Thirteen Years Later, Rick and Morty Finally Revisits Snowball the Dog
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Rick and Morty season 9 brings back Snowball the intelligent dog after 13 years, fulfilling a classic season 1 setup and exploring a twisted canine civilization.
Over nine seasons, Rick and Morty has built a massive roster of one-off gags, clones, and recurring foes that define its sprawling multiverse. Most throwaway jokes stay in the past, but the creative team occasionally plays the long game. Season 9, episode 5 officially brings back Snowball, the intelligent dog from the classic season 1 episode Lawnmower Dog, answering a thirteen-year-old meta joke about a canine planet. As Polygon reported in their exclusive interview with the showrunners, the writers have spent years looking for the right excuse to revisit the character and pay off that original setup.
In the latest episode, titled Jer Bud, Morty travels to Snowball's dimension only to discover that the super-intelligent dogs are now running a society that keeps native hominids as pets. The plot cleverly satirizes puppy mills and selective breeding before spiraling into a full-scale rebellion and war. Series creator Dan Harmon noted that the original episode intentionally ended by teasing a spinoff, which kept the concept alive in the writers' room for over a decade. Showrunner Scott Marder added that building a complex, high-stakes dynamic between Morty and his old canine friend gave the team plenty of rich storytelling conflict to explore.
While the dog planet ends the episode in ruins, Snowball and Morty manage to patch things up before the credits roll. It remains to be seen if the fan-favorite pup will pop up again soon or vanish for another eight seasons. For a show that frequently relies on standalone multiverse adventures, taking the time to resolve long-standing dangling threads rewards the community-driven fandom that has followed every strange portal jump since day one.
Tags: Rick and Morty, Polygon, Television, Animation, Sci-Fi
Original article: Polygon