Rick and Morty season 4 may be over, but thanks to an epic episode order from Adult Swim, fans can look forward to seeing season 5 and several more seasons beyond that. Created by Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, the animated series follows the adventures of caustic genius scientist Rick Sanchez and his anxious grandson Morty Smith as they travel across the multiverse.
Season 4 was split into two halves of five episodes each, which saw Rick and Morty engage in a series of rapidly escalating heists, spend an uncomfortable amount of time in a vat of acid, and create and destroy a whole civilization in the space of a week. In other words, it was a fairly typical season.
Given the show's addictive blend of extremely dark humor and high-concept science fiction, Rick and Morty fans will understandably be keen to see the duo (and sometimes Summer, and occasionally Beth, but never Jerry) return for more adventures. Here's what we know so far about what to expect from Rick and Morty season 5.
Rick and Morty Has Been Renewed For Season 5 (And Beyond)
In a stunning and welcome move, Adult Swim gave the green light for an additional 70 episodes of Rick and Morty after season 3, which means that Harmon and Roiland are still clear for another 60 episodes. Assuming that each upcoming season is ten episodes long, like the past three seasons have been, that means that Rick and Morty has been renewed up to season 10. Needless to say, it will be a while before fans have to worry about the security of the show's future.
Rick and Morty Season 5 Release Date
Less certain than Rick and Morty's future is season 5's premiere date. The show's release schedule has so far been rather sporadic and subject to long hiatuses. Rick and Morty's creators said in 2018 that from season 4 onwards there will no longer be any long breaks between seasons, but it remains to be seen how the show's production will be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Animation is easier to continue under lockdown than filming a live-action show, from a logistical standpoint, but working remotely could still slow things down. Optimistically, we can look forward to Rick and Morty season 5 premiering in late 2020.
Rick and Morty Season 5 Story Details
Rick and Morty season 4 wrapped up with the reveal that Rick had indeed cloned Beth, and sent one of the Beths off into space to become an adventurer. Unfortunately, since Rick randomized which version of Beth went into space, there's no way of knowing which one of them is the clone. The two Beths do manage to reconcile at the end of the episode, and it looks like Space Beth will be sticking around for season 5. Meanwhile, Phoenixperson also returned and is currently stashed in pieces in Rick's workshop.
Each season of Rick and Morty typically saves ongoing storylines for the first and/or last episode, with standalone adventures in between. Season 4's ending has certainly shifted the status quo a little with the return of Space Beth, but not quite as much as Rick getting thrown in prison like he did at the end of season 2. Rick and Morty season 5 will likely jump right back into random adventures - and perhaps even bring back another long-missing character: Evil Morty.