"Rick and Morty" has had a number of twists and turns over its three seasons. What started out as a program that focused almost entirely on the antics of the title characters, morphed, over the years, in order to better include what had been little more than ancillary characters. There has been some interesting 3D art honoring the show, as well.

Morty's sister, summer, took a more prominent role in the third season, as did the kids' mother, Beth. Jerry grew more and had more content written for him than any other character on the show. A maligned father to Summer and Morty, maligned husband to Beth and much-maligned son-in-law of Rick, he got himself a bit of a trilogy in Season 3 that allowed the character to really stretch his wings.

'The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy'

As Inverse points out, the beginning of a new Jerry on "Rick and Morty" comes in the fifth episode of Season 3, the "Whirly Dirly Conspiracy." Jerry and Beth are taking some time apart and Jerry has turned into a whimpering shell of a human because of it. Morty decides to get Jerry out of bed and take him on an adventure that has some serious twists and turns. This episode isn't just about using Jerry as a punching bag for the umpteenth time, but to really show that he can grow a spine when he needs to.

As the pair is hunted by an old enemy of Rick's, known as Risotto Groupon, they finally have the confrontation that has likely been needed for so many years. Rick has one of the better takedowns of any character during the exchange that perfectly sums up Jerry's character saying, "you survive because people think, ‘Oh, this poor piece of s---, he never gets a break.

I can’t stand the deafening silent wails of his wilting soul. I guess I’ll hire him or marry him.’”

Despite that largely being exactly the motivating factor for any of Jerry's success in "Rick and Morty," the comment seemed to be the thing that finally broke him in a good way. In a later conflict with the episode's big baddy, Jerry attacks Risotto Groupon, eventually saving him and Rick to live another day.

In the aftermath, the two seemed to have developed a bit more respect for one another and formed an uneasy peace.

Completing the trilogy

Having established himself as still the most pathetic character on "Rick and Morty," Jerry does begin to get shaded in a bit more to finish out Season 3. In the "The ABC's of Beth," he's got more of a B-plot, but we do start to see why he and his wife are indeed married.

It's more than the mistake of getting pregnant with Summer that had been hinted at in prior episodes (though that still plays a decent part).

The "secret Jerry trilogy" that was launched as a way to build Jerry up as a character that is little more than an annoyance is finished off in the season finale, "The Rickchurian Mortydate." Here, the title characters are still more at the center than anyone else, but Jerry's B-plot truly endears him to the viewers, as he steps forward as the true love of Beth's life and the protector of the family.

Whether or not Jerry will continue to evolve into someone that is more than just a punching bag (while remaining the punching bag viewers have come to love) is yet to be seen. The "Rick and Morty" audience still isn't sure when exactly Season 4 is going to be airing, though there have been teasers popping up, so it appears it is indeed on the horizon.
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