Blueberry

The show literally draws the parallel for us: first we see Diane drinking with Rick, and later, in Morty’s fantasy, we see an adult Morty and Rick drinking together in almost the same way.

And then Morty gets the life he apparently wants: Rick chooses him over Diane, they grow up together, remain partners, live together, and Morty even buys a house for the two of them.

So was it really necessary to make the parallel that explicit? It makes Morty’s fear feel much more specific than simply “Rick will abandon me.” He wants to be the person Rick chooses, the person who can occupy that irreplaceable place in his life even after Morty grows up and no longer needs him in the same way.

And the cruelest part is that The Hole gives him exactly that reassurance, only for it to be a fantasy.