Posted in: Adult Swim, Preview, Rick and Morty, TV, YouTube | Tagged: Adult Swim, dan harmon, Justin Roiland, preview, rick and morty, season 7, trailer

Rick and Morty Season 7: What We Know (And What We Think We Know)

With Adult Swim's Rick and Morty Season 7 trailer set to arrive on Monday, here's what we know - and where we think it could all be heading.

Though it still remains to be seen (or heard) if we will finally get a chance to hear who's replacing Justin Roiland moving forward on Adult Swim's Rick and Morty, we do know that an official trailer for Season 7 will be unleashed across our unsuspecting screens on Monday, September 25th. Now, we've been on the record with our great idea – make us wait. Yup, that's right. Don't share a second of audio ahead of time – make folks watch the season opener on October 15th. When that trailer hits on Monday, it should have a badass soundtrack and snippets from everyone who's involved in the seventh season – except Rick and Morty. It would suck an "Adult Swim" thing to do. But no matter what happens, it's clear that we're going to start getting some clarity on what the future holds. So, with only hours (???) to go until the trailer arrives, we're offering a look back at our random predictions for the season's episodes, how Evil Morty & Rick Prime could be bigger factors than we realize, how the show's creative team was able to keep the show success despite Roiland's controversies, and more (including a look back at some of the previously-released previews).

Rick and Morty Season 7: Some Random Episode Thoughts/Speculation

Here's a look at a rundown of the Season 7 releases calendar as it currently stands (with new episodes screening on Adult Swim on Sunday nights): S07E01: "How Poopy Got His Poop Back" – October 15th; S07E02: "The Jerrick Trap" – October 22nd; S07E03: "Air Force Wong' – October 29th; S07E04: 'That's Amorte" – November 5th; S07E05: "Unmortricken" – November 12th; S07E06: "Rickfending Your Mort" – November 19th; S07E07: "Wet Kuat Amortican Summer" – November 26th; S07E08: "Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie" – December 3rd; S07E09: "Mort: Ragnarick" – December 10th; S07E10: "Fear No Mort" – December 17th. And now, some pure, raw & uncut speculation when it comes to each of those episodes:

"How Poopy Got His Poop Back": This better be the beginning of a redemption arc for Mr. Poopybutthole because Rick and Morty really owe him, considering how badly they f***ed up his life by playing upon his inability to say no to helping them out. And we're not sure how many more depressing end credits scenes we can handle before we need therapy (again).

"The Jerrick Trap": We're all about any chance we get to see Rick and Jerry in action together – especially any involving "Sailor Moon"-like transformation scenes. But it also has us vibing high levels of concern for Jerry's well-being because we appreciate the journey that he's taken, so we're not looking for anything that could undercut that. Plus, it would be interesting to see where we're at with the whole "Rick and and Jerry are friends" thing.

"Air Force Wong": Will Dr. Wong be getting a more hands-on role in the series? Our first thought after looking at the image above was that Jerry & Beth (and Space Beth?) head to Virginia for some kind of lovers' retreat, and things become like Stephen King's Under the Dome.

"That's Amorte": We want to say that it will be something love/relationship-focused, but that "spaghetti" part is making our brains hurt – and the industrial plan visual only adds to the confusion.

"Unmortricken": Could Rick and Morty find themselves being drawn back into their more "mindless destruction" phase from the earlier seasons – even if it's for a good reason? If there was ever a title, logline & visual that screams "Rick Prime/Evil Morty" episode, it would be this one.

"Rickfending Your Mort": Feels like we might be seeing a follow-up to S06E02 "Rick: A Mort Well Lived" (directed by Kyounghee Lim and written by Alex Rubens). Will Marta and Morty meet? Will we learn more of the "bigger picture" between Rick and Marta from last season? We have this vibe that maybe Morty might find himself "standing trial" to justify the life he's led so far.

"Wet Kuat Amortican Summer": Aside from what Urban Dictionary taught us about what "kuat" means, it looks like we're getting a reminder that Morty and Summer actually go to class sometimes. But with a visual flashing back to S03E08: "Morty's Mind Blowers" (directed by Bryan Newton and written by Mike McMahan, James Siciliano, Ryan Ridley, Dan Guterman, Roiland & Harmon), could we see the siblings approaching the hallways of educational hell with some returned memories? And why would they've been removed in the first place?

"Rise of the Numbericons": It's not like "Water-T and the Rise of the Numbericons" wasn't teased back in S02E05: "Get Schwifty" (directed by Wes Archer and written by Tom Kauffman), but the possibility of a follow-up was still a pleasant surprise. Would the series hand over an entire episode to Ice-T's tale of revenge & redemption? Sure – and yet, we can't shake this feeling that Rick and Morty will be more involved than we expect.

"Mort: Ragnarick": After what we've seen from Rick's spaceship in the past, seeing it sitting there by itself in a wooded area makes us a bit nervous. But that logline has us wondering if Rick and Morty are about to find themselves on the wrong side of yet another deity.

"Fear No Mort": Once again, if there was ever an episode that vibed like it could bring Evil Morty back into the mix, it's this one. In fact, the title and logline have us flashing back to the scene during the Season 5 finale, where we saw how The Citadel had perfected their sick & twisted system of manufacturing Mortys. Could there be more fallout from that?

Evil Morty's Rise to Power & Where It Could Be Headed

For a look at the very complex & still-unfinished story of our dimension-hopping duo's biggest big bad (the jury's still out on Rick Prime, but he's making a run for the title), here's a look at the backstory on Evil Morty's rise to power. And following that, we bring to the table to big theories we've been pushing about Evil Morty that might be as viable now as ever before:

Rick and Morty: Could Evil Morty Actually Be Rick AND Morty?

From S01E10: "Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind" through the fifth season finale (and casting a shadow over the sixth season), there has 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 duo's 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 Rick's toolbox.

So what if the Ricks attempted to eliminate the need for a physical Morty companion altogether by gene-splicing (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 halves of the duos. 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 counterbalances 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 in to his God complex and loses the essential things that would help ground his humanity. So by being willing to face their alt selves head-on, the duo is putting the strength of their six-season-forged dynamic to the test.

Evil Morty's Meta Mind Blower Key to Everything?

As much as the sixth season finale set up what appears to be a building epic showdown between our dimension-hopping duo and Rick Prime (though we think that's still in play in a big way), it feels like a lot of what we experienced during Season 6 was meant to camouflage the obvious "big bad-ish" waiting to reappear – Evil Morty. And where's Rick and Morty's real nemesis been all of this time? Why… he's been with us this whole time.

By now, we all remember how S05E10: "Rickmurai Jack" (directed by Jacob Hair and written by Jeff Loveness & Scott Marder) ended. We were shown Rick's real backstory, why Rick Prime is our Rick's prime target, how the Citadel of Ricks was created, and the dark & twisted secret that bonds Ricks and Mortys. And while our heroes look to escape the pull of a black hole that destroyed both the citadel and the Central Finite Curve, a carved-out portion of the multiverse where Ricks reign supreme as the smartest men alive in their respective dimensions. Using all of the readily available portal fluid and the blood of the hundreds of dead Ricks and Mortys, we last see Evil Morty stepping into a yellow portal, and  – that was it. So where did Evil Morty go?

Well, it would seem that wherever that yellow portal led to, it was definitely off the grid when it comes to Rick's scanners (scanners powerful enough for Rick to be able to track Rick Prime's tracks) because it feels like Rick would've given Morty the heads-up by the end of the sixth season if that was the case. Granted, it could be argued that Rick had a bad habit of keeping really important things to himself until the very worst moment. But from the standpoint of where our animated duo was at with their dynamic, it vibes like Rick would've included that along with confessing his "Moby Dick"-like obsession with Rick Prime (and understandably so). So, if we're working under the assumption that we can take Rick's dismissing Evil Morty as a continuing threat at face value, then where could Evil Morty be to give Rick such a false sense of confidence? It's simple. Evil Morty made a portal jump into our world, where Rick and Morty is an Adult Swim animated series created by Harmon & Roiland.

Now, you might be ready to throw out there that S06E07: "Full Meta Jackrick" (a pseudo-sequel to S04E06: "Never Ricking Morty") takes us to the "real world" where Story Lord meets his writer-creator Jan. In fact, the episode even begins by integrating the show's opening credits into the action, as Morty's suddenly clued to the idea that they might be a television show. But before Morty can begin rattling off the questions, Rick shifts topics and delays what looked to be a very complicated conversation on the horizon. But what if the real world that Rick fought Story Lord in isn't the "real world" but is instead the final "safety layer" before reaching the actual real world – where I'm typing this right now? It's been said that Jan is an amalgamation of Harmon & Roiland, but what if Jan is more than that? What if "Jan" is Harmon & Roiland's "avatar" in this reality dimension?

So Evil Morty went that extra mile by setting up shop in our world – but why? Could it be that Evil Morty just wants to be rid of Ricks and Mortys after exposing the huge lie? Is it possible that Evil Morty is looking to somehow continue on with his plan by manipulating Ricks and Mortys from afar? Maybe Evil Morty isn't going to be the "big bad" but an unexpected ally that Rick and Morty need to be able to stop Rick Prime for good? Of course, we can throw out the ugly possibility of a Rick Prime/Evil Morty team-up (though neither strikes me as being a big fan of team-ups… as Cronenberg Jerry learned). So when does Season 7 start?

Rick and Morty Team on Replacing Roiland, Writing Team Stepping Up

Here's a look back at what Rick and Morty Co-EP Steve Levy and Adult Swim President Michael Ouweleen had to share regarding Justin Roiland and the new voice actor(s) being brought aboard – as well as how the Adult Swim series' writing team kept the ship going (all the way to another Emmy nomination – and another possible win):

On Roiland Being Replaced, Voice Acting Being Just One Part of Series & If Viewers Will Notice

Ouweleen: "The idea is that we feel that they are the same characters. Listen: voices are obviously super important in an animated series. And, of course, none of us wanted to go through what we went through. But I've been in animation for a long time, and I know that what makes a series is its different parts coming together. If the voices are obviously a big part, there is also the writing of the characters, their design… I have reason to believe that the transition will go well."

Levy: "The quality of writing has never been better, and all the screenwriters have stayed. I don't think anyone will bat an eyelid hearing the new voices."

Ouweleen: "[On recasting process] But it's looking good. It's a rather unique situation… I'll take an example: there have been several great Bugs Bunny voice actors, and I love what Jeff Bennett has done with them. But it's not Mel Blanc! And yet we recognize the character. I even think that for 'Rick and Morty' we will do even better… It will be fine. It'll be great."

On How "Rick and Morty" Team Responded to Justin Roiland's Departure

Levy: The pill was hard to swallow. We were shocked and disturbed by what happened. But we stuck together, and we put all our energy into the series. We decided to stay positive, and in the end, we produced the best drawings, scripts, and animations of the entire series. And Dan Harmon [the co-creator of Rick and Morty] has always been in the trenches with us every step of the way. He always has an eye on everything, and sometimes that means he asks us to rewrite entire scripts, but for the good of the series. He never walked away after Justin left.

Ouweleen: There is no guide on how to react to this kind of thing. And it's not normal to experience that. Of course, it's hard; of course, it hurts. But when a whole team works on a series, the series actually becomes more important than one person. Season 7 will be pivotal; we know it, but I think we've never done better so far.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!