Posted in: Adult Swim, Opinion, Rick and Morty, streaming, TV, TV | Tagged: Adult Swim, Evil Morty, opinion, rick and morty, rick prime

Could Rick and Morty Big Bad Evil Morty Actually Be Rick AND Morty?

Okay. Hear us out. Is Evil Morty the ultimate big-bad in Dan Harmon & Justin Roiland's Adult Swim series because he's really Rick AND Morty?

With Dan Harmon & Justin Roiland's Rick and Morty now in that awkward, between-season limbo ahead of the debut of the seventh season (later this year?) – made even rougher by the fallout from Roiland's legal matters – we took a look at what might be ahead with Season 7 and beyond last week. That when we revisited S05E10, "Rickmurai Jack" (directed by Jacob Hair and written by Jeff Loveness & Scott Marder), to speculate about where Evil Morty went after destroying the Central Finite Curve and heading off though a golden portal. But this time around, we have a theory about who (or what) Evil Morty is – and why it would truly make him one of our dimension-hopping duo's deadliest big bads. Wait… "one of"? 

From S01E10 "Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind" through the fifth season finale (and casting a shadow over the sixth season), there have been a lot of speculation about Evil Morty's true backstory. We've had a few clues from Rick over the seasons that appear to speak to how Evil Morty came to be (like when Rick warns Morty of the dangers of a prideful Morty), but with a series like Harmon's & Roiland's, it's tough to know what's canon, what's a "What If…?" scenario, and what's a red herring. With that said, we can't shake this feeling that Evil Morty is Rick AND Morty. Literally. It's been established that the Council of Ricks and the Citadel would be willing to do anything to guarantee that the Rick/Morty dynamic be maintained because of the usefulness of Mortys. But it's crystal clear that it's not a respectful relationship, with Mortys seen (at best) as second-class citizens or (at worst) just another easily disposable & replaceable tool in a Rick's toolbox.

So what if the Ricks attempted to eliminate the need for a physical Morty companion altogether by genesplicing (or another procedure that's above my paygrade) what the Ricks needed from Mortys as a Rick upgrade? Or, in this case, we're talking about an effort to "test tube" a Rick from scratch with Morty DNA, only for a Morty to be born with both genetic traits. The Council of Ricks would see this as a sacrilege and order him destroyed, but somehow he survived… with a nature/nurture hatred of both Ricks and Mortys. And to add another twist into the mix, imagine how interesting things would get if it turns out that was another secret that the Ricks kept from our Rick.

But why wouldn't this make Evil Morty the duo's ultimate big-bad? Because he only represents one dangerous endgame to the Rick and Morty dynamic. In this case, Evil Morty personified the dangers of our duo losing their respective identities. As important as it's been for the two to dial back on their relationship's toxicity, it's also important for the two to remain proper counter-balances to each other. It's the healthiest thing the two have going for them. But with Rick Prime, we have another side to the same coin. In this case (and as our Rick spoke of previously), Rick Prime is a cautionary tale of where the road leads when a Rick shuts out those around him who care, who gives into his God complex and loses the essential things that would help ground his humanity. So by willing to face Evil Morty and Rick Prime head-on, the duo are putting the strength of their six-season-forged dynamic to the test.

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