Well, at least one of them is. The other is very Rick and Morty.
Fans have been waiting years for the show’s return — finally happening this November — and now, ahead of Comic-Con, Entertainment Weekly has given us a teeny, tiny nugget of new Rick and Morty, that only happens to be slightly less cryptically frustrating than that last teaser.
The two pictures, sans context or insight, are all we have so far of the show’s fourth season, the first in a ridiculous run of seventy episodes co-creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon lobbied for with Adult Swim, part of the reason why a renewal of the show took so long in the first place.
As you can see above, the first picture is almost deceptively normal for a still of Rick and Morty. Rick, pacing among a field of alien flowers? Looking relaxed? Lies. Deceptions. I can guarantee either a gross belch or an even grosser, zanier thing is bound to happen seconds after whatever this image is presenting to us.
The second is a little more classically Rick and Morty, with Rick menaced by cyborg crocodiles in the wake of what appears to have been a characteristically brutal Cyber-croc/robot war, judging by the detritus lying around. No Morty in sight still, but this? This is the Rick and Morty we’ve come to expect.
Entertainment Weekly also just dropped a new interview with Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, offering a scant few details on just what fans can expect from season 4. Primarily? It’s 10 episodes long and that there are vocal appearances from Paul Giamatti, Sam Neil, Taika Waititi and Kathleen Turner this season.
As far as actual details about the episodes, Harmon and Roiland stayed mum, but there’s good news for fans from Harmon specifically: they do not anticipate further gaps between seasons to be as excruciatingly long for fans as the one between seasons 3 and 4:
I think it’s safe to say without fear of being wrong that the gap between seasons 3 and 4 will be the longest and last time that it’s ever so long that it’s ridiculous. I don’t know how fast we can do it, but I know it will never be this long again.
There were so many things that had to be settled before we even started season 4, and it’s really safe to say — as Justin says — we’re literally writing season 5 while finishing season 4 just to force ourselves to commit to a certain schedule.
Not to get anyone’s hopes up, but it is structured into our deal that if we’re going strong and fast there are options to deliver more episodes at a time. Adult Swim can say, “These are on time and great. Do you want to do more instead of taking a break?” And we can then do more. I’d like to see that day. Just knowing it’s possible makes me eager for it. I feel like a naughty boy when I’m late.
Small blessings, at least!
Rick and Morty returns some time this November.