13 Apr Rick & Morty and Dan Harmon’s Story Circle
Dan Harmon, the co-founder of Rick & Morty makes use of a story circle for each episode of his show. This circle mainly exists for the character of Morty, but many others have been subject to a circle of their own too, e.g., Jerry, Rick, etc.
Understanding Dan Harmon’s Story Circle
Considering how imaginative the show Rick & Morty is, Dan Harmon makes sure the character’s journey is a little dark but entertaining at the same time. We discuss this story circle in detail below:
Basics of the Story Circle
The story circle consists of 4 equal semi-circle segments, with the border of each segment being an odd-numbered step and its mid being an even-numbered step, the total being 8 steps. This order is not without essence, because each step leads to a significant development in the story. In the former step, the story changes its course, and in the later step, the character faces new challenges in that change.
Story Circle of Rick & Morty
The story circle steps for characters in Rick & Morty is as follows:
- Characters are in their comfort zone.
- A particular need arises for the characters.
- They go out because of that need.
- They search and explore to fulfill that need.
- They find what they are looking for.
- They get what they are looking for but pay a price.
- The price they pay changes them.
- They return to their comfort zone.
How has this Circle Helped the ‘Rick & Morty’ Show?
If you watched the show, you must have noticed that it started off pretty normal but became more dark with time. That was the result of the story circle developed by Dan Harmon. Here is how this circle has helped the show thus far:
It has Helped Manifest the Characters Better
This circle, when applied to multiple characters at once gives them all a purpose in the story and removes them from being a ‘side joke’ or irrelevant. Even Jerry, a character that has been a joke overall got his character arcs and contributed to the story with much significance and impact on all other characters.
The story has Been given Coherence Despite its Chaos
All ‘Rick & Morty’ are well aware of the chaos embedded in this story. Such chaotic stories usually lose or lack coherence, and the audience is left perplexed, concerning the story. However, Dan Harmon’s story circle has been a miracle for all the fans, as it has kept the story intact despite all that occurred so far.
Phenomenal Character Development
Each of the characters in this show has changed in a way like no other. Significant character development occurs at every single episode; if you skip even one episode, you may find it hard to understand what happened to the character that changed them so much.