Rick And Morty may have become the highest-rated comedy on television, and a cause of intense adoration and debate online, but its recent third-season finale fell a little flat. After a season of escalating plotlines and delicately portrayed character arcs, it took a gaga left turn into a single-episode conspiracy theory adventure, with only a few nods toward the larger concerns that made this season such a quantum leap over its predecessors.


And so, accordingly, that very dismay has spawned yet another fan conspiracy theory: that a secret season finale is still waiting in the wings, perhaps to arrive at Christmas. There’s some precedent for this, as the above video explores. We know the season was planned to be 14 episodes, before being shortened due to schedule; we know, obviously, that the episode fails utterly to close off the various plot threads built throughout the season, like Evil Morty, the Citadel Of Ricks, and Beth-as-clone; showrunner Dan Harmon referenced the return of Evil Morty in the season finale, which this most recent episode certainly did not have; and in the show’s stinger, Mr. Poopy Butthole makes an offhand reference to showing up sometime soon dressed as Santa Claus. The show also has a history of surprise releases, with this season’s debut popping up on April Fool’s Day.

So, all in all, not a terrible theory? Just three months of feverish expectation to go, followed by crippling disappointment, and, presumably, a completely insufferable cavalcade of criticism from the show’s worst fans. It’ll be a Christmas to remember either way!