[7.1/10] Well, I’ve complained about *Rick and Morty: The Anime* being hard to follow, and this was basically an entire episode devoted to trying to explain what’s going on. And I’m still a little lost. But I appreciate the effort! So Elle is, apparently, not from another dimension, but rather the product of someone (long-haired Rick?) creating some substance in Rick’s test tube. I’m not sure what the substance does, or why Rick needs it, or why it resulted in Elle’s creation, but hey! It’s something! Likewise we get at least a little backstory on why Rick and Space Beth are on board with Elle. The flashback to Elle rescuing both Space Beth and Bird Person when the Galactic Federation tried to hold them hostage to bait in Rick is something of a twist. It feels a touch random, but lays some groundwork. Likewise, I appreciate the reveal that Tammy wasn’t a pure turncoat or anything, but rather was a runaway who’d been taken in and, if not brainwashed by the Galactic Federation, at least imposed upon at a time when she was vulnerable. Giving her a connection to Elle is notable, and interesting, I’m sure there’s other details I’m forgetting here. But this is the closest an otherwise opaque show has come to giving us straight exposition and explainers to help orient the audience. I can't say it’s perfect or anything, but it at least makes it feel like the writers have a plan and a goal in mind, rather than just a bunch of random stuff, which is how the show feels at its worst. But what I really like about this one are the character moments. I gotta tell you, as much as Beth rightfully doubts that things will last between her son and his girlfriend, they’re almost unbearably romantic together. The idea of someone who has a Tralfamadorian perception of time feeling centered and present when she’s around the person she loves is a beautiful illustration of the way being with someone you care about can anchor you, make you savor and appreciate the now in a way that's transcendent. I like the show taking seriously what could otherwise be written off as puppy love. And Elle and Rick’s interactions are compelling too. There remains something philosophical in the way that Elle both knows the future and believes in free will. It’s not clear what, if anything, can be changed about what’s to come. In prior episodes, it made things seem like all choices were fixed. But the idea that she won’t tell Rick what to do with the mysterious substance that would end her existence if used is fascinating. At the same time, this is a softer side of Rick. The way he gives Elle a certain amount of leeway because he saved Bird Person and Space Beth is endearing. And the twist that he saved her, rather than the other way around, is intriguing. I like their dynamic, which I wasn’t necessarily expecting, even though Anime Rick doesn't exactly feel like mainline Rick. Overall, there’s still a great deal that confuses me about what’s going on in this show, but *Rick and Morty: The Anime* is at least *trying* to explain things, and I appreciate the effort.