Draft:Auto Erotic Assimilation

"Auto Erotic Assimilation"
Rick and Morty episode
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 3
Directed by	Bryan Newton
Written by	Ryan Ridley
Original air date	9 August 2015 (2015-08-09)
Guest appearances
Christina Hendricks as Unity; Patton Oswalt as Beta 7; Jemaine Clement as Fart

Auto Erotic Assimilation is the third episode of the second season of the adult animated television series Rick and Morty. It originally aired on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim on August 9, 2015. In this episode, Rick and Morty respond to a distress beacon and reunite with Unity, a hive-mind entity and Rick’s former lover, while Beth and Jerry contend with a captive alien in their garage.

Plot

Rick, Morty, and Summer follow a distress signal to a derelict ship, where they discover Unity—a shapeshifting hive mind that assimilates entire populations into a single consciousness. Rick and Unity rekindle their romance, indulging in interplanetary parties and hedonism. Their reunion, however, causes fissures in Unity’s control: some individuals break free, igniting a violent civil war. Unable to prevent the carnage, Unity ends the relationship “for its own good,” leaving Rick despondent.

Meanwhile, Beth and Jerry discover a hidden chamber in their garage housing a telepathic alien creature named Fart. When they finally free it, Fart condemns them for their self-hatred and dysfunction, then departs—rejecting Rick’s offer to heal it. The episode concludes with Rick alone in his garage, listening to the hallucinatory ballad “Goodbye Moonmen,” reflecting on his loneliness.

Production

“Auto Erotic Assimilation” was written by Ryan Ridley (his first season 2 credit) and directed by Bryan Newton, with co-direction by Pete Michels. Series co-creator Justin Roiland voices both Rick and Morty, joined by Spencer Grammer (Summer), Sarah Chalke (Beth), and Chris Parnell (Jerry). Guest performances include Christina Hendricks as Unity, Patton Oswalt as Beta 7, and Jemaine Clement as Fart, who also performs the episode’s signature song “Goodbye Moonmen.”

According to the DVD commentary, the writers intended Unity to explore a rare moment of Rick’s vulnerability, using the hive-mind trope to juxtapose intimacy with existential isolation.

Reception

“Auto Erotic Assimilation” garnered critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 100% approval rating, with critics praising its fusion of dark humor and emotional depth. IGN’s Jesse Schedeen awarded it 9.0/10, lauding its “killer sci-fi humor with a surprisingly dark but fitting conclusion.” The A.V. Club’s Zack Handlen gave it an A–, noting that it “lays plain what makes Rick and Morty such a uniquely brilliant part of the television landscape.” Den of Geek’s Joe Matar rated it 4.5/5, calling it the season’s standout instalment.

In its original broadcast, the episode drew approximately 1.94 million U.S. viewers according to Nielsen ratings.

Cultural references

• The title parodies *autoerotic asphyxiation*, hinting at themes of self-destructive intimacy.
• Rick’s suggestion to harvest “facehuggers” references the *Alien* franchise.
• Unity’s planet features an orgy-style sitcom parody of the *Community* cast, a nod to co-creator Dan Harmon’s earlier work.
• “Goodbye Moonmen” is a pastiche of 1970s space-rock, evoking artists such as David Bowie.
• The hive-mind premise draws comparisons to *Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs*.