What is the problem with a planet where everything is "on a cob"?

What is the problem with a planet where everything is "on a cob"? - Top view monochrome of various plastic bottles and kitchen utensil polluting planet on green background

In season 2, episode 10 of Rick and Morty, "The Wedding Squanchers", Rick and the Smith family evaluate an Earth-like planet for habitation, only to discover that everything is "on a cob" (Video).

When Rick realizes this, he freaks out and they quickly leave.

What is so terrible about this?



Best Answer

It's a play on several tropes, namely No Time To Explain, Oh Crap!, and Don't Ask, Just Run.

Rather than get into the details of why it's so terrible, Rick, who's the only character present that's safe to assume would know why the planet is so terrible, simply hurries everyone back onto the ship to go to the third and final planet.

What makes the scene funnier: knowing the reason everything is corn shaped is so bad, or simply having Rick panic (Oh Crap!) and forcing his family to leave the planet (Don't Ask, Just Run) for seemingly no reason (No Time To Explain)? Do you really want to know why everything being in cob form is bad, or is it more fun to try and come up with your own explanation? Oftentimes the best monsters are the ones we never see and are left to imagine for ourselves.

Not everything needs to be explained. Doing so frequently can bog down the story in pointless details, make something that's supposed to be a big deal suddenly not a big deal, or maybe the writers couldn't really think of a good reason why but found a way to use an idea they came up with anyway.




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What is the problem with a planet where everything is "on a cob"? - From above chalkboard with THERE COMES A TIME WHEN SILENCE IS BETRAYAL inscription on black background
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Why Everything Being on a Cob is Terrifying




More answers regarding what is the problem with a planet where everything is "on a cob"?

Answer 2

Very simply put: It freaks Rick out (with no needed explanation why).

This seems to be the intended explanation, as:

  • Morty and Summer are shown to like cob world (and its food), which lets the viewer "accept" cob world as a viable world to live in. If Rick freaked out before anyone liked the world, the viewer would have assumed cob world to not be viable.
  • Rick very much forces the choice between two planets instead of three, which seems to indicate that he feels he's alone in his disapproval of cob world (again indicating it's actually seen as a viable option by others), but at the same time he does not want to compromise about it.

And to be fair, I'm on Rick's side here. The thought of everything being on the cob, down to a molecular level, freaks me out too. It means you're in a world which is built with different fundamental elements that you're used to.

Answer 3

Upon inspection of the weirdest ants I've ever seen, Rick finds out everything is on a cob down to a molecular level. That means that although it seems like a viable option, once a planet receives new inhabitants, they'll eventually grow and evolve with the planet, but here's the part where you'd freak out too, you would also eventually be on the cob. Lol. Therefore, Get in the ship, everything is on a cob the whole planets on the cob, GO, GO, GO, GO! That's just what I think tho, tried to think up a scientific explanation. Lol. Like maybe he freaked because they would all be on a cob if they didn't get outta dodge.

Answer 4

I'm pretty sure, that there is actually another answer for this question:

If everything is on a cob "down to a molecular level", that means that all oxygen-molecules would be too. If that is the case, there's a pretty good chance, that the human lungs of the Smith family cannot process the on-a-cob-oxygen and might die pretty fast, if they dont get off the planet quickly.

Answer 5

Strictly and objectively speaking, prior to the fourth season of Rick and Morty, the show never addresses this. No explanation in any way shape or form is provided.

All answers prior to Season 4 are mere speculation and only constitute theories and hypotheses.

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Images: Anna Shvets, 7inchs, Brett Sayles, ArtHouse Studio