In an age where creating a genuine watercooler TV show is almost impossible,Rick and Mortyis one of the most talked-about shows on television. Its fanbase is fervent, its reviews are glowing, and the storytelling showed no signs of slowing down when it returned for the long-awaited third season last year. However, if you think aRick and MortySeason 4 should be a given, you may be in for a bit of a surprise: Adult Swim still hasn’t officially ordered a fourth season of the animated series.
This according to co-creatorDan Harmon, who responded to a ridiculous “fan” on Twitter who called him lazy for not working onRick and MortySeason 4, to which Harmon responded:
This isn’t the first time Harmon has saidRick and MortySeason 4 hasn’t been ordered yet, but we’re now five months on from the Season 3 finale and it’s getting a little weird. There’s no clarification as to what the hold up is, though it’s possible it’s on Harmon and co-creatorJustin Roiland’s side since the ratings last season were up across the board. Perhaps they’re deep in negotiations with regards to their deals—given the amount of work they put into this show, they certainly deserve to be compensated. Or maybe Roiland and Harmon have stacked schedules and are waiting a bit before diving back into Season 4.
Fans of the show know the wait for Season 3 was pretty long—it was about two years between the Season 2 finale and the Season 3 premiere—but the wait between Season 3 and Season 4 might eclipse that by quite a bit. Show writerRyan Ridleyrecently revealed on theDetroit Cast(viaio9) that at the current pace, new episodes might not be ready until late 2019, throwing a bit of shade on Harmon and Roiland for the delay:
“They really take their time. I never understood why everybody — all parties, Dan [Harmon], Justin [Roiland], and Adult Swim — didn’t get their shit together, and make the show fast; I just don’t get it. It doesn’t make any sense to me. I’m sure they all have their reasons.”
While it’s true that Harmon and Roiland take a long time to formulate ideas and then write the scripts for new seasons, I’d also argue that the quality of the show is beyond worth it, and Harmon himself has said they could make the show faster but it’d be a worse show. It’s animation so there’s no fear of actors getting older or leaving for other projects, so my thinking is I’ll be right here ready to watchRick and MortySeason 4 whenever it’s ready—whether that’s a year from now or four years from now. That is, assuming Adult Swim actually orders it…
