Rick and Morty – Season 1 Episodes Ranked and Reviewed

I really like Rick and Morty – it subverts the expectations I had for both a comedy cartoon and a Sci-Fi show, and came to define what an animated program could accomplish in the 21st Century.

Season 1 had some great episodes, but how would I rank them?

You can check out some other related lists below:

11 – Raising Gazorpazorp

Rating: B-

Probably the most forgettable episode of the season, but it’s still a pretty great episode. That’s one thing I can say about season 1 – it’s episodes are consistently great, and you can see why the show was such a hit straight from it’s first season.

10 – Pilot

Rating: B-

Possibly a controversial pick, but I don’t think the pilot really holds up as one of the better episodes of the show. It’s still a great pilot and a fun adventure, but after watching the wacky adventures of all 4 seasons I know the show can do better.

9 – Something Ricked This Way Comes

Rating: B-

I love the interactions between Rick and the Devil, and it really shows how cunning Rick can truly be. Not much else to remember other than that though.

8 – Anatomy Park

Rating: B

Jurassic Park is one of my favourite film franchises ever, so I was delighted when Rick and Morty made a parody of it.

I have to give a shoutout to John Oliver as the John Hammond-esque tour guide, he was hilarious.

7 – Ricksy Business

Rating: B

It has always slightly frustrated me that the Rick and Morty finales were nothing special (you would hope they would be up there as some of the best episodes in the show’s run, but only one finale is up there with the greats).

There’s a lot to like about this fun episode, but it doesn’t have the oomph that I want for a season finale.

6 – M. Night Shaym-Aliens!

Rating: B

One of the highlights of the show in general is the fact the writing is always top notch, and this episode is no exception – the sheer number of twists and turns that the story takes is astonishing, and it makes for great repeated viewing.

5 – Lawnmower Dog

Rating: B+

I kind of feel that this episode acts like a better pilot then the actual pilot episode.

For starters, this is a much funnier premise that leads to a lot of hilarious moments. I think it also sets the precedent for the type of show you’re watching a bit better than the pilot does. One of the early classics of the season.

4 -Rixty Minutes

Rating: B+

This episode gets an unbelievable amount of hype purely because of the improv-heavy “Interdimensional Cable”. I find a lot of the improvised segments to be hit-or-miss, so this episode feels slightly overrated to me. When the segments work, though, they’re hilarious and some of the best moments of the entire season.

3 – Meeseeks and Destroy

Rating: B+

If we’re talking about Rick and Morty classics, it would be blasphemy not to talk about “Meeseeks and Destroy”. The titular meeseeks have become so iconic in the Rick and Morty brand, and their moments on screen are always great fun.

The reason this episode doesn’t get into the “A” tier is because of the Morty assault scene – it’s a mature, dark moment in an otherwise nonsensical adventure, and it just felt out of place and sickening when I watched it.

2 – Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind

Rating: A-

I love the narrative directions that this episode goes in, and I really hope we get to spend more time in the Citadel of Ricks (I know they’ve popped up now and again, but I just want mooooooore).

The obvious stand-out of this story is the Evil Morty reveal – the show doesn’t really have an arc per se, but the introduction of a main villain like that was game-changing.

1 – Rick Potion #9

Rating: A-

When Morty wanted a love potion in time for his school dance, nobody could anticipate the way this story would play out.

The ending where Rick and Morty replace their alternate dimension selves will always stick with me, and it was this episode that proved to me that Rick and Morty will be nothing like anything I’ve ever seen, and probably never will.

Season Rating: A-

An amazing first season, and up there as one of the best comedy seasons I’ve ever seen. Let’s see the stats:

• 2 A (18%)
• 9 B (82%)

Very consistent indeed, with every episode being at least good. Not as many “Amazing” episodes in this season as there will be in later seasons, and that’s partly why I don’t consider this to be the best season of the show.

Next season is probably my favourite, but until then you should check out some of my latest posts: