Summary

• Older seasons of Rick and Morty are the undisputed leader, with 8 of the 10 highest-rated episodes on IMDb.
• It’s hard to recapture the magic of earlier seasons, as later episodes can hardly match the brilliance of the past.
• “Fear No Mort” stands out as a top episode in a trend where the quality of the show is declining according to fan ratings.

The highest rated episodes of Rick and Morty on IMDb prove that the quality of the series has steadily declined since the much-praised first seasons. When the series first aired in 2013 and in the first few seasons Rick and Morty had a small cult following. But around the third or fourth season, it suddenly became a global pop culture phenomenon. This was great for the show because it was safe from cancellation – Adult Swim renewed it for up to 100 episodes – but it also meant a decline in the quality of the show.

In the seven seasons and more Rick and Morty has survived all sorts of problems. It managed to survive the firing of co-creator Justin Roiland amid disturbing allegations and the recasting of the title roles with similar-sounding actors. But one problem that has persisted is that the show just isn’t as great as it once was. The genius of the first few seasons was short-lived, and Rick and Morty has been pretty mixed since then. The series can still deliver fantastic episodes, but it’s not as consistently brilliant as it originally was.

8 of the 10 best-rated episodes of Rick and Morty on IMDb are from older seasons

Almost all of Rick and Morty’s most popular episodes come from the early years

Eight of the ten highest rated Rick and Morty Episodes on IMDb are from the older seasons. The list includes one episode from Season 1, three episodes from Season 2, three episodes from Season 3, and one episode from Season 4. That leaves only two of the top 10 episodes from the later seasons: Season 5, Episode 10, “Rickmurai Jack,” which brought the Evil Morty story arc to a climax; and Season 7, Episode 10, “Fear No Mort,” in which Morty faces his worst fears in a metaphysical hole in the men’s room at a Denny’s.

A clear pattern can be seen here: The Rick and Morty Fans who vote for their favorite episodes of the series enjoyed the earlier seasons much more than the later seasons. A few of the later episodes managed to sneak through, but there is an obvious bias towards seasons 1 through 4 as opposed to season 5 and those after. There is not a single episode of season 6 in IMDb’s top 10 highest rated episodes. The general consensus seems to be that the later seasons of the series have not reached the same heights as the earlier installments.

Why the older episodes of Rick and Morty remain the best in the series

It’s hard to capture lightning in a bottle more than once

When Rick and Morty Season 1 premiered in 2013 and was a breath of fresh air. The darkness of the humor, the unbridled imagination of the sci-fi storytelling, and the overall nihilistic attitude of the series felt new and exciting. In seasons 1, 2, and 3, it felt like the series had endless possibilities. But when seasons 6 and 7 came along, The possibilities begin to feel less infiniteThe show follows a set pattern and repeats many familiar storylines – there are about three episodes about how Rick reluctantly begins to respect Jerry.

However, the show has improved in many ways. Beth, Jerry and Summer have been more developed as characters over the course of the series. Additionally, there was a lot of risqué humor in the earlier seasons that hasn’t aged particularly well. The later seasons avoid some of the more problematic jokes, which has made the comedy more inclusive. But the early seasons of Rick and Morty captured lightning in a bottle and it’s hard to replicate.

Rick and Morty
has been extended to season 10.

Rick And Morty’s highest-rated episodes make Fear No Morty even more impressive

“Fear No Mort” is already considered one of the best episodes of the series of all time

The fact that Rick and MortyThe fact that fans have flatly rejected the later seasons of the series – at least in the IMDb rating system – makes the ranking of “Fear No Mort” even more impressive. It was the last episode of Rick and MortyThe seventh season of “The Last Man” was probably the most changeable episode of the series so far. The fact that it is considered the fifth best episode of the series – placed even higher than Season 3, Episode 3, “Pickle Rick,” which is practically a religious text for the Rick and Morty Fan baseis quite an achievement.

And it’s easy to see why “Fear No Mort” is rated so highly; it really is that good. It tackles one of the show’s biggest themes – Morty’s fear that Rick doesn’t really love him and might replace him – in a really poignant way that was worth the wait. It’s all a great Rick and Morty episode should be: It’s funny, it’s crazy, it’s emotionally engaging, it’s character-driven, and it ends with one of the most touching moments in the series that proves Rick really does love Morty.