Rick and Morty Season 8’s Best Change Is Also Its Biggest Problem

May 22, 2024, 3:40 p.m.

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Rick and Morty Season 8’s Best Change Is Also Its Biggest Problem

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Summary No main villain in Rick and Morty season 8 could pave the way for lighter, sillier episodes without the need for an overarching antagonist.

With Rick Prime's death, season 8 has the chance to focus on fun standalone adventures rather than a central villain-driven storyline.

Creators Dan Harmon and Scott Marder teased Evil Morty's return, hinting at a potential new role for the character in season 8.

Although Rick and Morty season 8 having no main villain is arguably a good thing, this could also be a big issue for the sci-fi comedy series. For its first few seasons, Rick and Morty didn’t have a primary antagonist. Rick and Morty’s cast of characters went on weekly adventures, but there were few recurring characters outside the Smith family. Most characters who did show up repeatedly, like Jessica or Mr. Goldenfold, weren't villainous. This changed when Rick and Morty introduced Evil Morty and, later, Rick’s nemesis Rick Prime, both of whom were major antagonists for numerous seasons.

While Rick and Morty season 8 may bring back Evil Morty, it would be almost impossible for Rick Prime to return after the events of season 7, episode 5, “Unmortricken.” That outing saw Rick beat Rick Prime to death after Morty, Rick, and Evil Morty worked together to overpower the villain. The rest of the season gave viewers no reason to think that Rick Prime would ever be revived and, by Rick and Morty’s season 7 finale, it seemed clear that the series was done with this arc. This leaves season 8 in a promising, but potentially perilous position.

Rick Prime’s Death Left Rick and Morty Season 8 With No Villain

Rick’s Pursuit of Rick Prime Defined Recent Seasons

Now that Rick Prime is dead, Rick and Morty season 8 has no central villain. This marks the first time since season 5 that the series didn’t have an antagonist who kept the show’s heroes preoccupied. In season 5, episode 10, “Rickmurai Jack,” Rick finally revealed his tragic backstory to Morty. Rick Prime killed his wife Diane and, ever since, Rick had secretly been hunting down his nemesis and trying to kill him. It was this quest that led Rick to live with Morty and, once revealed, this ongoing battle went on to define much of seasons 6 and 7.

Rick and Morty’s Rick Prime arc justified Rick’s nihilistic outlook, but it also made the show’s tone darker. Rick and Morty season 7’s bleak ending to the storyline proved that all of Rick’s hard work was for nothing, as he got no catharsis from killing Rick Prime. Instead, he simply felt empty inside. Fortunately, Morty gave his grandfather a reason to live in the very next episode when an audit of their misadventures reminded Rick how much fun he had in earlier seasons. This attitude shift could go on to reshape season 8’s tone after Rick Prime’s death.

Rick and Morty Season 8 Can Be Lighter and Sillier

Season 5 Was The Last Season Without A Major Villain

Rick and Morty’s last season with no major villain until the finale was season 2, which aired almost a decade ago.

Now that the show no longer has Rick Prime’s storyline to worry about, Rick and Morty season 8 can be more fun without an overarching villain. Season 5 was the last outing to focus on Rick and Morty’s misadventures without a major villain shaping their story, and even that outing introduced Rick Prime and reintroduced Evil Morty in its finale. Evil Morty’s ascent to power occurred during season 3, but this plot didn’t pay off until “Rickmurai Jack.” Still, this means that Rick and Morty’s last season with no major villain until the finale was season 2, which aired almost a decade ago.

Rick and Morty’s first two seasons had a lighter, zanier tone thanks in part to their lack of an overarching narrative. Although Rick and Morty season 7’s returning characters included season 2’s Unity, the show was less concerned with its canon during those early years. There were plenty of moments that hinted at the deep depression beneath Rick’s cynical exterior, but Rick and Morty’s first two seasons were more focused on standalone adventures than establishing any consistent backstory. Now, season 8 can return to this approach after a few years of the show’s darker, more self-serious storytelling.

Rick and Morty’s Creators Teased Evil Morty’s Return

Marder and Harmon Have Big Plans For Evil Morty

Custom Image by Yailin Chacon

In an interview with Variety upon season 7’s conclusion, Rick and Morty’s co-showrunners Dan Harmon and Scott Marder hinted at the possibility of replacing Rick Prime with Evil Morty. The pair said that they had “Grand designs” for Evil Morty, but this doesn’t mean that he should necessarily become the next major villain of the series. Unlike Rick Prime, Evil Morty hasn’t done anything to incur the ire of Rick. Evil Morty is arguably no more “Evil” than Rick as he himself has pointed out on numerous occasions. Thus, he should become a less antagonistic presence in future outings.

Evil Morty Shouldn’t Be Rick and Morty Season 8’s Villain

Season 7 Saw Rick, Morty, and Evil Morty Work Together

Evil Morty could become a recurring character who works with Rick and Morty while also competing with them, constantly battling for supremacy but still collaborating when it is necessary.

Evil Morty made it very clear that he would leave Rick alone if Rick left him alone, so he isn't really a villain per se. Evil Morty’s intelligence clearly threatens Rick, meaning Evil Morty could fulfill a role like the President in Rick and Morty season 8. He could become a recurring character who works with Rick and Morty while also competing with them, constantly battling for supremacy but still collaborating when it is necessary. This would be more compelling than Rick and Morty season 8 turning Evil Morty into the next Rick Prime by making him unambiguously villainous.

Rick and Morty Season 8 Dropping Its Villains Could Be Great

Some of the Show’s Funniest Seasons Have No Overarching Plot

Seasons 2, 4, and 5 of Rick and Morty held off on any big canon-related dramatics until their respective finales and these outings were stronger for the decision. Rick and Morty season 8 doesn’t necessarily need a main villain and, if anything, jettisoning this role would give the show more room to focus on looser, funnier storytelling. Admittedly, this strategy is risky. Rick and Morty season 7’s most hated episode was its silliest, most light-hearted outing, and earlier episodes like season 5, episode 4, “Rickdependence Spray,” prove that the show can be too zany for its own good.

However, Rick and Morty could still benefit from a goofier eighth outing. Rick Prime’s shadow loomed large over seasons 6 and 7 and the promise of his plot’s payoff made funny standalone outings feel like a waste of time. Now that Rick and Morty no longer has a bigger story to tell, the show should lean into these more comedic outings. For the first time in years, Rick and Morty has an opportunity to focus on silliness over drama. Instead of rushing to replace Rick Prime with Evil Morty, Rick and Morty should celebrate this by returning to its roots.