Rick and Morty Season 8 Episode 3 Ending Explained: Citadel Rebuilt, Clone Rebellion, & one Rick’s Ultimate Sacrifice

After the lighthearted space adventure with Space-Beth in episode two, Rick & Morty season eight takes a darker, more existential turn in episode three, titled “The Rick, The Mort, and the Ugly.” This Citadel-centric story explores identity, guilt, rebellion, and redemption—delivered with Rick-level absurdity and one heartbreaking sacrifice.

Back to the Citadel: Mortytown and the Clone Rebellion

The ruined Citadel, once ruled by Evil Morty and blown apart in season five’s finale, now floats in cosmic debris. Among its remains, a small district called Mortytown survives—home to peaceful Morty clones just trying to exist in peace.

Rick and Morty crash near this forgotten outpost, stumbling into the homestead of a grumpy, pig-farming Rick variant known as Homestead Rick (a.k.a. Grumpy Rick). After clone Ricks invade Mortytown, kidnapping Mortys for nefarious reasons, Grumpy Rick is shot and left for dead. But he survives—and he wants revenge.

Big Rick Gumbo’s plan: Clone, Control, Conquer

The main antagonist of the episode, Big Rick Gumbo (a.k.a. Boss Hogg Rick), is the first Citadel clone and its former mascot. He’s determined to rebuild the Citadel by restarting the Morty cloning system. His plan? Force captured Mortys into labor and restore clone society from the ground up. He even blackmails Grumpy Rick—once the lead scientist of the Morty cloning program—into continuing his old work. But Grumpy Rick has other ideas.

A Final Gambit: Grumpy Rick’s Redemption

Haunted by his past and the lives ruined by his own experiments, Grumpy Rick secretly builds a giant Hulk Morty as a chaotic distraction. With the help of Arcade Morty and Doctor Morty, he sneaks into the New Citadel.

Doctor Morty dies during the mission, but Hulk Morty wreaks havoc, buying enough time for the Mortys to escape. In a final act of defiance, Grumpy Rick detonates explosives rigged throughout the Citadel—destroying the cloning operation, killing himself, and taking Big Rick with him.

The Aftermath: Liberation & Misunderstandings

The freed Mortys scatter across the multiverse, finally able to live self-determined lives. Arcade Morty stays behind, burying Grumpy Rick and Doctor Morty under homemade gravestones.

In a typically ironic twist, our main Rick and Morty (from C-137) return to collect Morty’s lost fidget spinner, completely misreading the situation and assuming Arcade Morty is responsible for something sinister. Their oblivious exit leaves Arcade Morty muttering one final, bitter line: “Aholes.”

Post-Credits Scene: Dice Fight Never ends

The episode closes with a clever post-credits scene: two anthropomorphic dice—introduced earlier during a Morty game—survive the explosion. They share a quiet moment before resuming their brawl, symbolizing the eternal nature of conflict, even in the smallest corners of the universe.

While “The Rick, The Mort, and the Ugly” may not have matched the comedic highs of the season’s earlier episodes, it delivered a rich, emotional story steeped in Rick & Morty’s signature blend of tragedy and satire. Through the destruction of the clone Citadel and the sacrifice of Grumpy Rick, episode three offers a surprisingly poignant take on guilt, freedom, and letting go of legacy.

With Mortytown freed and the Citadel gone (again), the multiverse may never be the same—unless, of course, someone finds another cloning chamber.

Stay tuned: next week’s episode could mark a return to sci-fi silliness… or plunge even deeper into the Rickiverse.

Where can you Stream Rick and Morty Season 8?

The first three episodes of Rick and Morty season eight are available on Adult Swim and you can also stream it on Max and Hulu, with new episodes airing weekly on Sundays. The fourth episode, titled, “The Last Temptation of Jerry” will premiere on June 15, 2025.

If you want to refresh your memory, we have the recap of Episode 1. Recap of episode 2 is available to read below.

Episode 2 Recap: Spores, Space Beth & Cisco’s Absence

Rick and Morty season eight continues with “Valkyrick,” an episode packed with mutant insects, dangerous spores, and emotional father-daughter dynamics. Space Beth returns after being framed for the murder of the Gromflomite Queen, prompting her to call Rick for help. What follows is a chaotic mission involving conspiracies, symbiote parasites, and a risky cure.

Fantabulous’ Deadly plan

The duo learns the queen was killed by ex-royal doctor Fantabulous, who aims to infect Gromflomites using spore-based clones. He intends to unleash the spores at the queen’s birthday celebration to start a new evolutionary phase. After Beth is infected, Rick tests a dangerous cure on himself to save her, and it works.

A Final Showdown Underground

Beth, Rick, and unexpected allies—including Birdperson and Birddaughter—team up for a massive underground battle. They destroy the spore hive and kill Fantabulous, averting a galactic disaster and leaving the door open for reconciliation between Rick and Beth.

Cisco’s Betrayal… Or Warning?

The episode also reveals that Rick's trusted ally Cisco failed to show up for the mission. In the mid-credits scene, it's revealed he passed out after a drug session with his toxic girlfriend, Sandy. Rick’s unusual trust in Cisco—and Cisco’s downfall—reflect Rick’s own history with addiction. It’s a rare moment of vulnerability and perhaps a warning Rick won’t be able to ignore for long.