10 Best Rick And Morty Episodes

With the impressive fourth season of this hit science-fiction cartoon still fresh in our minds, it seems like the perfect time to go back through the history of the show's forty-one episode run and discuss which of them ranks highest in terms of quality.

Rick and Morty as a show teaches us a lot about how adult cartoons can have a significant cultural impact. Colloquialisms from the series have etched their way into the conscious mind of the mainstream, and even after four seasons, every new episode generates an impact.

Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland's ambitious series shows that a cartoon can have a mixture of genuine scientific knowledge, crude and abrasive humour and moments of real sadness without feeling contrived.

Thanks to Dan Harmon's adaptation of the heroes journey into what he calls the 'Story Circle', a streamlining of the classic storytelling structure, he generated a show that has a great structure whilst not being formulaic, and due to this will be relevant for a long time.

This list was generated through IMDB ratings, general reception from fans, and this writer's own opinion. It will contain spoilers for the episodes discussed.

There are many standout moments within the Rick and Morty series that help to see the show as something more than a silly Back to the Future parody cartoon series. It doesn't always merely deal with fun sci-fi scenarios, but some more complex ideas that leave a significant impact on the characters involved in the show.

In this episode, we see how Rick operates when in a relationship. This relationship is with an alien presence known as Unity, who assimilates beings into a large scale hive mind, but this seems fitting for Rick as the dramatic flare of the relationship connects with his somewhat unfathomable existence.

However, towards the end of the episode - after taking Unity for granted and making them spiral into the same self-destructive habits he delivers upon himself - they leave Rick, and the only remains he finds is a note dictating why this has happened.

The letter is heartbreaking but also accurate, and in a rare moment within the series, we see how Rick's response to heartbreak reveals the deeper levels of self-loathing and destructive personality his otherwise confident persona hides.

Alongside this excellent character work, we also follow Beth and Jerry in a fun side story surrounding a murderous creature known as Blim Blam, which helps to juxtapose the severity of the episode nicely.

Overall this is a great, fun episode that peels back the curtain a little on Rick Sanchez.