Rick and Morty Team Scrapped Multiple Versions of Season 6 Premiere

Everybody knows it takes a long time to get a new season of Rick and Morty, but part of the reason is apparently that there are plenty of ideas thrown out for being not-quite-perfect. In a new interview, the series' showrunner revealed that there were a number of different takes on season six's upcoming premiere, and that they ended up being scrapped in order to get to where we're going to end up on Sunday when the series returns to Adult Swim for the first new episodes since September.

Season 5 ended by redefining how it defines its multiverse, and there have been many questions as to what that would mean in the future. The duo also went through a major fight that seemed to hold more weight than any in the past seasons, so there's been a wonder as to whether or not the series will be continuing in this direction. And that's what made kicking off the sixth season so difficult.

"The breaking of 6.01 was a really arduous process because 5.10 was a huge finale," showrunner Scott Marder told Inverse. "It left us with a ton of homework and a lot to live up to. We actually had a few different versions of the episode that were completely different. We ultimately weren't happy with it and scrapped it and found this one that you guys are getting now."

Here's how Adult Swim has described the upcoming season in promotional materials: "It's season six and Rick and Morty are back! Pick up where we left them, worse for wear and down on their luck. Will they manage to bounce back for more adventures? Or will they get swept up in an ocean of piss! Who knows?! Piss! Family! Intrigue! A bunch of dinosaurs! More piss! Another can't miss season of your favorite show."

Rick and Morty season 6 returns starting September 4 on Adult Swim. The first five seasons are now available to stream on HBO Max (at least until Warner Bros. Discovery figures out a way to make a few bucks by putting it somewhere else).