Rick and Mortyis one of the world’s most beloved adult animations, with one particularly impactful episode changing the series forever.Rick and Morty’sweirdest storylinesare often its best. Justin Roiland and Dan Harmond nailed the show’s formula — unconventional adult humor liberated completely by its animated format, enabling the dark, the sexual, the grotesque, and the sci-fi. Throughout this winning formula, the show switched tactics a few times, choosing to tell its story in different ways, in line with the changing demands and interests of the showrunners. This was very noticeable in one season 1 episode.
FromRick and Morty’smost powerful villainsto its dysfunctional heroes, the show demonstrates its capacity to write a truly diverse range of characters. What may be most interesting about this achievement on the show’s part is that perhaps the most diverse characters can all be attributed to just one character, ultimately. Of course, it is the multiverse element ofRick and Mortythat enables this. And, of course, the character in question is Rick Sanchez. Viewers were introduced to many Ricks in “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind,” setting the show on a different course.
“Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind” Was The Start Of Rick And Morty’s Canonical Episodes
Rick And Morty Spiraled Into A Different Beast After “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind”
Rick and Mortywas never the same again after “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind.” This penultimate episode of season 1 marked the end of a truly episodic show and the start of a more serialized TV series. With a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes, season 1 ofRick and Mortyis its highest-scoring and is widely held as its best by fans. The show got better after season 1 in many ways, of course. But the change that marked the show beginning to diverge from its original premise transpired in “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind.”
This penultimate episode of season 1 marked the end of a truly episodic show and the start of a more serialized TV series.
Some fans and critics, therefore, consider the show worse from this episode onwards. This is not actually true,with much of Roiland and Harmon’s best work airing inRick and Mortyseasons 3, 4, and 6. But it is true that part of the effortless joy of the show came with the standalone nature of season 1’s episodes, as the show laid the groundwork for its future storylines. As many ofthe best versions of Rick Sanchezwere introduced in “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind,”Rick and Mortybegan its canonical plot, to be developed across its many seasons.
Rick And Morty Was No Longer Just An Episodic Show After “Close Rick-Counters Of The Rick Kind”
Rick And Morty Started Getting Conspirational From Season 2
Rick and Mortystarted getting real from season 2, with its key setup having been completed in season 1. Although the lighthearted charm of season 1 would never quite return in the same way, many ofRick and Morty’sbest episodeswere still ahead of it. Saving a life or putting a fire out per episode worked well in season 1, and it would make a comeback during the show’s many seasons. However, the show finally dropped viewers in at the deep end of its multiverse at the end of season 1,opening up multi-galactic adventures pitting Rick against Rick.
Rick and Mortyseason 7 aired on August 14, 2025.
Viewers couldn’t miss “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind” if they really wanted to stay on top of proceedings in season 2, proving that it was now a show one had to commit to rather than dip in and out of. This was thefirst episode of the show’s evil Morty plotlines, a thread that would prove to dominateRick and Mortyfor years.Rick and Mortyseason 7 is the most divisive seasonyet, having strayed further from the style of season 1 than any other season, relying heavily on threads introduced in “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind.”
Rick And Morty May Have Become Too Dependent On Its Overarching Storylines
Rick And Morty Would Be Wise To Retain Standalone Episodes
Rick and Mortymay have become too embedded in its canon for its own good. Season 6 and season 7 were some of the show’s most confusing, a situation which was not helped by having to remember so many former episodes and plot points to grasp ongoing events. Despite the genius of the multiverse exposed by “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind,”Rick and Mortywould be wise to retain standalone episodes as a facet of each season. They enable new fans easy entry to the show, which will be key to its growth.
Everyone Hates This Rick And Morty Episode, But Is It Really That Bad?
Despite its overall critical acclaim, not every episode of Rick and Morty succeeds at blending the sci-fi world with a quality emotional story.
Rick and Mortyseason 7’s ending defines season 8in many ways, indicating that it may not be able to go back to the normal previously established. However, season 8 can still retract a certain amount of reliance on the show’s overarching storylines and insert some standalone episodes that are easy to watch and target big laughs. This will maximize opportunities for die-hard fans to enjoy the show, even if they’re too tired to recall previous episodes. As Morty becomes more independent in season 8,evil Morty can remain a key plot but should work without knowledge of former seasons.
Rick and Mortywould be wise to retain standalone episodes as a facet of each season.
Regardless of being the lowest-rated season ofRick and Mortyyet, with just 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, season 7’s controversial nature proves why the show remains one of the best cartoons of its era. The show became more serialized, more self-aware, more meta, and more self-referential, all changes that polarized its fan base. But it never stagnated, determined to evolve in a changing environment made chaotic by a global pandemic, war, and Hollywood strikes.Rick and Mortybecame less episodic as it changed with the times, but it can stay most relevant by balancing episodic and serialized elements.
Rick and Morty
Cast
Rick and Morty is an animated science fiction series that follows the eccentric scientist Rick Sanchez and his impressionable grandson Morty Smith as they embark on perilous adventures across space and alternate dimensions. The show explores the impact of these exploits on Morty’s tumultuous family life and personal challenges.
