While Rick and Morty season 7’s episode titles just dropped, they only provide a few choice clues about the content of the show’s next outing. The format of Rick and Morty’s episode titles has changed over the years. When the series first debuted back in 2013, season 1’s episode titles were mostly obscure phrases with no obvious meaning like episode 2, “Lawnmower Dog.” Soon, they became puns that viewers would understand after watching the episode, such as episode 5, “Meseeks and Destroy.” By the end of season 1, Rick and Morty‘s episode titles were Rick-centric puns like episode 9, “Something Ricked This Way Comes.”
The show continued in this vein for some time, with seasons 2 through 6 mostly punning on the names of its two title characters. However, Rick and Morty‘s Justin Roiland-less season 7 has already abandoned this approach. Since season 7 has recast both Rick and Morty, it might be wise for the series to draw attention away from the two characters even in places as innocuous as the episode titles. However, this means that season 7’s episode titles are harder to decipher than those of earlier outings as only a few of them are references to existing movies and shows with Rick and Morty’s names shoehorned into them.
10 How Poopy Got His Poop Back
Rick and Morty season 7, episode 1, “How Poopy Got His Poop Back,” most likely refers to Mr. Poopybutthole. A fan-favorite supporting character, Mr. Poopybutthole’s appearances in Rick and Morty have mostly been relegated to brief cameos during the post-credits stingers of season finales since season 4. However, while Rick and Morty season 6’s stinger left Mr. Poopybutthole in a darker situation than ever before, “How Poopy Got His Poop Back” promises a comeback for the put-upon character. The title is a riff on 1998’s romantic comedy How Stella Got Her Groove Back.
9 The Jerrick Trap
It is not entirely clear what movie or show Rick and Morty season 7, episode 2, “The Jerrick Trap,” references. However, the classic family movie The Parent Trap is a likely contender. The episode could potentially focus on Jerry’s parents, who were first introduced back in season 1, episode 3, “Anatomy Park,” and last seen in season 6, episode 5, “Final DeSmithation.” However, since Jerry and Beth’s relationship has been rocky over the show’s six seasons, this episode may focus on Morty’s parents rather than Jerry’s family. Either way, pulling focus toward the Smith family is Rick and Morty season 7’s best strategy for working around Roiland’s recasting.
8 Air Force Wong
While it is not yet confirmed whether Susan Sarandon will be back as Dr. Wong in Rick and Morty season 7, the title of episode 3, “Air Force Wong,” all but guarantees her return. This is great news, as Sarandon’s sardonic therapist is one of the few characters who has managed to break through Rick’s uber-cool veneer and expose the vulnerability beneath his bravado over the years. Furthermore, the title is a fun spin on 1997’s Air Force One, a thriller wherein the president’s plane is hijacked. Thus, there’s a good chance that Keith David’s scene-stealing US President will also return in this outing.
7 That’s Amorte
The news that Rick and Morty season 7 plans to ignore Roiland’s recasting and continue as if its title characters haven’t changed is reinforced by the title of episode 4, “That’s Amorte.” This is the first of the outing’s episodes that is a pun on Rick or Morty’s name, proving that the series won’t be radically shifting its focus for the entirety of season 7. The title is based on Dean Martin’s perennially popular hit song “That’s Amore.” Unlike the titles that parody famous movies, this doesn’t give away anything about the plot of the episode.
6 Unmortricken
Rick and Morty season 7, episode 5, “Unmortricken” appears to be a nod to Clint Eastwood’s classic 1992 Western Unforgiven. This is a surprising reference since Unforgiven is a masterpiece that cemented Eastwood’s status as one of the greatest Western directors of all time, but also an unapologetically bleak and brutal story. However, its themes of revenge could certainly fit plenty of supporting characters from Rick and Morty’s earlier seasons.
5 Rickfending Your Mort
It’s difficult to accurately guess what season 7, episode 6, “Rickfending Your Mort,” is supposed to parody. It could be 1991’s largely forgotten but surprisingly fun romantic comedy Defending Your Life, an Albert Brooks vehicle wherein the hero’s fears are judged and evaluated by a trial in the afterlife who deliberate on whether he will be reincarnated. Rick and Morty recreating this plot wouldn’t be the first time the series has referenced a relatively obscure movie in an episode, with “Mortyplicity” and “Analyse Piss” both being examples of this.
4 Wet Kuat Amortican Summer
Season 7, episode 7, “Wet Kuat Amortican Summer,” is clearly a reference to the 2001 cult comedy Wet Hot American Summer. Within this reference, Kuat is a fictional planet from the Star Wars universe, while Summer is the name of Morty’s sister. This seems to imply that season 7 will make up for one missed Rick and Morty season 6 opportunity by centering at least one episode around Morty’s adventures with his underutilized sister.
3 Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie
Season 7, episode 8, “Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie” seems like a nod to 2019’s final Star Wars outing Rise of the Skywalker, or possibly the Transformers franchise. Neither of these give away much in terms of story details, but season 4, episode 10 was titled “Star Mort Rickturn of the Jerri.” As such, viewers could potentially hope to see a follow-up to that Space Beth-centric outing.
2 Mort: Ragnarick
Season 7, episode 9, “Mort: Ragnarick” is one episode title that brings back the show’s classic format. The name references Rick, Morty, and a famous piece of pop culture, 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok. Viewers could reasonably surmise that “Mort: Ragnarick” might replicate plot elements from the MCU movie and may even borrow the blockbuster’s story entirely. However, the episode’s nod to the acclaimed sequel might merely be a momentary gag, as was the case with Rick and Morty’s many anime franchise references.
1 Fear No Mort
Season 7, episode 10, “Fear No Mort,” isn’t a nod to anything obvious. The title could be a reference to the obscure 1961 thriller movie Fear No More, but this is hardly a piece of pop culture that’s still in the public consciousness. The phrase also appears in a famous Shakespeare poem, although it isn’t clear how the show would use this as a jumping-off point in terms of storytelling. However, the ambiguity of this title just proves that Rick and Morty season 7 won’t be sticking to the show’s established rhythm and will instead have some surprises in store.
