Dan Harmon addresses the delay of Ricky and Morty's third season

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Even as someone who discovered Rick and Morty for the first time just last year, the wait for the third season of the brilliant animated comedy series has been frustratingly long, but, like all good things, I'm perfectly willing to wait. Even after the surprise April Fool's Day airing of the premiere episode, Rick and Morty's third season still doesn't have an official release date, so it's hard to say just how long we'll have to wait for the rest. Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon took to Twitter over the weekend to address the delay, as well as to put fears of a possible "show-threatening issue" to bed due to rumours that co-creator Justin Roiland and himself have been fighting.

A hungover thread where I address Rick and Morty devotees because I feel bad for any fan worrying about any show-threatening issue:

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

Justin and I are very regretful about the season taking way too long. I want to explain "what happened" because it's way less dramatic

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

Than you might ever imagine. Post internet TV audiences are so used to finding out there's an intriguing/confusing/intense reason 4 delays

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

And Christ knows if you've ever seen MY name on the internet I've only got myself to blame for an association with intrigue/confusion/drama

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

But the truth in this case is so very boring. I will put it to you as objectively as I can, though we aren't talking about an auto plant

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

The reason S3 took long is because it took long to write, because it was S3 of a show that we were scared to make worse than S2 or S1.

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

It's a common yet odd phenomenon. Tail-chasing, perfectionism, overthinking? One prob is that any description you pick for it

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

Is going to have a falseness. If I say "we overthought" someone else could say "well, no, we thought the right amount," it's like talking

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

About religion or something. It feels I think, to writers, sacreligious and ineffective to open the creative process and poke and label.

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

But don't worry about the content, because, the reason overthought slows you down is, you just do way more versions of stuff than needed.

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

You usually end up back where you started. So as far as I can tell, although I'm too close to it, it's just another good season of RAM

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

That took way too fucking long to write because it just seems like the same stuff that took way less time to write. That's it. Boring answer

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

As I speak, more articles are coming out about me and Justin fighting. Because it's a less boring reason for a season to take long,

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

And because I'm Dan Harmon, so it's a smart fucking first guess, it just happens to be hilariously not true even in the slightest.

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

If you do know of me at all you know that if Justin and I HAD ever fought, not only wouldn't we be able to keep it secret,

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

We'd be all too eager to share it with you.

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

Also, that's not what would make the show slow down! Fighting probably would have been a good idea, it might have sped us up.

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

So that's it. I shouldn't have started a thread when i need to pack for airport, but that's it. We took too long writing. Totes regrets.

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

And we look back and we talk to each other about how we can avoid it happening again and I'm pretty sure the reason it won't is cuz

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

It happened. That's how it works. You do something you don't know you're doing and then you're like oh I did that and then you do otherwise

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

I don't know if any danger to the show itself that comes from you believing justin and I are fighting and the show is gone forever, BUT

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

Like I said it breaks my heart to think of some kid reading one of these clickbait pieces after all the energy that kid has put into fandom.

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

The show by my metric, which is people seeing my tee shirts and saying "I love that show" has like the craziest reach of anything I've been

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

A part of. So..it makes sense that when you take something that loved and delay it this long and let the internet simmer, you get this stuff

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

And we're flattered by it and thankful to you and can't wait for you to see S3 and also JUSTIN IS A PIECE OF SHIT I'M GOING TO FIST FIGHT

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

End of threaddddddd so hungover

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 24, 2017

So, long story short, Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland perhaps put a little too much thought into making sure that the third season of Ricky and Morty lived up to the previous two seasons, which slowed the writing process down considerably. I'm sure it will all be worth it in the end, and, as Dan Harmon seems to be aware of the issue, the wait for the fourth season of Rick and Morty may not be quite so long. I hope.