On May 31, 2020, while most of America was still at home due to Covid, Star Mort Rickturn of the Jerri first aired on Adult Swim. Just over a year later, the fans were still clamoring to find out what happened with Clone Beth and we got....
Mr. Nimbus. Rick's previously unmentioned nemesis.
Yes, I know Clone Beth briefly showed up later, but it got me thinking. I don't think we're getting the whole 70 episode extension.
In hindsight, I think the Mr. Nimubus adventure may have been Rick and Morty's Great Gazoo moment, but in a perverse, big dick energy way.
Justin Roiland seems almost effervescent talking about Solar Opposites.
Dan Harmon has signed yet another development deal, this time with Apple, and just this week he was talking about the Community Movie.
JUST.
MAKE. RICK.
AND.
MORTYS.
They have a hit, job security, and a cult-like fandom. But after watching Rick & Morty's Thanksploitation Spectacular, I think that they just don't like making Rick and Mortys anymore. It's really that simple. Rick Sanchez is a cartoon character, but somehow he's lost his fastball this season. At one point, Justin Roiland suggested once a month Rick and Mortys, instead of a year (or 2) wait between seasons. That doesn't sound like someone having a good time. That sounds like a grind.
Spoilers Ahead
This is how I think Rick and Morty ends, because it's going to end sooner than later and it's going to be a shock. First of all, I think Roiland and Harmon sue to get out of their contracts early. There isn't a South Park or Simponson-esque run in the show from either the creators or Adult Swim. I think they're going to make 70, and that's it.
On the screen, this is how Rick and Morty will end. With 5 minutes left in an average last episode, Rick will calmly turn to Beth and say, oh, by the way Diane is very much alive and in another multi-verse. We buried a different version of your Mom here. Ending the series with a cliffhanger is a very Dan Harmon thing to do.
Then Rick and Morty will be re-booted a few years beyond the finale without either Harmon or Roiland, because I believe there is an underlying creative tension there, and they will have an 8 to 12 episode run on a streaming service that doesn't answer any questions from the original series. The fans will, of course, howl that the quality isn't the same.
Then, in 20 years or so, a desperate corporate entity will back the money truck up to re-unite Harmon and Roiland, and you'll get a Rick and Morty movie. Then you might get some answers in Rick and Morty canon.
2045, 2046-ish.
Seriously.