Review: Rick and Morty

You may have noticed that I have a love for cartoons designed for adult audiences. I think that animation intended for an adult demographic is highly under-valued as a medium. This seems to be changing a bit as it becomes more popular, with shows such as Bojack Horseman and movies like Sausage Party hitting our screens. While shows like South Park and Family Guy have been around for years, it seems like now more than ever we're seeing more variety, and an increased popularity of this form.

I decided to check out Rick and Morty when I saw that it was on Netflix. I'd heard mentions of it here and there, the general consensus being that it was funny. After watching the first episode, I was like yeah, ok, that was kind of weird, kind of funny. I definitely wanted to keep watching, because of the hype and I wanted to see what else there was to it. A few episodes in and I was hooked. There are only 21 episodes, so it didn't take me long to get through the first two seasons. The downfall of getting invested in something so early on is bingeing all the episodes and having to wait for more; fortunately season three is due to air later this year, with episode one having already been released.

If you are unfamiliar with the premise, it follows Rick, an alcoholic mad scientist, and his nervous grandson Morty, on their adventures. When they are not traipsing about the universe, they are at home with their family; Morty's older sister Summer and his parents Jerry and Beth. Beth is excited to have her father back in her life, Rick having been estranged from her for many years. The family dynamic adds an extra element to the story, and gives the characters a depth which is really important, but by far the best part of the show is the limitless possibility.

Rick's ability to travel through different dimensions and universes leads to an endless supply of creativity and storylines for the writers. If you have seen the Road to the Multiverse episode of Family Guy, it's like that, but in a series. It is this aspect that gives you the excitement that you never know what is going to happen. It is also comforting to know that whatever predicament the characters get into, whether someone dies, or they get stuck inside a world, inside a world, inside another world, you know that they will find a way out and that everything will return to normal.

Rick and Morty has strong and interesting characters, not just Rick and Morty themselves, but also the secondary characters. The underlying storylines are captivating as well as the current episode's adventures, so there is a sense of continuity in amongst the chaos.

Season two ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, which was cleared up in the first episode of season three. The only thing to do now is to see what Rick and Morty will do next. I can't wait.

Seasons one and two of Rick and Morty are currently on Netflix, and the first episode of season three is easy to find to watch online. I don't often watch shows again, especially soon after the initial watch, but this is one show that I would definitely watch again immediately.