WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Rick and Morty Season 5, Episode 8, "Rickternal Friendshine of the Spotless Mort," which aired Sunday on Adult Swim.
In the Rick and Morty episode "Rickternal Friendshine of the Spotless Mort," Rick saves Birdperson by diving into his memories, revealing much about their past together while still leaving many things mysterious. One thing that is this episode makes 100 percent clear is that Rick truly loves Birdperson, doing anything to be with him despite a history of disappointments and betrayals. However, whether this love is platonic or romantic is up for debate.
The strongest evidence in favor of Rick having romantic feelings for Birdperson is in the scene immediately following the Battle of Blood Ridge. Rick invites Birdperson to escape the war with him and travel to any dimension he wants. Rick's "nothing matters" attitude toward interdimensional travel contrasts with his deep "respect" for this particular universe's Birdperson. When Birdperson questions Rick about the "relationship" they have, Rick quickly says, "I never used that word," in a moment of clear embarrassment.
While one could take this as a denial of romantic feelings, the offer is nonetheless easy to read as romantic. Rick's embarrassment would square with Rick's general sense of shame over having feelings at all. The pain Rick feels at Birdperson's rejection is still so intense decades later that he doesn't want to revisit the memory at all. When the memory version of a younger Rick asks the real Rick why he'd risk so much for someone who was an "asshole" to him, the real Rick answers, "Because you love him."
The possibility that Rick doesn't just love Birdperson as a friend but is in love with him delivers new depth to his character. It adds another layer to why he was so bitter about Birdperson marrying Tammy in the Season 2 finale and to why he tries to hide the existence of Birdperson and Tammy's son from his friend/crush.
Series co-creator Justin Roiland has confirmed Rick as pansexual. However, aside from his relationship with the genderless hivemind Unity, this aspect of his character has yet to really be explored in Rick and Morty. His feelings for Birdperson could be the most natural way to address that.
Birdperson doesn't reciprocate Rick's intensity of feelings for him. Given the fact Rick tried to lie to him about his child out of pure selfish manipulation, this is all just as well -- Rick makes for a lousy friend and he would likely be a terrible boyfriend. When Birdperson flies off at the end of the episode telling Rick, "I'll see you when I see you," it feels as if whatever connection Rick and Birdperson might have had is at risk of falling apart due to Rick's own toxicity.
The hour-long Season 5 finale of Rick and Morty airs on Adult Swim September 5 at 11 PM ET.