Summary
While I understandRick and Morty’s commitment to a standalone episodic approach, season 8 of the series should still bring back one underrated supporting character. I’ve noticed that recent seasons ofRick and Mortyrely more on the show’s established canon, but not in the way that viewers might expect. Plots like Rick Prime’s decades-spanning battle with Rick have seen the typically light-hearted series take its canon relatively seriously, but evenUnity’sRick and Mortycomebackwas a case of the series rewarding rewatches. Christina Hendricks' character didn’t alter her original role, but she was reincorporated into the show’s universe.
This contrasts with the show’s more anarchic, chaotic early seasons, where each episode’s events rarely impacted the next week’s adventure.Rick and Mortyused to ignore everything to reset the show’s status quo, even joking about this tendency in fourth-wall-breaking asides. However, recent seasons have moved away from this approach and I think this could be great news for one underrated supporting star.Rick and Morty’s entire cast of charactersdeserves more time in the spotlight, but one great guest star was under-utilized in their first appearance.Rick and Morty’s season 7 finaleset up their perfect comeback.
Rick and Morty Season 8 Can End 1 Hilarious Character’s Disappointing 7-Year Trend
Rick and Morty season 8 must give an underrated supporting character their first great episode in 7 years when the series finally returns in 2025.
Rick and Morty Wasted Morty and Planetina’s Romantic Potential
Morty’s First Post-Jessica Love Interest Was A Refreshing Change
The newly confident Morty felt like an evolution for the character, and I was excited to see where the series took him and Planetina next.
Morty’s short-lived relationship from season 5, episode 3, “A Rickconvenient Mort,” deserved more screen time and a stronger ending, soRick and Mortyseason 8 should bring back Alison Brie’s Planetina.Unlike his earlier potential love interest, Planetina seemed genuinely interested in pursuing Morty, and he was confident about talking to her. As someone who found the Jessica storyline repetitive throughout the show’s first five seasons, this was a fun change of pace. The newly confident Morty felt like an evolution for the character, and I was excited to see where the series took him and Planetina next.
Unfortunately, a commitment to the show’s status quo sank this storyline before it could begin in earnest. If there’s one thing thatworries me aboutRick and Mortyseason 8, it is this devotion to a well-worn formula. In “A Rickconvenient Mort,” Morty built on the lessons he learned in the season 5 premiere and opted out of Rick’s next adventure to pursue a relationship on his own instead. However, by the end of the episode, he was alone and heartbroken, and, by the season 5 finale, he was begging Rick to return to their usual dynamic once again.
Rick and Morty’s Planetina Twist Never Really Made Sense
Morty And Planetina’s Fate Didn’t Work For Either Character
Rick and Morty’s spoofs usually succeed, but this parody of cartoon superheroes like theCaptain Planet and the Planeteersleft me cold.
The series never explained why Morty couldn’t get through to Planetina even though the Tina-Teers were able to successfully rein her in for years.Rick and Mortywasted Morty and Planetina’s sweet chemistrywhen the show transformed the cheery hero into a deranged eco-fascist and, crucially, this character change felt unjustified. The twist did align with the cynical tone of the B-story of “A Rickconvenient Mort,” but this alone didn’t make up for the story’s wasted potential. As such, Morty and Planetina deserve another shot at happiness in the show’s eighth outing, particularly afterMorty’s season 7 finale character growth.
Morty’s Planetina Heartbreak Was Too Dark
Morty and Planetina’s Story Never Got A Proper Ending
Morty and Planetina stopped dating because her zealotry led her to kill hundreds of miners, but viewers never found out whether her killing sprees stopped or if she was even still alive. After her lone appearance,Planetina was swiftly forgotten like the rest of Morty’s insubstantial love interests. Compared to Jessica’s role in earlier seasons, Planetina had a lot more agency and screen time and seemed to be more than an object for Morty to pursue. However, this just made the breakup feel more pointlessly bleak. I was disappointed to seeRick and Mortybackslide after season 5’s promising start.
Season 5’s premiere saw Morty and Jessica finally get together for a date that never actually happened since increasingly absurd plot contrivances got in their way. By the episode’s ending, Jessica had become an immortal Time God and Morty was willing to wistfully accept that the pair weren’t meant to be.I loved Morty and Jessica’s bittersweet farewell and looked forward to his next romancesince he had gained more maturity and confidence by letting go of a long-time crush. As such, I was sad to see “A Rickconvenient Mort” waste what could have been a sweet pairing.
Why Rick and Morty Season 8 Should Bring Back Planetina
Alison Brie’s Morty Love Interest Needs To Return
Rick and Mortynever really followed through on season 5’s promise that Morty would become more independent and confident. Luckily, I think reuniting him with his best love interest and revisiting their wasted storyline could fix this.Rick and Mortyseason 8 has no villain, which could make the series feel more shapeless and result in a lack of narrative urgency. However, it could also bring back the lighter tone of earlier seasons and allow the series to finally focus on Morty’s character development instead of Rick’s story. Rick’s tortured character arc ended perfectly with Rick Prime’s death.
Since Unity already returned early in season 7, I can see no reason why Morty’s best love interest couldn’t expect the same treatment in the show’s next outing
Morty’s reunion with Planetina could highlight his character growth in season 8while also explaining what became of the environmentally-conscious superhero since viewers last saw her. Brie was typically charming and funny in her first appearance as Planetina and, since Unity already returned early in season 7, I can see no reason why Morty’s best love interest couldn’t expect the same treatment in the show’s next outing. By bringing back Planetina,Rick and Mortyseason 8 could prove that the series is genuinely invested in improving Morty’s character, even if this means diverging from its reliable, well-established formula.
