2016 was an inarguably great year for television, and I’m not just talking aboutWestworldandGame of Thrones.The Girlfriend Experiencefollowed in Fargo’s footsteps and turned a great movie into a great TV series, whileLouis C.K.‘sHorace and Peteyielded one of the great works that can be filed under the rubric of “web series.” Elsewhere,Atlantafinally gave us the fearless comedian and social observer thatDonald Gloveralways hinted at being inCommunity, andInsecureandFleabaggave the world two new bracingly distinct visions of modern femininity, nationalism, and race.
And that’s honestly just the tip of the iceberg. In the realm of animation,Bob’s Burgers,BoJack Horseman,Archer, andSouth Parkall had extraordinary seasons that reaffirmed their already sterling legacies. There was one clear omission, however: Adult Swim’s pickled and peculiar breakout hitRick and Morty. Many imagined that the year would end withJustin RoilandandDan Harmon’s series debuting at least the first episode or two of Season 3 but, unfortunately, that doesn’t look likely at all at this point, unless they’re pulling someRun the Jewels 3shit and are just going to premiere the new season without any promotion whatsoever. That does not seem likely, but if any show were going to try it, it would probably be this one.
As a placeholder for the most devout ofRick and Mortyfans, Adult Swim live-streamed an assemblage of clips from the new season recently, made up of voiceover work, designs, storyboards, and other rough-draft imagery. The footage opens with young Morty attempting to talk up a high school girl, and later, there’s a pretty familiar reference toStar Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. More importantly, the show’s bitter tone doesn’t seem to have been swayed that much following the weirdly effective end of Season 2. For those impatient to see where Rick Sanchez ends up next, this will serve as both a blessing and a curse, it would seem.
Here’s the sneak peek atRick and MortySeason 3:
