Rick and Mortyare absolute all-stars for Adult Swim. Practically every one of the show’s six seasons has brought back what its fans love the most, with the latest one adding some new story elements that were met with positive feedback. That begs the question: what can Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon do to shake it up once more next year?
After all, putting aside the rare fluke that was season 5,Rick and Morty’screators have pretty much hit a bullseye every time. However, the introduction of more canonical and linear storytelling, as well as the presence of a definitive villain, brings with it more possibilities for mistakes. Experimentation involves accepting something can go wrong, and all the more since season 6 was such a hit. What lessons should showrunners and new writers take heading towards season 7, for it to be just as fresh yet familiar without forgoing the newer plot?
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More Of The Same
Unlike many other shows that come to a creative crossroads of sorts,Rick and Mortyis in no hurry to wrap up its larger overarching plot involving Rick Prime and its foulmouthed protagonist’s quest for revenge. Just because a primary antagonist was formally introduced in season 6, this should not be interpreted as a sign that, moving forward, the series will address that storyline week in and week out. Nor will it necessarily even approach it in a very rigorous way, for that matter.
Perhaps no one knows this better than Rick Sanchez himself. The season 6 finale made clear that although he is a man on a mission, Rick Prime is a rare kind of challenge,much like Marvel’s plans for Kang the Conqueror. As Rick mentions, Rick Prime is everywhere all at once. This translates to a lot of his story not having to unfold consecutively, and allows any partial victories to be backtracked.
That doesn’t directly mean the pair will be chasing Rick Prime five human years from now. In fact, that option seems unlikely, given that it’s not what Roiland and Harmon have been doing so far. There will be plenty of detours. After all,Rick and Mortystill has to satisfy its audience: people who grew to love the show due to the sitcom qualities that still enable it to run wonderful thematic episodes,such as the Christmas-inspired season finale.
It’s that style that the series continues embracing the most, albeit now also dealing with a bigger story. Forall its evolution,Rick and Morty’sseason 6is still a collection of randomized adventures with a wide range of flavors.Rick and Mortyhas changed, as there’s room for the characters to grow past their former selves, but as Rick states, not every episode has to pack a big personal revelation. Some entries can be pure fun and that’s it.
More of the same inRick and Morty’scase means coming up with new ways to get the most out of the portal gun, creating new wacky intergalactic characters, and staying true to its original spirit of endlessly mocking contemporary culture. It also means finding a path for that formula to tell Rick Prime’s story. At this point, fans should not doubt its creators knew the villain would simply have to fit into that mold, rather than the other way around.
More Characters On The Spotlight And Other Genres
It’s pretty self-evident thatRick and Mortyowes its origin and much of its humor sci-fi traditions. However, withthe premiere of a Halloween horror entry,the show proved it can dabble in tropes that are foreign to it.Novelty is what makesRick and Mortytick, and its never-ending intersections with other pop culture elements always become sci-fi comedy.
Adding a new thriller showcase as a one-off episode each season could become a new tradition for the show. At the end of the day, this is simply another way to add that perpetual sense of noveltyRick and Mortyhas had from day one. As season 6 proved, linearity can mark a turning point forRick and Mortywithout affecting its multiverse mechanicsfor too long.
Arguably, the show already went through a similar process when it started giving characters like Summer, and now Jerry, a bigger role in the series with their own episodes centered on a particular type of humor only they can exploit. By now, the Smith family has developed to the point where any character can carry an entire episode by themselves. Continuing to try writing expansive scripts for each one is another way to experiment and take the heat offRick and Morty’smain mission. As if that wasn’t enough,Rick and Mortyhas many beloved minor charactersthat have not been featured as much as some fans would like. Take Mr. Nimbus, for example, as well Birdperson’s entire story arc, as proof that the supporting cast offers a ton to explore. Whatever the case, if there’sone thingHigh On Life’smassive successproves, it is that people are hungry for more of the series' brand of comedy.
In its current state,Rick and Mortyrepresents a perfect case of “if ain’t broke, why fix it?” Season 6 simply adds linearity as extra and Rick as extra themes the show can tackle. It’s hard to point outwhy season 5 disappointedRick and Mortyfansso much, but if it was a case of the previous formula growing stale, this last one was different enough to serve as the template for season 7 without the risk of repetition.
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