Summary

• Older seasons of Rick and Morty reign supreme with 8 out of the top 10 highest-rated episodes on IMDb.
• It's hard to recapture the magic of earlier seasons, as later episodes struggle to match the brilliance of the past.
• "Fear No Mort" stands out as a top episode in a declining quality trend for the show according to fan ratings.

The highest-rated episodes of Rick and Morty on IMDb prove that the show has been on a steady decline in quality since its widely acclaimed early seasons. When it first premiered in 2013, and for its first couple of seasons, Rick and Morty had a small cult following. However, around its third or fourth season, it suddenly blew up and became a global pop-cultural phenomenon. This was great for the show, because it meant it was safe from cancelation – Adult Swim renewed it up to 100 episodes – but it also marked a downturn in the series’ quality.

Throughout its seven seasons and counting, Rick and Morty has weathered all kinds of problems. It managed to withstand the firing of co-creator Justin Roiland amid disturbing allegations and the recasting of the title roles with soundalike actors. But one issue that has persisted is that the show just isn’t as great as it used to be. The genius of the first couple of seasons was short-lived, and Rick and Morty has been pretty hit-and-miss ever since. It can still deliver fantastic episodes, but it’s not as consistently brilliant as it originally was.

8 Of Rick And Morty's 10 Best-Rated Episodes On IMDb Are From Older Seasons

Almost all of Rick and Morty's fan-favorite episodes are from the early years

Eight out of the top 10 highest-rated Rick and Morty episodes on IMDb are from the older seasons. The list contains one episode from season 1, three episodes from season 2, three episodes from season 3, and one episode from season 4. That leaves only two of the top 10 episodes hailing from the later seasons: season 5, episode 10, “Rickmurai Jack,” which brought the Evil Morty story arc to a head; and season 7, episode 10, “Fear No Mort,” in which Morty faces his worst fears in a metaphysical hole in the men’s room of a Denny’s.

There’s a clear pattern here: the Rick and Morty fans who vote for their favorite episodes of the show enjoyed the earlier seasons a lot more than the later seasons. A couple of the latter-day episodes have managed to sneak through, but there’s a blatant bias towards seasons 1 to 4 as opposed to season 5 onwards. There isn’t a single season 6 episode featured in IMDb’s top 10 best-rated episodes. The general consensus seems to be that the show’s later seasons haven’t reached the same heights as the earlier installments.

Why Rick And Morty's Older Episodes Continue To Be The Show's Best

It's hard to catch lightning in a bottle more than once

When Rick and Morty season 1 premiered in 2013, it was a breath of fresh air. The darkness of its humor, the unbridled imagination of its sci-fi storytelling, and the overall nihilistic attitude of the show all felt new and exciting. In seasons 1, 2, and 3, it felt like the series had infinite possibilities. But as it’s gotten into seasons 6 and 7, the possibilities are starting to feel less infinite. The show has settled into a formula and repeated a lot of familiar storylines – there are about three episodes about Rick begrudgingly growing to respect Jerry.

Having said that, the show has improved in a lot of other ways. Beth, Jerry, and Summer have been developed more as characters as the series has gone on. Plus, there was a lot of racy humor in the earlier seasons that hasn’t aged particularly well. The later seasons avoid some of the more problematic joke areas, which has made the comedy more inclusive. But the early seasons of Rick and Morty caught lightning in a bottle, and it’s hard to replicate that.

Rick and Morty has been renewed up to season 10.

Rick And Morty's Highest-Rated Episodes Make "Fear No Mort" More Impressive

"Fear No Mort" is already considered one of the show's all-time best episodes

The fact that Rick and Morty’s fans have roundly rejected the later seasons of the show – at least in the IMDb rating system – makes the placement of “Fear No Mort” even more impressive. It was the final episode of Rick and Morty’s seventh season, which was arguably the show’s most hit-and-miss installment to date. So, the fact that it’s considered to be the show’s fifth-best episode ever – placed even higher than season 3, episode 3, “Pickle Rick,” which is practically a religious text to the Rick and Morty fan base, is quite an achievement.

And it’s easy to see why “Fear No Mort” is rated so highly; it really is that good. It tackles one of the biggest running threads in the series – Morty’s fear that Rick doesn’t really love him and could replace him – in a really poignant way that was worth the wait. It’s everything a great Rick and Morty episode should be: it’s funny, it’s trippy, it’s emotionally compelling, and it puts character first. Plus, it ends on one of the show’s most touching moments, which proves Rick really does love Morty.