The remote didn't prevent Michael from becoming a better person. It just drove the lesson home to the point of death (which makes sense considering who Morty is) so that Michael would get the message in such a way that he wasn't likely to forget it, blow it off, or backslide.
Being fat is a comedic consequence of blowing off family life but not one that would necessarily make him stop.
Losing his wife to another man wasn't enough to stop him from continuing to behave badly, remote or no remote. Watching his children grow up.
He had to realize that continuing to make choices like this would ultimately waste his life and cost him everyone he loved.
We don't have to be mean. Remember - no matter where you go, there you are. —Buckaroo Banzai
I disagree that the Aesop is broken.
The remote didn't prevent Michael from becoming a better person. It just drove the lesson home to the point of death (which makes sense considering who Morty is) so that Michael would get the message in such a way that he wasn't likely to forget it, blow it off, or backslide.
Being fat is a comedic consequence of blowing off family life but not one that would necessarily make him stop.
Losing his wife to another man wasn't enough to stop him from continuing to behave badly, remote or no remote. Watching his children grow up.
He had to realize that continuing to make choices like this would ultimately waste his life and cost him everyone he loved.
We don't have to be mean. Remember - no matter where you go, there you are. —Buckaroo Banzai