San Diego Comic Con is the most excitable time of year for needs, even if they can’t attend a physical convention during the pandemic. The online platform for the con has made it easier than ever for fans to access panels about their favorite media. But whether you’re in-person or behind a laptop screen, it’s always disappointing when a panel falls flat.
This year’s panel for the cult sensation Ricky and Morty just happened to be that panel. But the comedic reunion of the cast members — minus creator and voice of both main characters, Justin Roiland — almost made the panel worth it.
For the most part, this panel seemed more like a catch-up session for the cast and crew. The panel was moderated by Brandon Johnson (Mr. Goldenfold) and featured Dan Harmon (co-creator), Scott Marder (executive producer), Spencer Grammer (Summer), Sarah Chalke (Beth) and Chris Parnell (Jerry). Oddball questions kept the energy up and laughs going — who would think to ask about which character has milk for dinner?? — so at least the panel wasn’t boring. I mean, who would argue against Summer living in a TikTok house or appearing on a reality dating show?
At least we learned that the Smith family will be enjoying more adventures together in the coming season, rather than the usual focus on just Rick and Morty. We’ve already seen this transition in action so far this season, but it seems the fam will be enduring each other’s shenanigans far more often. We’ve seen Rick take individual family members on adventures, but we’re hoping to see more action with the entire family involved — even if they aren’t technically from the same timeline the show is in.
The timeline issue was addressed by co-creator Dan Harmon, albeit a response that seemed to deflect the question and dodge and answer. Fans have been perplexed by Rick’s seemingly endless supply of extra family members from various universes in the episode “Mortiplicity”… Harmon did comment on this, but his response once again felt like a deflection and write off…it didn’t really help explain why that plot choice was made, especially since it seemed to be a whimsical thought throughout most of the season. We expected him to shed some light on the situation, but it looks like we’ll just have to wait for the new episodes for any information. For the most part, the plot of the show and coming season was glossed over.
The panel featured plenty of clips from the show, but they were all from previously aired episodes. There wasn’t much mention of season five’s new episodes at all, which was a huge let down for fans excited about the adventures of Rick and his family. SDCC is renowned for its sneak peeks into the future of all sorts of media, especially television shows, but it seems that this year’s Ricky & Morty panel was just for show.
It was unfortunate to realize that we weren’t going to get any new content or hints at the future of Rick and Morty, especially after the last season having been just okay. By far the best part of the panel was in the last two minutes when Justin Roiland –who was absent for unknown reasons– called in as both Rick and Morty. At least we ended on a positively hilarious note!
You can watch the full 25 minute panel below. Have any thoughts on it? Drop a comment and let me know what you think!
