Getting more women into the “Rick and Morty” writers room was never a goal for creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, but it ended up happening with Season 3 — and Roiland and Harmon say it helped their show.
In an interview published after the Season 2 finale, Harmon and Roiland revealed that while the previous two seasons didn’t have women in the writers’ room, that changed with Season 3.
“It hasn’t been an agenda thing, but just coincidentally for some reason — I don’t know why — this staffing round going into season three, we got a lot of female scripts in addition to male scripts,” Roiland explained.
With the new season just over the horizon, TheWrap asked both creators if there was a significant difference in the writers’ room now that it was mostly split down the middle, gender wise.
“I felt like it was awesome,” Roiland said. “Having many different points of view and perspectives in that room is only going to make things more interesting.”
“Rick and Morty,” an Adult Swim show about the adventures of a mad, sociopathic, alcoholic scientist named Rick and his dim-witted but good-hearted grandson Morty, is not something that would, on the surface, be at the forefront of conversations about gender.
Adult Swim — Cartoon Network’s more mature programming block — was at the center of criticism in 2016 after it announced a new slate of shows that featured no female creators. Creative director Mike Lazzo was accused of sexism after he seemed to say that women create “conflict” in writers’ rooms, although he clarified his statement later.
“What I actually said was, women don’t tend to like conflict, comedy often comes from conflict, so that’s probably why we (or others) have so few female projects,” Lazzo said.
While “Rick and Morty” featured women on its animation staff, and of course on its cast, no women had ever been a part of the writers’ room until this season. Even so, later episodes, especially in Season 2, put the spotlight on female characters — specifically Beth, the matriarch of the Smith family, and Morty’s sister, Summer.
The latter became more important in Season 2, occasionally joining Rick and Morty on their adventures. In the Season 3 premiere, she fought to break Rick out of prison (even if he was fully capable of doing it himself). What started off as a one-dimensional caricature of a teenage girl — always on her phone and worrying too much about boys — managed to overcome her initial boundaries and sometimes overshadow Morty as a vital presence in Rick’s life.
Beth also got more character development in Season 2 as the audience learned more about how her struggle to build any relationship with her father Rick — who was gone for most of her childhood — tore the family apart, and how her marriage is stifling her.
Harmon says that the two will continue to get more depth in Season 3 thanks to the balanced writers’ room. Having women writing scripts alongside men, according to Harmon, allowed people to throw around jokes about the two main female characters, without hesitation or worrying if they were crossing a line.
“The writers were able to talk more about Beth and Summer without stopping to double the conversation with asterisks, as in ‘well we’re a bunch of guys talking about a teenage girl,'” he said. “It wasn’t so much all of a sudden there was an influx of ideas about Summer… it’s just that characters that were maybe protected by people’s trepidation were now also out there on the playing field and able to be manipulated and dimensionalized.”
Harmon echoed Roiland’s earlier comments that there wasn’t a deliberate push for diversity, but it did come naturally — a result of more great scripts from female writers.
If anything, Harmon is hesitant when discussing the idea of deliberate diversity, saying he wants somebody working on the team who isn’t defined by the fact they belong to an marginalized group.
“You want a comedy writer to be an iconoclast and an outlier,” he said, “So if they happen to be representing an underepresented group, do you want them to be a joyless ambassador of that group or do you want them to be a renegade?”
Besides teasing more Summer and Beth stories, Harmon also stated that the audience will be seeing the fallout over Beth and her husband Jerry’s separation in the Season 3 premiere, which builds off the tension expanded upon in Season 2. (By the way, Harmon coins their couple name — Jeth).
“The separation of them allows more surface area for each individual, so there’s more to examine there,” he said. “We get to see a little more of Jerry and a little more of Beth, what makes them tick.”
“Rick and Morty” Season 3 premieres on July 30 at 11:30 p.m. on Adult Swim.
18 Kids' Cartoons That Are Perfectly Acceptable to Watch as Adults (Photos)
Haven't you heard? Cartoons aren't just for kids anymore! Yes, there are animated shows and films that are made strictly for older audiences ("Venture Bros.," "The Simpsons," and "Futurama" are among them), but there are plenty that straddle the generational line. These are the cartoons that were technically made for a younger demographic but can be enjoyed just as much by adults. Don't be embarrassed.
"Looney Tunes"
It's the one that started it all. "Looney Tunes" has endured for so long thanks to its mix of slapstick humor and beloved characters, with episodes full of cross-generational, classic shtick that gets passed from generation to generation. Seeing the Roadrunner outsmart Wile E. Coyote and Bugs Bunny beating Elmer Fudd never gets old.
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"Steven Universe"
There's not enough room to discuss everything that makes "Steven Universe" great, but we can try. It's a cartoon that balances mature storytelling with comedy, that features non-traditional family structures, highlights queer relationships, tackles dark subjects like depression and war, and creates some of the best original songs from any cartoon. It's a total package.
This time travel, fantasy cartoon recently returned to Adult Swim for a final season after being canceled in 2004. In total, the five seasons of this blunt and darkly comic show about a samurai who gets transported to a future controlled by an evil demon proved it was one of the most unique shows on television, both in style and substance.
Cartoon Network
"Gravity Falls"
This horror story about twins who live with their uncle in the small, mysterious town of Gravity Falls, Oregon only ran two seasons, but there's so much to digest. There are monster fights, colorful characters and a battle against inter-dimensional beings that takes the world into a strange Armageddon. All the while, the twins and their uncle learn to be a family and to look out for one another as the world crumbles around them.
Disney
"Adventure Time"
This long-running show has been touted to adults since it first aired thanks to its absurd and random humor. As the seasons have passed and the characters have grown, "Adventure Time" has become so much more than its humor -- its highly intricate storyline and the countless theories that have been circulating since its first season that have all come true.
This cartoon about two slackers who work at a park was as much for stoners and adults as it was for a young audience. Each episode followed a specific formula: slackers Mordecai and Rigby try to get out of doing work, but then a life-changing, potentially world-ending event needs to be stopped. The two protagonists were out of their depth, but they eventually grew up.
Cartoon Network
"Over the Garden Wall"
This is a must-watch on Halloween. The 10-episode series follows the adventures of brothers Wirt and Greg as they try to find their way home. On the way, they meet all kinds of horrifying creatures -- from pumpkin people to a beast who turns lost children into trees. The show takes a lot from American mythology while creating a tense drama that never lets up.
Cartoon Network
"Star Wars: Clone Wars/Rebels"
People have divisive opinions about the "Star Wars" prequels, but many of those criticisms don't apply to "Clone Wars," which takes place between "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith." It's a six-season show that expands on some of the best parts of the prequels, while also fixing them. Jar Jar only appears sparingly! Anakin isn't whining! Padme takes control!
This isn't that awful M. Night Shamayalan movie. This is the real deal. "The Last Airbender" and its sequel "Legend of Korra" are staples in the fantasy genre. They combine a unique world influenced by multiple Asian myths and martial arts styles, along with memorable characters that grow in realistic ways. "The Last Airbender" is more about childhood, but "Legend of Korra" is about adulthood, tackling issues like trauma and war in a sensitive manner.
Nickelodeon
"Hey Arnold!"
The Nickelodeon cartoon created by Craig Bartlett followed a group of fourth graders living in the big city, complete with a diverse cast and realistic situations. It ran the gamut of characters, touched upon issues like race, economic status and, over the seasons, told stories about the breadth of human experience.
Nickelodeon
"Animaniacs"
Try thinking about the State Capitols or the countries of the world and not also think about "Animaniacs" and their catchy tunes. The show introduced us to characters like the Warner brothers (and sister) and Pinky and the Brain, a billion catchphrases ("Hellooooo nurse!"), and some of the most dynamic and zany animation ever put on television.
The concept was hokey -- gargoyles come to life at night and fight crime. But in two seasons (the third one doesn't count), "Gargoyles" managed to blend comedy and drama for a rich fantasy series. The creators really experimented with storytelling, utilizing concepts such as time travel, magic, romance and Keith David for a vital 1990s flashback.
ABC
"My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic"
It's become a joke in the public consciousness at this point, thanks in part to its adult male fans, but "My Little Pony," in many ways, warrants its giant audience. It's about young ponies and their adventures growing up and learning about friendship, but it also features intricate jokes and references that keep you hooked.
Hasbro
"Batman: The Animated Series"
Okay, now we're into the superhero portion of the gallery. First we have the one all the superhero cartoons try to emulate. "Batman: The Animated Series" brought the Caped Crusader to life in a noir-inspired series that had just about everything. Best of all, we had his villains -- old and new (this was the first introduction of Batman mainstay Harley Quinn) -- and a new take on the classic character that has persisted to this day.
For many, "Justice League" and its continuation "Justice League Unlimited" were the things that introduced us to the bulk of the DC lineup. It was created by Bruce Timm, who helmed "Batman: The Animated Series," so it had a lot in common tonally with the previous entry on this list, but what made it stand out was how it incorporated storylines and characters from the DC canon so seamlessly and without sacrificing much for its young audience.
Warner Bros.
"Spectacular Spider-Man"
It only ran for two seasons, but arguably the best Spider-Man cartoon left its mark. The show took the webslinger back to high school, where he had to juggle being a superhero while also being a good friend and student. More than any of the movies or other shows, "Spectacular Spider-Man" understood the essence of the character and focused on his inner turmoil. Plus, the villain storylines -- and the cliffhangers -- are expertly done.
Marvel
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There are plenty of animated series that straddle the generational line
Haven't you heard? Cartoons aren't just for kids anymore! Yes, there are animated shows and films that are made strictly for older audiences ("Venture Bros.," "The Simpsons," and "Futurama" are among them), but there are plenty that straddle the generational line. These are the cartoons that were technically made for a younger demographic but can be enjoyed just as much by adults. Don't be embarrassed.
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