Season 7 episode 5 shocked fans with a major character death.
*Warning: Spoilers for Rick and Morty season 7 episode 5 ahead*
Rick and Morty season 7 has officially reached its halfway point, with episode 5 airing on Adult Swim on Sunday night (12th November).
And now, show co-creator Dan Harmon has broken down the episode’s biggest surprise: Rick Prime’s death.
In an interview with Variety, Harmon explained that by killing off Rick and letting Evil Morty escape with the Omega Device, Rick C-137 “basically gave a leash that’s around his neck to someone that isn’t him, because he’s more invested consciously in the destruction of himself”.
He added: “I think that’s both tragic and also, writers and drunks like me consider that kind of noble and interesting — the commitment to self destruction.”
He continued: “I thought that was a great idea to lean into. It gave me vibes of The Wire — learning throughout the first season that there’s different flavours of bad guy, and then you get that satisfaction of watching your favourite drug dealers against the one that had absolutely proven himself to be a meritless sociopath.
“That idea of team ups where it’s not as simple, as saccharine as, ‘I’ll put on a white hat, you put on a white hat. Let’s go after the guy with black hat.’”
Read more:
- Rick and Morty boss feared show would be cancelled “at every point”
- Rick and Morty season 7 cast – who are the new voices?
Season 7 was confirmed back in August, with the official description for the new batch of episodes reading: “Rick and Morty are back and sounding more like themselves than ever.
“It’s season seven, and the possibilities are endless: what’s up with Jerry? EVIL Summer?! And will they ever go back to the high school?! Maybe not! But let’s find out! There’s probably less piss than last season. ‘Rick and Morty,’ 100 years! Or at least until season 10!”
The description for the sixth episode, which is set to premiere on Adult Swim on Sunday 19th November, reads: “Gotta keep those receipts, dawg.”