Adult Swim’s “Rick and Morty”, which bagged an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program, is back for a fifth season.
And creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland are chuffed about the mayhem they unpack in the new installment with Justin Roiland voicing the always inebriated Rick Sanchez and the nerdish Morty.
Chris Parnell is behind the character Jerry Smith, who is Morty’s father and Rick’s son-in-law, while Spencer Grammer voices Summer Smith (Morty’s older sister and Rick’s granddaughter), Sarah Chalke plays Beth Smith (Morty’s mother and Rick’s horse surgeon doctor, and Kari Wahlgren has a recurring role as Jessica (Morty’s longtime crush).
And Harmon also lends his voice to Birdperson/ Phoenixperson, who is an ally of Rick, and Mr.Nimbus (Rick’s arch enemy).
In the 10-episode season, there’s plenty in store for the Smith family.
Harmon shared: “This season has more insane adventures and more insight into the Smith family.
“Viewers can expect to see more from Jerry and Beth’s relationship and more development between Summer and Rick.”
“The Smith family is on the run this season, so there’s a lot more action mixed with family bonding.
“Plus, Dan voices Mr. Nimbus, also known as ‘Horny Ocean Man’, and that’s pretty hilarious,” Roiland added.
As for his standout episode, Harmon admitted:”There’s an episode this season where Morty has a relationship with another female character that’s not Jessica.
“It’s just a great little story and my longtime friend and collaborator Rob Schrab wrote it.”
Of course, guest stars are par for the course.
“We have a lot of great guest stars this season that we are super excited about. Jim Gaffigan, Jennifer Coolidge, and Alison Brie to name a few. There’s a lot of exciting voices to hear from,” Harmon hinted.
He admits to not expecting the show to become the success it is.
Harmon said: I love this show and I wanted it to be the best show on TV. I’m arrogant enough to have expected it to be good, but I didn’t expect it to become so popular. It was the least expected thing in the world.”
He added: “Aside from the series being funny, it’s also relatable.
“People seem to relate to the dynamic of the Smith family, and seeing the evolution of all the characters is a big part of that.”
On navigating the comedy aspect in today’s politically correct society, Roiland said: “It can be challenging, but I think it’s our responsibility to be aware of what stories we are telling and how they come across to our viewers. It’s also helpful to have such great writers that consider how something might be perceived.”
Harmon offered: “As a human being, I’m always thinking about what could hurt someone’s feelings, and we obviously want to stray away from that.
“It does make it somewhat difficult when writing, but I think it causes you to be more aware of what you are writing.
“Easy comedy is dangerous in that sense. Comedy has to change because it has to reflect the world that it is in.”
Interestingly, Kanye West was offered his own episode.
“It was definitely a sincere and legitimate offer, and we want to keep trying to make it happen.
“We love the idea of doing something with Kanye: we just need to pinpoint what that something is,” Roiland revealed.
Of course, time will tell if the rapper will accept the opportunity.
Will there ever be a “Rick and Morty” movie?
“We’ve considered it. I’ve never really had an animated project that was as well-received as Rick and Morty, so I’m not sure how the details of a movie would work, but I think it is possible,” Harmon said.
“Rick and Morty” season 5 is currently streaming on Showmax.
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