Recap: Rick and Morty Comic-Con@Home 2021 Panel

 

 

There is a substantial history of Rick and Morty taking forever to be released. Never mind the extended break before season four. The episodes continuously trickle out on their own time. Thankfully, the show is in a new era of delivering on its 70-episode contract. And season five is the first to be released in total, with no mid-season break.

Coincidentally, we happen to be right at that point where Rick and Morty would disappear from television for a while. Episode 505, “Amortycan Grickfitti”, just released this past Sunday, and the next is set to premiere this weekend. But it also happens to be the same weekend as the annual San Diego Comic-Con.

This year, the biggest nerd convention in the land decided to play it safe and repeat the Comic-Con@Home virtual experience. Though there are talks of a November live show, the online version gives fans a chance to watch panels from their favourite movies and shows. And Rick and Morty is always a major one for fans.

This year’s panel is hosted by Mr. Goldenfold himself, Brandon Johnson. Joining him to talk season five were creator Dan Harmon, showrunner Scott Marder, and voice cast members Spencer Grammer (Summer), Sarah Chalke (Beth), and Chris Parnell (Jerry).

The first topic of discussion was Rick and Morty’s recent Emmy win for the brilliant “The Vat of Acid Episode”. Harmon and Marder were quick to share some of the origins of the concept. 

Specifically acknowledged was the old movie trope of getting rid of the bad guy in a vat of acid. Obviously, it was the cheapest way to do it at the time. But the subversive approach the show took required some finessing.

Of course, the meat of this panel explored many of the revelations that have come from the first five releases this year. Discussions included: the conception of Nimbus, who sat on the cutting room floor for far too long; Jerry and Beth’s newfound admiration and sex-positivity; the friction between Morty and Rick, and how Summer is filling that role; and of course, decoys.

There has been a lot of family development in the new episodes, which is not lost on the voices actors. As is stated in the panel, “it is more than just Rick and Morty,” as every member finds a more substantial role in the series. Unfortunately, everyone was quiet about how things develop further throughout the remainder of the season and beyond.

The back half of the panel is a game show portion. The panelists play a few rounds of ‘most likely’, where they vote for the character most likely to perform an action. It is a fun way to kill time in a panel but not overly exciting for viewers who could not add their own votes.

Thankfully, at the conclusion, there is a surprise arrival of the titular characters themselves. The banter between them and the host is humorous enough to end on a laugh. Though, it would have been more entertaining to have Justin Roiland as part of the panel. 

You can watch the full Rick and Morty panel on the Comic-Con@Home official website.