Rick and Morty is coming back to Adult Swim with new episodes later this month, and Season 8 is proof that the animated series is stronger than it ever has been. Rick and Morty Season 8 was released in a bit of a different manner than the previous few seasons. Thanks to all of the changes behind the scenes heading into the release of Season 7, and a delay to production following strikes, Rick and Morty Season 8 is the first season in a while to not release at a yearly pace. Instead, fans have had to wait a little longer for this new season to hit.
That extra bit of waiting might have been tough for Rick and Morty fans, but it was clearly the right move. What was really missing from Rick and Morty Season 7 was the sense of stability from what had come before. It was naturally a given considering how big the changes behind the scenes were leading into Season 7, and thankfully things have gotten back on track with Rick and Morty Season 8. It’s found its groove once more, and it’s the best it has been in years.
Rick and Morty Season 8 picks up from where the previous season left off, but much like previous seasons, has plenty of standalone adventures that see the titular duo taking on wacky new situations. This was one of the big requests fans have had over the previous seasons as while the serialized elements were definitely welcome, there was an even bigger ask for a return to this episodic format. The four episodes shared from Rick and Morty Season 8 for this review carry a little bit of both elements, and the balance seems better off than before. There are details in each episode for fans to poke through, but don’t throw off the self contained nature of each episode.
Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden return as the voices of Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith respectively after their debut in Rick and Morty Season 7, and it’s the first time the duo feel like they have been able to fully explore each of their characters. They joined the production late in Season 7’s development, and likely had to follow a lot of the path set out for them already. But it’s immediately noticeable that Season 8’s episodes let the two of them play around more with their delivery and character traits for a better result. Rick and Morty themselves feel like they’ve evolved since the end of Season 7.
More so than telling more of the serialized story, one of the greater elements that Rick and Morty needed to continue from that previous season was the fact that their relationship had change. It’s no longer Rick completely running over Morty in any given adventure, and Morty also is a lot more self sufficient when he’s thrown into chaos as a result of Rick’s (or even his own) actions. And thanks to Cardoni and Belden’s performances, their dynamic feels like it’s properly changed. The two of them seem like they have grown through everything, and it’s properly reflecting that we’re eight seasons into this animated franchise.
One of the biggest worries heading into Rick and Morty Season 8 was the fact that Adult Swim had actually announced that they were renewing it through Season 12 at least. Rick and Morty was already going to be a long running franchise thanks to its previous order to get it to 100 episodes, but this extra extension brought up a worry that the series itself would stagnate as a result. But the good news is that’s not the case at all even eight seasons into the series. Rick and Morty Season 8 still finds a way to be fresh, and tell brand new stories that have not been seen in the series before.
Rick and Morty has done so much by this point that it’s still a surprise that the premiere can find a new angle for Morty and Summer, and still say something new about both their sibling relationship but how they relate to those around them as well. For example, it’s an episode that sees the two of them get to a whole new level of maturity. Fans then get to see how that ultimately changes Morty and Summer for the worse or better, and what that means for their parents. It’s a good way to expand on the character traits someone like Summer already has shown, but finds a new twist to bring them out.
There’s a lot of that present in Rick and Morty Season 8. There are episodes that not only drop some new lore that we can dig into, but are also focused on telling a standalone story. There’s one that even goes the extra mile to be a bit familiar to one of Rick and Morty’s classic episodes from earlier seasons, and still finds a new way to bring it all to life. That’s sort of the big draw for Rick and Morty Season 8 as a whole. It’s familiar yet fresh. It’s going to be a good starting point for potentially lapsed fans to jump back into the series.
Rick and Morty has found a new rhythm that feels like it’s gotten a shot in the arm. Thanks to the new stars at the center of the action, and the rest of the voice cast not losing a step in the many seasons they’ve been with the series, Rick and Morty feels brand new again. There are rewards present for those looking deeper, but it’s not necessary to enjoy the episodes as they are. It’s such a fun season of Rick and Morty, and a great sign for what could be coming next. If it can keep this energy going into the future, Rick and Morty really is going to go on for 100 more years without any issues.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Rick and Morty Season 8 premieres with Adult Swim on Sunday, May 25th at 11:00PM ET/PT.
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