Rick and Morty Season 9: Freshness and Multiversal Madness Continue

Get ready for another dose of interdimensional chaos! The ninth season of Rick and Morty is here, and early impressions suggest the Adult Swim series shows no signs of fatigue. The premiere episode will air on Adult Swim on May 24 and hit HBO Max on June 15, promising to maintain the formula that has captivated millions.

It's hard to believe that Rick and Morty has reached its ninth season, and that's without counting the animated series _Rick and Morty: The Anime_! What's truly impressive is the consistency the show has managed to maintain over the years. While other iconic productions, like The Simpsons, began to decline, Rick and Morty seems to have found the key to reinventing itself without losing its core identity.

Fortunately, the series doesn't appear to be suffering the same fate as other television legends. While some Season 9 episodes are stronger than others, this has been a constant across all seasons of the show. Season 8, for example, took its sweet time building momentum and getting to the good stuff. In contrast, Season 9 kicks off with real legs, and several episodes are already shaping up to be among the saga's best.

Season 9 presents itself as a return to the series' essentials. The chronically drunk uber-genius Rick Sanchez (voiced by Ian Cardoni) and his skittish grandson Morty (portrayed by Harry Belden) continue their sci-fi adventures across the multiverse, while their family members get caught up in their own antics. Since the Rick Prime storyline was resolved in Season 7, the series hasn't really established a new central conflict. Season 9 does little to change that, with only a minor subplot about the Smiths getting a backyard pool offering anything in the way of connective tissue between episodes.

While the lack of an ongoing serialized narrative might be disappointing for some, it hasn't historically been a priority for the series. However, having a backbone driving the plot forward was always a nice-to-have. Season 9 features only one "mythology episode," and it doesn't significantly alter Rick's status quo or establish a greater threat to his hedonistic existence. In fact, fans might take umbrage with how a long-running character is handled in that particular episode.

Fortunately, we don’t have to wait long for the good stuff. Season 9 peaks early in Episode 2, “Ricks Days, Seven Nights,” which reveals what happens when Rick’s annual getaway vacation goes horribly wrong.

That episode, along with Episode 6, “Erickerhead,” features Rick in direct conflict with himself, finding both comedic gold and dramatic meat. Even after all these years, the series still finds new ways to illustrate how Rick is his own worst enemy, both literally and figuratively. The season also boasts several strong Morty-driven episodes, as we continue to see the character try to pull away from Rick’s malignant influence and forge his own path.

Episode 7, “Mortgully: The Last Rickforest,” is a fun example that forces the duo to become part of an alien ecosystem, evolving or dying, prompting two very different journeys. Then there’s Episode 8, “Rickuiem Mort a Dream,” which explores the concept of empathy and forces the pair into a complete role reversal with very entertaining results. Episode 2 is perhaps the personal favorite of the season, but it’s closely followed by the season finale, “Field of Dreams,” the most significant Morty-centric chapter. Without giving too much away, it’s a multiverse-focused chapter that shows Morty a world where his life might have played out differently, and it’s very poignant in its exploration of how toxic and destructive the Rick/Morty dynamic truly is.

Despite the high points, there are relatively weaker episodes to be found in Season 9, though none are outright duds. Episode 3, “Rick Fu Hustle,” starts out as an amusing parody of martial arts movies, but it never really builds to anything particularly compelling, though the anime-style fight sequence later on is pretty amusing. Episode 5, “Jer Bud,” is another installment that doesn’t quite meet expectations. While it’s fun to see the series hearken back to one of its earliest episodes, this is one Morty-focused conflict that never quite connects.

As ever, the series is mostly preoccupied with its two title characters, but there are various subplots focused on the rest of the Smith family. However, fans of Summer (Spencer Grammer) and especially the two Beths (Sarah Chalke) may feel a bit let down. None of these characters really gets the attention they deserve. Space Beth, in particular, barely factors into the plot of the new season and is relegated to a glorified cameo role. Summer does move to the forefront in the latter half of the season, generally to entertaining results, but there still seems to be a lot of untapped potential with her character.

Luckily, we can always count on Jerry (Chris Parnell) to carry the day. Several Season 9 episodes benefit from memorable Jerry subplots. The aforementioned “Jer Bud” may be mostly disappointing on the Morty front, but it benefits from a highly entertaining Jerry B-plot where we learn just how dangerous the Smith family patriarch can be when his confidence levels are unnaturally boosted. “Rickuiem Mort a Dream” is also a high point in this regard, as Jerry unwittingly bonds with a local serial killer and things spiral from there. Jerry continues to be the show’s most consistently amusing character and its secret MVP.

Visually and sonically, Season 9 never really disappoints. Several episodes (like the aforementioned “Rick Fu Hustle”) benefit from epic scenes of bombastic action and sci-fi chaos. “Mortgully: The Last Rickforest” is also a highlight here, with its inventive visuals and unusual jungle setting. The series handles its spectacle very well, far eclipsing what we normally expect from Adult Swim shows. Granted, it’s also far more successful than most Adult Swim shows, so it has the benefit of those extra resources and a much bigger budget.

Regarding the main voice cast, there are really no complaints to be had. It’s impressive just how much Cardoni and Belden have managed to make these characters their own over the past couple of seasons. It never feels as though the two are doing a pale imitation of the departed Justin Roiland, even as their voices are so similar you’d really have to compare audio samples side-by-side to even notice the difference at this point. Vocally, the only complaint to lodge is that Season 9 doesn’t have many standout guest stars. Only Owen Wilson leaves an especially strong impression with his guest role in “A Ricker Runs Through It.”

Probably the best that can be said for Rick and Morty Season 9 is that it never really feels stale. Yes, some episodes work better than others. Yes, some characters feel underutilized. But the storytelling still has a freshness and a bite that persists after all these years. Compared to Season 8, which too often seemed to retread past ideas, Season 9 feels more novel and inventive. It’s a very good sign that Rick and Morty can still feel fresh after nearly 100 episodes, particularly as the series has now been renewed through Season 12. 100 years of Rick and Morty, indeed!

In summary, keeping any series fresh and exciting after nine seasons is no easy task, but Rick and Morty pulls it off. If anything, Season 9 is an improvement over the relatively weaker Season 8. Certainly, not every episode is a banger, but there are several here that rank among the show’s best. The series continues to merge high-concept sci-fi with wacky comedy. It still finds novel ways of exploring how Rick Sanchez is his own worst enemy and how toxic the Smith family dynamic can be. With at least three more seasons left to go, the series still has plenty to offer fans.