Commentary: More Shows Should Do Holiday Episodes Like ‘Rick And Morty’
by Frank Martin
It’s no surprise that holiday episodes are a big draw amongst television shows. People love holidays, so it makes sense to revolve entire storylines around them. Of course, the big holidays are usually the ones that draw the most attention. There are tons of examples using Christmas, Halloween, and even Thanksgiving or Valentine’s Day. But focusing on a holiday that doesn’t get as much attention in media allows for a unique storytelling opportunity, which is exactly what Rick and Morty did with Easter.
The episode begins with Jerry (Chris Parnell) accidentally hitting the Easter Bunny with his car. Because of this, Jerry slowly transforms into the new Easter Bunny. Over time, Rick (Ian Cardoni) and Morty (Harry Belden) eventually learn that the Easter Bunny is an alien that makes people around him extremely horny to the point that the entire planet eventually terraforms using sex. They then have to figure out a way to save Jerry while fending off a religious sect from space who are actually the very first Christians.
Aside from the fact that the plotline is completely bonkers, it’s pretty interesting to see Rick and Morty put their own spin on Easter. They somehow found a way to tie the Easter Bunny into Christian mythology while then expanding it further into an entire alien-related plot. It’s a completely absurd story, which Rick and Morty specializes in. However, that shouldn’t stop other shows from putting their own unique spin on the less utilized holidays. And it doesn’t have to be religious holidays either. There could be interesting stories told about Flag Day or Presidents Day. It’s a unique opportunity more series should explore.
Rick and Morty is now streaming on HBO Max.