There's now an official release date for the long-awaited return of Rick and Morty's fourth season: May 3rd. Adult Swim announced the show's return with a new trailer showcasing the remaining five episodes. Rick and Morty is one of the fastest shows ever; nearly every second is filled with jokes and references. Because the writers' can pack so much into a single episode it may be difficult to glean any major plot details from a trailer only a minute and a half long.
However, now that Rick and Morty is so well established it doesn't take much for fans to spot hints about where the show's bigger stories may be going, as well as the various callbacks. This list will look at ten possible plot points that might have just been revealed by the new trailer.
Army of Ricks
The trailer opens with a big sweeping shot of a huge army of Ricks. One of Season 3's best episodes was The Ricklantis Mixup, a day in the life of the Citadel of Ricks after it had been previously destroyed by Rick.
Among the various vignettes was a story of a sinister Morty who wins an election on a campaign of goodwill and progression only to then aggressively take over the whole government. This shot may be hinting at what has happened in the intervening time and while Morty's intentions are unclear it seems he's preparing for war.
Rick and Morty Gundam
One of the most eye-catching moments in the new trailer is seeing Rick and Morty in a pair of battle suits complete with power swords very reminiscent of Mobile Suit Gundam. References to Japanese pop culture have become more and more frequent in the show.
Season 3 had a side story where Morty gets a collection of miniature Voltron robots; last month a Rick and Morty short was released, entirely in Japanese and paying homage to the famous samurai series, Lone Wolf and Cub. This may hint that there are more references like these to come in the future, while Gundam fans may see plots referenced or repeated in the new episodes.
Jerry's Ambitions
Hapless Jerry is always looking to prove himself, often with hilarious results. Show creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland are well aware of what some of their fans expect from the show, often making indirect mentions of them in the episodes. In the trailer, just before Jerry again announces his ambitions, the voice-over proudly claims "Just what you've been waiting for."
Far from more Rick and Morty, this could be an ironic hint that actually we're going to see more of the side characters and that Jerry might, finally, succeed.
Alien Parasites
In one of the brief moments of dialogue, Rick and Morty are seen holding two alien corpses with Rick telling Morty to put it on. This is clearly a reference to the facehugger from Alien which injects a human host with a baby xenomorph. Across the show's history, it has made reference to nearly every sci-fi film in existence, but this may be the first nod to Alien.
The show loves flipping things on their head, so it wouldn't be surprising if Rick plans to use the corpses to his advantage and pays no heed to the fact that Morty is about to get infected.
Snowball's Return
Snowball, Morty's family dog, was last seen way back in season one as he and his fellow robotically enhanced canines decided to leave earth and establish a utopia on a new dog planet. He's seen in the trailer, once again in his full mech suit and, interestingly, in mid-battle with a cat in another mech suit.
Not only is this confirming a character's return it is one of several references in the trailer to some kind of conflict. It seems increasingly clear that some big fight is brewing and Rick and Morty are going to have to face it in the coming episodes.
Rick's Sprouting Arms
Rick has always had a crazy gizmo or gadget to show off, including robotic arms, mechanical implants and even growing a new body.
However, this trailer reveals a power we've never seen before with rick; arms sprouting out of his body each carrying its own gun. While this may be a new ability to Rick, it's very reminiscent of the power held by Nico Robin in One Piece. Perhaps a coincidence, but nearly everything in Rick and Morty is a reference and again could be a hint at the influence Japanese pop-culture is having on the show.
Spaceship Dog Fight
Morty has always wanted to get back to the classic adventures. It's pleasing to see him actually happy as, at one point in the trailer, he's shooting laser guns on a spaceship just like Luke did in Star Wars (1977).
This could be another special Morty adventure he gets from his deal with Rick, but it is yet another reference to a war. It is as good as confirmed now that there will be a war of some kind, and it could develop or even resolve some of the bigger plot points which began in previous seasons.
New Fantasy Adventure
At one point in the trailer, Rick is seen wrestling with a giant wolf in what looks like a snow-covered medieval fantasy planet. As well as more classic adventures Morty is always keen to do more fantasy stuff, and the show has compensated by adding more fantasy-themed episode.
In the first half of this season, Morty desperately wants to own a dragon, only to learn that things aren't that simple. The show references every genre but with two fantasy references in one season, it seems this could become a common occurrence and even expand Rick and Morty's universe even more.
Tammy's Return
Another returning character and another scene depicting war! Tammy, Summer's friend from school, was last seen getting married to Birdperson only to reveal that she was an agent of the galactic government sent to capture Rick. Tammy's absence has been long-noted by fans and her return promises big things.
Seen locked in a lightsaber battle with Summer, Tammy may be more vicious than ever, while Summer is going to have to finally resolve her issues with her old friend.
"I hate this! I hate all of this!"
Morty often takes to despair and this trailer is no exception. Just after Morty screams that he hates what they're doing Rick cuts back saying he could do with less feedback. In what seems like yet another meta-reference to the show's fans it could also be revealing what the writers have in store. Often an episode will tease a 'classic' episode only to then flip it on its head, but it's a great way to keep fans surprised.
It seems these five episodes will deliver some big moments, many that might be unexpected. But with a, now infamous, 70-episode renewal the writers will have to keep the show fresh with all those adventures still to come.