It probably would be the understatement of the century if we say 2023 hasn’t exactly been off to a great start for Rick and Morty.
The show kickstarted the year with news of its now infamous co-creator Justin Roiland set to face a domestic violence trial, followed by the revelation of many alleged vulgar messages he sent to women, including a teenage fan. Though he kept a stony silence against the rising furor in wake of the allegations, Adult Swim (the network behind the show) eventually took the extreme decision to cut ties with Roiland and instead continue moving forward with Dan Harmon as the sole show runner. But was it the right decision?
Letting Roiland go was paramount for Adult Swim for a number of reasons. It helped to assure everyone that the actor’s status as co-creator was not going to shield him from his problematic past, it finally addressed the situation after keeping mum since it kicked off, and it disengaged Roiland’s shredded reputation from the show to save it from being doomed as well. Perhaps most importantly, to Adult Swim at least, it also ensured that the network itself doesn’t get boycotted—which wouldn’t bode well for its other shows—because they were not taking the needed action.
While Adult Swim’s decision has been lauded by many, it does little to dampen the reality that diffusing the situation is one complicated minefield.
Is ending Rick and Morty’s association with Justin Roiland enough?
The show is and will remain Justin Roiland’s brainchild. Roiland’s removal from the animated series is seen by many as justice rightfully served, but the continuation of a show that he helped conceptualize and aided in thriving might not bring much relief to those who were on the receiving end of his misdeeds and vulgar messages.
Then again, shutting the show down altogether wouldn’t be doing right by the countless individuals who have worked hard for years to make Rick and Morty the reigning success it has been for so long.
No, we are not attempting to stay on both sides of the coin—we are just trying to show how one man’s toxic actions have affected countless individuals, whether they were directly distressed by him or got caught up in the aftereffects of his fallout. In this precarious situation, Adult Swim most probably did the best it could—severing all ties with the 42-year-old actor and writer who voiced both Rick and Morty as well as other side characters in the series.
Does Dan Harmon deserve to remain with Rick and Morty?
Then there is the issue of co-creator Dan Harmon remaining attached to future seasons of Rick and Morty, which isn’t exactly seen as the perfect solution Adult Swim deems it to be. His own controversial past also riled up a significant amount of public ire in wake of the social media chaos surrounding Roiland. In early 2018, Harmon found himself in a rabbit hole after he publicly admitted that he sexually harassed Megan Ganz—one of the staff writers on the show Community—who he was obsessed with.
We are not here to decide whether Harmon truly deserves a chance to move on from his past. But given the fact that Ganz—whose life went through a dire rollercoaster because Harmon couldn’t rein in his obsession with her and was the one who outed him publicly on Twitter—has forgiven him. She made it explicitly clear that she accepts his apology, which she called a “masterclass in How to Apologize.” She highlighted how Harmon didn’t defend himself or try to justify his actions—he outright admitted his toxic ways of dealing with the fact that Ganz refused to reciprocate his feelings.
Ganz forgiving and accepting Harmon’s apology is, more or less, what one would define as “enough” of a quick fix for Adult Swim to avoid dealing with the alternative of losing both the creators of Ricky and Morty. Also, there is the fact that firing Harmon as well might lead to a massive blowout from fans, as he has nowhere near faced the high magnitude of backlash Roiland has faced.
In an era where celebrities either don’t address their toxic past or put forward a thinly veiled not-really-sorry apology, Harmon owning up to his problematic behavior might just be enough to tip the scales in his favor.
