‘Rick & Morty’ Makes First Big Incest Joke of Season 7 — And It’s Between Rick and Beth

Since the beginning, Rick and Morty has been known as a show that refuses to hold back, and Season 7 is no different. In fact, the latest episode of Dan Harmon‘s hit animated show features yet another incest joke, but this time it’s between Beth and Rick.

Now, you may be thinking, “Wow, that’s a new level of gross.” But, actually, it was rather tame, which made it all the more funny.

In Episode 2 of the season, “The Jerrick Trap,” Rick and Jerry find their brains combined in each of their bodies after a freak accident. So, half of Rick is Jerry, and half of Jerry is Rick, and neither side is dominant.

“Our brains got a little mixed up, but we’re going to swap back,” the two explain to their family when they grow privy of the situation. “Just didn’t want to build a neural interface on an empty stomach.”

The incident occurs when Jerry goes to Rick complaining about how their neighbor Gene stole his rake. In response, Rick insults Jerry’s intelligence, after which, Jerry insists that Rick was “born smart.”

“I was born crying and pissing myself, just like you,” Rick says while firing up a machine to switch their brains. “Then I became the smartest man in the universe and do I get credit? No. I get to check my brain privilege.”

Afterwards, when Rick awakes in Jerry’s body, he is horrified. The scientist grabs a gun and commits suicide. Jerry, unsure of how to function in Rick’s body, ends up accidentally killing himself with his high-tech body modifications. Then, Rick’s lab intelligence system follows an emergency protocol and puts them back together, but due to the two explosive deaths, their brain matter is mixed up.

Rick-Jerry and Jerry-Rick end up bonding over their mutual concern over Morty’s wellbeing, and they find themselves killing time before actually resolving the issue, much to Beth’s dismay.

“Kind of thought two geniuses would build faster than one,” Beth comments as she enters the garage and sees the duo joking around. “When do I start being concerned about this?”

Rick-Jerry pats Jerry-Rick on the back and explains, “Just having fun with my new friend, sweetie.”

Exasperated, Beth asks, “Who’s talking to me right now? Mostly my dad or mostly my husband?”

“Ugh, been on that website!” Rick-Jerry inappropriately comments.

“Look, I’ve been patient but I can’t tell who to get mad at,” Beth says. “Nobody enters my room or touches me until this is wrapped up,” and exits the garage.

Both Rick-Jerry and Jerry-Rick express disgust at her comment, until a beat passes, and they exchange side-eye glances. Now, we don’t know if that was the Jerry in each of their bodies expressing interest, or someone else… but we do know what the show was insinuating during the entire scene.

With Rick and Morty already having introduced storylines about Jerry almost having sex with his mother, Beth having sex with an alternate version of herself, and Morty conceiving a baby with his sister Summer, among others, this joke was just another contribution to the show’s very-obvious obsession with incest.

Funny it may be, but still concerning in the grand scheme of things. With other changes already impacting the show — such as the new voice actors for the two title characters — now seems like a better time than ever to inch away from the incest and find a new schtick.

Rick and Morty Season 7 premieres Sundays at 11pm ET on Adult Swim.

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