While Rick and Morty’s canon isn’t exactly easy to follow, knowing the role that the Prime Dimension plays in the larger story of the series can help. As Rick and Morty season 8’s release date nears, there is no better time to get reacquainted with the show’s lore. The anarchic sci-fi comedy constantly mocks its own inconsistent canon, and one of my favorite Rick and Morty episodes ever even based its plot around the show’s avoidance of traditional serialized storytelling tropes.
That said, this doesn’t mean that Rick and Morty never leans into its continuity. Rick and Morty’s season 7 ending was the show’s best episode in years according to IMDb reviews, but the outing’s plot would not make much sense to viewers who didn’t know who Rick’s late wife Diane was. Similarly, season 7, episode 5, “Unmortricken,” featured a dramatic showdown between Evil Morty, Rick Prime, Rick and Morty and, although this was arguably the show’s most emotionally resonant episode ever, its plot only made sense to viewers familiar with the canon of the series.
The Prime Dimension Is Where Our Morty Comes From
Rick and Morty’s Hero Is The Prime Dimension’s Last Survivor
One aspect of Rick and Morty’s lore that is rarely mentioned on screen is the dimension jump that Rick and Morty did back in season 1. The first six episodes of Rick and Morty take place in what can be dubbed the “Prime Dimension,” or the reality that was the show’s original setting. Notably, the “Prime Dimension” is an out-of-universe term that Rick and Morty’s fandom uses to describe the dimension where the show started. It isn’t an official term used in-universe, but its value will become clear pretty soon.
In season 1, episode 6, “Rick Potion #9,” Rick and Morty pulled off an infamously audacious storytelling trick. Morty tried to use a love potion to make his classmate Jessica fall for him but, instead, he ended up turning his entire dimension into monstrous humanoid creatures the show’s heroes dubbed “Cronenbergs.” It seemed like there was no way for Rick and Morty to go back to normal by the end of the episode, despite a return to the show’s status quo being a pivotal part of its sitcom structure.
As “Rick Potion #9” ended, the show’s original version of Morty was disturbed by the experience of burying his alternate self and returning to a “Normal” life.
Thus, in a comically self-referential moment, Rick and Morty abandoned their entire reality to move to another one where they killed and replaced other versions of themselves. Anyone familiar with Rick’s character development in season 7 might be surprised to discover that he was ever this callous, but a later twist would eventually explain that. As “Rick Potion #9” ended, the show’s original version of Morty was disturbed by the experience of burying his alternate self and returning to a “Normal” life.
Our Rick Does Not Come From The Same Dimension As Morty
Rick Prime Comes From The Prime Dimension
However, things became much more complicated a few years later. The show’s original version of Morty, who will be henceforth referred to simply as “Morty Prime,” does come from the dimension seen in “Rick Potion #9” and the preceding episodes. He is the show’s last remaining link to its original setting, which became a wasteland filled with cannibalistic body horror monstrosities. Jerry survived for a surprisingly long time in this dimension, but he was killed in season 6, episode 1, “Solaricks,” by another pivotal figure from this dimension.
In what remains the show’s biggest twist ever, season 5’s finale “Rickmurai Jack” revealed that Rick Prime was the show’s overarching villain and the person responsible for the death of Rick’s wife. This was a disturbing realization for numerous reasons, not least the fact that the show’s original hero turned out to be its worst monster. While Rick and Morty’s season 8 story promises more surprises, this would be a hard revelation to outdo.
Rick And Morty’s Prime Dimension Only Lasted Six Episodes
Rick and Morty Switched The Show’s Setting Very Early In Its Run
The show’s main version of Rick is not Rick Prime, who he killed in “Unmortricken.” Instead, he is another version of Rick, making Morty the only remaining character from the show’s original reality. Bizarrely, the dimension where Rick and Morty originally took place only lasted for the show’s first six episodes, and every subsequent outing has taken place in another reality. Rick and Morty have jumped dimensions a few more times since, with the show’s characters usually pointing out how convenient a plot device this is.
Around season 3, the series began to experiment more with serialized plots in earnest.
Switching to a new reality had a surprisingly minor impact on the show’s story at the time, since Rick and Morty season 1 was so firmly entrenched in episodic storytelling. However, around season 3, the series began to experiment more with serialized plots in earnest. The Prime Dimension is central to Rick and Morty’s broader canonical story since the setting is home both to the show’s main character, Morty Prime, and its worst villain ever, Rick Prime.
Where Rick And Morty Moved To After Leaving The Prime Dimension
Rick and Morty Moved To Earth C-131 After The Prime Dimension
While there is still no live-action version of Rick and Morty, the show has featured several different realities over the years. After moving from the Prime Dimension, Rick and Morty landed on Earth C-131. They have mostly remained there since, although one segment in season 3, episode 8, “Morty’s Mind Blowers,” featured Rick and Morty abandoning another reality when Morty accidentally uncovered squirrels conspiring to take over the world and earned the ire of the rodents as a result.
One could also argue that the save point dimension seen in season 4, episode 8, “The Vat of Acid Episode,” counts as another dimension hop for the duo. However, most of the series undoubtedly takes place on Earth C-131, and it is possible that Rick and Morty finding a new reality in “Morty’s Mind Blowers” happened before the events of “Rick Potion #9.”
What Happened To The Prime Dimension In Rick And Morty
The Prime Dimension Was Overrun By The Cronenbergs
The Prime Dimension became uninhabitable by humans when the Cronenbergs took over, forcing Rick and Morty to move to another reality. Although Jerry did manage to eke out an existence, his survival was cut short by an encounter with Rick Prime. It is not clear whether anyone lives in the Prime Dimension now but, if any survivors have somehow made it this far, they are almost certain to become Cronenbergs sooner than later. Thus, Rick and Morty’s original setting is unlikely to return as a viable location in future outings, although anything is possible in the surreal series.
Source: IMDb
