The fallout from the coronavirus pandemic has impacted the entertainment industry on every level, with movie releases delayed and an endless list of productions put on ice, all because the need to practice social distancing has made gatherings unsafe as the virus spreads. One show that was already on pause, however, was Rick and Morty.
The Adult Swim cartoon has a lot of episodes on deck, but for months now only five from the current fourth season have been made available. With fans hoping to hear news of an airdate for episode six — the last new episode aired on December 15 — any Rick and Morty is welcome.
Thankfully, Adult Swim shared a short on YouTube that features a perhaps-canon samurai battle over a very important Morty. The video starts when a Rick is pushing a Morty along and a bunch of portals open up and reveal a group of Ninja Ricks, one of which reveals that this Rick is about to be in a lot of trouble.
The Rick is addressed as Rick WTM-72, who has apparently kidnapped Shogun Morty.
“That Morty is not a Morty that you nitwits can just make off with,” the subtitles say, though the audio is Japanese and the typical Rick burps and gurgles. “Hand him over and we will let you have an easy death.”
It’s clear that the Ninjas are here to get him back, but it will not end without a bloody fight. The message carrier’s arms get sliced off dramatically just as the threat is finished, setting up a very bloody battle.
Rick WMT-72 is certainly a formidable foe, and that includes some savvy technological moves. At one point the cart carrying Shogun Morty reveals spinning blades that cut off a lot of ninja ankles. He even manages to take down an extremely large Rick, but that only draws more enemies into the field for him to fight.
Oh, and some smoke bombs that cause Rick and Morty to trip the hell out.
Even Rick WTM-72 is mesmerized, but just for long enough to realize the dancing critters floating around him through space and time are actually there to kill him. That sets up a final samurai battle with a bearded Rick and WTM-72, the ending of which I won’t spoil here. But it’s certainly a good time-killer for fans desperate for more Rick content as isolation continues. And of course, it adds yet another layer of possible canon for the show’s already very splintered and uncertain timeline.