The Back To The Future Detail You Missed In Rick And Morty

Although "Rick and Morty" has become a cultural phenomenon of its own, it owes a great deal of inspiration to two major science-fiction franchises: "Doctor Who" and "Back to the Future." Both feature an older, wiser genius taking a young and naïve protégé on wild adventures, and, of course, that's also the basic premise of "Rick and Morty." Notably, a major source of comedy in the animated show is the fact that while Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and The Doctor are responsible guardians of time and space, Rick Sanchez (Justin Roiland) is a reckless loose cannon.

"Back to the Future" is such an obvious inspiration for "Rick and Morty" that the creators of the series have referenced it on more than one occasion. In fact, the first attempt at developing the main duo in "Rick and Morty" was a "Back to the Future" parody called "The Real Animated Adventures of Doc and Mharti." Some of the other references in "Rick and Morty" are subtle, with lots of easter eggs relegated to the background that might not be found on a first watch. With that in mind, there's a "Back to the Future" reference you might have missed in a particularly wacky episode.

"Rick and Morty" Season 4, Episode 5 ("Rattlestar Ricklactica") features a hilarious storyline in which Morty (Justin Roiland) inadvertently changes the course of society on a planet populated entirely by snakes. Eventually, the snakes end up creating a paradoxical time loop, and Rick and Morty are forced to return to the planet to break it. It's a highlight of the season, and it gives the show an excuse to parody various time travel stories from "Terminator" to "Back to the Future."

However, aside from the scenes referencing those movies, there's also a more explicit reference to "Back to the Future" hidden in the background of the episode. When Rick and Morty arrive on the snake planet, they go to a laboratory at "Snake MIT." On the back wall of that room is a poster for the snake version of "Back to the Future," complete with a snake version of Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox).

"Rick and Morty" may poke fun at a variety of its own pop-cultural influences, but it's clear that most of the mocking comes from a place of admiration. The "Back to the Future" poster is a fun reminder that no matter how much they joke about it, the people working on the show are fans of the beloved film, too.