Rick and Morty is one of the most meta shows on TV, but one fan theory posits that there’s a secret in-universe reason behind this detail of the series. Ever since it began airing in 2013, Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty has been a huge hit with fans of dark sci-f comedy and the show has amassed a massive (and somewhat obsessive) fanbase online.
The series from co-creators Justin Roiland and Community’s Dan Harmon is a satirical subversion of sci-fi tropes that began life as a filthy Back to the Future parody before soon going on to build a universe of its own. But the show never dropped the self-referential humor of its early outings, and one fan theory posits an interesting reason for why this is.
There’s a pretty solid theory found on Reddit which states that characters on Rick and Morty frequently break the fourth wall because, in-universe, they’ve seen Rick and Morty itself. Yes, this theory claims that the show’s title characters and their family Beth, Jerry, and Summer have seen the show they star in airing on TV in the real world, thanks to the magic of interdimensional cable. The idea is that the show’s use of a multiverse means one of the endless realities Rick and Morty channel-surf between on the show’s interdimensional cable specials is our reality, and that’s where they come across an episode of Adult Swim’s TV series Rick and Morty. Trippy, isn’t it? Far-fetched as it may initially appear, though, the idea actually makes a lot of sense for the series.
Rick and Morty Know They’re On A Show
The theory is intriguing primarily because it explains the eponymous duo’s frequent references to the fact that they’re on TV. Throughout the series’ four seasons, Rick has tossed-off plenty of light-hearted (and unexplained) references to the fact that he’s on TV, whether it’s by criticizing predictable plot structure, joking about product placement, or straight-up acknowledging the existence of commercial breaks. These references have been a quirk of the show since way back in the first season, where Rick critiqued the lazy ending of "Rick Potion #9" by noting that the show could only get away with absconding to another dimension a few times before the twist would be seen as a cop-out by loyal viewers.
The show is constantly pulling off meta-jokes and while some are clever parodies of sci-fi tropes more broadly, at their most explicit the self-referential humor consists of characters referring to the fact that they’re part of a TV series. The series has become gradually more brazen about these references, with Beth commenting that “things are going to be like season 1” and Rick referring to Morty’s Mind Blowers as a “free-form anthology format” akin to The Simpsons’ non-canon "Treehouse of Horrors." It’s important to note that these more explicit references have come after "Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate," as season 2 episode wherein the Smith family could reasonably have encountered their TV show while looking through the titular TV service’s countless offerings.
Rick’s Feckless Attitude Fits This Theory
But the evidence for this theory goes deeper than the show’s self-referential humor. If the characters on Rick and Morty are aware they live in a TV series, this would explain why Rick is so rarely worried about his dangerous circumstances. No matter how desperate a situation may become he knows he has to survive as he’s the title character, so there’s no show without him. As a result, Rick is both fearless and hopeless. The character is frequently depressed because he’s stuck in a rut (due to the episodic nature of sitcom structure) but he’s also unafraid of taking on powerful enemies like the Federation and undertaking frequently life-endangering risks for even the most pointless rewards (again, because he’s aware that he is both blessed and cursed with being unable to die off for good). This goes some way to explaining Rick’s often uncaring attitude and almost-omnipotent certainty that things will pan out alright despite how terrible his circumstances may be in the moment.
Mr. Poopybutthole Watches Rick & Morty
Maybe the most compelling evidence in-series of this theory is the fact that Mr. Poopybutthole actually watches Rick and Morty on TV during the season 2 finale of the show. Sure, this scene could be read as a non-canon fourth wall break. But if you take into account this theory, the scene of Mr. Poopybutthole watching the show during the show seems to plausibly illustrate that Rick and Morty as a TV series can be viewed by characters in the series. As a result, anyone on Rick and Morty could be aware of their fictional existence as they're acting it out, particularly the likes of the Smith family since they sat together watching interdimensional cable and may have all stumbled across an episode of Rick and Morty as a result. This short post-credits stinger seems like a tacit confirmation of the theory, and it reinforces the show’s many aforementioned fourth wall breaks.
Why The Theory May Be Wrong
The big issue with this theory is that it does strip Rick and Morty of its sadder moments and any dramatic tension, as Rick and Morty could be sure they’ll survive any adventure if they’re aware they are on a TV show (and a comedic one at that). The characters do have occasional moments of sincere pathos, and these would have very little impact if the characters were aware that not only can they not die, nothing about their circumstances will ever stay irrevocably changed because they live in a sitcom where maintaining the status quo from episode to episode trumps everything else in terms of importance.
Scenes like the Rick and Morty season 5 promo, which sees a worried Morty finally calling Jessica during a life-or-death moment to confess his love for her, wouldn’t really fit in a series where the characters know the status quo is reliable and they will never be in too much danger. For the series to have any stakes (even if they are pretty minimal, as it’s a cartoon comedy), Rick and Morty need to at least sometimes fear for their safety, and if they’re aware they’re fictional there’s no reason for the characters to be less than fearless.
What It Means For The Show
Flawed or not, the theory is mostly interesting because it could give Rick and Morty even more of an excuse to delve into mind-bending meta territory. The show has already flirted with self-referential humor more than most series on TV would ever dare to with one season 4 outing, "Never Ricking Morty," seeing the title characters cycle through countless stories as part of a larger story that in itself constantly comments on the nature of stories. The show has always been quick to drop in some clever self-referential humor but by acknowledging that the characters are aware that they star in a fictional TV show, Rick and Morty could opt to up the ante even further and have them address the audience despite the fourth wall or even enter our “real” world. Whether this development would be a good idea or an over-ambitious and unnecessary step for the series is up to viewers, but the theory certainly gives this show a solid excuse to pull off a sojourn into the real world.