The episode begins in media res on a space train where various characters share "non-diegetic" stories about their encounters with Rick Sanchez. Rick and Morty soon realize they are trapped on a —a train designed to generate narrative arcs.

To escape, Rick and Morty must reach the engine, but the train's layout is revealed to be a physical representation of co-creator Dan Harmon's "Story Circle" .

The episode concludes with a double twist. The high-stakes space adventure is revealed to be the internal "reality" of a that Morty bought for Rick at the Citadel of Ricks gift shop. Rick loves the gift because Morty fulfilled his ultimate purpose: buying and consuming merchandise . Themes and Fan Analysis

They eventually confront Story Lord , a being who feeds on their "story potential" to break the fifth wall and reach a reality beyond the show.

To defeat Story Lord and halt the train, Rick and Morty do something entirely out of character: they sincerely pray to Jesus Christ , breaking the narrative machine with an unusable, "bad" story. The Grand Reveal