Summer Smith started as a background trope. She was the "annoying older sister" archetype, a shallow teenager obsessed with her phone. Then, everything changed. As Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland’s sci-fi behemoth evolved, so did Summer. But when you look at Summer’s friends in Rick and Morty, it’s a weirdly tragic list of casualties, shallow connections, and people who literally don't exist anymore.
You’ve probably noticed that Morty gets the grand adventures, but Summer is the one who actually tries to maintain a social life while her grandfather is busy collapsing galactic governments. It's a mess. Honestly, the way the show treats Summer’s social circle is one of the darkest running gags in the series. They aren't just background characters; they're collateral damage.
The "Main" Crew: Tricia Lange, Nancy, and the Remnants of Harry Herpson High
Let's talk about Tricia Lange. She is arguably the most consistent presence among Summer’s friends in Rick and Morty. Tricia is fascinating because she’s one of the few characters who seems completely unfazed by the Smith family's cosmic insanity. Remember when she admitted to wanting to sleep with Jerry? It was a weird, jarring moment that reminded everyone that Summer’s friends have their own bizarre, often uncomfortable, inner lives.
Then there’s Nancy. Poor Nancy. She plays the flute. She’s the social outcast of the group, and in the early seasons, she was the barometer for Summer’s desperation. Summer desperately wanted to be "cool," which usually meant throwing Nancy under the bus to impress people like Tammy Guterman.
Tammy is the elephant in the room. Before she was a Galactic Federation deep-cover agent who murdered Birdperson at their own wedding, she was just one of Summer’s friends in Rick and Morty. That’s a heavy realization. Summer wasn’t just hanging out with a "mean girl"; she was unknowingly best friends with a high-level intergalactic spy. When you rewatch those early episodes, the interactions between Summer and Tammy feel completely different. Every "girl talk" session was actually a reconnaissance mission.
The Cronenberg Disaster and the Friends We Lost
We have to address the "C-137" problem.
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The original versions of Summer’s friends in Rick and Morty—the ones from the very first season—are technically dead or mutated beyond recognition. When Rick accidentally "Cronenberged" the entire planet in "Rick Potion #9," Summer’s original social circle was transformed into horrific piles of sentient meat.
Rick, Morty, and Summer (eventually) hopped to new dimensions, but the friends she hangs out with now are just replacements. They are "Version 2.0" or "Version 3.0." This adds a layer of existential dread to every scene at Harry Herpson High School. When Summer is complaining about Tricia or Grace, she’s complaining to a copy of a person she once knew. Does Summer even realize this? Probably. She’s become just as cynical as Rick, which is why her friendships feel increasingly transactional as the seasons progress.
The Mad Max Phase: When Summer Found Her Real Tribe
In the episode "Rickmancing the Stone," we saw a different side of Summer’s social potential. In the post-apocalyptic version of Earth, Summer didn't just find friends; she found a husband and a position of power. Her relationship with Hemorrhage was more "real" than anything she had with the kids at school.
It showed us that Summer’s "friends" in the suburbs are a cage. She thrives in chaos. While Morty trembles, Summer adapts. Her "friends" in the wasteland respected her because she was proficient with a jagged piece of metal, not because she had the latest phone.
Why the Friendship with Sleepy Gary Still Hurts
It was a parasite. We know that. But the "Total Rickall" episode gave us a glimpse into what Summer actually wants. In her mind, the parasite-induced memories of her and her friends were blissful.
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The show uses these moments to highlight the vacuum in Summer’s life. Her parents are constantly on the verge of divorce. Her brother is a neurotic mess. Her grandfather is a god-complex-driven alcoholic. It makes sense that Summer’s friends in Rick and Morty are often vapid or superficial—she’s looking for an escape from the heavy, high-stakes trauma of her home life. She doesn't want to talk about portal guns; she wants to talk about who Tricia is dating. It's her only tether to being a "normal" human.
The Nuance of the Summer-Beth Dynamic
Is Beth one of Summer’s friends? In later seasons, specifically with the introduction of Space Beth, the answer is "sorta."
The relationship shifts from mother-daughter to something akin to "warrior-peers." When Summer, Beth, and Space Beth team up, the dynamic is far more honest than any conversation Summer has with Nancy or Grace. They share the "Smith bloodline" cynicism. They realize that the world is a joke, and the only people you can trust are the ones who can hold a weapon. This is a sharp contrast to her school friends, who represent a version of reality that Summer can no longer fully inhabit.
You can't go back to worrying about prom after you've helped your grandfather overthrow a galactic government.
Impact of Summer’s Social Life on the Plot
- Social Validation: Summer’s need for approval often drives the "B-plot." Whether it’s getting Rick to make her popular or throwing a party that goes horribly wrong, her friends are the catalysts for Rick’s reluctant involvement in "normal" Earth stuff.
- Tammy’s Betrayal: This is the big one. Tammy being part of Summer’s inner circle allowed the Federation to get close to Rick. Summer’s choice in friends literally led to the collapse of the Council of Ricks and Birdperson's "death."
- The "Vat of Acid" Fallout: Even when the episodes focus on Morty, Summer’s social standing is often used as a punchline. She is the one who sees through the nonsense, often pointing out how pathetic her peers (and her brother) are.
What People Get Wrong About Summer's Popularity
A lot of fans think Summer is a "loser" at school. She’s not. She’s actually fairly well-integrated, but she’s perpetually on the fringes of the "cool" group because she’s too smart and too jaded to fully commit to the bit.
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If you look at the background of scenes in the cafeteria, Summer is usually surrounded by people. She’s "popular adjacent." Her problem isn't that she lacks friends; it's that she lacks meaningful connections. Every time she tries to bring a friend into her "real" life (the sci-fi life), they either end up traumatized or revealed as a traitor.
Take the "Glory to Glorzo" episode. Summer becomes a queen, and her "friendship" with the locals is based entirely on a misunderstanding of a pop culture trope. It's a recurring theme: Summer seeks connection, finds it in a bizarre place, realizes it’s hollow, and returns to her phone.
How to Track Summer’s Social Evolution
If you want to understand the trajectory of Summer’s friends in Rick and Morty, look at the transition from Season 1 to Season 7.
- Phase 1: The Desperate Social Climber. Summer wants to be Tammy. She wants to be liked by the popular kids.
- Phase 2: The Disillusioned Teen. After the Cronenberg incident, she starts to see the world as disposable.
- Phase 3: The Competent Nihilist. She stops trying to "fit in" and starts using her social circle for her own ends.
- Phase 4: The Shared Trauma. In recent seasons, her "friends" are basically just people she tolerates while waiting for the next adventure.
The reality is that Summer has outgrown high school. She’s more capable than most of the adults in her life, and her friends are still stuck worrying about TikTok trends (or whatever the 2026 equivalent is in the show’s timeline).
Actionable Insights for Fans and Theorists
If you're looking to dive deeper into the lore of Summer’s friends in Rick and Morty, pay attention to the background characters in Season 7 and beyond. The show has started to give more screen time to the "normal" kids at Harry Herpson High, likely setting up more "Earth-based" stakes.
- Watch for Tricia Lange’s development: She is becoming a more prominent "foil" for Summer. Her lack of fear regarding the Smiths makes her a wildcard.
- Re-examine the "Tammy" episodes: Look for the subtle clues in Season 1 and 2. The writers dropped hints about her true nature long before the "Wedding Squanchers" finale.
- Notice the "Replacement" Friends: Pay attention to how Summer interacts with her friends in new dimensions. She rarely uses their names unless she’s annoyed. It shows her detachment.
Summer’s social life is a tragic comedy. She is a girl who has seen the edge of the universe and has to come back home and pretend that Nancy’s flute recital matters. That tension is where the best writing for her character happens. She isn't just Morty's sister; she's a survivor of a social world that no longer exists for her.
To truly understand Summer, you have to stop looking at her as a teenager and start looking at her as a veteran of a war her friends don't even know is happening. That’s the core of her character. She’s alone in a crowd of "friends" who are essentially just NPCs in her chaotic life.