WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for the Rick and Morty Season 4 premiere.
Amid all the wacky space adventures in Rick and Morty, the Adult Swim's series' biggest will-they-won't-they romances centers on Morty and his high-school crush, Jessica. Since 2013, the teen has pined for her, even coming close on a couple of occasions to establishing something more than friendship with her.
However, it just never works out, leaving Morty wondering if they're destined to be together. Well, courtesy of the Season 4 premiere, "Edge of Tomorty: Rick Die Rickpeat," we now know what the future has in store for them, sort of.
This episode focuses on Morty not wanting to clone Rick back to life as their future adventures would end in certain death. Instead, Morty wants to use a Death Crystal and navigate life back home by making choices that'll lead to the future he wants to have with Jessica -- one with her by his bedside as he readies to die.
Morty sees this future of them growing old together thanks to the crystal they stole from Forbodulon Prime to peddle on the black market. Once someone makes contact with the blue gem, they can see how their actions in the present dictate how they'll eventually die. Morty's doing everything he can, making all the right choices, just so the road will be paved towards that moment where he dies with Jessica next to him, comforting him as if he were the love of her life.
Morty's convinced this is written in the stars as she's often showed an affinity for him despite him being a nerd no one likes and her being a popular figure at school. It doesn't help she's also on-and-off with Brad, but Jessica has shown interest in Morty in the past, appearing at his parties and even going on a date once until he got too cocky and scared her off.
Mostly, when his abnormal behavior pops up -- arriving through portals with Rick, talking about intergalactic missions, having Tiny Rick at his side, etc. -- this is when Jessica really takes to Morty, and fans have recognized she might secretly harbor feelings for him, but is too scared to admit it as they're so far apart in the social pyramid.
That's why this future seems feasible and something Morty's so passionate about making happen. He becomes one with the crystal, going on a criminal rampage to cut a path to Jessica, only to stupidly miss out on a golden opportunity: Jessica hits him up to go skinny-dipping after he wins his trial for attacking cops and soldiers, but the brainwashed Morty brushes her off, obsessed only with the decisions that'll lead to the bedside finale. Jessica's taken aback but she knows he's weird and leaves Morty to his own devices, with the kid not even realizing he's blown another shot.
Luckily, Rick's reborn and he separates Morty from the crystal, saving the brainwashed boy's life and vowing to a be a better mentor so they can enjoy adventures together as grandfather and son. Without the crystal, we don't know if that future's still in store for Morty and Jessica, but a post-credits scene suggests it won't happen again unless Morty swallows his pride. Morty overhears Jessica in school telling her friends her dream is to work in a hospice when she gets old, comforting men on their dying breaths, telling them she loves them.
Morty's ticked off as he now knows this was the future he saw all along, feeling meaningless in the grand scheme of things. He thinks it's "psycho" but deep down, he knows it reflects her kind heart. Still, a pissed-off Morty jumps through a portal when Rick arrives in the hallway without even asking any questions as he knows he'll have to find another way to create the perfect fate for him and Jessica someday.
New episodes of Rick and Morty air Sundays at 11:30 p.m. on Adult Swim.