Rick and Morty: Some Thoughts on S09E08: “Rickuiem Mort a Dream”

Posted in: Adult Swim, TV | Tagged: rick and morty, sdcc

Things between Rick and Morty got pretty bad – and we’re not sure they got better. Check out our thoughts on S09E08: “Rickuiem Mort a Dream.”

Published Sun, 12 Jul 2026 22:40:09 -0500 by Ray Flook

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Article Summary
Rick and Morty S09E08 pushes Rick and Morty to a brutal new breaking point, with Rick’s cruel jab cutting especially deep.
Rickuiem Mort a Dream turns dark fast as Rick tampers with Morty’s empathy, unleashing one of Season 9’s bleakest twists.
Morty’s transformation is both thrilling and heartbreaking, raising fresh fears that Rick and Morty is building toward Evil Morty.
Beyond the chaos, Jerry gets a standout subplot while Adult Swim’s SDCC plans tease more Rick and Morty and President Curtis.

As Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty inches closer to its Season 9 finale in a few weeks, we’ve got some real-time thoughts on tonight’s episode, S09E08: “Rickuiem Mort a Dream.” From what we’ve seen so far, it appears our dimension-hopping duo might be reaching another one of the personal impasses – in this case, Rick calling out Morty for not being a source of happiness for him. Considering the way he literally crashed into the Smiths’ lives and totally f***ed them up along the way, we’re not sure Rick’s in the best position to be pointing fingers. After checking out our real-time thoughts, stick around because we also have a look at what Adult Swim has planned for Rick and Morty, as well as EPs Dan Harmon and James Siciliano had to share about Keith David-starring President Curtis, during San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) later this month:

Image: Adult Swim Screencap
Rick and Morty S09E08: “Rickuiem Mort a Dream” Thoughts

We’re not saying that Rick still isn’t going through some shit, but hitting Morty with a “Rick Prime” was a cheap shot. And then ripping back open the insecurities Morty’s been struggling with just seemed especially cruel.

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Pokémon cards. Of course.

Ouch. Yeah, even Rick realized that he overstepped a serious line.

Okay, this is definitely not healthy. Rick would rather fuck with Morty’s brain (specifically, his empathy) so that he can keep verbally abusing him without it impacting Morty. Instead, you, maybe not being an asshole?

Okay, I did not see a secondary storyline where Jerry and Summer take on a serial killer over… 60-gallon drums???

As much as I love seeing this version of Morty, it sucks that some creature inside is eating away at him. I’m really not liking Rick in this episode. The kid just wants to be a better version of himself.

Let me just say that Season 1 Jerry would never sit across from a serial killer to free a woman, putting himself at risk like that. Summer, on the other hand, is starting to show some slightly sociopathic tendencies – like telling a serial killer’s potential victim that she’ll help her stay alive if she helps her with those damn 60-gallon drums.

Yup, Jerry freaked out a serial killer.

Once again, the animation team deserves all the flowers this week. That scene where we swap back and forth between the reality that Morty was seeing and the all-too-real reality was wonderfully executed. Rick pulling that creature out of Morty’s ear might be at the top of the list of the season’s most disturbing moments.

“You dumb, dead-wife-having bitch!” Ouch! Morty just lost his empathy – and Rick’s not liking the mirror effect.

Meanwhile, a serial killer called the police on Jerry for being too scary.

Holy crap! We’ve got a don’t-give-a-shit Morty teamed with a Rick who is all sorts of in his own feels.

The ending to what was another banger for the Emmy Award-winning series left me concerned. It was nice to see Jerry no longer be the Jerry we once hated, but Summer’s showing way too many of Rick’s worst traits. And while I hope Rick learned something tonight about how he interacts with Morty moving forward, I’m beginning to fear that all of this is having a lasting impact on Morty (with that last line about wishing he could enjoy the Pokémon cards being a real heartbreaker). We said it before, and we’ll say it again: all of this feels like the makings of another Evil Morty – or maybe the one we already know? Hmmm…

Image: Adult Swim Screencap
Adult Swim on the Green Returns at SDCC 2026

Adult Swim on the Green is returning to this year’s San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), transforming Bayfront Park into a free fan festival with games, rides, giveaways, dance parties, and much more. The first-come/first-served event does not require an SDCC badge and will run from Thursday, July 23rd, to Sunday, July 26th. The first 700 folks who check it out will receive an exclusive prize, and the following nighttime activities (7 pm – 10 pm PT) are on tap:

Thursday, July 23rd: “Night of New,” featuring an exclusive content screening.
Friday, July 24th: Live table reads with Rick and Morty & President Curtis.
Saturday, July 25th: “Adult Swim Through the Years,” including a cosplay dance party and a live animation set by Afuchs Twin.

Image: Adult Swim Screencap

Now, here’s a look at what’s on tap panel-wise for Rick and Morty and President Curtis:

1 pm PT: “President Curtis” Premiere Panel (Indigo Ballroom) – From the Rick and Morty universe comes President Curtis, Adult Swim’s new animated comedy co-created by Dan Harmon and James Siciliano and starring Keith David as President Andre Curtis. Just ahead of the series premiere, the cast and creative team present a first look at the new series that follows the commander-in-chief and his eccentric staff as they tackle everyday issues such as interdimensional diplomacy, paranormal investigations, and unexplained phenomena.

3 pm PT: “Rick and Morty” Season 9 (Indigo Ballroom) – The multiverse crashes Comic-Con as the entire voice cast of Adult Swim‘s Rick and Morty joins executive producers Dan Harmon and Scott Marder for a look at season 9 of Adult Swim’s Emmy-winning animated hit. Behind-the-scenes stories, creative insights, and interdimensional chaos are on the table as the team discusses what’s next for Rick and Morty and all of the Smith family.

Rick and Morty Season 9 Episode 8: “Rickuiem Mort a Dream”

Review by Ray Flook

9/10

As Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty inches closer to its Season 9 finale in a few weeks, we’ve got some real-time thoughts on tonight’s episode, S09E08: “Rickuiem Mort a Dream.” Our dimension-hopping duo reached another one of their personal impasses – in this case, Rick calling out Morty for not being a source of happiness for him. Considering the way he literally crashed into the Smiths’ lives and totally f***ed them up along the way, we’re not sure Rick’s in the best position to be pointing fingers. It was nice to see Jerry no longer be the Jerry we once hated, but Summer’s showing way too many of Rick’s worst traits. And while I hope Rick learned something tonight about how he interacts with Morty moving forward, I’m beginning to fear that all of this is having a lasting impact on Morty (with that last line about wishing he could enjoy the Pokémon cards being a real heartbreaker).

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