Rick & Morty: Why Rick’s Morty Photo May Explain A Season 5 Plot Hole

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An early episode of Rick& Morty may help explain a season 5 plot hole regarding Morty's origins. The award-winning Cartoon Network series follows genius scientist Rick Sanchez and his awkward and often nervous grandson, Morty Smith on high-concept sci-fi adventures. As Rick & Morty has progressed it has slowly turned away from the standalone episodic formula of earlier seasons to focus more on overarching narratives that explain character backstories and general lore. Rick & Morty season 5 revealed more than ever aboutRick's own backstory, the Citadel of Ricks, and Rick's connection to Morty.

Rick & Morty first delves into the relationship between the two characters in season 1, episode 10 «Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind». The episode sees Rick C-137 and Morty taken in for questioning at the Citadel of Ricks following several Rick murders across the universe. Morty notices that every Rick has a Morty, later stating that this makes their relationship special because it stretches over the infinite universes. Rick explains that their relationship exists for a more practical reason, saying that his «genius waves get canceled out by the Morty waves» meaning Rick's numerous enemies could track his unique brainwaves down and kill him if not for Morty acting as camouflage. This is backed up in Rick & Morty's season 5 finale, «Rickmurai Rick», where it's established that Ricks have been mass-producing Morty's for this very purpose for years—which begs the question, why didn't the Citadel of Ricks claim the show's primary Morty for use in the time that Rick C-137 was absent.

Related: Rick and Morty Season 5 Explains The Shows Biggest Plot Hole

First appearing in Rick & Morty season 2, Rick's photo of Morty seems to answer