Rick and Morty has a habit of blowing up its own premise, but nothing felt quite as jarring as the "Two Crows" era. It wasn't just a gag. It was a massive, uncomfortable pivot that forced us to look at Rick Sanchez without his usual safety net. Most fans remember the Season 5 finale, "Rickmurai Jack," as the moment the Central Finite Curve broke. But the real emotional heavy lifting happened because of a couple of birds.
What Really Happened With the Rick and Morty Crows?
It started as a joke about Rick being "replaced." He was trying to prove a point to Morty—that their relationship was toxic and he could find better partners literally anywhere. He ended up with two crows. Honestly, it seemed like a classic one-off bit until the show committed to the bit so hard it changed the entire series' trajectory.
✨ Don't miss: Why The Ms. Pat Show Season 2 Still Matters: A Raw Look at Healing and Hilarity
The crows weren't just pets. They became his "soul bond."
When Rick realizes the crows have a deeper, more empathetic connection than he ever had with Morty, he actually leaves. He leaves the house. He leaves the dimension. He goes on a full-blown anime-inspired adventure with his avian companions. This is where the Rick and Morty crows dynamic gets weirdly deep. It wasn't just about the comedy of a man traveling with birds; it was about Rick admitting, for the first time, that he was the problem in his relationship with his grandson.
The Crow Scare and the "Rebound" Philosophy
Think about Rick’s history. He usually discards things the second they stop being useful or entertaining. But with the crows, he felt a sense of duty. He called himself "Crow Horse." It’s ridiculous. It’s absurd. Yet, it served as a mirror. The crows represented a version of Rick that could actually cooperate, even if it was with a different species.
Then came the betrayal.
The crows eventually reunited with their "Crow-scare" leader, leaving Rick alone. This moment is actually pivotal for his character development. Being dumped by birds did more for Rick’s ego than any battle with the Galactic Federation ever could. It forced him back to Morty, not out of superiority, but out of a shared, broken understanding of their own toxicity.
Why the Fan Base Was So Divided
Some people hated it. They wanted the "classic" adventures back immediately. They felt the crow saga dragged on too long, occupying the space where high-concept sci-fi usually lives. But if you look at the writing credits and the direction Dan Harmon has taken the show in recent years, the Rick and Morty crows arc was a necessary "deconstruction" phase.
You can't keep a character stagnant for ten seasons.
By forcing Rick into a subservient role to a pair of birds, the writers stripped him of his "god" status. For a few episodes, Rick Sanchez wasn't the smartest man in the universe. He was just a guy with some crows. This lowered the stakes in a way that made the eventual reveal of "Evil Morty's" plan feel much more impactful. We saw Rick at his most pathetic right before we saw the entire multiverse get rewritten.
The Technical Brilliance of the "Two Crows" Animation
The animation style in the "Forgetting Sarick Mortshall" and "Rickmurai Jack" episodes took a sharp turn. The Crow-tech, the bird-inspired gadgets, and the feathered aesthetic were a departure from the usual sleek, green-and-chrome portal tech we’re used to.
- The crow-men designs were a direct homage to classic 90s anime.
- The fight choreography changed to reflect a more "sentai" style.
- The color palettes shifted toward darker, more earthy tones during the crow sequences.
It felt different because it was different. The production team, including lead designers like James McDermott, clearly wanted the crow era to feel like a separate show entirely. It was a "show within a show" that highlighted how much Rick was trying to escape his own reality.
Breaking Down the "Soul Bond" Myth
In the world of Rick and Morty, "soul bonding" is usually a joke (remember the dragons?). But with the crows, Rick treated it with a strange level of sincerity. He used a machine to find his "perfect" matches, and it gave him two crows.
Is Rick actually compatible with birds?
Probably. Crows are notoriously smart, they remember faces, and they hold grudges. They are basically the Rick Sanchez of the animal kingdom. By pairing Rick with them, the show suggested that Rick’s "true" peers aren't other humans or even other geniuses—they are scavengers who operate on instinct and collective intelligence.
The Crow Era as a Transition to Season 6 and 7
If you skip the crow episodes, the beginning of Season 6 makes no sense. The Rick and Morty crows saga was the bridge that allowed the show to move past the "adventure of the week" format and into something more serialized. It allowed Rick to admit he was "abusive" to Morty.
That’s a huge word for this show.
Without the crows acting as a buffer, that realization would have felt too heavy-handed. Instead, it was wrapped in the absurdity of bird-people, making it digestible for an audience that usually tunes in for portal gun mishaps and alien puns.
What We Learned About "Crow Tech"
Rick’s crow-based gadgets were actually pretty functional. We saw:
- The Crow-vessel (a bird-shaped ship).
- Feather-based weaponry.
- The Crow-scare armor.
This tech wasn't "worse" than his portal tech; it was just different. It showed that Rick’s genius isn't tied to one specific scientific field—he can weaponize literally anything, even a flock of birds, if he’s depressed enough.
Misconceptions About the Ending of the Crow Arc
A lot of fans think Rick just "got bored" of the crows. That’s not what happened. He was actually replaced. The crows found their own path, and Rick was left behind. For a man who thinks he’s the protagonist of the universe, being a "side character" in the life of two birds was a brutal wake-up call.
It also debunked the idea that Rick is "above" needing companionship. He tried to replace Morty with crows because he needed something to fill the void. When even the birds didn't want him, he had to face the reality of his own loneliness.
Actionable Takeaways for Rick and Morty Fans
If you're revisiting these episodes or trying to understand the deeper lore, keep these specific points in mind to catch the details most people miss:
Watch the background characters in the Crow World.
The "Crow-scare" society is actually a fully realized alien culture. Notice the hierarchy—it’s a direct satire of how Rick views his own family. The way the crows treat their leaders mirrors the way the Smith family treats Rick.
Analyze the soundtrack changes.
The music during the crow sequences is vastly different from the synth-heavy tracks of earlier seasons. It uses more orchestral and "epic" tones to sell the fake importance of Rick’s new life.
Look at Rick's "Crow Suit" closely.
The suit isn't just for show. It actually limits his abilities. He’s intentionally nerfing himself to fit in with the crows. It’s a literal representation of him trying to "dumb himself down" to find happiness, a theme that pops up constantly throughout the series.
Re-evaluate the "Toxic Morty" argument.
After the crow arc, look at how Rick treats Morty in the later seasons. He’s slightly—only slightly—more mindful. The crows taught him that if he pushes people (or birds) too hard, they will eventually find a better "flock."
The crow era was weird, polarizing, and occasionally gross, but it was the most "human" Rick Sanchez has ever been. It proved that even a man who can traverse the multiverse can still get dumped by a couple of common scavengers. That’s the core of the show’s philosophy: in an infinite universe, you’re still just as capable of being a loser as anyone else.
Next Steps for Lore Hunters:
To fully grasp the fallout of the crow era, go back and re-watch the Season 6 premiere, "Solaricks." Notice how Rick's attitude toward "re-setting" the family is fundamentally different after his time with the crows. He’s less interested in finding a "perfect" family and more resigned to fixing the one he actually has. This shift is the direct result of his failure as "Crow Horse." Check the credits for the episode "Forgetting Sarick Mortshall" to see the specific storyboard artists who handled the crow-world transition—their influence on the show's visual language persists into the current seasons.