Collected from 2020 panels and interviews, we’ve found the juiciest tidbits regarding the upcoming season of Rick and Morty.
Of all the TV shows out there, the relevance of Rick and Morty stands impressively strong. I mean, how many shows do you know that can motivate a fan to drop $20k for a mere bottle of Szechuan sauce?
Whether you’re arguing over the best season with a mate, analysing the shit out of Dan Harmon’s genius screenwriting, or kicking back on the couch for a boozy chuckle, this show is at the forefront of discussion for most TV lovers.
That’s why we’re going to keep you updated on everything we know about the upcoming season, from the mouths of the creators themselves: plots, characters, release schedule, and all. Let’s get started.
Season 5 is ahead of schedule!
That’s right, no more excruciating two-year waits between seasons! (Remember the dark days between Season 3 and 4?) The sporadic release dates of Harmon and co-creator Justin Roiland’s high-scale concepts may just be a thing of the past.
“We’re more on schedule than we’ve ever been,” Harmon revealed at PaleyFest NY 2020 (via Syfy Wire). “It kind of makes you focus on the whole process when you don’t have this office environment anymore.”
Unlike other creative industries, animation hasn’t been as heavily impacted by COVID-19, and according to Harmon, working remotely has actually increased the speed of production. “The honey just gets made more consistently”, he described – and that’s a-okay with us.
Everyday I feel like we are in season 5 of Rick and Morty
— Nori Reed (@nori_reed) November 14, 2020
Harmon has an ‘Emmy episode’ in mind
The co-writer couldn’t help dropping a tasty teaser on what might be his very favourite episode from the season. Written alongside old friend and collaborator Rob Schrab, there’s an episode “where Morty has a relationship with another female character that’s not Jessica”.
Looks like we might be in for some heartbreak, as Harmon went onto claim that Schrab’s writing is “very tender” and that he “feels heartache on a level a man his age shouldn’t”.
Still, this youthful perspective sounds like it culminated in a very promising episode. Did you know that Rob Schrab also co-wrote the finale of Community with Harmon? Check out our top 5 fav episodes right here.
The relationship between Rick and Jerry will be evolving
Until now, Jerry has been largely portrayed as tragically useless, dismissed by Rick at every turn. But Harmon has expressed wariness around not wanting to oversimplify their relationship.
“I think that if Grandpa Munster continues to just shit on Herman Munster, that’s a Flanderization of the father and son in law relationship,” Harmon described.
Harmon signalled that their relationship is a problem to be solved and like the episode of The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy, their relationship is “gonna be rooted in alienation and then all the more profound as some version of a friendship is formed”.
Boy they tore Jerry APART in season 4 of Rick and morty 😂😂
— Malik 🥶 (@wokenegro) November 11, 2020
Season 5 is going to have a canon
Rick and Morty producer/writer Scott Marder also had some bombshells to drop. At the 2020 virtual Adult Swim Festival, he cheekily admitted, “there’s epic canon in season 5 coming. Fans are gonna get knocked over by the canon we’re about to hit them with… All the stuff we’re doing is so awesome!”
If Marder’s confident, then we should be too. The show has dabbled in canon previously to great avail, so some more continuous narrative is likely to get us binging once more: hook, line, and sinker.
The return of Space Beth???
In season 4 we were treated to Space Beth, but it appears her return may be imminent.
“There’s some pretty groovy things regarding Beth,” Harmon expressed, going on to reveal that the question of whether or not she is actually a clone will be a crucial story element – so we better get theorizing quick smart.
“She’s Schrodinger’s Beth right now. The fact that she may or may not be a clone is actually the important thing,” Harmon described.
Kanye West?
Kanye West is reportedly a big fan of Rick And Morty and the rapper’s name has often been brought up in regards to the show.
In a 2019 interview with The Blast, Harmon and Roiland called Kanye a “kindred spirit” and a “genius”, with Harmon eluding to the idea that they may just give him control over an entire episode: “I’m giving him an episode, I’m making it official. We have 70, he can have one.”
So, could there be a Kanye episode on the horizon of Season 5 – or beyond? Only time will tell.
https://twitter.com/incognitolam/status/1268337910400585728
Release date and trailer
At this point, there’s no word on the release date. However, judging by all the evidence, it looks like we should be getting Rick and Morty Season 5 sometime in the first half of 2021. We’ll keep you posted.
Whilst there’s currently no trailer, there is a “first look” which was released by Adult Swim back in July. Check it out below.
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