What Sets Rick-137 Apart From The Council Of Ricks In Rick & Morty
Ever since its inception in 2013, Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland's animated series Rick and Morty has always reveled in its own nihilism and dark humor, characterizing both of its titular characters as unlikeable throughout most of the show. Rick Sanchez (voiced by Roiland) in particular appears to be a broken, apathetic man, unable to display empathy toward his own family members and doing some truly horrible things to his own grandson, Morty (also Roiland).
As fans of the show will know, Rick and Morty follows just one of many Ricks and Mortys of different dimensions, with the universe our duo hails from being named C-137. In the episode "Rick Potion #9," Rick creates a potion that aims to make Morty's crush fall in love with him and accidentally "Cronenbergs" the world, leading the two to abort their original universe and make a new home in an alternate one with a Rick and Morty who have found a way to un-Cronenberg everyone, and who subsequently die in a lab accident. The two bury their counterparts in their new, identical home's backyard and take their places.
Regardless of which universe you go to, however, you're likely to find a Rick with some of these same qualities: self-absorbed, alcoholic, destructive, and using his grandson Morty as a "cloaking device" that helps him remain undetected, rather than viewing him as an actual person. However, there are a few qualities that make Rick-137 stand out from the rest in this regard.
Rick displays care and love for his family, even if he doesn't know how to show it
As introduced in the episode "Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind," the Ricks of various dimensions can come together to form what they call the "Council of Ricks," wherein the typically law-defying scientists establish a number of ground rules and structures in order to keep everyone in line. Rick C-137 rejects these rules, earning the name "the rogue" among the council.
As he keeps most things close to his chest, we don't know the entire story behind why Rick decided to reject the council. We do, however, get glimpses of a more positive relationship between him and his own Morty, which may hint at one of the reasons he detests the council so much.
As CBR points out, Rick may be ruthless, but he's not heartless. Part of what makes the character so tragic is that there are moments of genuine affection for his family members, but that his behaviors and unwillingness to change keep him from having a healthy relationship with any of them.
In an uncharacteristically emotional moment from the episode "A Rickle in Time," Rick jumps in after Morty falls into an endless void, willingly sacrificing himself by giving Morty his own time collar before ultimately being able to fix Morty's collar and return to reality as well. Although everything worked out in the end, this scene demonstrates how much Rick actually cares for his family despite how he acts, a trait that can't be said of most other Ricks.