Posted in: Adult Swim, Preview, Rick and Morty, TV, YouTube | Tagged: Adult Swim, dan harmon, Justin Roiland, rick and morty

Rick and Morty: Dan Harmon on Last Time Speaking with Justin Roiland

In a profile/interview, Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon (Community) opened up about the last time he spoke with Justin Roiland.

Published Sat, 30 Sep 2023 11:19:07 -0500

by Ray Flook

Comments

For fans of Community (especially with an upcoming reunion movie on the way from Peacock) and Adult Swim's Rick and Morty, a profile/interview from The Hollywood Reporter spotlighting Dan Harmon has had a lot to offer for them to process. On the Community side, Harmon discussed wanting the movie to do right by both the faithful fanbase and the returning cast and how it was important to show them a better production experience this time. On the Rick and Morty side, Harmon addressed the previous & current accusations surrounding co-creator Justin Roiland, why he didn't want to be involved in selecting Roiland's successors, and how he and Warner Bros. had discussed a feature film or "super episode" for the dimension-hopping duo (similar to what Trey Parker & Matt Stone did with South Park). Now, we're taking a look at what Harmon shared regarding his last conversation with Roiland, a series of 2019 text exchanges between the two.

In the feature (as well as in other articles focusing on Roiland and the animated series), the claim that Roiland began dialing back his direct involvement in Rick and Morty during the second season was addressed. Harmon discussed how a mediator was brought in during the third season, but it would be the animated series locking in a 70-episode order from Adult Swim that would end up improving things between Harmon and Roiland – but not for long. "It was like Justin and I were in love again because we were dealing with the powers that be and talking about how rich we might be if we negotiated together," Harmon shared. From there, Harmon offered some insight into his final one-on-one with Roiland – a conversation that the profile said "left Harmon in tears."

"He said things that he'd never said before about being unhappy, and I remember saying to him the last time we spoke in person, like, 'I am worried about you, and I don't know what to do about that except to give you all the string and also just say I'm scared that you're not going to come back.' But then this conversation became unprecedentedly confrontational…," shared Harmon, who then paused his detailing of what transpired between the two. "I think that's as far as I get to take the story. At that point, we're no longer both there for it, and it starts to become not only unfair for me to continue but totally uncomfortable because, from there, a friendship goes away, and I still don't fully understand why."

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!