WARNING: The following contains SPOILERS for Rick and Morty season 5, episode 1, "Mort Dinner Rick Andre."
The Rick and Morty season 5, episode 1 mainly focused on peacekeeping talks between Rick and his "nemesis" Mr. Nimbus, as well as how that conflict impacted the rest of the Smith family. Although the stakes were relatively low (until the very end, at least) and the drama of the episode was mostly interpersonal, "Mort Dinner Rick Andre" did do a lot in a short time, cleverly laying the groundwork for several new storylines for season 5 to explore.
The first episode of Rick and Morty season 5 debuted on June 20, 2021, with new episodes releasing weekly on Adult Swim. Although little is known about the season's direction overall, the various trailers hint at the basic tone of the season, and several season 5 stories were confirmed by co-creator Dan Harmon ahead of time in interviews, setting up audience expectations. Specifically, "Space Beth" is expected to return in some form, furthering the story of Rick's relationship with his daughter(s). Rick and Morty has grown from its humble beginnings, and in recent seasons has embraced a willingness to explore its own faults and forge new paths for its characters to follow.
There are several ongoing narratives hinted at in the Rick and Morty season 5 premiere — many of which are unlikely to be resolved in this season alone. Although Rick and Morty isn't known for serialized storytelling, and season 5 certainly will take a purely episodic approach, the animated series does tend to have particular ideas or themes underlying each season. As the show goes on, it has matured and shifted in tone — and most likely, season 5 will continue this trend, with "Mort Dinner Rick Andre" already 's problems. The following are all the new storylines that the season 5 premiere sets up for Rick and Morty to explore.
Morty Is Moving On From His Adventures With Rick
Rick and Morty season 5 could see Morty finally moving on from his adventuring with Rick. The partnership between Morty and his genius grandpa has never been an equitable one, and although there are signs that the young man enjoys getting to spend time with essentially his hero, it's also clear that he resents how he is treated. Both Morty and Summer are starting to rebel against Rick, even as they continue to want his approval; however, the signs are there of growing dissatisfaction. This is perhaps most clear in Rick and Morty season 4's "The Vat of Acid Episode," in which Morty finally rebels against Rick, frustrated with how little input he gets when helping with Rick's "shenanigans."
In "Mort Dinner Rick Andre," Morty is at his most independent. The episode's cold open shows Morty saving his mortally-wounded (and apologetic) grandpa from dire circumstances. Rather than thank Morty for saving their lives, however, Rick instead rebukes his grandson for landing in the ocean. For the rest of the episode, Morty is uninterested in Rick's situation, doing the bare minimum to help because he has his own priorities: Jessica. Although audiences have seen how competent Morty has become before — for example, when Morty helped The Vindicators navigate Rick's traps — "Mort Dinner Rick Andre" is the first time audiences really see Morty asserting his independence from Rick, suggesting their partnership may have reached its natural end.
Season 5 Could Finally Reveal Rick's Backstory (& Wife)
Longtime Rick and Morty fans have theorized about Rick's wife and Beth's mother, Diane, for ages — and it looks like season 5 could finally address some of these lingering questions. Little is known about Diane or even why she's not in the picture. Presumably, she's dead, but even this has never been explicitly confirmed. In "Mort Dinner Rick Andre," Mr. Nimbus references "Diane," to which Rick angrily describes as the King of the Ocean trying to establish canonical backstory. It's a metajoke moment, but it does provide another clue to the tantalizing mystery of Beth's mother and Rick's past.
Beth & Jerry Rekindling Their Romance In Rick & Morty
Rick and Morty has long hinted that, despite the outward toxicity of their relationship, Beth and Jerry actually are capable of being loving, ive partners. In fact, in the season 3 episode "The Rickshank Rickdemption," the two are shown to have thrived in the post-apocalyptic world left by Morty inadvertently turning the human race into "Cronenbergs" in "Rick Potion #9." The scene heavily hinted that Rick and Morty (particularly the former) were responsible for much of the animosity between Beth and Jerry.
After Rick manipulated the family to take Jerry's place as the patriarch in season 3, Beth and Jerry hit an all-time low in their relationship and considered divorce; however, Beth has since allowed herself to take a more objective view of her father, which led her to make the (wise) decision to stop putting her absentee father's approval ahead of her own happiness. Rick and Morty season 5 begins with Beth and Jerry in the best position they've ever been in on the show, and while history would indicate that the two are likely to fall back into codependent and toxic patterns, hopefully, the series will instead take the characters into new territories, exploring what the shift in dynamic means for the family unit.
Summer Forging Her Own Path Like Space Beth
Although Summer has a relatively minor role in "Mort Dinner Rick Andre," her competency and confidence in her mission — even in the background of the episode — sets up a new journey for her in Rick and Morty season 5. ittedly, Summer ultimately failed her assignment since she brought the shell back to Rick instead of destroying it, but that has more to do with Rick's poor leadership (and instructions) than Summer's abilities. Out of all of the Smiths, Summer has had arguably the least character development — but that could all change in season 5.
In Rick and Morty season 4 finale, the Clone Beth reveal expanded the universe to allow the main characters to go off and explore the universe without Rick. Could Sumer follow in Space Beth's shoes and set off for adventure on her own? There's precedent for her to do so: Summer calmly saves the day in "Morty's Mind Blowers," and in "Promortyus," Summer handles herself well after Rick and Morty are incapacitated by face-hugging parasites. Given how she was able to track down and then acquire Mr. Nimbus's conch shell — fighting various creatures in the process — Rick and Morty season 5 could see Summer go off on other thrilling missions on her own, perhaps even with Space Beth.
The Season 5 Premiere Suggests Rick Needs To "Find" Himself
The main storyline set up by "Mort Dinner Rick Andre" is Rick's need to rediscover himself and his purpose. Rick has always struggled with mental health and addiction, but so far, season 5 has him at his lowest. No longer in control of the Smiths, increasingly, Rick is acting like he has nothing to live for. The cold open in "Mort Dinner Rick Andre" even had Rick accepting death ively, overwhelmed by regret. The next logical step for his character is some sort of redemption arc — or at the very least, a new direction to make his character less loathsome. Since Beth and Jerry are on track to fix their marriage, it would be fitting for Rick to finally start working on his relationship with his family. The trailers for Rick and Morty season 5 hint at story fixes — and Rick starting to get his life back on track could definitely be an interesting arc for the season.