How ‘Rick And Morty’ Ends

Adult Swim has managed to pull off some impressive pranks on their fans over the years, and the brains behind Rick and Morty have contributed memorably to those antics recently.

But what if tonight’s finale is their biggest con yet?

Co-creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland let some fans down when Harmon revealed that original plan for Season Three’s 14 episodes was being shortened to just ten episodes, not unlike Season Two and one shy of the first season.

“I’m still learning how to do the show efficiently while catering to the perfectionist in all of us,” said Harmon in a recent interview with EW. “I would like to think I’ve learned enough from my mistakes in season 3 that we could definitely do 14 now, but then I have to say, ‘Yeah but you’re the guy who says we can do 14 who turned out to be wrong so we’re not listening to you now.’”

And while tonight is likely to be the Season Three finale of Rick and Morty, what if the team has another ace up their sleeve?

They already tricked fans twice this year; once when they surprised fans with a marathon of the season premiere on April Fools’ Day months before the show returned to Adult Swim‘s schedule, and again with an episode called “The Ricklantis Mixup” which was the placeholder for “Tales From The Citadel.”

Could tonight make it three for three? And if so, what could Harmon, Roiland, and Adult Swim be planning?

IT’S A TRAP!

Part of us doesn’t want to say goodbye to Rick and Morty just yet, and that same part wants the 14 episodes we were originally promised.

So what if this isn’t actually a finale, and it’s all a ruse to get people talking about that sweet Szechuan Sauce returning for a limited time?

As unlikely as that may be, we can’t help but wonder if this truly is the end of Season Three. Maybe they’re just taking an extended break and returning with more episodes in a month or so? Or maybe this is the first part of a two-part finale, much like what was originally intended for Season Two before they decided to leave fans dangling with a cliffhanger?

It seems like a lazy prank for Adult Swim to play on their fans, and even lazier for Harmon and Roiland to go along with it. Unless it was accompanied by a much bigger announcement, which would have to be huge to justify the deception.

Some fans online are clamoring for a holiday special or something comparable. Would the creators behind Rick and Morty be so bold?

“You’re dead, Morty!”

This theory is probably the most unlikely and the least consequential, given the scale and scope of Rick and Morty as it is.

But our friends over at Nerdist posited the idea that Morty could actually die in this episode, which could build off of Evil Morty’s rise to power in “The Ricklantis Mixup.”

Glimpses of Rick’s humanity and his attachment to his grandson have been hinted at over the course of the series. So what better way to put him through the ringer than to kill off Morty of Dimension C-137 at the hands of the popular new villain?

This doesn’t seem plausible given Harmon and Roiland’s apprehension to serialize the series’ storyline. We don’t expect Evil Morty to show up until way down the line, and when it does it should be surprising much like his latest appearance.

And as for the death of Morty… Why? What would the show possibly gain? How would that impact the audience? In a world of infinite Ricks and Mortys, where they’ve already ditched their home realities multiple times and started anew, what could Morty’s death possibly achieve?

It could happen, and it could be effective, but it just doesn’t seem likely at this point.

Well, Rick did bring back the Szechuan Sauce…

This one is probably the most heart-breaking and depressing possibility, but what if this is the last episode of the series — EVER?

We don’t want to believe it either! But let’s look at the signs.

Harmon and Roiland had difficultly with the crew in bringing Season Three together, and they were constantly dogged by rumors of fighting between the two creators. And Harmon himself even stated that this length is almost uncharted territory for him, having had difficulties in Community Season Three and being fired for Season Four.

What if they decided to quit while they’re ahead, at the top of their game, giving fans three memorable seasons before dropping the proverbial mic?

It’s unlikely that Adult Swim would cancel the series given that it’s such a cash cow for all parties involved. But does that mean it’s out of the realm of possibility?

We’ll find out tonight when Adult Swim airs the Season Three finale of Rick and Morty at 11:30 pm ET.