Pratik Handore
The seventh season of ‘Rick and Morty‘ starts with a hilarious episode with surprising emotional depth, focusing on the story of the fan-favorite character, Mr. Poopybutthole. In the episode, Mr. Poopybutthole lives on the Smith family’s couch after a major downturn in life, and Rick is tasked with getting rid of the longtime friend. However, some viewers might be surprised to find Mr. Poopybutthole in a dark and gloomy situation. If you are wondering how Mr. Poopybutthole’s life went downhill and who is responsible for his situation. In that case, you might need a refresher about the character’s history in the popular animated sitcom. Here is everything you need to know about Mr. Poopybutthole’s background! SPOILERS AHEAD!
What Happens to Mr. Poopybutthole?
Mr. Poopybutthole is a recurring character in ‘Rick and Morty,’ first introduced in the fourth episode of season 2, titled ‘Total Rickall.’ Mr. Poopybutthole is stated to be a long-time friend of Rick Sanchez and the Smith family. He is an alien from a different dimension where he was a famous star but moved to the earth to live a normal life. Mr. Poopybutthole appears in the seventh season premiere, titled ‘How Poopy Got His Poop Back,’ as the central character and the main focus of the episode’s conflict.
In the episode, Mr. Poopybutthole is revealed to have been living with the Smith family for months. He has lost his job, and his wife, Amy, has left, taking their son, Poopy Jr, with her. As a result, Mr. Poopybutthole becomes depressed and develops an alcohol addiction. The Smith family eventually grows tired of Mr. Poopybutthole’s behavior. As a result, Morty asks Rick to deal with the situation by holding an intervention for his longtime friend. Instead, Rick gathers his friends, Gearhead, Birdperson, Squanchy, a random middle-aged man, Gene, and later, Hugh Jackman, to pull Mr. Poopybutthole out of his misery. Series co-creator Justin Roiland voices the character in its initial appearances, with Jon Allen taking over the role with the seventh season premiere.
How Did Mr. Poopybutthole’s Life Go Downhill?
Given Mr. Poopybutthole appears in short sporadic bursts over the first six seasons, viewers may find it difficult to connect the dots of his story, particularly his tragic downfall into addiction and despair in the seventh season premiere. A planet-wide superstar in his home dimension, Mr. Poopybutthole, visits the Smith family in the fourth episode of season 2 to live a normal life. However, he gets caught up in the alien attack as the parasitic creatures have inserted fictitious good memories in the Smith family’s mind, making it near impossible for them to determine which of their friends are real.
During the climactic battle, Beth cannot determine whether Mr. Poopybutthole is real or a parasite, as the Smtih family has no bad memories of him. As a result, Beth shoots Mr. Poopybutthole in the stomach, revealing the memories about him are real. In the seventh season premiere, Mr. Poopybutthole claims Beth shooting him is the reason for his downfall. However, that is almost certainly untrue since Mr. Poopybutthole’s later appearances show his lifestyle improving after the incident.
In the third season finale, titled ‘The Rickchurian Mortydate,’ Mr. Poopybutthole is revealed to have a family, as he is married to Amy, and they have a baby. In the fourth season episode, ‘One Crew Over the Crewcoo’s Morty,’ Mr. Poopybutthole is a college professor and teaches African-American women’s studies. Mr. Poopybutthole is attacked by his students, revealing his karate skills, after which Rick and Morty recruit him for a heist. It is later revealed that Rick had Mr. Poopybutthole’s students attack him to test his skills, resulting in Mr. Poopybutthole losing his job.
In the season 5 finale, Mr. Poopybutthole reveals his relationship with Amy collapsed after he was fired. The sixth season finale sees Mr. Poopybutthole build a strong physique but breaks his legs and begs to reunite with Amy. The events following Rick recruiting Mr. Poopybutthole for the heist directly contribute to his downfall in life and are referenced in the seventh season premiere. However, contrary to Mr. Poopybutthole’s belief that his misery started when Beth shot him, Rick is actually responsible for his friend’s deteriorating lifestyle. In season 7, it is implied Rick feels some remorse for his effect on Mr. Poopybutthole’s life as he tries to help Mr. Poopybutthole get his wife back, only for the latter to come to terms with his circumstances and seek help.
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