A Rick & Morty writer is suggesting fans are going to have a long wait before returning to the world of Squanchy and Mr. Poopybutthole, suggesting late 2019 is likely the earliest we're going to see season 4 of Adult Swim's wildly popular series.
Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, Rick & Morty chronicles the sci-fi adventures of nihilistic genius Rick Sanchez and his dimwitted grandson Morty Smith. One of the most ambitious shows on television, Rick & Morty rivals the likes of Doctor Who and Star Trek in the intricacy of its intergalactic adventures, but with a hearty dose of fart jokes sprinkled on top. It's not only a massive hit for Adult Swim, it's become something of a cultural sensation in a way that few Adult Swim shows have ever achieved.
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However, it seems fans are going to have a long wait before they see the show's much anticipated fourth season. In a new interview with The Detroit Cast, series writer Ryan Ridley laments the show's lengthy production process, and suggests season 4 is unlikely to debut for awhile now:
I’m just shocked that it’s taking - we got done writing season 3 in November of last year and here we are 11 months later. And then I know how long the show takes to write, let alone animate, so it’s just like, I’d be surprised if there was a fourth season on the air any sooner than 2019 - in late 2019.
Ridley also expresses his own personal bafflement at the notoriously protracted production process, and the network's seeming acceptance of it.
They really take their time. I never understood why everybody - all parties, Dan [Harmon], Justin [Roiland], and Adult Swim - didn’t get their shit together, and make the show fast; I just don’t get it. It doesn’t make any sense to me. I’m sure they all have their reasons.
Get your shit together, you guys. Get it all together, and put it in a backpack.
Though disappointing, this is not exactly a shocking revelation. There was a nearly two year gap between the show's second and third seasons, and Dan Harmon has spoken in great detail about how slow the show's creative engine moves - an issue that was a much bigger problem for him on his dearly departed NBC sitcom Community.
Adult Swim has a history of being significantly more flexible with production schedules than other, more traditional networks. The Venture Bros. - another intricately crafted series with a ravenously devoted cult following - routinely takes two or three years between seasons; somewhat amazingly, the show has been in active production since 2003 and has only aired six seasons.
Rick & Morty superfans may be frustrated by the long layover (hopefully they don't take out their outrage on McDonalds employees who've run out of Szechuan sauce again), but Adult Swim is likely happy to be patient. The show's recently wrapped third season was the most successful yet, garnering legitimately impressive ratings and rave reviews across the board. Forcing a deadline that compromised the show's singular creative vision would please nobody in the long run, and Adult Swim clearly intends to rely on the show for many years to come.
More: New Rick & Morty Short Features Mr. Poopybutthole
Rick and Morty season 4 doesn't have an official premiere date yet.
Source: The Detroit Cast