Rick and Morty season 8 kicked off with its usual dose of outlandish ideas mixed with surprisingly relatable problems. The show is known for its grand sci-fi moments like Rick using laser swords on alien crowds or moving Morty through multiple dimensions. But beneath all that chaos sits a family sitcom about small annoyances in life. The first episode of season 8 brought up one of these annoyances: someone taking your phone charger.
The first episode "Summer of All Fears" begins in a world where Summer (Spencer Grammer) has become a powerful leader of a society obsessed with phone chargers. Morty lives disconnected from this society after spending time in prison serving in the military and dealing with phone-related scary events. It turns out that this brother-sister pair are stuck in a simulated world. Their grandpa Rick made this simulation as a punishment after they used his phone charger. This setup shows how writers can take a simple frustrating daily problem and turn it into something huge and absurd.
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It might not surprise viewers that the show found a new way to tell a story about a simulated reality. The interesting part is that this whole world is built on the annoyance of a missing phone charger. Creator Dan Harmon shared that he believes he is the reason this plot appeared in the first episode. He admits to having trouble with phone chargers himself.
Harmon explained his frustration saying "I have tried to hoard them. I've tried to lock them in boxes. They just disappear. They’re the new ‘sock in the dryer.’" Showrunner Scott Marder added that the writers are always looking for problems people can understand to build their wild stories around. Harmon's complaints resonated with the writing team. Marder said "Every year, there’s a different hookup to the phone! So you’ve got a bunch of them that don’t even mean anything anymore. You’re always chasing for one that works." This constant hunt for a working charger sounds very familiar to many people.
While the anger over missing phone chargers is easy to relate to Harmon confessed his connection to these items runs a bit deeper. They were once the main part of a Valentine's Day gift he gave his ex-wife: a nice arrangement of iPhone chargers. Harmon insists the gift went over really well and he was proud of giving it. He thought it was a practical gift unlike most Valentine's Day presents that are often thrown away. He noted "Phone chargers, like flowers, feel like you’re just giving them to someone and they’re just going to vanish." This personal touch gives the show's outlandish plot a grounding in real-life experience.
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The fake world's dedication to phone charger obsession is a great part of the episode. Characters have "charge" in their names and a holy war starts because of a fake video showing a "terrorist" cutting a charger cord. There is even a silly yet clever name "Osama Been Chargin." This shows the series' commitment to a very silly idea taking it further than expected. This part of the story also works to undermine Morty and Summer’s emotional suffering even as they experience it seriously. This trick of the show might feel less surprising to long-time viewers who have seen Morty and Summer go through many difficult situations. The tension between their real pain and the absurd things they face might not feel as strong as it once did.
Morty’s experience in the simulation sees him going to prison then becoming a firefighter and later joining the army where he finds he cannot be killed. While the events are new the show looks at Morty’s struggles in ways that feel a bit familiar. We have seen him find and lose true love because of Rick’s inventions. His losing his best friend in a war created by his sister to take advantage of him is a new concept but the episode’s commitment to the bit might make it feel like a remix of past astonishing moments. Even so the jokes are smart and the characters act consistently which helps keep the episode enjoyable.
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Considering Dan Harmon's Thoughts on Ending the Series and Its Long-Term Potential
Many fans wonder if Rick and Morty will ever end. The show’s large following has given it the approval to keep making new seasons without a set end date. Dan Harmon shared his thoughts on this saying that ending the show would feel out of their hands. He believes that if they decided to "take a bow and finish on top" the answer would be "On top of what? You’re already like wallpaper." Harmon feels their job is to try and set a record for how long the show runs while finding joy in every episode.
Harmon made a good point that shows like Seinfeld might end at their peak but Rick and Morty is different. It has fewer episodes per season. The team seems focused on making sure there are many episodes for future generations to watch. Harmon did mention a condition for stopping the show. If the newer episodes start to fall far behind the best older episodes in quality he would consider stopping the series. He explained that if the show starts to suck and they feel fatigue then stopping would be a sign of honesty and self-awareness.
Showrunner Scott Marder agreed with Harmon. He stated that ending the show has not been a topic of discussion. Marder said that if there was truly fatigue and they felt like they were struggling to come up with ideas there might be talks of ending. However he confirmed that making the show still feels smooth fun and easy even as they finish working on season 10. This is exciting news for fans as it means new adventures are likely for years to come. The show continues to deliver new ideas and humor as it has since the beginning.
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Broadcast Times and Streaming Options for Fans Across Different Regions
The animated sci-fi comedy made its return on Adult Swim. The first episode "Summer Of All Fears" began a 10-week run. Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden now voice Rick and Morty. Cardoni took over after Justin Roiland left the series. Dan Harmon has suggested there could be even more seasons to come which is good news for loyal viewers.
For viewers in the US Adult Swim broadcasts Rick and Morty. You can also stream Adult Swim on Max and other platforms. DirecTV offers a five-day free trial. Sling TV's Blue package includes Adult Swim. Fubo also has Adult Swim among its many channels. Hulu + Live TV gives a three-day free trial and includes Adult Swim along with ESPN+ and Disney+. New episodes of Rick and Morty broadcast every Sunday at 11 PM ET/PT until the end of July. You can check your local listings for exact times.
Fans in the UK will need to wait a bit longer for the show to appear on their screens as no official release date has been given yet. The series has a large fan base in the UK because it is available on E4 and Channel 4's streaming service. It can also be streamed on Netflix and individual episodes can be bought on Apple TV and Prime Video. However with no season 8 release date announced British fans must wait a little longer to see Rick and his grandson in action.