Rick & Morty Season 8, Episode 1 Revives One Of Its Most Iconic Catchphrases For The First Time In 3 Years

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Rick and Morty season 8, episode 1, “Summer of All Fears”.With Rick and Morty changing significantly in recent years, it has felt like a long time since we heard one of the show’s most iconic catchphrases, but season 8 finally brought it back. Alongside its quirky humor and absurd storylines, Adult Swim’s hit show is known for having some iconic quotes and catchphrases that live long in the audience’s memory. Rick and Morty‘s Pickle Rick episode remains one of the most talked about in the series because of its silly dialogue and Rick’s line about turning himself into a pickle is still repeated frequently, even if ironically.

Since then, Rick and Morty has continued to produce great quotes and is by far one of the franchise’s biggest strengths, yet its most memorable catchphrase hasn’t been heard in almost three years. Luckily, season 8’s premiere changed this, as one scene in “Summer of All Fears” featured Rick proudly belting out his famous line, offering some nostalgia to long-term viewers. While Rick and Morty may be continuing to head in a new direction and trying new things, it clearly hasn’t forgotten its roots, making it surprisingly comforting to hear Rick’s classic line uttered once again.

“Summer Of All Fears” Finally Brought Back Rick’s Iconic “Wubba Lubba Dub-Dub” Quote

The Classic Catchphrase Was Last Mentioned Briefly In Season 6

After three long years, Rick and Morty finally allowed Rick to use his most well-known quote – “Wubba Lubba dub-dub“. The last time we heard this line was from Morty in season 6 during “Night Family”. With the titular characters recording a podcast, the duo did an ad read where Morty said to Rick “They want you to say Wubba Lubba dub-dub“, which Rick immediately shot down. Therefore, it has been a long time since Rick actually used the line that had become a bit of a staple during the show’s earlier seasons, making its return a genuine shock.

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Rather than Rick and Morty season 8’s premiere sidelining central characters like other opening episodes, it decided to embrace the history of arguably its main protagonist by bringing back this classic catchphrase. Even if it was some simple fan service, the dialogue didn’t feel overly forced and fit into Rick’s jubilation about escaping the matrix Morty had forced him into. While it’s important the series doesn’t become overly reliant on what worked previously, it was still a breath of fresh air to hear Rick using “Wubba Lubba dub-dub” again, and I’m glad the phrase is still part of his character.

What “Wubba Lubba Dub-Dub” Actually Means In Rick & Morty

Birdperson Explained It Is A Cry For Help, But Rick & Morty Has Suggested It May Have A More Optimistic Meaning

Despite “Wubba Lubba dub-dub” usually being used in a positive context, the phrase supposedly has an extremely dark meaning. According to Birdperson, Rick’s catchphrase actually translates to, “I am in great pain, please help me“, a complete contrast to the sort of message you’d expect based on the enthusiasm in Rick’s voice while using the expression. Assuming he really does mean it in that context, it feels fitting that Rick’s quirky and upbeat catchphrase is actually surrounded by tragedy given the character’s history in the series, but there is also a major detail that suggests it has another definition.

The meaning of “Wubba Lubba dub-dub” was updated in Rick and Morty‘s comic series, as Rick used the line and followed it up by saying, “The way Birdperson meant it.” His clarification suggests that Rick has his own interpretation of the phrase and doesn’t associate it with the same cry for help that Birdperson does. Although the comics never explain what Rick’s version of “Wubba Lubba dub-dub” really means, it seems like it is some sort of celebration or positive message, and keeping the true definition a mystery only adds to how iconic the catchphrase has become.

Why Rick Brings Back His Classic Catchphrase In Season 8

His Euphoria Of Escaping His Own Matrix Device Causes Him To Bring Back The Catchphrase

Rick escaping his self-designed matrix feels more meaningful as it was the exact situation that sparked the return of his catchphrase. After Rick put Morty and Summer in a simulation to punish them for failing to return his phone charged, Morty flipped the script by locking Rick in the matrix instead. This time, the lesson was about why putting people inside these simulations is bad. Despite his initially frustrated reaction, Rick was much more capable of escaping on his own, using his genius to exit the matrix, which prompted him to passionately shout “Wubba Lubba dub-dub.”

It may have felt a little extreme for such a small scenario to elicit such a strong reaction, but given the impact being stuck in the matrix had on Morty and Summer, I’d say it was a fair response. Alternatively, Rick and Morty‘s writers may have also wanted to bring back the phrase to win over fans. The show has changed a lot since Justin Roiland’s departure and some viewers seem to have lost a bit of interest in the franchise, but bringing back fan-favorite quotes proves that Rick and Morty has maintained its charm even while creating new adventures.

Rick and Morty

8/10

Release Date

December 2, 2013

Network

Adult Swim

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  Justin Roiland

  Rick Sanchez / Morty Smith