Rick and Morty Season 7’s Most Hated Episode Presents A Problem For Season 8

Summary Morty's independence may lead to more solo adventures in Rick and Morty season 8, but his first solo episode was poorly received.

Morty's lack of character development in his first solo outing highlights the need for stronger storytelling in future episodes.

Rick and Morty has shown that Morty can be a compelling protagonist when given a meaningful character arc, as seen in season 7's finale.

While Rick and Morty season 8 seems set to send Morty on more solo adventures, the most divisive outing in season 7 will make this far harder. As its title implies, Rick and Morty has always focused on the relationship between its two main characters. Although Morty has occasionally threatened to leave Rick’s side and Rick briefly left his grandson behind before season 5’s finale, the duo are usually inseparable. It is tough to see how the series would work without their dynamic. All of Rick and Morty’s characters are fun, but the title characters are its central protagonists.

However, Rick and Morty’s season 7 finale proved that season 8 might have more solo adventures in store for both of them. Rick and Morty season 8 won’t arrive until 2025, but the outing has already hinted at Rick and Morty breaking up their toxic, codependent dynamic in season 7’s finale. This episode saw Morty realize that Rick didn’t really need him the way that he needed Rick’s approval. Instead of resenting his grandfather, Morty maturely decided that he needed to reconsider his priorities. This heavily implies that Morty will be a more independent character going forward.

Rick and Morty’s First Solo Morty Episode Was Incredibly Divisive

“Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie” Earned A Woeful IMDB Rating

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Morty’s independence will likely lead to more solo episodes in Rick and Morty season 8 and, on its surface, this seems like good news. Rick and Morty have been offering viewers variations on its well-worn Amoral Genius, Dimwitted Sidekick routine for over 70 episodes now, so the show is overdue a change to its formula. The problem is that Morty’s first solo episode already happened in season 7, and it was poorly received among both critics and the show's fans. Season 7, episode 8, “Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie,” wasn’t well-liked upon release despite the outing breaking free from the show’s conventions.

The biggest problem with Morty’s first solo adventure was that Morty himself didn’t have much of a character arc in the episode.

Its 4.5 was by far the worst in the season and a far cry from the 9.4 rating of the season 7 finale. While Rick and Morty season 8’s Morty changes seem promising, the series will need to find a way to make the character more compelling than he was in this episode. Although Rick’s brooding super-genius persona can grow tiresome at times, the show’s antihero at least has a level of internal conflict. In contrast, the biggest problem with Morty’s first solo adventure was that Morty himself didn’t have much of a character arc in the episode.

Morty’s Solo Adventures Need To Be Stronger In Rick and Morty Season 8

Morty’s First Solo Episode Was Too Goofy For Viewers

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“Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie” was a gleefully silly outing and, while this can be charming at times, it wasn't a great decision for Morty’s first solo episode. Morty has historically been a one-note character in Rick and Morty, with only a handful of episodes fleshing out his persona beyond the broad archetype of a well-meaning but dimwitted teen boy. There is nothing wrong with the series valuing comedy over pathos, and Rick and Morty season 7’s underrated fake clip show was its funniest outing despite having almost no real stakes. However, this approach didn’t fit Morty’s solo debut.

Morty’s lack of agency in “Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie” made his character superfluous. At times, it seemed as though he was just observing the episode’s wacky events without playing a role in them. A similarly divisive earlier outing, season 5, episode 4, “Rickdependence Spray,” left Morty in a similarly disempowered position. However, that episode’s story hinged on Morty making a mortifying mistake, whereas season 7’s biggest misfire didn’t integrate Morty into its plot at all. Morty’s role in “Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie” felt incidental which did not bode well for future episodes centered on his exploits.

Rick and Morty Season 8 Can Make Morty’s Solo Episodes Work

Season 7’s Finale Proved Morty Is A Compelling Protagonist

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Fortunately, Rick and Morty has already proven that Morty can be an interesting, dynamic protagonist in his own right. His romance with Planetina in season 5, Rick and Morty’s Evil Morty subplot, and his role in the season 7 finale all show that Morty works as a main character when he has a meaningful character arc. The difference between season 7’s finale, which took place almost entirely within Morty’s mind, and “Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie,” is that the latter brought Morty on a journey viewers cared about.

For the most part, “Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie” was mostly just a string of increasingly silly sci-fi movie parodies. The gags worked fine, but it was never clear why Morty was involved in the wacky story. In contrast, Rick and Morty’s season 7 finale had stakes rooted in Morty’s insecurities, hopes, and fears, so his plot was not only effective but one of the show’s strongest stories in years. For Rick and Morty season 8’s Morty episodes to work, the show will need to provide the show's hero with more compelling stories like these.