Summary
Somehow,Rick and Morty’s first seven seasons have missed out on one sitcom tradition that most other shows feature early on. Sometimes I thinkRick and Mortyhas referenced, subverted, and played with every sitcom trope and cliché in existence. Much likeSouth ParkaccusedThe Simpsonsof covering every imaginable story years ago, I feel likeRick and Mortyhas spoofed every element of the sitcom formula. ByRick and Morty’s season 7 ending, I couldn’t tell where the chaotic show was heading next, but I knew it already had touched on almost every sitcom trope I know.
However,Rick and Mortyseason 8 still has a few sitcom staples to update. Even though Rick complained that he would never do a time travel story early on in the series, the show broke its own rule with season 4, episode 5, “Rattlestar Ricklactica.”Rick and Mortyalso surprised viewers by giving both of its title characters solo episodes in season 7, although Rick’s first lone outing was better received thanRick and Morty’s hated Morty episode. Still, there is one more sitcom mainstay thatRick and Mortycan finally stage in season 8.
Rick & Morty Season 8: Release Date, Cast, Story, Trailer & Everything We Know
The raunchy adventures in time and space continue as Rick and Morty has been green-lit for a landmark 8th season, and updates are already pouring in.
Rick and Morty Has Never Aired A Halloween Episode
The Show’s First Seven Seasons Include Zero Halloween Outings
As shocking as it might seem,Rick and Mortystill hasn’t made a Halloween episode after over ten years on the air.Rick and Mortyhas plenty of episodes that parody horror movies, with one season 7 outing alone spoofing both Stephen King’sMaximum OverdriveandPet Sematary. Earlier episodes in season 1 and season 2 centered on parodies ofNeedful ThingsandThe Purgerespectively, while season 6, episode 4, “Night Family,” was a dark John Carpenter pastiche. Despite the show’s enduring interest in the genre,Rick and Mortyhasn’t offered viewers a Halloween special yet.
Rick and Mortyis steeped in sci-fi and horror history, yet the series hasn’t taken advantage of this with a Halloween episode.
This is particularly striking whenRick and Morty’s opening credits feature a cameo role from none other than H.P. Lovecraft’s most famous monster, Cthulhu.Rick and Mortyis steeped in sci-fi and horror history, yet the series hasn’t taken advantage of this with a Halloween episode that centers on the famously spooky holiday. To make matters more confusing,Rick and Morty’s brief release window also often lines up with the holiday. WhileSouth Park’s recent six-episode seasons were unable to include Christmas or Halloween specials due to their February premieres,Rick and Mortyseasons 6 and 7 premiered in September.
Rick and Morty Is Uniquely Suited To Halloween Specials
Rick and Morty’s Many Genre Parodies Would Fit A Halloween Setting
Manyclassic episodes ofRick and Mortyadd horror tropes to the show’s usual sci-fi spoofs, as far back as the show’s earliest outings.Rick and Morty’s second episode was an extended spoof ofA Nightmare On Elm Street, while the show’s third outing was a parody ofJurassic Park.Rick and Morty’s tone is perfectly suited to a Treehouse of Horror-style Halloween episode, as evidenced by season 5’s spoof of theHellraiserfranchise. This makes the show’s decision to avoid the television staple all the more bizarre, as does its obsession with sitcom formula.
Rick and Mortyhas always parodied sci-fi movies and shows, but the series is also a spoof of family sitcoms. The sly, subversive style ofRick and Mortyoffers a cynical takedown of these sentimental shows, much like co-creator Dan Harmon’s earlier seriesCommunity.Rick and Morty’s dysfunctional family often point out that their problems aren’t solved by cloying Golden Moments, as the show deconstructs the schmaltzy formula sitcoms often rely on. As such, it would make sense forRick and Mortyto offer a subversive parody of Halloween episodes, something thatCommunitydid numerous times throughout its run.
Rick and Morty Season 8 Can Include A Halloween Episode
Seasons 6 And 7 Released Between September And December
While there is no way of knowing whenRick and Mortyseason 8 will be released, the show can almost certainly afford to include a Halloween episode in this upcoming outing. After all, seasons 6 and 7 ofRick and Mortywere both released between September and December, meaning season 8 is likely to follow this same pattern. While viewers continue to wait patiently forRick and Morty’s movie spinoff, the show can tick off one sitcom tradition that it still has not addressed with a season 8 Halloween episode.
There are endless horror movies and shows thatRick and Mortycould spoof in a Halloween episode.
I can’t imagine how a show as obsessed with all things horror asRick and Mortycould turn down this opportunity. There are endless horror movies and shows thatRick and Mortycould spoof in a Halloween episode, and I would love to see the show take on the genre in a focused outing. Moreover, I’d like to see howRick and Mortyremixes the Halloween episode formula just as the series has reformulated so many tired sitcom trends over the years. As such, I can’t wait forRickand Mortyto finally air a Halloween special.
