A modern pop culture phenomenon, Rick and Morty introduced the world to a crazy show, interesting humor, and hilarious memes. With three seasons and a few more on the way, it is clear that Rick and Morty is a clear hit with viewers and memers alike. Creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland have made something really unique and wild that will be remembered for a long time. With 31 episodes available at the time of writing, there is an epic binge-watching weekend awaiting any curious new fans or old hands who want to relive the fun before the next season comes out. However, what episodes are the best?
Best: The Ricklantis Mixup
In this epic episode, we get to take another peek into the mind of Evil Morty. Fans finally get a chance to see what his plans for Rick and the Citadel are. With clear references to and inspiration from Training Day and Stand By Me, this episode has Rick and Morty as a buddy-cop duo going on an adventure with plenty of back-up Mortys to spare.
A bunch of these Mortys even make it to the wishing portal, making for some wacky situations. It will be a while until Evil Morty is on-screen again, but it is always a good time when he is.
Worst: Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate
In this episode, Jerry gets sick and risks losing his manhood for the sake of an alien leader and Rick, Morty, and Summer show us the amazing possibilities that interdimensional television holds. With a cameo from the Eyehole Man, this episode just seems half-baked and uninteresting compared to other episodes in the series. It is still rated fairly highly online, with IMDB giving it a 7.5, but that is nothing compared to the almost perfect score that some of the top episodes have received from various critics and fans of the show. Some fans are still into this on, though.
Best: Total Rickall
Weird, chaotic, and crazy, this is one of those episodes that really captures the best of what Rick and Morty can be. Total Rickall introduced us to some fan favorite characters like Mr. Poopybutthole, Ghost in a Jar, Cousin Nicky, and Penysylvester, already raising it to epic status.
However, it is the writing and the humor that solidify it as a perfect example of what Rick and Morty is all about. Once you have watched it, it is easy to see why this episode is so loved by the Rick and Morty fandom. Give it a go and embrace the bizarre events.
Worst: The ABCs Of Beth
An episode that focuses on Beth, The ABCs of Beth brings us into a world that Rick created for Beth when they were younger. Beth sees the world and realizes that she has to find a childhood-friend that she lost in there all those years ago. While this episode is a cool concept with a purpose, it seems out of place when compared to other episodes in the season and the series as a whole. It also feels like they abandon the initial plot halfway through in favor of another one entirely. It is an odd one, but it is satisfying seeing Rick get hurt for a change.
Best: Pickle Rick
Of course, Pickle Rick was going to be on the best list. There are so many reasons why this is the best; the memes, the jokes, the gore. Pickle Rick takes Rick and takes everything away from him that makes him so iconic and just sees what happens. It is similar to Walter White and his RV situation.
While some people try to argue that this episode is super overrated, there are many fans who disagree. Seeing this episode is touching and disgusting and funny all at once, which is an impressive feat to pull off. Not only that, but it fits in well with all the other wild episodes.
Worst: Pilot
If you actually want to get into Rick and Morty, do not start with the first episode. While there are glimpses of what Rick and Morty is capable of, it falls flat on its face. The episodes are more dad-jokey than anything, Rick is just a stumbling drunk with little emphasis being placed on the evil genius side, and Morty is just downright annoying - it’s hard to feel sorry for him when he is so whiny. Apparently ‘Morty’ is said over a hundred times in this episode alone, but it feels like a lot more. This episode feels like a warm-up, but it is not good.
Best: Close Rick-Counters Of The Rick Kind
A wild episode from start to finish, this one is chock-a-block with Ricks. Rick is framed for a crime that he did not commit and leads the Council of Ricks on a wild goose chase through dimensions as he and Morty try to prove his innocence. The chase and antics that follow are hilarious and watching Rick interact with the various versions of himself is fun to watch.
How the Ricks end up in Morty’s house is weird, but it is touching to watch Jerry and Rick have a heart to heart, even if the version of Rick doing it is Doofus Rick rather than the classic genius we know.
Worst: Raising Gazorpazorp
In this episode, Morty becomes a father to a super weird alien baby while Rick and Summer are trapped on a dangerous planet together. For some, this episode is excellent satire discussing gender stereotypes and allows us to see a rare Rick and Summer adventure on a dangerous planet. However, for others, it just seems crass and honestly kind of boring. That being said, Raising Gazorpazorp does have some cool things to say about raising children and educating young kids as they grow up. Plus, Morty as a father is crazy to think about.
Best: The Ricks Must Be Crazy
The Ricks Must Be Crazy basically states that Rick is a god. In this episode, we see that Rick makes micro and tiny mini verses purely as fuel for his ship. This is pretty brutal, but it is cool to see him argue with tiny versions of himself and feel how frustrating it is to try to deal with himself.
It also confirms that Rick’s ship just straight up traumatizes anyone it comes into contact with without fail. How does Rick even keep track of everything that is going on? What does being used as fuel feel like for the tiny versions of Rick? There are so many questions.
Worst: Get Schwifty
Get Schwifty is the sixteenth episode in the series or the fifth episode of season 2. In this episode, Rick and Morty are challenged to create music by an alien entity, so they call on Ice-T to help them win an intergalactic music competition. The song Get Schwifty is a funny classic song in the series, but that is kind of where it stops. For some fans, this episode was not particularly memorable and did not live up to the bar the other episodes set. For others, Get Schwifty is iconic and a truly classic Rick and Morty episode. This episode is definitely a Marmite style one.
That was Rick and Morty: 5 Best (and 5 Worst) Episodes. What did you think?
