Rick And Morty Season 9 Episode 3 Recap, Ending Explained And Mid-Credits Scene

After two consecutive emotionally heavy episodes reflecting the inner workings of Rick’s psyche, the third episode of the ongoing season of “Rick and Morty” brings back the series’ usual zaniness and typical satirical  humor in the most absurd way possible. Additionally, the Smith household pool, which has been subject of recurring problems through the seasons, acts as the setting for one of Jerry’s raunchy misadventures, adding to the episode’s overall bizarreness.

Spoilers Ahead

Rick and Morty In Martial Arts Trap 

The episode begins in the Smith household, as we find Beth miffed with Jerry due to his utter failure to keep the backyard pool clean. Beth had asked her husband to bring in the local maintenance guy, a handsome honcho, Keith, to clean up the pool, but Jerry is too insecure to seek help from him, so he had bought a poolbot from a dumpster sale which, to no one’s surprise, malfunctioned. Rick offers his help, but Jerry needs to validate his manliness by cleaning the pool all by himself. 

Rick has bigger fish to fry anyway, as he is taking Morty to B**b World for the first time. Come to think of it, the series has mentioned the cosmic amusement park for a long time, but neither Morty nor viewers have actually seen the place once. This time is no exception either, as Rick and Morty’s plan gets ruined after an old martial arts master, Lu Xin, bumps Rick’s spaceship at a Trader Joe’s parking lot with his car. While Rick wanted to settle the issue without creating a fuss, Xin remained determined to exchange details to have insurance take care of it. Rick’s vaulting ego makes it impossible for him to just back away, and Xin is in the mood for a clash. Before Rick can realize what’s happening, Xin hits him with the good ol’ five point palm exploding heart technique – you know, the fictional insta-kill technique which was popularized by “Kill Bill,” “Dragonball Z,” and numerous other Wuxia movies. According to the conditions of the strike, the ones upon whom this technique is inflicted will lose their lives after five steps of frontal bipedal movement. Rick thinks of an impromptu solution by walking backward, and goes to his workbench to think of a way to undo the effect of the punch. 

Rick forms synth copies of himself to study the impact of the  technique, and finds out it indeed works as assumed, while Morty pleads with him to apologize to the veteran martial artists and have him undo the strike. Grovelling to anyone is antithetical to Rick’s personality, and Morty leaves after having a tense argument. Not long after, Morty stumbles across Xin in the supermarket, who agrees to teach him the art. However, Morty realizes this guy is an irredeemable psychopath, as Xin kills his cable guy for asking for payment, and even uses the same strike on Morty when he confronts him. A sobbing Morty rushes back to Rick after realizing he was mistaken to trust Xin’s fake expression of goodwill, and Rick vows revenge. 

Did Rick and Morty Defeat Lu Xin?

Rick has created two backward moving robots for himself and Morty to make traversal hassle free, and the duo decide to pay a visit to Lu Xin’s Shifu, Master Jurgens, in Tiger’s Nest Monastery in the Eastern Himalayas, and the visual clearly reminds me of the Bhutanese Buddhist monastery of the same name. As it turns out, Xin has been abusing the teachings of his master, as Jurgens reveals he had even killed his cat using the technique. Rick wants Jurgens to showcase the secrets of pressure point technique which his robotic learning mechanism will copy seamlessly, to not only undo the effects of their present condition but also allow him to deliver a thorough beatdown to Xin. However, Jurgens doesn’t want anyone else to use the sacred teachings of his martial art to bring about more violence, and he refuses. 

The duo learn about Jurgens’ troubled relationship with his daughter, Stephanie, who is in a polyamorous relationship with seven individuals. Morty offers to help Jurgens reconcile with his daughter if he gives them the secret of pressure technique as promised, Morty helps Jurgens and Stephanie to reconcile by helping him accept Stephanie’s life choices, and Jurgens keeps his word by teaching the technique to Rick’s mechanism. The machine undoes the effect of five point palm exploding heart technique, and helps the grandpa-grandson duo become proficient in every manner of ridiculous pressure point skill, which they use to fight Xin. 

Using pressure point technique copying mechanisms and nanobots, Rick and Morty gain kung fu powers and engage in a fierce battle with Lu Xin, where they exchange ludicrous blows like the worm magnet punch, tabasco palm punch, ctrl+z punch. The satirical take on fictional versions of martial arts viewers are accustomed to reaches its peak when the cumulative energy emitting from the battle destroys the city and summons the demon god Punchy, who is absolutely dismayed with them for abusing the sacred martial arts. It should be mentioned that Punchy is none other than the Hawaiian Punch mascot himself, who unleashes Punchenheimer, a fierce entity with a million pressure points on his body, on the trio. Fleeing from the martial arts monster, Xin apologizes to Rick and confesses that he willingly created the ruckus in the parking lot, since as a lonely old man he can’t seem to connect with others without engaging in conflict. Rick can’t relate to that, even though he does the same all the time. 

Xin reveals the secret technique of the splatter bolt kick, which he couldn’t learn from his master due to his incomplete training, is the only way to bring Punchenheimer down. Rick, whose robotic copier has learned all of Jurgens’ techniques, uses his mechanized martial art to teach himself, Morty, and Xin the technique, and the trio work together to finally annihilate the monster. Punchy appears pleased at this, as he mentions the trio have learned the lesson of non-violence, and disappears. 

Was Jerry Able to Take Down Poolbot?

On the other hand, Jerry gets into frisky business after his poolbot starts acting up. To repair his poolbot, Jerry uses an Ivy maid software patch he has downloaded, but after cleaning the pool, the bot starts getting cozy with Jerry. In the most bizarre fashion, Jerry gives in to his carnal instincts and makes love to the poolbot, but immediately regrets it when poolbot tries to convince him to leave Beth. A guilt-ridden Jerry decides to call Beth and seek Keith’s help from next time. The poolbot, which has apparently become sentient, becomes agitated at the proposition of being replaced, and launches a vicious attack on Keith. The poolbot even initiates lockdown protocol on the house, flooding the interior while trying to hunt Keith down like a shark. Eventually, Jerry lures the poolbot in the guise of getting close to it, and with Keith’s help, manages to take it down by removing its circuits. Beth returns home and is impressed upon seeing the pool cleaned, and Keith tries to blackmail Jerry by asking thrice his payment in exchange for keeping his interactions with poolbot a secret. However, Beth herself enjoys some me-time with her dryer, so she isn’t judging Jerry. In the final moments of the episode, everyone in the Smith family, Xin, Master Jurgens, and Stephanie and her seven romantic partners, join in the pool party and Jerry receives adulation for a job well done. 

What Happens in the Mid-Credits Scene?

The mid-credits scene is linked with Jerry and Beth’s conversation about the odd ways they use household appliances to seek pleasure. Jerry reminds Beth whatever she does with the hair dryer is her business, but she needs to use his face sticker on it to make it not appear like cheating. Later, Beth confides in with her hair dryer, who appears sentient as well, that the experience isn’t the same with this caveat. Never change, Smith family, never change. 

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