Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Rick and Morty Season 9 episode "Rick Fu Hustle." Begin streaming the new season on June 16th with an HBO Max subscription, and read at your own risk!
Rick and Morty Season 9 is fantastic so far, with episodes dropping jokes about debates fans have had for years now. As we still try to figure out whether Beth or Space Beth is the original, the latest animated adventure hitting 2026 TV schedule made a joke that referenced the character uncertainty in the best way.
In the midst of settling a feud with a kung-fu master, Rick was hit with an "Amnesia Knuckle Punch." He woke up in a brief daze, having lost his memories, and said the following:
What am I doing here, and which Beth is the clone?
It's such a throwaway joke, but I'm sure it'll work some people up and remind them that we still don't know who the "real" Beth is. This joke only stirs the pot further, as Rick maintained when confronted by both that he wiped his own memory and has no idea who the original is. Was he lying then, or is this just a joke to mess with fans?
My Take On The Beth Or Space Beth Debate
Personally, I've maintained my stance that Space Beth is the clone, and there's a bit of evidence to back this up. To start, the mobile game Pocket Mortys accidentally uploaded her to the game as "Clone Beth" before later changing it to "Clone Beth?".
We've also reported on theorists who pointed out frames in which the two Beths have a slightly different look. Furthermore, the poster noted that "Earth Beth" looked closer in style to Rick and Morty's earlier seasons, making her the OG of the two.
This is just my opinion, however, which is to say I'm sure the actual answer is that it doesn't matter and even the Rick and Morty team doesn't know. End of the day, it's not even like the Beth that the show currently features is the original, just the one that's been in the series the longest.
Season 9 of Rick and Morty feels like the strongest the series has been in a long time, and may even end up being one of the top seasons of the run. In fact, I think at least one of these episodes, if not another, will end up on the list of best episodes of all time.
Rick and Morty continues with new episodes on Adult Swim on Sundays at 11:00 p.m. ET. Anyone who isn't caught up and has the ability to do so should do that as soon as possible, because this season is so great.
