WARNING: Spoilers forRick and Mortyseason 5 episode 6, "Rick & Morty's Thanksploitation Spectacular."

Rick and Morty's continuity is notoriously confusing, and the series isn't afraid to mock itself for it. With multiple dimensions and timeline mayhem, it can be hard to follow just how much time has passed inRick and Morty.However,Rick and Mortyseason 5 episode 6, "Rick & Morty's Thanksploitation Spectacular," also drops some hints on the true timeline in between mocking itself.

"Rick & Morty's Thanksploitation Spectacular" spoofs movies likeIndependence Day,taking the stereotypes of the action movie genre and applying them to Thanksgiving. After a failed attempt to steal the Constitution, Rick and Morty end up in hot water with the President. Rick reveals that he'll be reusing a get-out-of-jail card; he'll transform himself into a turkey to trick the President into giving him a presidential pardon. The episode devolves into Rick and President Curtis attempting to one-up each other's plans. After a turkey takes the place of President Curtis, the pair are forced to work together to restore the nation's rightful leader.

At the beginning of the episode,Rick and Mortypokes fun at its own confusing continuity. When discussing Rick's plan to get a pardon, Rick sarcastically asks Jerry how long he's lived in the Smith household, but then warns him to be careful how he answers the question. This line points out how the continuity inRick and Mortyis rather messy; the family has lived in multiple timelines, on multiple planets, with multiple Ricks.Rick and Morty's Smith family may even all be decoys — how can one calculate linear time through all of those experiences?

One hint atRick and Morty'strue timeline comes after Rick and Morty inevitably get in trouble with the federal government. When Rick reveals his plan, the family points out that Rick has tried this same con multiple times since living with them, with Jerry asking Rick in exasperation if he's attempting the same plan again. Since Thanksgiving only happens once a year, Rick has had to have lived with the Smiths for multiple years at this point to have spent multiple holidays with them. Jerry also points out that he has wanted to have Thanksgiving with his parents for some time now, further driving home the fact that Rick has been with them for multiple holidays.

Yet, the storyline doesn't quite fit the narrative that Rick has been with the family for multiple years. Firstly, the family hasn't aged since Rick's arrival, as Morty and Summer are still 14 and 17 years old, respectively. It's possible that their frequent time manipulation may have had some effect on their age relative to the timeline. With season 5 referencing the passing of time and displaying growth from the Smith family, Morty and Summer just might get to age in this season. However, the sci-fi shenanigans thatRick and Mortyget up to allows the show to maintain a murky timeline, referencing the passing of time without further aging their characters. While this can make Rick and Morty'scontinuity confusing, it also gives the show more room to do one of its favorite things: make fun of itself.

Next: Rick & Morty Retcons American History (Thanksgiving Ancient Warriors Explained)