The Rick And Morty 'Ticket Theory' Explained
When you have a show dealing with intergalactic adventures and the multiverse, more than a few fan theories are bound to emerge. Pretty much since "Rick and Morty" first came on the air, fans have theorized about what's really going on and what we can expect for the future of the series.
Most notably, Season 5 of the science-fiction sitcom confirmed that the Morty with the eyepatch we were first introduced to in Season 1 is, in fact, an "evil" version of Morty. However, likely nobody could've guessed what his grand plan entailed. The Season 5 finale confirmed that Evil Morty has plotted to escape the central finite curve so that he can enter a reality where he's free of Rick's tyranny.
Other theories remain lost in the wind, but given how Adult Swim had a massive order for more episodes, there's plenty of time for these theories to come to fruition (or not as the case may be). One such theory is the elusive "Ticket Theory," as first hypothesized with Season 2's "Mortynight Run."
In the episode, Rick and Morty receive a ticket to pick up their version of Jerry from daycare while they go on an adventure. When they return, it's teased that the Rick and Morty we've been following this entire time were alternate versions of the C-137 characters we typically follow in the show's run. What exactly could this mean for the future of the show?
The Ticket Theory has strong evidence going toward it
There are some critical details to get a better handle on this theory. When Rick first drops off Jerry, he has to fill out a form. There are many fun Easter eggs hidden throughout, such as Rick putting a question mark next to whether his Jerry has any allergies, but the most intriguing comes at the top. There's a line for Rick to write what dimension he comes from, namely C-137, and the reality his Jerry comes from. Instead of writing something down, Rick puts "N/A."
This makes sense if you remember from the first season that Rick and Morty C-137 had to escape their original reality when they turned the population into horrendous Cronenberg monsters. They no longer exist in the C-137 reality because the Jerry in that universe is a bearded hunter. It's possible Rick C-137 has never bothered to look up the designation for his universe, or in all likelihood, he just doesn't care enough.
So what's the endgame for this theory? Basically, it means that, at a certain point, characters' universal designations are meaningless. When you can travel across the multiverse and assume the positions of a replica of yourself, things like "family" and "friends" become open to interpretation.
In the event those were different iterations of Rick and Morty, it means we continue following that pair a couple of episodes later in "Total Rickall." This is due to a scene in "Mortynight Run" where Rick's seen loading up green rocks with pink stuff on them. Then in "Total Rickall," we see Rick dumping the stones into the trash. Is that actually Rick C-137? Which version of Rick do we follow for these episodes? Sometimes, it's best to take the advice of the show and not think about it too hard.