‘Rick and Morty’: Is Rick’s Original Beth Dead or Alive?

Season 5 episode 8 of Adult Swim’s “Rick and Morty” tied in closely with previous plotlines, revealing more about Rick’s past than fans had known before. The episode left viewers with quite a few questions, including whether or not Rick’s original Beth is dead or alive. Although fans have always wondered this question, the newest episode gave fans new reasons to discuss the theories all over again.

This article will have MAJOR spoilers for season 5 episode 8 of “Rick and Morty.” 

The Latest Episode Revealed What Birdperson Believes Happened to Rick’s Original Beth

In what might be one of the best episodes of the season so far, Rick encountered a younger version of himself inside Birdperson’s mind, while struggling to free Birdperson once and for all. Of course, the younger version of himself was Birdperson’s memory of Rick, but viewers still got to learn a lot about Rick’s past that they didn’t know before.

Most telling was a scene where this 35-year-old Rick (now referred to as Young Rick in this story) confronted Rick about what he was doing with his current life. When Young Rick didn’t recognize the name Morty, Rick explained that he’s the “hypothetical grandson we go on adventures with.”

That’s when Young Rick realized just what was going on. Here’s what the characters said next:

Young Rick: “You’re one of those creeps who moves in with abandoned adult Beths?”

Rick: “It’s more complicated than that!”

Young Rick: “You live with a version of our dead daughter…”

Rick: “Get off your high horse, Lone Ranger. I’m you. You will go on to be me.”

Young Rick: “Why do you think I’m horrified? I’d be fine walking by this on the street. I might even give it a dollar…”

Of course, we have to keep in mind that this is Birdperson’s memories of 35-year-old Rick. This isn’t a canon version of 35-year-old Rick. This ultimately means that we’re seeing what Birdperson believes 35-year-old Rick knew and would say.

So this episode just revealed that Birdperson believes Rick’s original Beth died at some point before he turned 35. It also reveals that Birdperson believes 35-year-old Rick would be horrified to learn that Rick was living with a substitute daughter. The conversation also revealed that in many universes, other Ricks abandon their daughter if their daughter lives to adulthood. (This last part isn’t hugely surprising. The current Beth isn’t even Rick’s “original” Beth that we knew, since that one is in the Cronenberg universe.)

The Revelation Also Has Implications for Evil Morty Theories

We don’t know for certain that Rick’s original daughter Beth died before he turned 35. But we do know it’s likely, since Rick and Birdperson are very close and this is what Birdperson believes to be true.

In fact, it was Birdperson who told Morty that wubba lubba dub dub means “I am in great pain; please help me.” He told Morty that his grandfather drank a lot to numb his pain. So if anyone likely has an accurate read on the truth about Rick, it’s Birdperson.

However, if this information is true, then it has huge implications for a popular Evil Morty theory. This theory imagines that Evil Morty is Rick’s original Morty, and Rick is trying to do things right this time with a new Morty. But if Rick’s original Beth died before Rick was even 35, then we can assume Beth didn’t live long enough to have a son who would become Evil Morty. The math just doesn’t work out. So Evil Morty’s origin is somewhere else.

The Revelation Also Has Implications for Rick’s Season 3 Memory

Fans are also pointing out that this revelation has some pretty big implications for the “fake memory” that Rick shared with the Galactic Federation in Season 3 Episode 1.

In the origin story that Rick later said was fake, his younger self was working on inventing a portal gun. Another version of himself showed up to give him the real thing, talking about all the great things he could do with the gun and how he’d be the smartest entity in the universe with it. Rick said, “Sounds lonely.”  He passed on the idea of being a god because he was a different kind of Rick.

When his wife Diane showed up, Rick said, “I don’t think this science thing is gonna pay off.” They decided to go out for ice cream instead, and the other dimension Rick showed up and killed both Diane and Beth.

Some fans are now saying that Young Rick’s revelation in season 5 episode 8 might mean that Rick’s memory actually was real. Or at the very least, Rick was being more honest than he admitted at the time.

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