The latest season of Rick and Morty revisited a hilarious parody of Stephen King, playfully referencing the author’s directorial debut. The show often revisits old jokes, so it wasn’t surprising to see callbacks to past episodes in season 9. But the reference to a particularly well-known (and poorly received) Stephen King film continued a tradition of wonderfully random humor that makes Rick and Morty special.
In season 9, episode 4, titled “A Ricker Runs Through It,” Morty is shocked to learn that Reese, an acquaintance of both him and Rick, is actually just a living container for Rick’s passwords. Morty tries to save Reese from being discarded and replaced, but things quickly escalate. The Smith family ends up held hostage by a planet of pigs who make vodka – they’re seeking revenge on Rick after a long wait. This episode cleverly spoofs a famous story by Stephen King.
Rick and Morty Season 9 Episode 4 Parodies Stephen King’s Maximum Overdrive
The chaotic and violent events unfolding at the Smith family’s home, where their appliances turn on them, clearly reference the 1986 horror film Maximum Overdrive. This famously gruesome movie features machines and electronics coming to life and attacking people in creative and deadly ways. While many Stephen King novels have been considered impossible to adapt for the screen, Maximum Overdrive stands out as the only film adaptation of his work that he personally directed.
Stephen King’s Maximum Overdrive is a wildly over-the-top mix of action, horror, and comedy – and it wasn’t well-received when it came out. The film lost money at the box office, earning just $7 million despite costing $9 million to make. Critics called it clumsy and poorly executed, with one describing it as simply a “mess.” King himself admitted he made a silly movie and realized directing wasn’t his strong suit; he’s much better at writing.
Over the years, Maximum Overdrive has gained a following as a delightfully bad movie, largely due to its wild story and shocking beginning. While the film loses momentum after that initial setup, it’s clear the movie left its mark on the writers of Rick and Morty, who have repeatedly referenced this obscure ’80s cult film throughout the show. Despite many other great Stephen King adaptations, Maximum Overdrive has stuck with them.
Rick and Morty Has Spoofed Maximum Overdrive Before
The show Rick and Morty has referenced the movie Maximum Overdrive several times. The most prominent example is in season 7, episode 6, “Rickfending Your Mort,” which includes a memorable scene—called “Maximum Overdrive with Clothes”—where killer clothes attack Rick and Morty in a different reality. Interestingly, the movie also got a quick mention just a week before that, in season 9, episode 3, “Rick Fu Hustle.”
In a particularly over-the-top fight scene in Rick and Morty, Rick, Morty, and a martial arts master unleashed a series of ridiculous attacks. One highlight was a “Maximum Overdrive Punch” that magically animated nearby machines and turned them against their opponent. This echoes an earlier moment in season 2 where Rick’s spaceship malfunctioned while trying to protect Summer, resulting in a chaotic and violent outburst that resembled the beginning of the film Maximum Overdrive.
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2026-06-16 21:43