"After 10 years, 'Rick and Morty' compelled its characters to confront the void, resulting in captivating television."
Over its seven seasons, "Rick and Morty" has led its characters through apocalypses, divorces, galactic talent shows, and high school dances - all significant events in their quirky universe. The show's writers are currently working on seasons eight and nine without many rules or constraints.
During its seventh season, which concluded in December, "Rick and Morty" pulled off a major move: Rick finally killed his nemesis, Rick Prime, in the fifth episode of the season. Rick Prime, a malignant version of Rick from another dimension, had murdered Rick's wife, throwing his life into disarray. His obsession with taking revenge fueled his reunion with his family, the recruiting of Beth's teens for his interdimensional adventures, and set the wheels in motion for the series.
However, true to "Rick and Morty's" cynical tone, Rick feels nothing after killing Rick Prime in a bloody brawl. Back at his family home, while Morty rejoices in Rick's "victory," Rick is as numb as an undead zombie. The act of killing his archenemy doesn't bring him any satisfaction and doesn't bring back his deceased wife. It takes him a few more episodes to overcome his depression.
Heather Anne Campbell, one of the show's writers, says the series is "incredibly silly but extremely serious about the peculiarity of existing."
"'Rick and Morty' is trying to get at some funnier, dumber, more nihilistic truth about what we're doing here," Campbell told CNN. "The best way to demonstrate this to the audience is, 'Have you achieved your goal?' And it doesn't feel like anything? What does that mean? Because that's something everyone experiences at some point in their lives."
Fans of "Rick and Morty" know that the show can go anywhere at any time, from the planet Alphabetrium, inhabited by letter-shaped beings like Ice-T, to the Viking Valhalla with Bigfoot. In this infinite sandbox, Rick, the uber-intelligent scientist, vows that he's the smartest man in the universe but struggles to express love for his granddaughter Morty, daughter Summer, or his ex-wife, Beth, or anyone else beyond his friend Bird Person.
The best thing about writing for "Rick and Morty," Campbell says, is the limitless potential. The show's universe allows anything as long as it makes sense there and to its audience, from the moral complexities of a cannibalistic spaghetti dinner to the emptiness experienced after defeating an enemy.
"The six seasons before have shown us anything can be an episode," she said. "The strength of the show lies in taking these wacky sci-fi concepts and exploring them, trying to discern some truth about life."
Significant progress in season seven, but with one major downfall
As expected, the seventh season of "Rick and Morty" lived up to its reputation of being profane, riotously funny, and at times heartbreaking. (Despite being a Warner Bros. Discovery possession, CNN owns the rights to "Rick and Morty.")
This season was also the first to be released after Justin Roiland, one of its co-creators and voice actors for both the Rick and Morty characters, was fired over allegations of sexual assault. Nonetheless, the show continued to explore the science-fiction absurdities of life, asking questions like, "Would you conduct an intervention for your alcoholic friend whose wife left him for the Predator?" and, "What if Hugh Jackman was involved too?"
The power of nihilism drove the show's success, especially in the first season, where the duo left Morty's home planet, leaving his parents and sister trapped in a horrific creature-infested environment. All of this drama unfolded after Morty requested a love potion from Rick.
However, by the end of the seventh season, the main characters had made some personal growth. A touching moment comes at the end when the duo decides that they can no longer be frightened by the horrors they've witnessed across dimensions and venture into the Fear Hole, a virtual reality experience that presents their deepest fears. For Morty, this meant facing a life where Rick was absent.
Deep inside a mysterious hole, Morty encounters a version of Rick's deceased wife, Diane. The presence of this alternate Diane gives rise to Morty's deepest fears - that Rick might leave his family just as abruptly as he had reentered their lives, once again abandoning Morty to his mundane existence. To ease Morty's fears, Diane tries to persuade a materialized version of Rick to stay in the hole, despite knowing it would mean his death.
After exiting the hole, Morty approaches Rick and asks him if he's irreplaceable. Rick challenges him with the question, "What do you mean by 'irreplaceable'?" As Morty's hugs him, a rare gesture for the show, Rick is momentarily swayed by the temptation to seek out Diane. The location of the hole only adds to the gravity of the decision, as it's situated in a bathroom stall within a Denny's. However, after considering recent events, including Rick's killing of the man who took Diane's life, Rick settles on attributing his grandson's survival as a point of pride by placing a photo of Morty on a corkboard in the bathroom stall.
In a sense, this discreet act of affection is Rick's way of admitting his love for his grandson. The tender moment holds significance given the extended period it took for Rick to express such feelings. This leaves fans in anticipation for the rest of the series, both wondering what will happen next as well as freshly intrigued by the upcoming episodes.
Craig Rowin, the new voice behind Rick, shares these feelings. Although unsure of the show's future direction, he highlights the characters' growth and progression as factors that will keep the series engaging.
During an interview with CNN before the finale, Rowin says, "The character is growing. We've seen some great turns in Rick in terms of his emotional and mental health. We're seeing him open up in different ways. I'll bring to that whatever I can, but I think it's the character that's alive now."
From suicidal spaghetti to emotional turmoil
Amid the possibility of unpredictable circumstances and bizarre situations, Dan Harmon, co-creator of the show, agreed to a pitch from Jessica Campbell about an episode centered on spaghetti made from suicidal individuals. Despite initial reluctance to base a full episode on this idea, Campbell was able to explore the concept further, eventually crafting the memorable episode "That's Amorte."
While the premise initially seems like a black comedy tackling controversial subjects, it takes a poignant turn as the industry for suicide spaghetti escalates. Morty inadvertently becomes complicit in the popularity of the dish, leading him to question the value of life and his role in perpetuating the gruesome trade. Inspired by the constant flux of life, Campbell aimed to emphasize that a life represents more than a linear path; it's a wave to be appreciated in totality.
"I wanted to get across that life is not a direct path from one point to another –– it is a constantly meandering river," Campbell shared about her creative vision. "But that doesn't rob it of meaning, especially if you look at the entire thing all at once."
The writing team's receptiveness to Campbell's ideas breathed new life into the premise, allowing her to incorporate suicidal spaghetti as a key plot element. Dan Harmon calls this episode "bleak but tender," capturing the essence of the show's unique blend of humor and emotional depth.
Campbell states, "Working on the show has been incredible, because Dan is fully indulgent and patient. He lets us explore every idea we have, and he doesn't get upset if we totally trash it in the writing."
For series creator Dan Harmon, the enthusiasm in the writing room is a crucial indicator of a promising concept. Commenting on the idea, he said, "It's not necessarily about everyone laughing, but it's about them being excited –– when two or more writers start talking over each other, and everyone is pitching very different possibilities. If two people can disagree fundamentally about how they'd use x-ray glasses, that's a positive sign there could be a story's worth of energy in x-ray glasses."
Finally, Campbell confirms that the team is working simultaneously on the next three seasons, making it easy for them to foresee and acknowledge how significant changes may influence the future of "Rick and Morty." One notable turn of events involves the death of Rick Prime, allowing Evil Morty to step in and potentially destroy all Ricks across different dimensions, altering the show's dynamics in a drastic way.
Summing up, Campbell said, "We always say every episode needs to run a marathon, from a kernel of an idea to its final form on air. This idea worked because it had a strong enough engine in it to keep propelling it throughout the writing process."
While the future of "Rick and Morty" remains uncertain, one thing is clear: the rabid fan excitement and the showrunners' innovative humor will keep pushing the boundaries of conventional storytelling for seasons to come.
The future direction of "Rick and Morty" remains a mystery, given the demise of Rick Prime and the presence of Rogue Evil Morty. However, according to Campbell, this uncertainty is the show's main appeal.
She explained, "The future is truly terrifying. Existing is a conundrum. And these two elements colliding creates the essence of the programme."
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In the mind of Heather Anne Campbell, the writer for "Rick and Morty", the show's humor and darkness stem from its exploration of the absurd and the questioning of life's meaning, making it "incredibly silly but extremely serious about the peculiarity of existing."
Aside from its unique blend of comedy and nihilism, "Rick and Morty" is also known for its entertainment value, offering its viewers a thrilling journey through countless dimensions, challenging sci-fi concepts, and unexpected plot twists.
Source: edition.cnn.com
