Rick and Morty has finally defeated a villain that the has been around since the very first season, and Season 8 just might have opened up a whole new path in the future with its latest episode. Rick and Morty Season 8 is now in gear this Summer with new episodes airing with Adult Swim each week, and that means that fans are getting to see a return to the wacky adventures that fans loved to see with the first seven seasons. But also, this is the chance for the long running series to truly mark the start of a new era.
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Rick and Morty Season 8 brought back Space Beth with a new episode giving her the full focus for the first time in a while, and with it also took out the long running threat from the Gromflomites. The insect like aliens have been a major thorn in Rick’s side since the very beginning of the series despite the many times Rick seemed to take them out, but now it seems like they have been completely dealt with this time around thanks to a new peace agreement signed at the end of the episode.
Rick and Morty Defeats the New Galactic Federation
Rick and Morty Season 8 Episode 2, “Valkyrick” sees Space Beth attempt an assassination of the Gromflomite Queen as part of the Defiance rebellion group, but she soon discovers that someone has already killed the queen and wanted to frame the Defiance for it. It’s soon discovered that a Gromflomite scientist killed the queen, and instead placed a robot replacement in order to spread a fungus that would turn the Gromflomites into a giant monster army. To stop this, Rick and Space Beth end up forming an unlikely alliance with the Gromflomites in order to stop the scientist and stop the disease from spreading.
After raiding a space cave, Space Beth and the others are able to defeat the scientist and save the Gromflomites from their destruction. As a result, the Defiance signs a peace treaty with the Gromflomites and finally settles this fight between the Galactic Federation’s various forms and the rebellion’s various forms after eight long seasons. But there’s always a chance that this could end up being negated in a future episode much like the other times the Gromflomites have been defeated. It just feels different this time, however.
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Why Does This Matter?
It just feels different this time around. Not only does Rick and Morty directly address this in the episode itself as the Gromflomite General notes that it’s not something they’re going to do every week, or ever again, but it seems like it’s properly moving the story forward as it also makes some big leaps in Space Beth and Rick’s relationship. The two bond together more as father and daughter through the fight, and it’s part of the way it opens up the series to a new era with other long running threats being possible.
It’s hard to imagine Rick and Morty is going to get rid of some of the fodder enemies that have been easy to deal with in the past (as the Gromflomites even had a starring role in the Rick and Morty anime series), but this is also the start of what could be new threats to come. With the animated series now renewed with Adult Swim through Season 12, there are going to be lots of opportunities to introduce new ideas for this new age. Things are definitely changing, and this episode is the first sign of big things to come.
