Conspiracy
Morty is preparing for school-recommended therapy in the bathroom when he hears Rick’s voice. He follows the voice into the garage to find that Rick has turned into a cucumber “because he could”. Beth and Summer show up and also notice Rick’s pickle condition. Morty suspects that Rick did this to avoid the therapy session and notices a syringe hanging, ready to inject Rick the moment the others leave. Rick dismisses the idea of leaving, saying the syringe is irrelevant. In response, Beth takes out the syringe, puts it in her purse, and leaves with her children.
Now alone on the table, Rick starts making random noises when a cat named Izzy appears. Rick tells the cat to back off and says he’s seen videos on Youtube of cats attacking cucumbers because cats are afraid of snakes and think cucumbers are snakes. The cat knocks Rick over, pushes him out of the garage and exposes Rick to the sun. Rick begrudgingly declares that dying in a hot brew is the mega-genius equivalent of dying on the toilet. Fortunately, a timely rain shower saves him from this fate.
However, the resulting rush of water washes Rick into the sewers, forcing him to survive in the sewers. Rick creates some cucumber juice and lures the cockroach to him. The cockroach kills Rick by biting his head and removing part of the cockroach’s head. Rick uses a cockroach brain to propel himself forward.
In the guidance office, we learn that the therapy sessions were recommended by the school because Summer blew ceramic glaze and Morty wet his pants in class, both believed to be signs of protest against their parents’ divorce. Mr. Goldenfold runs into them on his way out: he’s been eating poop and asks the others if they want the same. Beth, Summer, and Morty are greeted by Dr. Wong, the therapist, and their therapy session begins. Beth talks about how Rick couldn’t attend and how he’s a genius. Morty blurts out that Rick has turned into a cucumber. Dr. Wong uses this idea to start a discussion about why Rick turned into a cucumber.
Rick is seen cutting open the sewer grate using a makeshift exo-suit with the cockroaches cut off. As he thinks about his next move (to the sewer line), a rat appears and tries to attack Rick. Rick uses an elaborate trap to decapitate the unwary rodent. Rick then taunts the other rats that have arrived and places the dead rat’s head on another device, creating a rat version of the exo suit. With the rats pouring in, the sewer grates are breached and Rick begins killing every rat in sight with various small items, including screws and box cutters.
In the counseling room, Beth talks about how important Rick is. Summer responds and says how Rick lied and made himself a pickle, avoiding the council. Beth yells that Rick didn’t. Dr. Wong notes and discusses how the use of science is a common form of communication for the family. Dr. Wong asks what could be inside the syringe and they answer that it is a liquid that can turn Rick back into a human. Beth disagrees and gets angry. He flips out and delivers f-bombs as Dr. Wong, so siblings.
Rick just killed the biggest and toughest rat and entered the sewer pipe using rockets. He climbs out of the toilet and exultantly shouts, “PICKLE RIIICK!” He leaves the men’s room and starts looking for an exit. He stumbles upon an elevator and moves some nearby objects to allow himself to parkour towards the elevator door button.
Rick is approached by some agents who speak Russian and start shooting at Rick. Rick runs into the room and starts making weapons out of office supplies. Rick taunts the Agency director in the building while killing all the agents using traps and a laser weapon. The agency director uses the method of last resort and summons a captured fighter named Jaguar to kill Rick.
Back in therapy with Dr. Wong asks what’s in the syringe, Beth says Dr. should tell. Wong, while the siblings say it’s an anti-settling serum. Dr. Wong talks about the serum with Beth who interrupts her. Beth talks about how the session is supposed to be about her siblings being mad about her divorcing Jerry. Morty begins to notice interesting features of the therapy room, especially how there is a book depicting people eating feces. Dr. Wong says he’s not going to take sides and says Beth admires Rick. Beth bluntly says that it’s better than making trouble for other people, which Dr. Wong questions if that’s why she looks up to him.
Rick and Jaguar begin to fight, leading to both getting injured and treating each other’s injuries, leading to both talking about their motives. Rick proceeds to destroy all the cameras while fighting the Jaguar. The agency director receives a call from Rick that “Jaguar didn’t make it”, with Rick commenting that he is after the agency director. The head of the agency offers $100 million in bonds, but Rick demands that they be given to Jaguar’s daughter when she is released. The agency director says she is dead, and Rick refuses to negotiate with the agency director, who then kills the two remaining guards and flees to the roof to get to the helicopter.
The helicopter takes off with Jaguar piloting it, and Rick causes an explosion with a cigarette that kills the agency director. Jaguar and Rick talk about their families, which Jaguar ends up leaving. Jaguar is seen in the comic book flash ending.
The family is seen using simple sentences to describe what they currently want: Summer and Morty admit that Summer’s enamel sniffing and Morty’s wetting the table have nothing to do with the divorce: one is for uplifting and the other is a mere accident.
Rick appears, badly injured, joins them and asks Beth for the serum that will actually turn him back into a human. Rick says he made himself a pickle because he doesn’t respect therapy and that’s why he didn’t want to go, saying therapy is for boring people and he doesn’t need it. Dr. Wong agrees that going to therapy, or rather having time to mend relationships with family, is boring, but boring in the sense that brushing your teeth or doing bathroom hygiene isn’t an adventure: there’s no way to do it the way you can die, it’s just about putting in the work and that maybe some people would rather die than go to work. Rick has no answer for that and the session ends.
On the way home, Rick apologizes to Beth for lying to her, and Beth responds by injecting him with a syringe, eventually turning him back into a human. Rick and Beth plan to go out drinking after dropping the siblings off while ignoring Summer and Morty about whether he’ll ever return to therapy.
In the post-credits scene, Rick and Morty are tied to a giant piano and about to be killed by Concerto. Rick says how sorry he is for putting Morty in this situation and believes they will die for good. Unpredictably, Jaguar appears, kills Concerto and leaves. Morty asks who that was and Rick replies, “That Morty, that’s why you don’t go to therapy.”
