As whacky and random as Rick and Morty may be, not every storyline was originally intended for the Adult Swim animation.

In fact, the second episode from season four featured a plot that actually came from co-creator Dan Harmon's comedy series Community.

Speaking to The Independent, Harmon recently explained how the discarded storyline ended up becoming part of Rick and Morty.

"I can't remember any ideas we always wanted to do but couldn't crack," he said. "There was one concept that was always floating in the air which was the idea of doing an episode about Jeff Winger being a shy pooper. I ended up grafting that over to Rick and Morty."

Adult Swim

Related: How Rick and Morty's surprise episode reveals the show's future beyond season 4

The storyline in question, titled 'The Old Man and the Seat', is a loose adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, and it features a subplot in which Rick introduces us to his private toilet on a serene forest planet.

After Rick discovers that his luxury loo was also being used by a man named Tony, he becomes hell-bent on ruining his life.

NBC Universal

If the plot had featured in Community, Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) would have taken the place of Tony – although it probably would have involved fewer lasers and less death.

Oh well, at least Harmon managed to get it out of his system in the end.

Rick and Morty season 4 airs Sundays on Adult Swim in the US, and airs in the UK on E4 and All 4 on Wednesdays.

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