After 7 Seasons, Rick & Morty Unmistakably References Its Biggest 38-Year-Old Sci-Fi Movie Inspiration

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Rick and Morty season 7, episode 8!

Rick and Morty has finally made an unmistakable reference to its biggest 38-year-old sci-fi movie inspiration, and it only took the show seven seasons. Rick and Morty is a series full of sci-fi references, with many episodes being direct parodies of various classics in the genre. However, Rick and Morty‘s main sci-fi inspiration has always been obvious, yet the show waited until now to pay homage to the film.

Rick and Morty season 7 is finally here, with the highly-anticipated continuation of Adult Swim’s beloved animated sci-fi series now releasing. Rick and Morty season 7 has already been a wild ride, with the series introducing all kinds of new wacky one-off adventures while also continuing stories from previous seasons, with it even concluding the villainous Rick Prime storyline. Rick and Morty season 7, episode 8, “Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie” is by far one of the show’s weirdest episodes, but it also contains an undeniable reference to the show’s biggest inspiration.

Rick & Morty Season 7 Episode 8 Directly Repeats A Gag From Back To The Future

As it turns out, Rick and Morty season 7, episode 8 directly repeats a gag from one of its biggest inspirations, Back to the Future. Since the very beginning of the series, the team behind Rick and Morty has been very vocal about how Back to the Future inspired the show, with Jusin Roiland’s original short even being titled The Real Animated Adventures of Doc and Mharti. However, the show wanted to stay away from time travel storylines, meaning that it has almost never referenced Back to the Future.

This all changed in Rick and Morty season 7, episode 8, which features one of the most iconic quotes from Back to the Future. In the episode, a flashback shows Mr. Goldenfold teaching Ice-T how to maintain rhythm, with him performing an incredible new song in a recording booth. The producer is shocked and calls his cousin Chuck and tells him that he has found the new sound that he has been looking for. This is a direct reference to Back to the Future, in which Chuck Berry’s brother is called by Marvin after Marty performs “Johnny B. Goode” at the dance.

Why The “It’s Marvin” Reference Is The Best Way For Rick & Morty To Homage BTTF

Back to the Future‘s “It’s Marvin” quote doesn’t seem like the most obvious way to homage the movie series, but it was actually perfect for Rick and Morty. So much of Back to the Future is heavily concerned with time travel, making it difficult for Rick and Morty to reference. Rick and Morty intentionally stays away from time travel stories, meaning that the show can’t do a parody of Back to the Future‘s story.

Using the “It’s Marvin” gag allows Rick and Morty to homage the movie without involving time travel, referencing the film while maintaining its time travel rule. Back to the Future has had a big impact on Rick and Morty, so it’s nice to see that the show has finally found a way to homage its biggest inspiration.