The Ultimate Strategy for Season 7: How Rick & Morty Can Thrive Beyond Justin Roiland's Departure

Summary

Rick and Morty season 7 will continue production despite Justin Roiland's recasting and earlier episodes have proven the show can easily go on without him.

Content

Episodes such as "Gotron Jerrysis Rickvangelion" and "Night Family" have effectively highlighted the dramatic and comedic abilities of the rest of the Smith family. Yet, the show may need to maintain Rick and Morty as the central characters in order to delve deeper into their storylines, especially with the main antagonists Evil Morty and Rick Prime involved.

While Rick and Morty season 7 may face challenges due to Justin Roiland's recasting, previous episodes of the series demonstrate that the show can continue without him. In January 2023, Rick and Morty co-creator and voice actor Justin Roiland faced domestic battery charges, resulting in Adult Swim cutting ties with him. Despite Roiland having voiced both Rick and Morty in the previous six seasons, Adult Swim announced that production would proceed for season 7. During San Diego Comic-Con 2023, executive producer Steven Levy confirmed that "soundalikes" would be utilized as replacements for Roiland's roles.

This came as a significant surprise since Solar Opposites season 4 had already recast Roiland's character Korvo with Dan Stevens in the cold open of the season premiere. Animated shows have frequently made changes to voice actors throughout the years, but the situation seemed more challenging for Rick and Morty season 7. As the title suggests, Rick and Morty heavily focuses on its main characters. Unlike many animated family sitcoms, the show rarely dedicates entire episodes to the rest of the Smith family or supporting characters. The Smith family members have had compelling subplots but few leading roles.

Rick & Morty Season 7 Should Focus On The Smith Family (These Episodes Prove It)

Fortunately, the upcoming seasons of Rick and Morty have the opportunity to shift their focus. Season 5 and 6 have already demonstrated that the show can still deliver laughs without solely centering on the titular duo. Episodes such as "Gotron Jerrysis Rickvangelion" and "Night Family" have proven that the rest of the Smith family can be just as captivating and humorous as Rick and Morty themselves. This not only expands the show's scope but also diverts attention from the absence of Roiland.

Replacing Roiland with voice actors who sound similar in Rick and Morty season 7 carries a certain level of risk. If the new characters do not perfectly resemble their predecessors, they may come across as mere imitations. However, "Gotron Jerrysis Rickvangelion," "Night Family," and even "Mortyplicity" from season 5 garnered some of the biggest laughs through Jerry, Beth, and Summer. Furthermore, episodes like "Bethic Twinstinct" in season 6 revealed that Beth and Jerry's relationship holds more dramatic intrigue than the well-known "brilliant and inexperienced sidekick" dynamic between Rick and Morty. Therefore, even if Roiland had not been fired, the show should have delved deeper into these characters.

Family-Centric Episodes Would Work After Rick & Morty Season 7's Recasting

Shifting the narrative focus from the titular duo and their familiar dynamics during family-centric episodes, the recasting in Rick and Morty season 7 offers an opportunity for the show to realign its priorities. By highlighting Summer, Beth, and Jerry, the show can reduce its reliance on Roiland's characters and make the transition to new voice actors less noticeable. A perfect example of this approach was seen in Solar Opposites season 4, where the spotlight on Jesse subtly diverted attention from Korvo's recasting while also adding depth to the supporting character. In a similar vein, when Summer joined Rick and Morty on an adventure in season 4, episode 7, "Promortyus," her capable presence enhanced the story. Likewise, season 5, episode 5, "Amortycan Grickfitti," delved into the relationship between Jerry and Rick, showcasing an unexpected connection and challenging Rick's supposed resentment towards his son-in-law. Rather than relying solely on the recast title characters, season 7 would benefit from more of this dynamic energy as the show delves further into the internal lives of the Smith family.

Why Rick & Morty Season 7 May Have To Focus On Rick & Morty After All

While it would be ideal for the series to shift its attention away from its original protagonists, Rick and Morty, the presence of villains in season 7 could pose a challenge in achieving this. The primary antagonists, Evil Morty and Rick Prime, are closely tied to Rick and Morty themselves. Therefore, the creators might prefer to prioritize the original heroes in order to continue these storylines. Given that Rick Prime is an even more cynical and amoral version of Rick, his narrative only makes sense if Rick remains the moral center and central focus of the show. Similarly, the allure of Evil Morty stems from the show's exploration of Morty's ambitious and intelligent side.

Over the years, Morty has come to accept that he will never surpass his grandfather intellectually, but he has also demonstrated that certain things are more important than intelligence. Evil Morty serves as evidence that becoming more intelligent alone would not make Morty a better person, much like the show's notable anime reference which showed that increasing power would only transform him into a murderous Akira imitator. Thus, Evil Morty is only captivating when paired with Morty, just as Rick Prime would be an uninspiring villain without Rick. Consequently, Rick and Morty season 7 may encounter difficulties in shifting its focus to other characters.