Although Rick and Morty season 8 promises more focus on Morty, the cartoon comedy needs to fix one recurring issue that season 7 ran into before making this switch.Rick and Morty’s season 7 ending was the show’s highest-rated episode in years on IMDb, and it is not hard to see why. Season 7, episode 10, “Fear No Mort,” was a clever, moving, funny adventure that fleshed out Morty’s internal world while also combining elements of The Twilight Zone and The Hole in an unpredictable sci-fi storyline. Although the show usually centers on Rick, “Fear No Mort” excelled by spotlighting Morty.
Rick and Morty's lone Thanksgiving episode marks an important point in the sci-fi comedy show's history, although viewers might not guess this.
This episode offered an ideal blueprint for Rick and Morty season 8, and the show’s return should aim for a similar blend of smart character drama and chaotic sci-fi comedy. However, “Fear No Mort” was not Morty’s first solo adventure in season 7, and his earlier outing was a lot less successful. Although the twist ending of Rick and Morty’s season 7 finale revealed that Morty was alone in the Hole the entire time, Rick was seemingly right by his side throughout the episode’s story, unlike in season 7, episode 8, ‘"Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie.”
Morty’s Solo Rick & Morty Season 7 Episode Was Unsuccessful
"Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie" Earned A Mere 4.5 On IMDB
"Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie" was the first Rick and Morty episode not to feature Rick at all, and the outing undeniably suffered as a result. "Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie” earned a paltry 4.5 rating on IMDb, becoming Rick and Morty’s lowest-rated episode ever on the site. The main problem was that Morty didn’t have enough to do in the episode, which mostly treated him as a sidekick for his math teacher, Mr. Goldenfold. Although "Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie” was funnier than critics gave it credit for, the episode had no meaningful character arc for Morty.
The season ends with Morty realizing that he must start to view himself as more than an extension of Rick.
After Rick and Morty season 7’s ending, it is clear that the series is looking to give Morty a bigger role in the show. The plot of “Fear No Mort” centers on Morty coming to terms with his identity outside his relationship with Rick, and the season ends with Morty realizing that he must start to view himself as more than an extension of Rick. Morty vows to live for himself in season 7’s ending, so season 8 must follow through on this premise. Sadly, "Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie” didn’t show much promise in this regard.
Rick & Morty Season 8 Can Make Morty’s Solos Stories Better With A New Love Interest
Morty's Love Interests Make His Plots More Emotionally Engaging
The main reason that "Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie” was a bad first solo episode for Morty is that Morty himself didn’t get much of an emotional journey in the outing. While it had its moments, "Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie” wasn’t concerned with Morty’s growth as a character. Fortunately, Rick and Morty has already worked out how to make Morty’s character more compelling in earlier seasons. A more substantial love story for Morty would help his solo outings in Rick and Morty season 8, since Morty’s love interests often illustrate the character’s internal world more than before.
Even characters like Planetina and Jessica, who were central to entire episodes, have never become series regulars.
As far back as Rick and Morty’s first Christmas episode, the series has always treated Morty’s love interests as disposable characters. Even characters like Planetina and Jessica, who were central to entire episodes, have never become series regulars. However, despite how little screen time they may receive, Morty’s love interests have consistently fleshed out his character more than his misadventures with Rick. As noted in season 7, episode 4, “That’s A-Morte,” many of Rick and Morty’s shared adventures can be boiled down to Rick doing something amoral, Morty fretting about its morality, and this fretting inevitably having unforeseen consequences.
Morty's Romantic Arcs Have Provided Many Of His Best Rick & Morty Stories
These Episodes Make Morty More Than Rick's Sidekick
In contrast, outings like season 5, episode 3, “A Rickconvenient Mort," season 4, episode 8, ”The Vat of Acid Episode," and season 5’s premiere “Mort Dinner Rick Andre” all contain some of Morty’s best subplots precisely because of his love interests. Morty’s romantic subplots force him to act in his own interest, while many of his adventures with Rick simply rely on him playing the role of a sidekick. As such, Rick and Morty’s season 8 story needs to give Morty a more substantial love story, so that the show can finally flesh out his character further.
“A Rickconvenient Mort” saw Morty free Planetina from her apparent captors, only to find himself overwhelmed by her appetite for eco-terrorism. Morty’s horrified reaction and the struggle he encountered when he needed to decide between dumping her and ignoring her dark side was genuinely compelling, and it was something viewers rarely get from Rick-centric episodes. Similarly, Morty’s realization that he and Jessica simply weren’t meant to be in “Mort Dinner Rick Andre” was poignant and more mature than any of his earlier romantic subplots, proving the character had grown from the dim-witted but well-meaning teen viewers first met in season 1.
Rick & Morty Season 8 Must Prioritize Morty's Character Development
Rick and Morty’s Season 7 Finale Featured Morty’s Best Storyline In Years
Morty must continue to grow in season 8 and, judging by the history of Rick and Morty, this means giving him a long-term love interest. Few of Rick and Morty’s storylines are serialized, and none of Morty’s romantic subplots have received this treatment so far. Rick and Morty season 8 should change this pattern, treating Morty’s love life with the gravity that the show afforded Beth and Jerry’s divorce or Rick’s pursuit of Rick Prime. After all, the success of "Fear No Mort” proved viewers were eager to see a more mature, complex version of Morty in future outings of the series.
Morty’s story should be central to the entirety of season 8, giving Rick a chance to play a supporting role for the first time.
Rick and Morty season 8 should build on the potential showcased in “Fear No Mort” by not only introducing a new love interest for Morty, but also ensuring they receive more than one episode of screen time and story focus. Morty’s story should be central to the entirety of season 8, giving Rick a chance to play a supporting role for the first time and allowing Morty to become a more complicated, nuanced character in the process. This would ensure that Rick and Morty season 8 feels fresh while also meaning the series lives up to the promise of season 7’s deservedly acclaimed finale.
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