Warning: Spoilers for Rick and Morty season 6, episode 8.
Now that Rick and Morty season 6 has brought back Dr. Wong, the Adult Swim hit can answer the biggest question about its antihero. Rick and Morty has always balanced comedy and drama since the series began. While the show's earlier seasons gained critical acclaim for their goofy humor and outlandish plots, there was always an element of darker character drama under Rick and Morty's playful surface.
As far back as Rick and Morty season 1's butter robot, the series has touched on questions of existential angst, and Rick and Morty season 6, episode 8, "Analyze Piss," continued this trend by bringing back Dr. Wong. The therapist is a perfect antithesis of Rick's mindset and abilities, with Rick viewing her as both a threat and an ally, whereas she appears just to consider Rick one of her clients. If Rick and Morty shows Rick continuing to attend therapy, this could answer a question that has been around since the pilot, namely whether Rick can change who he is (as he seemingly wishes to) or if he is doomed by his nihilism.
Dr. Wong's Therapy Scenes Avoid Complicating Rick & Morty
Early in season 6, Rick and Morty dropped Rick's heaviest story by forgetting about Rick Prime and the Central Finite Curve. This seemed to mean Rick would never grow or change, but his interactions with Dr. Wong in "Analyze Piss" prove this isn't necessarily true. Instead, Rick might change through the gradual, unglamorous work of attending therapy, with Dr. Wong acting as the measure by which Rick's progress could be tracked. This wouldn't require a huge time commitment, meaning it could be a neat way for Rick and Morty to hint at a meaningful character arc while sticking with the whimsical, low-stakes adventures that made the series so popular.
One of the best Rick and Morty season 6 episodes destroyed its credits, fourth wall and canon by having the series stars acknowledge that they are on a TV show. It is hard for jokes like this to co-exist alongside serious scenes of Rick attempting suicide or almost sacrificing his life, which is part of what made the tone of earlier seasons so haphazard. However, Rick's more low-key interactions with Dr. Wong featured the same insight into his character without the life-or-death stakes that jar with his goofy weekly antics. Rick and Morty can effectively add drama to its comedy through therapy sessions without sacrificing either.
How Rick & Morty Could Make Its Most Infamous Episode Foreshadowing
If Dr. Wong were to become a regular recurring character and viewers were made privy to Rick's attempts to improve himself, this would also pay off an arc that has existed since the infamous Rick and Morty season 3, episode 3, "Pickle Rick." Rick and Morty introduced Dr. Wong in "Pickle Rick," but much of the episode was devoted to Rick turning himself into a pickle, a gag that few viewers thought would have a poignant punchline. As such, Dr. Wong's promotion to recurring character status would not only give viewers more insight into Rick's inner world but would also prove that this divisive Rick and Morty episode was secretly a long-term setup for a well-earned payoff.
