Rick and Morty is back on our screens with ten new episodes that are "all certified bangers" if the synopsis for season nine is to be believed. "No AI slop! Just Grade A organic slop, made by real humans with real human traits like back hair and cysts. Please watch, or we'll have neglected our families for nothing."
In recent years, some longtime fans might have questioned whether it was worth the animators "neglecting" their families for what felt like a significant downturn in quality. That's not to say Rick and Morty has ever been slop in the truly derogatory sense of the term, but there's certainly been a growing consensus that the glory days of the show are behind it.
Early seasons subverted expectations to such a high standard that it was only a matter of time until Rick and Morty was crushed under the weight of that pressure. How do you continue to surprise when viewers expect to be constantly surprised without losing the essence of the story and characters at hand?
But just when I thought I might have to pack it all up and move to a different dimension, one where Rick and Morty never wavered, the team at Adult Swim has begun to steer things in the right direction again.
About time
Now, don't get me wrong. Season nine doesn't have a "certified banger" that's up there with classic episodes like "Total Rickall" or "Rick Potion #9". There's not even a "Pickle Rick," really. Yet season nine is still far more consistent than the show has been in recent years, with a few episodes that'll absolutely reaffirm your decision to stick with the Sanchez family for at least a little while longer.
Season nine takes things back to basics in more ways than one. And by "basic," I mean less basic, actually. While the last couple of seasons grew repetitive and even uninspired at points, often resorting to simple parody without anything new to say, multiple episodes here surprise in ways that remind me of the show in its heyday.
Key to this is a stronger balance between epic sagas that occasionally tap into continuity, the kind that longtime fans often crave, and more focused character-driven episodes, which succeed as memorable one-offs.
The premiere presents an intriguing mix of the two, leading us down one somewhat generic path before completely switching to become something else entirely. That one is shrouded in more secrecy than the rest, however (hence how vague I'm being in my description).
In terms of emotional impact, the second episode stands out early on, finding new ways to tap into just how damaged Rick really is with what seems to start out as just another simple side adventure. Again, it's the subversion of expectation that works so well, doing all it can to avoid the easy path.
Former glories
Speaking of the basics, there's a renewed focus on Rick's drinking in that episode and beyond, highlighting what was once a staple of the show before it was largely sidelined or forgotten in recent years. One particular mystery around this, which you might not have even thought of before, is answered quite smartly here a few episodes in.
Pre-launch, it's hard to go into more plot specifics, but just know that a few fan-favorite characters, including one we haven't seen in a very long time, come back in meaningful ways that go beyond mere fan service.
More time is also given to the family at large, who no longer feel so much like a subplot in their own home. Rick and Morty remain the focus, but Jerry, Summer and the two Beths are incorporated more seamlessly here than they have been in quite some time.
Rick and Morty gets a spin-off series starring one of the best voice actors of all time
The same is also true of voice actors Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden who, three seasons in, feel just as integral to the show as Rick and Morty themselves. Long gone are those initial stumbles in season seven, to the point where I don't even notice Justin Roiland's absence anymore following his firing in 2023.
This is all to say that it feels like there's more ambition again suddenly, as if the writers' room has been re-energised approaching the end of Rick and Morty's initial ten-season order. But as nice as it is to see the show still strive for greatness, thirteen years in, is this a case of too little too late?
Season eight's premiere was the least viewed yet, with audience numbers of around 300,000 on Adult Swim. The rise of streaming aside, this downward turn doesn't exactly bode well for the future of the series, and if nothing else, it's become increasingly clear that the show's cultural impact is no longer what it once was.
But if you're thinking about giving up on Rick and Morty, or did already and simply came here through sheer curiosity, trust me when I say that 2026 is the year you should give the pair another chance. Few shows like this continue to evolve nine seasons in, and as the show itself puts it, this is "Grade A organic slop" you won't want to miss.
Rick and Morty season 9 releases on Adult Swim on May 24. For more, here are the new TV shows still to come in 2026. Plus, there's a look back at some of the best Rick and Morty episodes ever.
