Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Rick and Morty season 6, episode 1!
The premiere of Rick and Morty season 6 sees Rick Sanchez accidentally reset the multiverse, sending every portal user back to their original dimension and causing a lot of chaos in the process, and here's everything that happened and why. Rick and Morty season 6, episode 1, "Solaricks," is possibly the most canon-heavy episode of the series yet, referencing small details and keeping continuity with episodes from as far back as season 1. So, here is everything that happened in Rick and Morty season 6's portal reset explained, including who was sent back where and why.
The Rick and Morty fanbase has seen some conflict in recent years, with a debate raging about whether canonical episodes or stand-alone episodes are better. As a result, Rick and Morty has kind of split the difference, with newer seasons being bookended by canonical episodes while featuring stand-alone episodes in between. Rick and Morty's season 6 premiere was canon in various ways, picking up right where the Rick and Morty season 5 finale left off. So, while it is likely that the next few episodes will mostly be non-canonical, there is a lot to unpack in "Solaricks."
The Rick and Morty season 6 premiere follows the Smith family as Rick (while attempting to reset the portal fluid) accidentally resets all portal travelers instead. As a result, every interdimensional traveler in the series is sent back to their original dimension, including the Rick, Morty, and Jerry, that have been living in dimension C-131 (the show's primary dimension since season 1, episode 6, "Rick Potion #9). The rest of the episode consists of the three characters attempting to return to dimension C-131, all while Summer, Beth, and her clone Space Beth try to aid their return. With how much lore is involved in the story, "Solaricks" has probably left a lot of viewers asking questions, as the canon of Rick and Morty has become fairly complicated. So, here is how and why Rick accidentally reset the dimension travelers and what dimensions Rick, Morty, and Jerry were sent back to.
Why Rick Had To Reset The Portals (& How He Messed Up)
The story of the Rick and Morty season 6 premiere is a direct continuation of the Rick and Morty season 5 finale, meaning that the episode doesn't provide a full explanation as to why Rick is attempting to reset the portal fluid. Rick and Morty season 5, episode 10, "Rickmurai Jack," ends with series villain Evil Morty blowing up the Citadel of Ricks and breaking the Central Finite Curve, a curated group of dimensions in which Rick is the most intelligent person in the universe. Previously, Rick's portal gun could only travel between dimensions within the Central Finite Curve, but Evil Morty's actions in the season 5 finale have left the portal guns inoperable, with the portal fluid only opening small portals to random dimensions. Because of this, Rick and Morty start the episode starving on a broken section of the Citadel before Space Beth rescues them and takes them back to Earth.
Upon his return, Rick immediately gets to work, theorizing that he can fix the portal gun by resetting the portal fluid. However, this plan goes wrong when Rick accidentally resets all portal travelers instead, sending himself, Morty, Jerry, and the hundreds of dead Ricks and Mortys from the Citadel back to their original dimensions. After pulsing green for a minute or two, Rick, Morty, and Jerry all find themselves back in their respective home dimensions. Before vanishing, Rick gives Summer instructions on how to save them, with the rest of the episode following the journey to return home.
What Dimension Did Rick Go To? (& Why It's Important)
Throughout the series, Rick has always said he is from C-137, the same dimension Morty is from, but the dimension Rick is transported to changes all that. The show previously revealed that the main Rick (Rick C-137) had his wife and daughter killed by another Rick dubbed Weird Rick, causing Rick to spend the rest of his life seeking revenge. Considering that Beth was still alive (even though Rick's backstory involves her dying), there were several theories to explain this, involving both Beth and Space Beth being clones of the original Beth, Beth being from another dimension, and more. However, "Solaricks" reveals that Rick C-137 isn't actually from dimension C-137, as Rick wasn't sent to the Cronenburg dimension Rick and Morty abandoned in "Rick Potion #9." Rick does appear in the garage where his wife and daughter were killed, revealing that Rick's backstory didn't take place in the show's central universe.
In a massive twist, it is revealed that Weird Rick (the one who killed the main Rick's family) is actually from C-137. The series' main Rick, on the other hand, relocated to dimension C-137 in order to live with the C-137 family while hunting down Weird Rick. This means that the Rick that abandoned the Smiths was actually Weird Rick, with the show's main Rick being the one to reunite with the family. All of this has been revealed by the fact that Rick was sent back to his original universe, and while the labeling of Rick's home dimension isn't yet known, this twist has a litany of implications for the series.
What Dimension Did Morty Go To? (& Why It's Important)
Upon the portal reset, Morty is sent back to dimension C-137, the dimension where most of its population has been turned into Cronenburg monsters. One of the biggest reveals here is that Jerry C-137 is still alive, although that doesn't last long, with Weird Rick killing him in the post-credits scene. Although Morty makes it back to C-131 safely, Weird Rick is now on the hunt for him and main Rick, possibly setting up later episodes this season.
What Dimension Did Jerry Go To? (& Why It's Important)
It is a shock when Jerry starts pulsating green, as it was always assumed that this Jerry was actually from C-131. However, this confirms a massive Rick and Morty fan theory, acting as a callback to season 2, episode 2, "Mortynight Run." In the episode, Rick and Morty have to drop Jerry C-131 off at a daycare for Jerrys, called the Jerryboree. When dropping him off, Rick marks Jerry's home dimension as "N/A" as he is not Rick and Morty's original Jerry. When picking him up, though, there is some confusion, causing Rick to swap Jerrys with another Rick. Because of this, it has been entirely possible that the show's main Jerry isn't the correct Jerry, and "Solaricks" has finally confirmed this as true. It isn't known exactly what dimension Jerry originates from, but when picking him up, Rick comments that Jerry's original version of the Smith family feels a lot like season 2. Viewers are constantly coming up with Rick and Morty fan theories, but this is one of the few times that the show has actually confirmed one as true.
The Rick and Morty season 6 premiere ends with one final dimension swap, as the show's main Rick, Morty C-137, Jerry from the Jerryboree, and Summer, Beth, and Space Beth C-131 all have to abandon dimension C-131 after Jerry C-131 accidentally destroys it. Rick and Morty's timeline is definitely confusing, as the show has followed the main character through several canonical dimensions, making things hard to keep track of. While the Rick and Morty season 6 premiere's portal reset causes adventures in multiple dimensions, each one of them has its continuities meticulously kept, which makes the premiere even better.
New episodes of Rick and Morty air Sundays on Adult Swim.