For some reason, watching television has become a commitment as we are in an era where most shows feature story arcs so the viewer feels as if they watch some saga rather than something with stand-alone episodes. At first glance, it appears that Rick and Morty is one of those shows where there is no continuity, but there are fan theories that speculate that the show is working toward something, and they are right and wrong. This is what is known about Rick and Morty's return/release date, and why fan theories could be off (or maybe on).
Dan Harmon, the co-creator of Rick and Morty (along with Justin Roiland, who provides the voices of the two main characters), has stated that "you cannot write payoff-based TV anymore because the audience is essentially a render farm. They have an unlimited calculation capacity. There's no writer's room that can think more than 20 million people who can think about it for an hour a day".
In other words, fans of Rick and Morty are starting to notice subtle details on the show that could lead to some grand story arc of the show, assuming that there is one. The "grand story arc" was done to a lot of success on another animated show Gravity Falls, which just aired its final episode a few months ago. Gravity Falls had a lot of stand-alone episodes, but the creator knew where the show was going from the first episode and was able to end it with an epic finale.
The issue with Rick and Morty is that the show is about the very nature of reality, and how infinite dimensions of time and space exist within its universe, as well as how that affects the characters. Rick and Morty has had episodes that start in one reality and then end in another one, such Season 1, Episode 6 ("Rick Potion #9"), where Rick and Morty destroy the world but find another dimension where they can just pick up where they left off.
The show has addressed the obvious complications that come with this. For example, there was an Episode 1, Episode 8 ("Rixty Minutes") where Rick's family was viewing alternate versions of themselves in other dimensions. Morty's sister Summer took several tries before she found dimensions where she was even born, and of those dimensions, nothing had changed for her.
The possibility of infinite possibilities has essentially made it so anything can happen on Rick and Morty, as the apocalypse has happened only to be discovered that it is just the end of just one of many universes. In a way, Rick and Morty could have the problem that Spongebob Squarepants has, as there is no continuity between episodes. Some might not view this as a "problem", as having a lack of canon to a show can create enjoyment without making the viewer feel left out as part of a bigger story.
Rick and Morty does have a very simple setup of a mad scientist getting involved in science-fiction scenarios with his grandson, and every episode has essentially stood alone. This premise could play out for as many seasons as Spongebob has now, with 9 seasons that have played out over a period of 17 years.
Most fans of the show love the characters and want to see the show "go somewhere". Season 2 ended with a cliffhanger as Rick was separated from his family, and put in prison. When asked what he had done to deserve his incarceration, Rick replies: "Everything". So what is it that Rick has done that has made him a wanted man?
There has already been Season 1, Episode 10 ("Close Encounters of the Rick Kind") where it is stated that Rick is considered an outcast amongst all of his kind ("The Council of Ricks") from many dimensions, but there isn't any specificity as to why. Many believe that it has something to do with whatever life Rick had before the first episode, and who is Beth's mother. There is a crazy theory going around that Morty is Rick, all grown up, and there was some kind of weird time travel thing happening.
So who knows if Rick and Morty has some big payoff? Maybe that would be the ultimate joke of the creators if it just didn't, and ended after the show became tired and stale just like every show eventually does. Perhaps the writers of the show are smart enough to realize that they can use fan theories to their best advantage in order to keep Rick and Morty alive as long as they wish it to air.
Some believe that the cliffhanger of Season 2 will be resolved with the intervention of Krombopulos Michael. This was an assassin that works with Rick who was killed on Episode 2, Season 2 ("Mortynight Run"), but it is possible that another version of him in some other timeline could still be alive. That character is shown as being able to break into heavily secured buildings, so he could bust Rick out of prison. There is a video that can be seen here detailing this theory.
Of course, we'll have to see when Season 3 rolls around, and Ecumenical News has said that Adult Swim has yet to announce its release date. If you are missing the show, check out the review of it and the Top 10 Episodes.
