The Shining Reference You Missed In Rick And Morty

"Rick and Morty" has become a cultural phenomenon since it premiered in 2013, achieving high levels of critical and fan acclaim. All told, across the 5 seasons released as of this writing, "Rick and Morty" holds a 94% cumulative rating on Rotten Tomatoes. "Rick and Morty" tells of the adventures of the eponymous characters, both voiced by co-creator Justin Roiland, as they travel into interdimensional spaces and meet all kinds of strange alien life. The show is filled with odd, sometimes biting dark humor and morally gray characters.

"Rick and Morty" also utilizes pop culture references, a trait that the show's other co-creator Dan Harmon used in another one of his shows, "Community." In fact, these references come so quickly and frequently that some fans may have missed certain ones or forgotten about them entirely. With that in mind, there's a rather easy reference to miss entirely early on in "Rick and Morty" that calls back to Stephen King and Stanley Kubrick's classic horror film, "The Shining."

During "Lawnmower Dog," which serves as the second episode of "Rick and Morty's" first season, Rick and Morty enter the dreams of the latter's math teacher to try and get him to raise Morty's grade. If this premise sounds familiar to fans, that's because it's pulled directly from Christopher Nolan's massive science fiction hit "Inception." However, the references do not stop there as the episode features character Scary Terry, a deliberate reference to "A Nightmare on Elm Street" villain Freddy Krueger, who haunts and kills his victims in dreams.

Once again, the references keep piling on, though in perhaps less obvious ways than the rest of the episode's pop culture callbacks. When Morty's teacher, Mr. Goldenfold (Brandon Johnson), falls asleep, the poster above his head is a fun little direct nod to Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" movie, itself based on Stephen King's classic novel. An almost identical poster appears in Dick Hallorann's (Scatman Crothers) room in the film. It's a very small reference, but it's also further proof of "Rick and Morty's" dedication to packing in as many pop culture moments as possible.