Look, I don’t know how to exactly get the point across, so I’ll be blunt, Rick and Morty are back! It’s a bit different, not much more than what you’re used to already and it’s still the great Sanchez/Smith family you know and love. The animated series returns with season 7 on Adult Swim, on Sunday nights and it’s going to be a great time. Rick Prime still exists out in the multiverse as we recall at the end of “Ricktional Mortpoon’s Rickmas Mortcation” and it’s destroying our Rick internally. Rick’s final monologue stumbles across how they intend to search for him and how that might all operate in the background throughout the season. Does it? We will have to carry on with both our characters to see where fate lands them when the show returns this week! Read on for more impressions of Rick and Morty season 7!
[Warning: light spoilers and impressions from Rick and Morty season 7 are below!]
Back to the shenanigans of Rick Sanchez
We pick up right around where we left off from season 6’s post-credits scene. A beloved recurring character is putting the Smiths in an extremely uncomfortable position. From here, it’s all systems go. Rick is thrust into doing things he both hates and loves which is what he does most of the time anyway.
His search for Rick Prime finally takes a pause as he goes to the aid of a friend who needs him. We are instantly yanked across a side-tracked adventure featuring some of Rick’s closest “friends”. We are right back to the shenanigans of Rick Sanchez as he uses his portal gun to take his friends across epic party scenarios, including a cement mixer truck full of booze.
Before we’ve reached the halfway point of the episode, we are treated to our first outside reference, a particular sprinkler scene in the 1998 film Blade. It doesn’t stop there as Rick and company are catapulted into the presence of a movie star and that’s when their night truly begins.
If anything can be said it is that Rick is consistent with his arrogance and how he chooses to display it. There is indeed a problem with Rick, Rick never changes because he shouldn’t have to. He’s the smartest being in the multiverse but still was bested.
Someone with this level of self-importance and esteem ought to be focused on enacting revenge and picking up the thread left dangling from last year. Was Rick in need of a new focus in life? To instead pivot his attention to his friends and family? For now, that’s what it feels like and I’m really enjoying it. Seeing Rick attempting to foster a working relationship with Jerry was fascinating and Rick’s misappropriated intentions to get his friend out of a rut were commendable.
Consistent animation for Rick and Morty
Rick and Morty maintains its Emmy-winning level of animation, and that front has never faltered. Every frame is as carefully crafted as ever, at this rate they’ve gotten the process down so well and I believe this was one of the fastest turn-arounds for a season. The various planets and universes explored in the 2nd episode keep with the artistic styles that have become a new blueprint (see Solar Opposites, Inside Job, and Krapopolis) in the industry.
The minute details surrounding the faces are as described as ever, although nothing hugely emotional has happened yet to fully utilize that skillset. The high quality of animation makes me wonder if and when we get a full theatrical film of Rick and Morty with the level of work they put in on a TV show budget, a movie budget would be absolutely bonkers.
Elephant in the room for Rick and Morty season 7
I’ve been watching Rick and Morty since before season 3 aired. I’ve been there for every late-night premiere, I was at the Rickmobile when it visited my city years ago, and I own multiple branded shirts. It’s safe to say, I thoroughly enjoy this series a lot, and being granted these screeners was so exciting I had to call two people to let them know of what I had just achieved.
So, when the episodes wrapped and no credits were shown, it was very confusing. I’m not going to detail it here, but the lead voice actor who voiced both Rick and Morty was let go. The network executives claimed during the summer that the recasting process was nearing finalization. So I can say they did a great job in whomever they ultimately chose. Who are the voices? I have no idea, but I had to really listen for any distinct differences. Also as an aside, the first episode had very minimal Morty.
Where does Rick and Morty go from here?
Sadly, I was only granted two episodes and even those did not give me a clue as to where Rick Prime might be or even what he might be doing. I did comb the backgrounds a couple of times to search for clues but if they were there, they are well hidden. I do believe the story circles back to it, it’s way too important to leave that thread hanging.
So the question is where do they go from here? Rick’s pause on his quest to enact revenge should resume eventually, but I found myself unconcerned with that as I saw him engage with the important people in his life. There’s a form of endearment from releasing his obligations to his mental self and instead relinquishing himself to the service of others. It’s like asking John Cena to open a pickle jar, sure it’ll work but you know he’s capable of doing so much more than that.
I wish I had more to say about Morty but the time spent with him was absolutely minimal as was time spent with Summer (Spencer Grammer) and Beth + Other Beth (both voiced by Sarah Chalke). Jerry (Chris Parnell) is given a lot to work with in the second episode and it illustrates how his dynamic with Rick is vitally important to the family as a whole. I anticipate another award-winning level of storytelling throughout the rest of the season and will be tuning in week after week to see exactly what Rick and Morty get into.
Season 7 of Rick and Morty premieres on Adult Swim at 11 PM EST on October 15th. Will you be watching the premiere? Let us know on social media @mycosmiccircus or The Cosmic Circus Discord if you’re following along with the season!
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