Adult Swim's runaway sensation wrapped up its third season in October 2017, and fans
have been waiting patiently for a fourth season ever since.
Fortunately, a brand new batch of Rick and Morty episodes is finally in production and
on its way to television.
Here's everything we know so far.
For patient Rick and Morty fans, the long wait for new multigenerational universe-hopping
adventures is nearly over.
In May 2019, Adult Swim's parent company WarnerMedia held its "upfront" presentation in New York.
Fans hoped against hope that there'd be some good news about the long-awaited fourth season
of Rick and Morty, and Warner delivered, announcing that Rick and Morty would return at the end
of the year.
"Everybody, uh...Rick and Morty is back, brand new Season 4, in November 2019 this year.
We're gonna do it this year."
But when, exactly, in November 2019?
Warner didn't say, only that the series would show up sometime in the weeks or days before
or after Thanksgiving.
With some exceptions, most American television shows don't take too long of a break between
seasons.
Most broadcast network shows run from September to May, while cable channels or streaming
services might drop a 13-episode season of a series in the spring, and then return with
another 13 about a year later.
But the wait between seasons three and four of Rick and Morty has been comically, frustratingly
long.
"See ya for season 4 in like, a really long time.
I might even have a big white Santa Claus beard."
Delays are nothing new with Rick and Morty.
About 15 months passed between the end of season one and the beginning of season two,
and there was a good year and a half between season two and the beginning of season three.
The two-year wait for season four, however, is easily the longest in series history.
Series co-creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon have commented on the sometimes lengthy
wait for Adult Swim to order new episodes, and the complex process of negotiating for
a budget large enough to give the show, quote, "the attention it deserves."
In March 2018, Harmon guested on Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier's SModcast.
At the time neither he nor Roiland were actively working on creating more Rick and Morty episodes.
He explained that the reason was simple enough: business problems, saying,
But it all worked out in the end: two months later, Adult Swim ordered a whopping 70 new
episodes of Rick and Morty.
That means Roiland and Harmon are contractually obligated to churn out Rick and Morty for
years to come.
"Season, nine more seasons, Morty.
Nine more seasons until I get that dipping Szechuan sauce."
"What is that?!"
"For 97 more years, Morty."
Previous seasons have run for 10 or 11 episodes.
At one point during the production of season three, Harmon had hoped to produce 14 episodes,
but the schedule forced a cutback.
In late 2017, he told Entertainment Weekly that he'd like to give that idea another try.
Rick and Morty's creative team doesn't have too hard of a time keeping its voice cast
under contract.
That's because the two main characters are voiced by Justin Roiland, who is also the
show's co-creator and primary creative force.
"Oh Morty, help me Morty.
Help me Rick.
Perfect."
Sarah Chalke, who has voiced Beth Smith for the show's entire run, confirmed to Entertainment
Tonight Canada in April 2019 that she's coming back, too.
There will also be some big names joining the small club of Rick and Morty guest voices,
which includes John Oliver, Christina Hendricks, and Danny Trejo.
Sam Neill is also apparently making a voice contribution.
On Halloween 2018, Neill tweeted:
Finally, in a May 2019 interview with HollywoodLife, Roiland broke the news that Paul Giamatti
would soon be recording lines for an upcoming episode.
"And you know what?
God bless you, Paul Giamatti.
You're a hero, an angel, no sorry go ahead."
The upcoming fourth season of Rick and Morty is still in production, as Roiland, Harmon
and crew barrel into the future and a promised premiere date of sometime in November 2019.
That's only a few months away, but as of July 2019 there's no official Rick and Morty trailer
available.
However, Adult Swim has put out several 15-second promo commercials for the upcoming season.
"What the hell is a promo commercial anyway?"
"It's a disposable advertisement.
It's meaningless.
It doesn't matter."
The first was a trippy montage that showed Rick devouring Morty in various animal forms.
The second, released on the Rick and Morty Twitter account, is similarly trippy, but
with a 4th of July theme.
Happy Birthday, America!
"Notify the president."
"What do I tell him?
Tell him the truth.
Tell him Rick and Morty just blew off America."
Anyone who watches Adult Swim knows that these kinds of promos are a common form of "station
ID" designed to show off their lineup without any direct connection to episode content.
But it does serve as a taste of new footage for fans hungry to know about the creative
headspace in which the Rick and Morty team are currently operating.
You know, besides the usual.
"I hafta need another shot.
Just kidding.
Joking.
This is gonna be the f---ing whiz kid take.
I'm a whiz kid."
What will actually happen in season four?
Show creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon are keeping quiet.
In a 2019 interview with HollywoodLife, neither of them were any help, jokingly riffing on
Harmon's "story circle" writing process that forms the basis of every episode.
"Oh, Rick is gonna learn a very valuable lesson and pay a heavy price.
And Morty too I think at one point."
"Yeah."
Rick and Morty storyboard artist Douglas Olsen posted some tweets about Evil Morty, eventually
saying:
Another fan favorite bit could make a return.
On February 8, 2019, Roiland posted an Instagram picture from inside a recording booth with
the caption "Idc3 (maybe)."
The Rick and Morty mastermind might be teasing a third "Interdimensional Cable" episode.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"A sequel."
"I don't understand."
"Yeah, me neither."
Hardcore Rick and Morty fans who want to see an episode of the show's forthcoming season
a little early may want to drop some cash on a trip to the 2019 Adult Swim Festival.
Like Coachella but with way more weird comedy, the event takes place on November 15 and 16
in Los Angeles.
The festival's biggest draw is likely the screening of a brand new episode from Season
4 of Rick and Morty.
Organizers haven't said if it's the season premiere or an installment from later on in
this new batch of episodes, but it is the first debut of any new Rick and Morty episode
since 2017.
"Rick, no, you can't."
"Too late, Morty.
The hole's opening."
"No, no, Rick, you don't understand…"
"And there's a lot more where that came from, too."
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Looper videos about your favorite shows are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.