Rick And Morty season 1 episode 5 “Meeseeks And Destroy” introduced Mr. Meeseeks to the series - and a cult hero was born. Rick And Morty was created by Dan Harmon (Community) and Justin Roiland, who also voices the title characters. The basic setup finds a genius scientist dragging his insecure grandson around the universe on adventures that always take a dark, violent turn.
Rick And Morty debuted on Adult Swin in 2013 and became an instant cult favorite, due to the combination of heady sci-fi ideas with great voice acting and black comedy. While the show typically revolves around the title duo, it also takes time to explore the rest of the family too, including Morty’s parents Beth and Jerry and older sister Summer. Rick’s impulsive, destructive behavior also takes a toll on them, with later seasons exploring this theme in greater depth.
Rick And Morty season 1 episode “Meeseeks And Destroy” finds Rick being forced to take an adventure chosen by Morty, but before he leaves he gives the family a Meeseeks Box. This device creates a Meeseek, a tall blue creature created to serve a single purpose before vanishing. These are typically tasks that are easily completed, and they are overwhelmingly friendly and helpful by nature. That said, they’re never meant to exist for more than a few hours since existence itself is incredibly painful to them. When one Mr. Meesicks can’t help Jerry improve his golf game, he creates another, who then create another. Soon there’s a whole chain of creatures going insane with the realization they can’t fulfill the purpose they were created for due to Jerry’s mediocrity.
While Meeseeks have made cameos in other episodes, Rick And Morty season 1 episode 5 milked the idea for all its comic potential. The combination of their high-pitched, screechy voices and intensely upbeat nature makes them weirdly endearing. The concept of “Meeseeks And Destroy” was initially born from Roiland riffing in the writer’s room due to frustration, creating a character called Mr. Meeseeks from thin air that they decided to throw into the episode for fun. Their single-use purpose was also somewhat inspired by comic Scud: The Disposable Assassin, about a robot assassin designed to kill a certain target and self-destruct.
Like Mr. Poopybutthole or Scary Terry, Mr. Meeseeks is a character who was quickly embraced by fandom, which represents how good Rick And Morty is at creating memorable supporting players. The fact that Jerry’s inane lack of effort or drive pushes them to a violent existential crisis is also a great concept.
Rick And Morty season 1 episode 5 features some dark moments, especially following Morty’s violent encounter with King Jelly Bean, but it also had one of the most optimistic endings. Rick’s assassination of the King proved he does actually care about his grandson, and the Meeseeks push Jerry to actually apply himself for a change and achieve something. It’s a small step for them both, but it showed they are both capable of change.
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