In a bigger twist than Tammy's betrayal or Evil Morty, Rick and Morty Season 5 will not take a century to reach its fans; and perhaps even more surprising, the story no longer seems to center around just Rick and Morty. While the original pitch for the series focused on the various misadventures of a Doc Brown/Marty McFly ripoff, the series has evolved to include the entirety of the Smith Family.
This not only means that Rick gets to show even more of his emotional dynamics but that the series will get to feature even more of some previously underutilized characters, including the ball of teenage angst that is Summer Smith. While Morty has been Rick's iconic gal Friday for four seasons, fans may start to see why Summer may be a better fit at his side.
Morty's Innocence
At his core, Morty is Rick's ideal sidekick because of his inherent, childlike innocence. Dan Harmon is a strong, structural writer, and he knows that there needs to be a strong, emotional dynamic to keep a central duo interesting. While Summer hasn't had the same opportunities to "purge" like Morty, she has come to embrace Rick's cynicism much more willingly.
Morty, as much as the series has tried to corrupt him, has still maintained somewhat a sense of optimism that can warm Rick's seemingly impenetrable, cold exterior. This has helped keep a sense of wonder in every adventure and ground the actions of a man who would be a supervillain in any other cartoon.
Summer's Cynicism
While Morty's innocence and optimism may help balance out Rick's harsher attitude, there is something to be said about a dynamic that compliments Rick rather than challenges him. Summer Smith is the byproduct of a seemingly loveless marriage, and she's constantly aware of that alternate reality where she isn't someone's high school mistake.
She has become increasingly colder as the story has gone on and more and more interested in Rick's adventures, something that Rick has picked up on. As close as Rick and Morty are, it always seems like Rick and "Sum-Sum" can connect in a way that only two people, utterly aware of the chaotic circumstances surrounding them, can.
Morty's Intelligence (Or Lack Thereof)
While their age difference could be funny for some sitcom writers, the real selling point between Rick and Morty is their intelligence gap. It's a comedy pitch as old as time. A smart guy goes on adventures with a guy not as smart, and that difference contributes to a whole mess of misadventures. Rick keeps berating Morty. Morty makes seemingly small mistakes with hilariously epic proportions.
It's a communication issue with tons of narrative benefits. It also helps that, in terms of plot, that Morty's stupidity can also act as a cloaking device. While Summer isn't exactly gunning for class valedictorian, she can at least celebrate the fact that she isn't as functional as a cloaking device as Morty.
Summer's Teenage Rebellion
Though she started as the series' stereotypical, teenage girl archetype, Summer has evolved to become a much stronger, more emotional personification of teenage angst, a trait that surprisingly meshes well with Rick's anti-authority persona. In contrast to Morty's awkward stammering, Summer is more of the party girl-type, a side that got to have fun with Rick in the house party episode, "Ricksy Business."
That same proximity to brazen immaturity has also made Summer more understanding of Rick's weaknesses and desires, which is an understanding that came in handy when Rick became high school crazy in "Big Trouble in Little Sanchez." Partyers on the streets, shoulders to cry on in the sheets, Rick and Summer really could become best friends.
Morty's Male Bond
Something that Summer may never be able to compete with (not that she would ever want to) is Rick and Morty's inherent male bond. While Morty may not be as rebellious or wild as Summer, he can at least bond with Rick in a way that only two bros going to Blips and Chitz can.
It's a sense of testosterone-fueled camaraderie and unearned confidence that has arguably played a huge part in some of the duo's stupider adventures. Summer even tried to secretly call the two out on this before getting quickly shot down by Rick at the end of "Edge of Tomorty: Rick Die Rickpeat."
Summer's Sense Of Independence
Morty has certainly grown as the series has gone on, but there's no denying that he's still very dependent on Rick and the rest of the family for a lot of his adventures. Summer on the other hand has had a lot more agency in her stories and has often tried to branch out as part of her own personal journey to escape the family.
This sense of independence can help motivate Rick in episodes like "Something Ricked This Way Comes," where Summer gets a part-time job working for the Devil, or create some impassioned yet incredibly misguided misadventures like in "Auto Erotic Assimilation," where Summer tries to free a planet from a hive mind. It's another one of those dynamics where it's better to have people look each other in the eye rather than have one look down on the other.
Morty's Lack Of A Social Life
Something that probably makes Morty's life with Rick much easier is his lack of one outside of their relationship. As sad as it is, Morty doesn't have a whole lot going on outside of helping Rick with his project and inventions. He doesn't have any friends, and his one crush doesn't seem to notice him a lot.
This same kind of social isolation is something that a lot of government agencies look for when picking out dedicated agents and something that Rick probably wants when looking for a sidekick that he can call at a whim.
Summer's Budding Social Life
While Morty's lack of social life makes him much easier to rely on for adventures, it does ensure that he will be the definitive buzzkill of the relationship. Summer on the other hand just seems like the better person to go on a road trip with. It's no secret that, between the siblings, Summer has the better social circle.
While she doesn't hang out with hybrid-aliens or gear people, Summer's circle of friends has still proven to be plenty fun and complex, and they've meshed well with Rick and his friends before (though they are reeling from the Birdperson-Tammy debacle). If anything, Summer as a sidekick would help ensure that Rick wouldn't just have Morty as his only friend.
Morty's Sidekick Submissiveness
Independence and a good social life can help make a character more interesting, but they're not the core of a good sidekick. A good sidekick is a person who never runs the risk of taking over the whole show. Enter Morty Smith: Michael Cera in animated form.
While Summer can banter and relate with Rick at a much closer level than Morty can, she would also likely talk back and argue with him a whole lot more than Morty would. Morty is a much more agreeable and malleable character. He is the Igor to Rick's Dr. Frankenstein, the Muttley to his Dick Dastardly, the Kronk to his Yzma. Overall, Morty may be the better partner because he'd likely stay in the second billing.
Summer's Disdain For Jerry
While Jerry may get on a lot of people's nerves, Morty has oddly been more tolerant of him than most, something that Rick almost resents in Morty. However, if there's one person in the house who can not only connect with Rick about hating Jerry but may even be better at it, it would be Jerry's reluctant daughter.
The family may be warming up to Jerry but this may not mean much to Summer, as she's only grown angrier and colder to him as the series has gone on, as evident in her rant to him in "Childrick of Mort." If Summer and Rick can bond over anything, it would be over how much they hate Jerry.