Jerry Smith is the quintessential "everyman" of the series—if that everyman were defined by crippling insecurity, a love for Titanic, and a desperate need for the approval of a father-in-law who despises him. Despite being the family’s punching bag, his lore reveals he is the "glue" that often keeps the Smith household grounded.
Key aspects of Jerry Smith's lore:
Employment and Identity: Jerry spent much of the early series as an unemployed advertising executive (famous for the failed "Hungry for Apples?" campaign). His identity is built on outdated patriarchal ideas and mediocre hobbies, like bee-keeping or making coins with R2-D2 on them.
The Jerryboree: Because Jerry is so prone to being killed or lost on alien planets, Rick created a cross-dimensional daycare called Jerryboree. It’s filled with Jerrys from various timelines who watch Midnight Run and complain about Rick. At the end of Season 2, our "main" Jerry was accidentally swapped with another, meaning the Jerry we follow now might not even be the original C-137 Jerry.
Marriage and Separation: His marriage to Beth was a "shotgun wedding" after she got pregnant with Summer in high school. They briefly divorced in Season 3, during which Jerry lived in a sad studio apartment and befriended a telepathic hunter. Their reunion in the Season 3 finale was a rare moment of Jerry "winning" against Rick.
Multiversal Variants: While most Jerrys are pathetic, the lore includes Doofus Jerry (from the comics), a ruthless, hyper-intelligent corporate overlord who conquered his version of Rick. There is also Invisible Garbage Truck Jerry and the various Jerrys seen in the Jerry Smith Wikipedia entries.
Character Growth: In later seasons, Jerry finds a strange peace. He develops a "don't give a damn" attitude that occasionally makes him immune to Rick's psychological warfare, and he has even saved the family on a few occasions using his sheer, unremarkable persistence.