Rick and Morty has had many dark moments over the years. Hidden messages in subtext and rude awakenings have become a constant in the seven seasons of the series, frequently leaving fans feeling uncomfortable. There are several examples of the same, ranging from eating the insides of suicide victims to Wooden Jerry’s endless suffering. While these examples were enough to leave the viewers with chills, there is one episode that can compete with them.

The Vat of Acid Episode is famously iconic, being up there with Pickle Rick and Total Rickall. Although the reason for it has to do with how stubborn Rick is, a deeper analysis of the episode turns it into something much darker. In fact, one could argue that it stands as one of the cruelest moments for his character when he wasn’t even trying to be.

Morty Smith’s id and Rick Sanchez as...