From creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland “Rick and Morty” has cemented itself as one of the greatest animated comedy shows of all time. Stretching the boundaries with its wild Sci-Fi driven narrative a drunken mad scientist grandfather named Rick Sanchez, and his distressed, optimistic, slow learning goofball of a grandson Morty Smith, together they go on all sorts of wild adventures and missions throughout the multiple universes.
Morty, and his sporadic drama oriented older sister Summer come from what would be a pretty normal conventional family, if it wasn’t for their genius scientist of a grandfather, who mostly spends his time in the garage drinking and creating some of the coolest and most innovative inventions of all time. While low key holding his title as the smartest mammal in the universe, and the most feared man in all the cosmos. Though beyond Rick, Morty and Summer have other issues of their own at home. Their mother Beth Sanchez, daughter of Rick and horse surgeon is married to her high school sweetheart Jerry Smith, the most insecure, soft, simple, man and marketing advertiser in the universe, who got Beth pregnant on prom night with summer. Their marriage is at times not the most amicable, but together they tend to make it their mission to make Summer and Morty’s lives even more complicated and wacky then it already is. Together this family goes through all sorts of insane adventures as well as struggles while they stand out just a bit amongst other families with the ability to travel the multiple universes, and have god like powers through Rick’s inventions at almost any given moment.
Rick and Morty and occasionally Summer, go on adventures throughout different planets in different galaxies in different universes and in different timelines as well, jumping constant narratives and introducing multiple unique and hilarious characters along the way. Making this show a constant joy ride of fresh new hilarious content while subtly showing a dark under belly. A depressing yet passionate dark theme rides within the show mostly through Rick, one where his past and present actions haunt him every day. But also with the rest of the families characters as well, as they struggle to figure out who they are, and where they truly fit into the vast amount of worlds that they know to exist. Just having the concept of knowing that there is so much out there tends to create this anxiety and depressing scope on reality, and knowing that they all have the power through Rick’s creations to be able to do so much more is almost the bane to their existence as well.
Despite this darker other side to the show, it is mostly just and epic journey of absolute hilariousness and ridiculous plots, brand new words characters, random items and all sorts of creations that you cannot believe someone could think of. Rick and Morty is truly one of the most revolutionary and innovative shows of all time, and below is listed each season with episodes as well.
Season 1:
1. “Pilot”
2. “Lawnmower Dog”
3. “Anatomy Park”
4. “M. Night Shaym-Aliens!”
5. “Meeseeks and Destroy”
6. “Rick Potion #9”
7. “Raising Gazorpazorp”
8. “Rixty Minutes”
9. “Something Ricked This Way Comes”
10. “Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind”
11. “Ricksy Business”
Season 2:
1. “A Rickle in Time”
2. “Mortynight Run”
3. “Auto Erotic Assimilation”
4. “Total Rickall”
5. “Get Schwifty”
6. “The Ricks Must Be Crazy”
7. “Big Trouble in Little Sanchez”
8. “Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate”
9. “Look Who’s Purging Now”
10.”The Wedding Squanchers”
Season 3:
1. “The Rickshank Rickdemption”
2. “Rickmancing the Stone”
3. “Pickle Rick”
4. “Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender”
5. “The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy”
6. “Rest and Ricklaxation”
7. “The Ricklantis Mixup”
8. “Morty’s Mind Blowers”
9. “The ABCs of Beth”
10.”The Rickchurian Mortydate”
Season 4:
1. “Edge of Tomorty: Rick Die Rickpeat”
2. “The Old Man and the Seat”
3. “One Crew over the Crewcoo’s Morty”
4. “Claw and Hoarder: Special Ricktim’s Morty”
5. “Rattlestar Ricklactica”
6. “Never Ricking Morty”
7. “Promortyus”
8. “The Vat of Acid Episode”
9. “Childrick of Mort”
10.”Star Mort Rickturn of the Jerri”
While each season has chronological events and scenes that continue throughout the show going forward Dan and Justin like to take the approach where mostly every episode is an unexpected adventure or story of some sort waiting to happen, but they carry all of these events that develop and change the characters throughout the show. Ultimately creating an amazing journey where you watch these characters change and grow into or away from themselves, all the while keeping the show on a healthy balance between light fresh hilarious humor, and a dark sinister undertone where something is always brewing in the background of the plot.
The most impressive thing about the show by far is how absolutely creative and innovative they are with the characters, their designs, random words and items, planets, universes you name it. Rick and Morty usually takes longer than most shows to create simply due to how absolutely unique and new their content is. While also finding the ability to take content from other shows and reference them as well in with a way that is both funny and stays immersive to the viewer. Dan and Justin like to bring the real world into the show by making hilarious shoutouts to real people and companies whether they like them or not, it’s just there thing and the audience loves it.
Audio and Voice Recording
Animation for the show is done using Toon Boom Harmony, post-production work is done in Adobe After Effects, and background art is done in Adobe Photoshop. Production of animation is handled by Bardel Entertainment in Vancouver, Canada.
Justin Roiland also said back in an interview in 2013 that he is most heavily influenced by the Simpson’s style of animation, and that’s what was the main focus point on his creative vision going forward.
Where to Watch
The show is available to watch on Netflix in a number of countries, including Australia, while the first three seasons are available to stream in the United States on both Hulu and HBO Max.
Again I highly recommend anyone to watch this show, if you haven’t already. It also comes out in DVD versions if streaming isn’t your best option, enjoy.
