I suspect that the writers felt that they had to underline for all of the red pillers out there that Rick Sanchez is not the hero of this show. That's probably why it highlighted how he is such a bad influence on his grand children, how he hurt his daughter and why it was necessary for him to lose the fight with the Zeus.
I suspect that this episode will be judged less harshly in the future when viewers see it in that broader context.
I suspect that this episode will be judged less harshly in the future when viewers see it in that broader context.