Discover Hidden Gems: Unveiling Surprising Easter Eggs in Rick and Morty You Might Have Missed

The universe of Rick and Morty is packed with aliens from iconic films, nods to the creators' personal lives, and connections to other animated shows.

At ZAMONA, we regularly explore intriguing details from popular franchises. However, Rick and Morty presents a unique challenge: the entire series itself is one massive Easter egg. Even the episode titles cleverly reference famous movies and shows. What's more exciting is uncovering subtle, witty details that often go unnoticed.

1. Rick Secretly Introduced the Parasites in "Total Rickall"

In Season 2, Episode 4, the Smith household is infiltrated by shape-shifting parasites posing as family members and friends. These unwelcome guests can even mimic monsters like Frankenstein, yet convince the family they've known them forever through implanted false memories. The family has to eliminate everyone they only remember fondly, leading to some shocking moments, including an injury to Mr. Poopybutthole.

The origin of these parasites isn’t explained outright, but Rick casually mentions that "someone" brought them along on the sole of a shoe or an alien fruit. This mystery is actually unraveled two episodes earlier.

At the end of "Mortynight Run," Rick loads green crystals onto his spaceship, one of which clearly shows bright pink eggs resembling the parasites’ eggs seen on the back of the first parasite killed impersonating Uncle Steve. In "Total Rickall," Rick is seen discarding these crystals. It implies the parasites were already present in the house during the previous episode.

2. Interdimensional Customs Filled with Aliens from Various Films

Remember the "Where's Waldo?" puzzles where you search for a specific character among a crowd? Rick jokes about such images in "Total Rickall" by briefly pausing the action. But the pilot episode offers a more engaging challenge. Rick and Morty attempt to smuggle alien seeds through interdimensional customs, with Rick advising Morty on a very unconventional hiding method.

Beyond the plot, the customs waiting area is packed with aliens resembling those from movies like "Alien," "District 9," and even the Munninutes from "Fast Food Team." Try spotting the others for yourself!

3. Jerry's Garage Holds a Secret Portrait of Fuffel Rick

Jerry Smith, the family patriarch, is often the butt of his father-in-law's jokes. Among all Ricks, only one—Fuffel Rick—shows kindness toward Jerry. They met in "Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind" and quickly bonded, though other Ricks mocked them, joking that Fuffel Rick comes from a world where people eat their own waste (a claim the creators debunked in commentary).

In "Rickmancing the Stone," a touching Easter egg appears: Jerry secretly keeps a framed portrait of his friend Fuffel Rick in the garage cabinet.

4. The Strange Morty Echoes the Show’s Original Inspiration

This Easter egg ties back to Fuffel Rick and his accompanying Morty. This Morty has no children or grandchildren, so Ricks assign him a Morty from another dimension. He resembles the protagonist from the 1985 film "The Mask," not the Jim Carrey version, but the original starring Cher.

The choice is clever: Eric Stoltz played the character with the peculiar face in "The Mask" and was also the initial Marty McFly in "Back to the Future" before Michael J. Fox took over. Since Rick and Morty draws inspiration from "Back to the Future," this subtle nod connects the dots in a nearly invisible way.

5. Items from Gravity Falls’ Grunkle Stan Appear in Rick and Morty

To appreciate this Easter egg, you need familiarity with "Gravity Falls." In the finale of "Society of the Blind Eye," Grunkle Stan is working on a mysterious machine when a portal sucks away three objects from his hands: a notebook, a pen, and a yellow mug with a question mark.

Where did these items go? They appear in Rick and Morty’s world. In "Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind," as the main characters pass several interdimensional portals, these exact items fly out from one of them.

Gravity Falls references abound, including the occasional glimpse of Bill Cipher (the triangular figure with an eye and a top hat), and alternate versions of Rick and Morty resembling Stan and Dipper. This suggests Gravity Falls exists within the Rick and Morty multiverse.

6. Creator Dan Harmon Embedded His Divorce in the Series Logo

Easter eggs in Rick and Morty extend beyond plot and credits—even logos hide personal stories. Harmonious Claptrap, Dan Harmon’s production company, displays evolving logos across seasons.

In Season 1, two logos are shown: one with a man and a cat, another with a man, woman, and pets. By Season 3, the logo morphs to show the man passed out on a couch, still with pets but no woman. This reflects Dan Harmon’s real-life divorce between Seasons 2 and 3, subtly documented within the company logo.

Later versions depict Harmon in bed with a new partner, illustrating his personal journey through the series’ timeline.

7. Rick Watches an Alien Version of "Community"

Dan Harmon often references his own projects within Rick and Morty. Before this series, he created the acclaimed show "Community" and sometimes invites its actors to voice minor characters here.

The clearest nod appears in "Auto Erotic Assimilation," where Rick, Summer, and Morty visit a planet controlled by Unity, Rick’s ex-girlfriend. She creates a TV show for Rick that he can control, directing characters to cry tears of joy, tease the blonde, perform acts on the table, cancel scenes, and restore them.

This mirrors "Community" inside jokes: teasing Britta (the blonde), the significance of the table, and emotional moments. The show was canceled after five seasons and later revived, just like the TV within the episode. To confirm it, viewers glimpse alien versions of Community characters on the screen.

8. The Truth Turtle Confirms a Classic Conspiracy Theory

In the opening of "Morty’s Mind Blowers," the characters steal the Truth Turtle, and Rick fails to warn Morty not to look into its eyes. The turtle utters a strange phrase before Morty discards it, and the turtle never reappears.

Playing the scene backward reveals the turtle saying, "I am Beatle, Paul is dead." This is a clever reference to the famous conspiracy theory claiming Paul McCartney died in 1966 and was replaced by a lookalike. Fans have found "evidence" by reversing Beatles songs, making this reversed line an ingenious Easter egg.

Bonus 1: References to Rick and Morty Appear in Solar Opposites

Justin Roiland, co-creator of Rick and Morty, also developed the series Solar Opposites, which flips many concepts of the former show. It follows aliens trying to blend into Earth, but with different motives.

Solar Opposites includes subtle Rick and Morty Easter eggs. In Episode 3, portraits in a casting agency feature a boy resembling Morty. Episode 6 shows a robot destroying homes with a picture of Summer among the debris.

Bonus 2: Morty’s Easter Egg in the Pocket Mortys Game

The mobile game Pocket Mortys, inspired by Pokémon, lets players collect various Morty versions. Among them is a Morty disguised as a colorful Easter egg, described as "cute on the outside, but fragile and hollow within." This adds a playful layer of fan service within the Rick and Morty universe.

Explore useful articles in Inspiring Movies & TV Shows as of 31-03-2024. The article titled " Discover Hidden Gems: Unveiling Surprising Easter Eggs in Rick and Morty You Might Have Missed " offers in-depth analysis and practical advice in the Inspiring Movies & TV Shows field. Each article is carefully crafted by experts to provide maximum value to readers.

The " Discover Hidden Gems: Unveiling Surprising Easter Eggs in Rick and Morty You Might Have Missed " article expands your knowledge in Inspiring Movies & TV Shows, keeps you informed about the latest developments, and helps you make well-informed decisions. Each article is based on unique content, ensuring originality and quality.