Season 1 - The show at its most fresh and creative. The jokes land and the meanness feels thematically intentional. The serialization is emotional rather than self-referential, and the characters have actual fucking arcs. The run between S1E5 - S1E8 is peak.

Season 2 - Really decent follow-up where the thematic throughline is kept intact. The high of the Unity episode is unbelievably good; she's such a cool character overall and such a fun example of the creative potential of the show. Also, S2E7's Beth and Jerry therapy subplot may be my favorite of the bunch?

Season 9 - It's a different show. Feels like a fresh start where the new writers have finally found their voice. (Even if that voice feels different and less unique than S1/S2) The show has the kindness of S7/S8, but it also feels compelling again (despite the baggage of the previous seasons) w/ arguably some of the strongest identity-oriented scifi concepts since S3. The self-referential eps like S9E5 I still find annoying, but at least it has a really enjoyable Jerry side story. And S9E2's ability to have an emotionally/thematically resonant moment with Ted/Rick pushing the button without any needle drops shows a newfound confidence and class I really appreciate.

Season 3 - The beginning of the end. Despite perhaps the strongest collection of colorfully designed worlds, and some of the best identity-centered r&m scifi concepts, here the show flanderizes itself into oblivion and destroys the emotional and thematic throughlines S1&2 set up, perhaps to extend the show, perhaps not, but the descent into meaningless meaness, the void that is S4-6, starts here unfortunately. (Ricklantis is peak, and Rest and Ricklaxation is underrated, and the budget has obviously increased, the animation is really slick)

Season 7 - Really fucking high highs.

The rest kind of reeks though... The need to be constantly self-referential is really really annoying, and starts to take away from the previous episodes even... Numericons felt pointless and unfunny even though I appreciate the big swing. The Poopy Butthole episode didn't offer anything in terms of scifi, humor, or compelling character progression. And the crossover with Curtis, Wong, and Unity felt like it detracted from all 3 characters. I ride for Unity, and this felt like a cheap rehash that took away some of her agency and the importance of her choice to leave in the first place. (Also why does everything have to connect? pet peeve)

Season 8 - We've fully escaped Roiland's ghost. Half the episodes, the ones that aren't emotionally oriented or Jerry oriented, kinda suffer. Nomortland is awesome, and Hot Rick feels warmer than I thought the show was capable of being. I like Bird Daughter. And the Deaged Beths Gene combo was a joy... (I have a bias to theme park episodes)

Season 6 > Season 4 > Season 5 - Meandering, mean and non-committal. The show gestures at character progress without ever actually doing it. The serialization feels faux, trying to have its cake and eat it too, making fun of Star Wars while doing a "Star Wars".  The jokes feel empty, and the scifi isn't as clever. I fucking hate Gaia, such a poor imitation of my goat Unity. (minus 8 points) Some unique dramatic highs with the Vat of Acid Episode and Analyze Piss, even if in the larger scheme of things they fall flat because emotional growth feels nearly nonexistent. And S5 does some fun ontological stuff with Evil Morty being evil because he's the Anti-Rick, but the beat itself is surrounded in an episode and season that's so committed to its post-modern self-hatred the world itself that it's describing is just so bland and boring. Mr Nimbus and "***Fight***, ***Fuck***, ***Flee***" is top tier though.

Episode/Season Tier List