Why Is Morty Being Sidelined In ‘Rick and Morty’ Season 7?

Rick and Morty? More like, The Rick Show. Har, har. The seventh season of Dan Harmon’s hit animated show has gotten off to a strong start despite its heavy baggage and the intense drama behind recasting the title roles. But there’s one thing missing — Morty.

The teenage character, now voiced by Harry Belden, has been noticeably absent in the three episodes of the season that have since aired, and it’s starting to untether the premise of the show.

From the beginning, a key focus of the series was the budding relationship between Rick and his grandson Morty, with the other Smiths playing pivotal, yet more minor roles.

While later episodes came to center on supporting characters, the show always reverted back to normal. But now, three episodes into the new season and Morty has barely spoken, or shown his face.

He isn’t entirely absent. In the first episode, “How Poopy Got His Poop Back,” Morty is shown with the rest of his family at the dinner table, and immediately after, he summons Rick to care for his friend who has hit rock bottom. Then, in “The Jerrick Trap,” he gets kidnapped by the space mafia and Rick and Jerry must save him. But all this occurs within the first few minutes of the episode, much like in the prior episode.

The latest episode, “Air Force Wong,” follows the same pattern, with Morty appearing in the first five minutes during one segment, before fading into oblivion. The scene isn’t even a big one, Rick and Morty are just shown sitting on the couch, watching a reality program that’s hosted by a creature with knives for arms. Morty watches in horror as the host stabs his audience members to death while doing an interactive Q&A segment.

The laughs are there, but the scene doesn’t do much to tie into the overall plot.

I would like to issue a plea to Adult Swim: bring back Morty! We’ve had a Mr. Poopybutthole episode, a Jerry episode, and now, a Dr. Wong episode in Season 7, and we’d like to have a Morty episode. Even more so, we’d like the show to go back to being 50/50 about Rick and Morty. C’mon, it’s even in the title! Let Morty speak!

Fans of the series have also picked up on the trend, with one viewer writing on Reddit, “After those first two episodes having a criminally small amount of Morty, I’m hoping that either somehow all the less Morty-focused eps happened to coincidentally be at the start of the season and he’s gonna start appearing more now, or that there’s an actual reason for him being sidelined. Maybe to potentially show that the duo has grown a bit apart?”

The same user pointed out that Morty seems to be more confident and “uncaring” in the episode. “I just really miss our boy being an actual main character of the show,” they shared.

Others agreed, with one writing, “I believe that Morty is trying to be his own person now. I do hope to see a Morty episode soon.”

Another viewer theorized that the lack of Morty in the new season has to do with the voice actor change after Justin Roiland was booted from the show. “Maybe the more Morty centric eps were recorded later or involved more takes and editing,” they guessed.

However, fear not, as the final episode of the season is titled “Fear No Mort,” suggesting that Morty is the key focus in the finale, at least. Aw jeeze! It’s going to be a bummer to have to wait that long.

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