Less Booze, More Feelings: Will 'Rick and Morty' Season 9 Feel Different This Time?

Season 8 didn’t end with a bang or a multiverse twist—it ended with something quieter but far more personal: Rick let go of Diane. Not by repressing the pain or drowning it in booze. He erased her from his memory.

One of the show's most emotional moments, honestly. And yes, it made me tear up (not the first time Rick and Morty has done that to me). But that’s what I admire about this show: it never does what you expect. It dares to shift tone and still keeps its bite.

A Rick Who Feels More — and Drinks Less

By erasing Diane, Rick also removed the most haunted part of himself. The finale showed him choosing presence over pain. Suddenly, he’s at family events because he wants to be. He’s talking to Beth without bitterness. And while he's far from cuddly, something has changed.

I know some fans worry that this makes Rick 'too soft'. But I see it differently. He’s evolving — not into someone nicer, but into someone more aware. He’s still the man who can collapse a galaxy with a blink, but now he might actually show up for dinner.

Change Doesn’t Mean Weakness

Season 9 might show a Rick who’s less drunk and more connected. And that could open the door for a deeper bond with Morty — not just as a partner in chaos, but as family.

Despite the shift, I’m sure the tone won’t go soft. This show has never played it safe, and I don’t think it will start now. We’ll still get the madness and mischief, just with a slightly different emotional core.