Summary

• Rick and Morty 10th Anniversary Special redefines Rick's 'catchphrase' wubba lubba dub-dub.
• In season 1, Birdperson claimed it meant, "I am in great pain, please help me."
• Years later, Rick confirms that's just "the way Birdperson meant it," and he wasn't actually trying to express his misery.

One of the big reasons that Rick and Morty fans love the franchise is that it always keeps them guessing - what seems like a huge moment or game-changing revelation can be dismissed in an instant, while small decisions that fans almost forgot can come back to bite the Smith family in a big way. Now, R&M fans are finding out that a seminal season 1 reveal wasn't what it appeared to be.

The new Rick and Morty 10th Anniversary Special celebrates ten years of the Smith family, with references to every episode of the beloved TV show. The story sees Rick deciding to retire, itting that after ten years, it's time to hang up his portal gun. Packing up his various gadgets and experiments, Rick says, "It's time to clean out this garage so I can move out, Morty. Wubba lubba dub-dub, but the way Birdperson meant it. You know, Morty."

The line is a reference to season 1, episode 11's 'Ricksy Business,' and Birdperson's claim that Rick's catchphrase means "I am in great pain, please help me." In the comic, Morty understands Rick's meaning and helps him clear up, but the moment actually changes the meaning of the original reveal that Rick is hiding his depression and self-loathing in plain sight.

Rick's Catchphrase Isn't Actually a Cry for Help

Birdperson's Season 1 Claim Was Flawed

In 'Ricksy Business,' Rick throws a party at the Smith house, with Morty angry that his grandpa doesn't care about anything but having fun. However, Rick's old friend Birdperson tells him that Rick's party catchphrase "wubba lubba dub-dub" translates to a cry of pain, pointing out that Rick obsesses over partying to dull the existential pain that defines his life. It was a major moment in establishing Rick's real motivations, and especially in adjusting Morty's opinion about his grandpa.

However, Rick and Morty 10th Anniversary Special subtly adjusts the meaning of this moment. Rick saying "the way Birdperson meant it" suggests that he never meant it as a cry for help - at least not before now. Not only does Rick's phrasing confirm that he has his own meaning for the phrase, but also that this alternate meaning is his default intent - when he actually means "I am in great pain, please help me" he feels the need to explicitly say so.

In the episode, Birdperson points out that Rick is speaking the language of his avian/alien species, with Morty retorting, "Well, I got news for you, he's saying it ironically." This anniversary moment suggests that Morty was essentially right: while Rick is obviously in great emotional distress, he still sees the phrase as a meaningless thing to yell at a party.

Rick and Morty Loves Undercutting Its Biggest Moments

Rick and Morty Is Always Disassembling Its Own Continuity

Undercutting seemingly major moments is a major pattern for Rick and Morty, from Rick surrendering himself to the Galactic Federation at the end of season 2 (only to instantly break out as he'd always planned) to the cosmic rift that was unceremoniously sealed by the dinosaurs in season 6, the franchise loves to parody expected story structure as much as it does individual media. The idea that season 1's big moment of insight into Rick was essentially a coincidence fits this pattern, as well as undercutting one of the show's most instantly recognizable catchphrases.

The end of the comic sees Rick get his groove back, proclaiming "Infinity years, Rick and Morty! ... For as long as pictures can say words - even drawn in ash on the side of post-apocalyptic caves - Rick and Morty will never die!" Given Rick and Morty's habit of recontextualizing even foundational moments years later, that's seeming more possible than ever.

Rick and Morty 10th Anniversary Special #1 is available now from Oni Press.