If you’ve spent any time in the Rick and Morty fandom, you know the writers love a good, stupid gimmick. Sometimes it's a guy turning himself into a pickle to avoid therapy. Other times, it's a giant incest baby floating through space. But honestly, nothing captures the show's chaotic "we’ll do whatever we want" energy quite like the Season 5 episode "Rick & Morty's Thanksploitation Spectacular."
You know the one. It’s the Rick and Morty turkey episode.
On the surface, it’s just a bunch of bird-related puns and Keith David yelling as the President. Dig a little deeper, though, and it’s actually a pretty biting satire of American exceptionalism and the way we treat veterans. Plus, it answers the age-old question: do turkeys actually sleep in trees? (Spoiler: they do, and the show was weirdly accurate about that).
The Absurd Plot of the Rick and Morty Turkey Episode
The whole thing kicks off because Morty, being Morty, accidentally destroys the U.S. Constitution and the Lincoln Memorial with a laser. Rick, rather than just apologizing or fixing it, decides the easiest way to get out of federal prison is to get a presidential pardon.
How? By turning himself and Morty into turkeys.
Apparently, Rick has done this for years. He infiltrates the flock of turkeys destined for the annual White House pardon, waits for the President to do his thing, and then poof—he’s legally in the clear for another year. It’s a classic Rick move: high-concept sci-fi technology used for the most petty, low-effort result possible.
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But President Curtis (voiced by the legend Keith David) is onto him this time. What follows is a "spy vs. spy" escalation where the President turns his own soldiers into turkeys to hunt Rick. Then, he turns himself into a turkey to fight Rick mano-a-mano. Or beak-to-beak.
The real disaster happens when a regular, non-sentient turkey accidentally swallows the President’s DNA-identifying tracker. The secret service pumps this random bird full of human DNA, creating a "Turkey President" that is half-man, half-poultry, and 100% tyrant.
What Most People Get Wrong About the History
One of the funniest parts of this episode is how it treats American history. While we’re all taught about the Mayflower and the First Thanksgiving, Rick and Morty posits a much more... alien version of events.
According to the show’s "secret history," the Americas were once dominated by "turkeysaurs"—giant, prehistoric turkey dinosaurs. Humans didn't just settle the land; they had to fight off these feathered behemoths with the help of two alien races that looked suspiciously like Pilgrims and Native Americans.
References You Might Have Missed
The episode is basically a love letter to 90s action movies. Here’s a quick rundown of the stuff they parodied:
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- National Treasure: The whole "stealing the Constitution" bit at the start is a direct nod to Nicolas Cage’s finest work.
- The Fly: When the Turkey President emerges from the transformation chamber, his pose is a mirror image of Jeff Goldblum’s character.
- Predator: The final fight between the two Presidents includes a wishbone-pulling suicide move that screams 80s action finale.
- Avatar: The way the Marines link their consciousness to turkey bodies is a clear riff on James Cameron’s blue-cat-people epic.
Honestly, the sheer number of movie references they crammed into twenty minutes is impressive. It’s the kind of writing that makes you want to hit the pause button every thirty seconds just to see what’s in the background.
The Weirdly True Science of Turkeys
Believe it or not, the show actually got some facts right. During a standoff, the Turkey President claims that his kind sleeps in trees to avoid predators and that they can actually fly in the wild.
Morty spends the rest of the episode obsessed with whether this is true.
It is. Wild turkeys are surprisingly agile. While the farm-raised birds we eat on Thanksgiving are too heavy to get off the ground, wild turkeys can hit speeds of 55 mph in flight and definitely roost in trees at night to stay away from foxes and coyotes.
There’s also a scene where a soldier-turned-turkey freaks out because he has "too many degrees" of vision. This is also real. Turkeys have a field of vision of about 270 degrees, which would probably be terrifying if your brain was suddenly rewired from 180-degree human vision.
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The Darker Message Behind the Feathers
Underneath the jokes about giblets and cloacas, there’s a pretty cynical message. The Turkey President manages to stay in power not by being a good leader, but by bribing Congress with pay raises. It’s a none-too-subtle jab at how modern politics actually functions.
Then there’s the post-credits scene. We see a Marine named Coop (voiced by Timothy Olyphant) who was turned into a turkey and back again. He’s clearly suffering from intense PTSD. He can’t choose a box of blueberries without flashing back to his time as a bird.
When his wife mentions they don't have health insurance, a random shopper nearby says they "refuse to pay for his healthcare." It’s a sharp, uncomfortable moment that reminds us the show isn't always just about fart jokes. It’s about how the "little guy" gets chewed up by the egos of powerful men like Rick and the President.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Rewatch
If you’re planning to dive back into the Rick and Morty turkey episode, keep an eye on the background details. The "Crypt of the New World" under the Lincoln Memorial is filled with Easter eggs regarding the show's version of history.
Also, pay attention to the music. The fake country song that plays during the turkey transformation is a perfect parody of those "overly patriotic" anthems you hear at sporting events.
Actionable Insights for Fans
- Watch the Credits: Don’t skip the post-credits scene; it’s widely considered one of the darkest and most effective codas in the series.
- Check the Facts: If you’re a bird nerd, look up the "270 degrees of vision" scene again—the animation of how the turkey eyes move is surprisingly accurate to real-world biology.
- Context Matters: Watch this episode back-to-back with Season 3’s "The Rickchurian Mortydate" to see the full evolution of the rivalry between Rick and President Curtis.
This episode might not have the "prestige" of the Citadel of Ricks or the emotional weight of Rick’s past, but it’s a perfect example of what the show does best: taking a completely moronic premise and following it to its most logical, violent, and hilarious conclusion. It’s a holiday tradition that’s way more entertaining than actually talking to your relatives over dinner.
Next time you see a turkey in the wild, just remember: it might be an elite Marine, or it might be the smartest man in the universe trying to dodge a federal crime. Keep your distance just in case.