Why Rick's Love Potion In Rick And Morty Makes No Sense
"Rick and Morty" is an example of a show that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but is not really meant to. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, the animated series follows the galactic adventures of an old mad scientist named Rick and his jittery grandson Morty. Thanks to Rick's genius-level abilities, he can invent just about anything — nothing is off the table for the duo. From creating an amusement park inside a human body to owning a pet dragon, Rick can make pretty much anything happen.
As Rick and Morty travel across dimensions using Rick's portal gun, lots of different things happen to the pair, and not everything seems to follow logic. For one thing, it's hard to tell if Rick and Morty are even the same versions of themselves from Season 1 since they are constantly running into other Ricks and Mortys from different universes. Also, none of Rick's invented technology is in the realm of possibility, at least in modern times. One of his inventions even makes a massive mess for the pair.
Rick's potion is scientifically correct
In the Season 1 episode titled "Rick Potion No. 9," one of Rick's inventions goes terribly wrong, and it wouldn't be the last time. Morty asks Rick to make a potion to use on his crush to make her fall in love with him. Rick obliges him and uses oxytocin extracted from a vole — an animal that mates for life — and some of Morty's DNA to make a potion. Of course, Rick fails to mention the side effects, and when the potion comes into contact with the flu, it quickly becomes airborne and spreads. Rick then tries to cure the infected by using praying mantis DNA, but then everyone is turned into insect-like "Cronenberg" monsters. The only solution for Rick and Morty is to find another habitable universe for them to live in.
But what really doesn't make sense about Rick's love potion is how he used oxytocin. As someone who is supposed to be the smartest man in the universe, Rick should've known that oxytocin doesn't work that way. While oxytocin has been dubbed the "love hormone" and plays a role in social bonding, it can't be used to make a stranger fall in love with you. According to Harvard Health, it's mainly a hormone that triggers childbirth, or it's released when you're already in love. It's not going to work on a stranger, as in Morty's case.