Foucault highlights Bentham's Panopticon, a physical and ideological control, using visibility as a weapon of discipline. Useful in times of great disorder, this mechanism is a form of constant, participatory social surveillance. Over time, control is less and less pertinent. Without any further knowledge, members of society conform to the described norms for fear of disciplinary action- assuming constant observation.
Rick and Morty: Episode two describes Rick's happy place, an entire world designed with the sole purpose for him to hang up his lab coat and relieve himself. Being a genius, Rick has designed a beautiful planet simply so that he may "poop in peace" with a beautiful landscape surrounding him. He is troubled when he finds a broken twig next to his ceramic throne; someone else has used his toilet. After tracking down the alien that defiled his realm, he tries to punish the criminal. Yet the Alien is not frightened by the threat of death, he welcomes it. Undeterred, Rick plans to humiliate his Alien trespasser by programming the toilet to portray thousands of Ricks laughing at a single seated man. Rick's antagonist dies before the mad scientist can get his last laugh. Leaving the hero hollow and alone. With no purpose, Rick sits on the armed ceramic to be ridiculed by hologram copies of himself.
Rick's investigative abilities is an imitation of the power of social surveillance. While his Panopticon toilet is protected, he is a victim of his own 'norms' in the end.
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