Rick and Morty season 8 episode 3 ending explained: Does Homesteader Rick die?
Rick and Morty season 8 episode 3, titled The Rick, The Mort & The Ugly, takes viewers away from the central storyline and follows a set of Rick and Morty clones attempting to rebuild the Citadel. Released on June 8, 2025, this episode delves deeper into the aftermath of the Citadel's fall. Viewers are introduced to multiple new clones of Rick and Morty, including Homesteader Rick, Hulk Morty, Arcade Morty, and Boss Hogg Rick.
Rick and Morty season 8 brings back the unconventional scientist who takes his dim-witted grandson Morty on intergalactic adventures. The official synopsis for the latest season, as per Prime Video, reads:
"Rick and Morty is back for Season 8! Life has meaning again! Anything is possible! Look out for adventures with Summer, Jerry, Beth, and the other Beth. Maybe Butter Bot will get a new task? Whatever happens, you can't keep Rick and Morty down for long."
Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers. Readers' discretion is advised.
In Rick and Morty season 8 episode 3, Homesteader Rick is targeted by other Rick clones while attempting to stop the exploitation of Morty clones. As tensions boil and the city is on the verge of collapse, Homesteader Rick presses a detonator linked to bombs all across the citadel. This kills him and the remaining Rick clones in the city, bringing the entire structure down.
Homesteader Rick’s final stand in Rick and Morty season 8
In Rick and Morty season 8, as the third episode nears its climax, Homesteader Rick and Arcade Morty launch a direct assault on the New Citadel in response to the abduction and exploitation of Morty clones. The duo sneaks into the brewery where Morty clones are being utilized to create a new model of clone.
Within, they defeat several Ricks before reaching the center cloning chamber. Here, Homesteader Rick discovers the disturbing revelation: the big tank in his house has been used before for cloning Mortys, and that he is a chief Morty cloner for the Citadel.
Boss Hogg Rick tricks him into making a new Morty clone. But this time, the clone goes berserk, turning into a Morty-like Hulk, smashing through the facility and killing several Ricks. Homesteader Rick asserts control over the mayhem, facilitating the escape of the Morty clones as he battles off assailants with the concealed arms in his truck.
As Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos plays, a reference to a previous insult, he makes a heroic last stand against Boss Hogg Rick's men. In the end, Homesteader Rick sacrifices himself by blowing up explosives embedded within the complex, destroying the New Citadel, eliminating the remaining Ricks, and halting the trafficking operation in a blaze of glory.
What happens in the post-credit scene of Rick and Morty season 8 episode 3?
Before the episode ends, two dice with arms and legs begin fighting each other with no real purpose. However, after the entire citadel is destroyed, the two dice walk out of the rubble holding hands and staring into the sunset before one of them begins punching the other.
The ending of Rick and Morty season 8 episode 3 hints at the potential hidden meaning that ties the themes of the episode together. The scene can be a reference to the cycle of control, rebellion, and betrayal that inevitably repeats.
Also read: Rick & Morty season 8: Full list of cast and returning characters explored
Rick and Morty season 8 is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
