, recently returned for its second season and, lucky for us, it was just renewed for a third.

The show follows brilliant-yet-rude scientist Rick (voiced by Roiland) and his worrisome grandson Morty (also voiced by Roiland, which is impressive) as they travel to parallel universes or deal with the ramifications of Rick’s inventions. In one episode Rick effortlessly whips up a helmet that will enhance the family dog’s intelligence. Before you know it, the world is overrun by hyper-intelligent dogs wearing huge mechanical suits.

“Snuffles was my slave name,” the family pet says while riding in his new robotic body. “I will now be called Snowball because my fur is pretty and white.”

As you may have guessed, Rick and Morty’s family plays a big part in the show. Rick has moved in with his daughter, Beth (Sarah Chalke), and son-in-law, Jerry (Chris Parnell). Beth’s happy to have her father back in her life, while Jerry’s annoyed that his garage is full of bizarre inventions. Morty’s sister, Summer (Spencer Grammer), has been joining in on the intergalactic adventures more during the second season.

While the setup of this show may sound ridiculous, the writing is smart and funny. Each episode introduces creative aliens, worlds and concepts. The first episode of the second season finds Rick, Morty and Summer trapped across time in a dimension filled with Schrödinger’s cats. (Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger proposed the idea that a cat in a sealed box with a flask of poison and a radioactive source may be simultaneously alive and dead, statistically speaking.) 

There aren’t many cartoons out there that will make a Schrödinger’s cat joke.

Rick may seem like a selfish jerk who doesn’t care about Morty or his family, but the writers toss in some dramatic moments to show there is more to Rick’s personality than it seems at first. During an alien-filled party, Birdperson (yes, he looks like a bird) tells Morty that in his native language, Rick’s silly catchphrase, “Wubba lubba dub dub,” means “I am in great pain, please help me.” A dark moment in the second season gives credence to that definition.

If you need any more reasons to watch this show, I’ll leave you with some of the amazing episode titles: “Something Ricked This Way Comes,” “A Rickle in Time” and “M. Night Shaym-Aliens!” Come on, you can’t pass those up.

“Rick and Morty” airs on Adult Swim, Sundays at 11:30 p.m.

Latest News

Rhys V. Bowen

LAKEVILLE — Rhys V. Bowen, 65, of Foxboro, Massachusetts, died unexpectedly in his sleep on Sept. 15, 2025. Rhys was born in Sharon, Connecticut, on April 9, 1960 to Anne H. Bowen and the late John G. Bowen. His brother, David, died in 1979.

Rhys grew up at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, where his father taught English. Attending Hotchkiss, Rhys excelled in academics and played soccer, basketball, and baseball. During these years, he also learned the challenges and joys of running, and continued to run at least 50 miles a week, until the day he died.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kelsey K. Horton

LAKEVILLE — Kelsey K. Horton, 43, a lifelong area resident, died peacefully on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, Connecticut, following a courageous battle with cancer. Kelsey worked as a certified nursing assistant and administrative assistant at Noble Horizons in Salisbury, from 1999 until 2024, where she was a very respected and loved member of their nursing and administrative staff.

Born Oct. 4, 1981, in Sharon, she was the daughter of W. Craig Kellogg of Southern Pines, North Carolina, and JoAnne (Lukens) Tuncy and her husband Donald of Millerton, New York. Kelsey graduated with the class of 1999 from Webutuck High School in Amenia and from BOCES in 1999 with a certificate from the CNA program as well. She was a longtime member of the Lakeville United Methodist Church in Lakeville. On Oct. 11, 2003, in Poughkeepsie, New York, she married James Horton. Jimmy survives at home in Lakeville. Kelsey loved camping every summer at Waubeeka Family Campground in Copake, and she volunteered as a cheer coach for A.R.C. Cheerleading for many years. Kelsey also enjoyed hiking and gardening in her spare time and spending time with her loving family and many dear friends.

Keep ReadingShow less
Eliot Warren Brown

SHARON — On Sept. 27, Eliot Warren Brown was shot and killed at age 47 at his home in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a random act of violence by a young man in need of mental health services. Eliot was born and raised in Sharon, Connecticut, and attended Indian Mountain School and Concord Academy in Massachusetts. He graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He and his wife Brooke moved to New Orleans to answer the call for help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and fell in love with the city.

In addition to his wife Brooke, Eliot leaves behind his parents Malcolm and Louise Brown, his sisters Lucia (Thaddeus) and Carla (Ruairi), three nephews, and extended family and friends spread far and wide.

Keep ReadingShow less
Randall Osolin

SHARON — Randall “Randy” Osolin passed away on Sept. 25, 2025, at the age of 74. He was born on Feb. 6, 1951, in Sharon, Connecticut to the late Ramon (Sonny) and Barbara (Sandmeyer) Osolin.

He was a dedicated social worker, a natural athlete, a gentle friend of animals, an abiding parish verger, an inveterate reader, and an estimable friend and neighbor. He was a kind-hearted person whose greatest joy was in helping someone in need and sharing his time with his family and good friends.

Keep ReadingShow less