Chris Parnell, Sarah Chalke, and Spencer Grammar Interview: Rick & Morty
Rick and Morty returns for its 5th season on June 20, and the pop culture phenomenon is ready to bring fans more sci-fi adventure and dysfunctional family drama. The show was renewed for 70 more episodes back in 2018, meaning there are still plenty of dimensions for the grandfather-grandson duo to explore and obstacles for their family to face.
Screen Rant spoke with those family members – played by Chris Parnell, Sarah Chalke, and Spencer Grammar – about what was in store in season 5 and beyond.
I'm a huge Rick and Morty fan, and I'm so excited for everyone to see the fifth season. The ending of the last season saw everyone finally turn on Rick in a real way. How does that affect your performance going into this season?
Chris Parnell: I can't remember. Does season 5 pick up right from where we left off or has time passed? That's what I can't remember. I don't know. Honestly, not at all.
If it has affected it, it's only reflected in the writing. Which it might be, I just don't remember. But the relationship with Rick is always in flux. And it's definitely changed a lot between Jerry and Rick over the years - mostly for the slightly better, I would say,
Sarah, Beth and Jerry's relationship has gone through a lot over the last four seasons. How do you see the status of their relationship at the beginning of season 5 as an outsider, and how do they view it as characters?
Sarah Chalke: For Beth and Jerry, I think it's so different, right? We saw them just completely at odds, and Beth treated Jerry so terribly towards the beginning of the series - right to the point that they were in couples counseling pictured him as a worm.
Then we saw it evolve, and there's these little glimpses where you'd see that she gets a tiny amount of respect for him, and where home Beth and space Beth both kind of see Jerry in a different way. I think we come into season 5 really on a positive note. They're into each other.
And then Beth and Rick's relationship, obviously, is so different. Because we've just had to clone both Beths. Who's the clone and who's not? They realize they actually don't care, and have taken their power back a little bit.
Spencer, one of the best elements of the series is Summer's development into this more rebellious figure, kind of like her grandfather. Can you talk to me about that a little bit?
Spencer Grammer: Yeah, it's been something that I think I've been pushing for a while, and something that just developed naturally. I'm a pretty independent person myself - and I think some of the lines, when I delivered delivered them, they would be a bit defiant in certain ways, or aggressive. And not characteristically feminine. So, I think it just was a natural thing that happened.
And I think part of the time, we are enjoying seeing more independent and strong female characters. I think it's more reflective of what women exhibit now in our culture in general, so it's nice to have that; to have options. I was jokingly saying, "We have now to two Beths. We have more women now than we have men on the show."
It's really fantastic. I think they've done a lovely job of navigating through these really intense, different times.
Chris, Rick and Morty is currently set for a lot more episodes going forward. What is it like knowing that? Do you enjoy having plenty of time to flesh out the characters a lot more? How freeing or daunting is that as a performer?
Chris Parnell: No, it's not daunting at all. It's just exciting, and we feel lucky and thankful. But this show is happening at such a slow pace all along, season to season, and I think the pickup for 70 episodes has definitely accelerated that pace. Because now the writers and everybody know, "Okay, we've got this many more episodes ahead of us," so we don't have to start and stop in fits.
But the development of the characters just happens over the years sort of automatically. Not automatically, through the through the writing. You get the script, and you just try to bring whatever's there to life. But it's mostly in the writers hands, I'd say.
Sarah, without getting too spoilery here, how will the incident with Beth and her clone affect her in season 5?
Sarah Chalke: What can I say? I can't say anything. I'm under so much lock and key over these Beths.
But I have to say, my favorite part of playing Beth has been being able to do Space Beth and Home Beth. Trying to figure out how you play Space Beth so she's really Beth, but has more of an edge and has more Rick in her. I hope we get to see more of both of them going forward.
Spencer, have there been any moments, especially in this upcoming year, really took you by surprise?
Spencer Grammer: Sure. Yeah, definitely. There's a few big turns of events, a lot of them actually, that are really intense, to be honest. I was surprised by them, but I can't disclose exactly what they are. You'll just have to watch them. But there are; there really are, for reals.
Chris, are there any plot threads from previous seasons being picked up that you're excited for fans to see? I'm sure you can't answer that question, but I thought I'd throw it out there.
Chris Parnell: I can't for two reasons. One, I can't say. And then two, I can't say because I don't remember.
Sarah, how do each of your characters see the relationship with the rest of her family going into season 5?
Sarah Chalke: I think for Beth, the biggest shift for her is her relationship with Rick moving forward. Here you have these two Beths, one of them who's actually more like Rick and ironically hates him. I think she spent so much of the series and so much of her life trying to please Rick, and so much of her life was just about that. So, I think it's gonna be so interesting to see what happens going forward, as she lets that go or doesn't.
Chris, what are some of the qualities that we get to see in Jerry this season that fans are really going to be excited about?
Chris Parnell: I think it's just an exploration of parts of Jerry we've seen before. He does have some moments - I think it's in season 5, it's hard to keep track of which season is which and which things happen. Because we're just about done with season 6, right?
But in one of those two seasons, I believe - if not, even in the previous season - we get to see Jerry become a little more powerful and take more ownership of his life and his choices and all of that. But those moments are somewhat fleeting. Jerry's definitely growing, and we see some more intense stuff with him and Beth.
One thing I love about this show is that it covers so many different genres: sci-fi, action, horror. Sarah, are there any genres that you would like the series to tackle next?
Sarah Chalke: Oh, my gosh, that's such a great question. I feel like you're right, it already does cover so many. One of my favorite parts of the show is that you think you're signing up for a sci-fi adventure between this grandfather and his grandson, and then all of a sudden it takes a right turn and you're in tears, because it was so moving what actually happened to this dysfunctional family.
But another genre that it needs to tackle...?
Spencer Grammer: I feel like it's tackled a lot of them. The only one I could think that they haven't necessarily tackled would be romantic comedy.
That's maybe the only one, but in some ways they have because there was that dating app one. Jerry and Beth are like, "I never joined," and he's like, "You're my only soulmate." And then she's like, "Yeah, no."
Sarah Chalke: "Love Potion Number 9" in season 1, which is actually kind of interesting to think about now in light of the pandemic.
Spencer Grammer: That one, and the space parasite lockdown in the house. Those two were really, really good.
Sarah Chalke: But yeah, maybe we could throw a little more romantic comedy in there. Just take it up a notch.
Rick and Morty season 5 premieres June 20, 2021.
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