Although Rick & Morty’s two crows seemed like a funny choice of sidekick, there is secretly tragic reasoning behind Rick’s supposedly random choice. Rick & Morty has always hidden some sad moments among the show’s animated anarchy. Even the goofy events of “Mortyplicity,” which at first glance seemed like a silly story of countless clones killing each other in increasingly outlandish ways, featured foreshadowing for Rick & Morty’s season 5 finale.
As such, it should come as no surprise that Rick’s decision to pair up with two crows, of all things, when Morty leaves him is actually a secretly sad reference to his past. When Morty finally decides that he will no longer put up with Rick’s mistreatment of him near the end of Rick & Morty season 5, Rick makes a show of choosing his replacement by trying to find a substitute who is as helpful as Morty. His choices also include a “Bag of Meat” and “Half a Paul Giamatti,” so viewers could be forgiven for assuming there is no hidden meaning or significance behind the options.
However, Rick’s two crows gag does have a secret second meaning. In an earlier flashback, Birdperson refused to abandon his cause and go on journeys with Rick, which was the last time that viewers saw the usually unflappable Rick open up to someone. Rick was devastated by Birdperson’s rejection and this character detail, paired with the fact that Rick’s most successful working relationship ended up being with two actual crows, is a pretty strong indication that Rick had never fulled worked through his feelings about Birdperson's rejection, leading to why he bonded with the crows so quickly. What makes this even sadder is the fact that Rick’s two crows, like Birdperson, end up having having pre-existing commitments (to a bizarre scarecrow villain) that trump Rick’s role in their lives.
Not only was Rick’s vulnerability with Birdperson the last time that the character tried to forge a meaningful connection, Rick & Morty’s season 5 finale then twists the knife further by proving that even Rick’s connection with the crows only lasted as long as he was convenient for them. This also foreshadowed the finale’s revelation that Morty’s partnership with Rick — and, in fact, Morty’s entire existence, across countless universes and realities — was only important to Rick when he was still able to benefit from the arrangement. Rick uses Morty for his advantage, much like the two crows use Rick for theirs, a cycle that began when Birdperson rejected Rick’s original offer of adventures and companionship because his cause meant more to him than their friendship.
It is a tragic twist that reminds viewers how profoundly alone Rick is in the world of Rick & Morty. Whether Rick & Morty season 6 will change this remains to be seen but, as it stands, the character can’t establish relationships unless he sees himself potentially benefitting from them in material terms, a distrust that stems from Birdperson’s rejection of him. This is externalized when he tries to replace Morty (and, by extension, Birdperson) with two crows, only for Rick & Morty to reveal that the two crows were using him for their own ends too.