Thursday afternoon, the producers and actors behind “Rick and Morty” gathered at NYCC to talk about the upcoming season 8 ahead of its airing on Adult Swim next year. Moderated by Collider’s Perri Nemiroff, the talent of Dan Harmon, Scott Marder, Harry Belden, Ian Cardoni, Sarah Chalke, Spencer Grammer, and Chris Parnell arrived at NYCC to talk about just how the titular duo are preparing for the new season.
An animatic where the titular duo run afoul of a “classic arc spaceship”, as Marder describes it, was shown. Following that screening, Harmon and Marder announce that the show has been renewed for an eleventh and twelfth season. Harmon described the process of creating the show and inevitably coming across “a reference to a future mass shooting” that you than you have to take out. Belden and Cardoni made the joke reveal that the upcoming season will feature an episode with both Rick and Morty, which caused a laugh from this lapsed fan.
On the family front, Chris Parnell revealed that an episode will have “Jerry challenging Jerry.” He very much seems comfortable in his father role, even while on the panel interacting with his younger cast mates.
The grandfather and grandson have come a long way, and will apparently continue to, which the show runners comment on. Marder compares the pair’s current dynamic as similar to classic buddy comedy act Cheech & Chong. The panelists are asked about their characters’ storylines this season, which Spencer Grammer responds with a tease about this season’s Summer episode showing a new side to her. According to Cardoni, he will be getting the chance to do his iteration on the multiple Ricks story that fans love. Harmon and Marder say they are “almost done writing the first pass of Season 10.”
Another funny moment from the panel is Dan Harmon suggesting everyone walk onto a stage while someone announces them as “executive producer of something… it’s very therapeutic.” Dan Harmon’s openness with his mental health is one of the reasons Rick and Morty is so interesting.
With seven seasons (and countless tie in material, including an anime) behind them, the Smith family is prepared for what’s coming — no matter when that may be. Despite being less of a fan than when I first started watching this show, I came away from the panel optimistic about the show’s future. Viewers can catch all the sci-fi weirdness and the dysfunctional characters of Rick and Morty on Adult Swim and Max when it arrives next year.
