Warning: This article contains spoilers for Rick and Morty season 6, episode 10.
The Rick and Morty season 6 ending goes from an innocent Christmas romp to a high-stakes setup for later installments of the series, establishing a fun future for season 7. Rick and Morty season 6, episode 10 came armed with a series of reveals to surprise audiences. From the revelation that the "nice" Rick was a robot programmed by the real Rick to act nice, to the discovery of Rick Prime's many various current locations, the season truly ended with a bang.
However, the nature of the Rick and Morty season 6 ending likely also left many viewers with a variety of questions about the episode. The blending of the overarching plot of the show with the plot of the episode - where Morty and the President work together to prevent Morty's lightsaber from destroying the Earth - naturally means the nods to the show's future are quick ones. Similarly, amidst gratuitous lightsaber battles, Presidential betrayal, and at least one not-censored-enough shot of Rick's genitals, it's easy for viewers to get distracted and miss some key plot reveals.
Why Rick Built A Replacement Robot Of Himself
The Rick and Morty season 6 ending begins to reveal the real important plot of episode 10 when Morty discovers that Rick has been working in his lab by himself since their argument in the previous episode. To hide this decision from Morty and the rest of the Smith family, Rick instead created a robot clone of himself to take his place. Somewhat tragically, the robot was programmed to be nicer (and "22% more thoughtful") than the regular Rick - but also to die if he revealed his metallic nature, resigning him to a cruel existence.
Rick's reasoning for replacing himself with a robot appears to be twofold. On one hand, he has a complicated perception of his need to continue hunting the version of himself who killed his wife, considering it both vital and approaching it with some element of shame. On the other hand, Rick also appears to have replaced himself to some degree because he couldn't handle being emotionally vulnerable and close to his family, as in Rick and Morty season 6, episode 10 he tells Morty, "you wanna know why I replaced myself...you called me boring. I've become dog**** to you. That's what happens when you let people in and they stop respecting you. They touch your s***, they screw things up, they kill your family."
Rick's dramatic reaction to Morty calling him boring - building a robot - seems to be a reaction to the changing dynamics between the two, where Morty holds less of the reverence he perhaps did for Rick in earlier seasons. However, Rick's decision to replace himself with a robot who is nicer and more thoughtful speaks to the fact that Rick appears to be more angry with himself than his grandson. If Rick truly believed Morty was in the wrong, building a version of himself who'd treat Morty more kindly is a weird move. But, if their argument hit a nerve by making Rick feel like he couldn't make up for being emotionally distant by being a "fun" grandpa - and thus gaining Morty's respect through their adventures - this replacement would make sense.
Why Rick Didn't Tell Morty He Was Still Looking For Rick Prime
Rick not explaining he was still searching for series villain Rick Prime until Morty discovered it in the Rick and Morty season 6 ending appears to have a similar explanation to why the scientist replaced himself with a robot doppelgänger. Rick compares the scenario to a bad Netflix drama, and in doing so reveals a sense of discomfort for his revenge mission. The scientist is self-aware enough to see the ways his intense commitment to finding Rick Prime hurts both those he cares about and himself, but is unable to change, and thus considers hiding what he's up to preferable.
The episode also suggests there may be more to Rick's determination to find his enemy, Rick Prime, than meets the eye. His assertion that "That's what happens when you let people in and they stop respecting you... they kill your family." clearly isn't referring to the President here, as it's deeply unlikely he would have left Morty to die. While this could well be just a general statement, the fact the episode is about Rick searching for his wife's killer suggests he may be referring to Rick Prime. The pair having some as-of-yet unseen history would clash with Rick's backstory, but it also wouldn't be impossible for viewers to have not currently been shown the whole story, as there's sure to be future twists.
What Rick Was Doing In His Lab The Whole Time
The Rick and Morty season 6 ending shows Rick gathering clues from Rick Prime's trap earlier in the season in order to try and locate him. This includes using the hologram of Rick Prime to compare his posterior against those of various other versions of Rick, and extracting a data file from the detritus. Given the layers and layers of explosives and traps shown to be within it Rick likely spent the entire time his robot double replaced him trying to work out how to safely remove the data from this collection of death traps.
Why Rick Prime Shows Up As Being In So Many Locations
The recovery of Rick Prime's location initially seems like a victory for the show's main Rick, as he's finally able to get a track on where Prime is at the end of Rick and Morty season 6. That is, right up until countless possible locations appear alongside it - with Rick stating his enemy is in all of these locations. There are several ways Rick Prime could be doing this, based on Rick's tech and what the show has previously revealed plot-wise.
Rick Prime could have cloned himself, made robot copies of himself much as Rick does in the season 6 ending, or have recruited Rick's enemies in order to further elude and mess with him. The final one of these possibilities holds the most weight, as this would explain why the conversation between Rick Prime and Cronenberg universe Jerry is shown at the end of the Rick and Morty season 6 premiere. While Rick Prime kills this Jerry, the future of the show could involve Rick Prime utilizing the negative impact the pair had on other worlds and universes by using their vendettas against the Smith family.
Why Rick & Morty Season 6 Hid Its Main Plot
Rick and Morty season 6 continually played with the idea of its overarching plot. The show repeatedly suggested the main story was being put to one side for the season, before returning major plot points to the forefront. While leading to somewhat of a rollercoaster viewer experience, this was a wise move, as it both kept audiences on their toes, and showcased that the series could still do more isolated episodic experiences alongside carrying an underlying story.
What Rick And Morty's Season 6 Ending Means For Season 7
As Rick himself excitedly states in the closing scenes of the Rick and Morty season 6, episode 10 ending, the fact he now has locations to go to in order to potentially hunt down Rick Prime means the stage is set for the next season of the show. However, Rick's clarification that this major storyline will be "not every episode, Morty, could be all happening in the background, who knows," makes it clear that Rick and Morty season 7 will follow the path of the previous season, in balancing out episodic romps with no greater impact alongside sprinkling in its overarching plot. With how well the Rick and Morty season 6 ending managed this, the show's future is hopefully bright.