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Rick and Morty season 3 trailer features a ‘pure LSD trip’

By Kat Tenbarge

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 17: A view of the atmosphere at the 'Rick and Morty' L.A. Press Junket on July 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. 27168_001 (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for TBS)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 17: A view of the atmosphere at the 'Rick and Morty' L.A. Press Junket on July 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. 27168_001 (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for TBS) /
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Since this is Rick and Morty we’re talking about, no one is really surprised that the latest trailer features an extended LSD trip sequence.

What do Rick and Morty and the psychedelic drug commonly known as acid have in common? A lot, apparently. Series co-creator and star Justin Roiland released a new trailer for season 3 of the popular animated sci-fi series on his YouTube channel, and it features both Rick and Morty on an extended LSD trip.

That may sound a little too screwball even for Adult Swim, but the results of the acid-inspired animation process are truly a sight to behold.

In fact, it could pass for modern art and maybe even screen at the MOMA. Check it out for yourself, below.

To take a true deep dive into this trailer would probably require actually ingesting LSD, but I’m obviously not going to do that, so I’ll just give it my best shot. It opens with Rick asking Morty to carry a beaker full of a bright, blue, unidentifiable liquid across the room, without breaking it. Morty, of course, shatters it on the floor immediately.

“Here we go,” says Rick, and the two are thrust into a kaleidoscopic multiverse composed of different art forms throughout history. We’ve got some pencil drawings, meta!verse, classic Disney-esque cartoons and Cartoon Network-style animation, not to mention scenes inspired by Picasso, R. Crumb and Max Fleischer, just to name a few.

The narrative itself is a lot more difficult to explain. Rick kills Morty in a variety of ways, for starters, but he also kills Beth and himself on several occasions. Some classic characters make cameo appearances and there’s a truly nauseating zit-popping scene, but if any of this actually pops up in season 3 I’ll be both shocked and impressed.

Another trailer that Roiland released on his channel today is a lot more simplistic, as it’s just an instrumental version of “Thursday in the Danger Room” by rap duo Run the Jewels. What does this have to do with Rick and Morty season 3? We’ll just have to find out, but it’s also the backing to the LSD trailer.

Next: 50 Star Wars: The Last Jedi fan theories (and their possible validity)

What did you think of the psychedelic Rick and Morty trailers that precede season 3? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Rick and Morty will return to Adult Swim on Sunday, July 30 at 11:30 p.m. ET.