One of the most consistent themes across Rick and Morty is the tension boiling inside Rick at any given moment. He’s the smartest guy in the universe, capable of inventing anything and outwitting anyone—but he’s also a drunk asshole who makes cruel decisions and regrettable mistakes. Season nine of the Adult Swim blockbuster (io9 watched all 10 episodes ahead of writing this spoiler-free review) makes Rick’s flaws its main concentration, and while the writing, performances, and animation continue to be brilliant, there’s a darkness lurking that suggests Grandpa may never escape his ongoing existential torment. © Adult Swim Here’s the thing, though: Do we want him to? Who is Rick without his demons, after all? After defeating Rick Prime in season seven, “our” Rick spent season eight figuring out what life is like without his greatest foe. Season nine picks up that thread but doesn’t exactly progress with it; it now seems pretty obvious that Rick’s true nemesis is, and probably always has been, himself—literally himself, not a multiversal variant this time. That apparently bottomless identity crisis leads the character to some exceptionally grim places.
With Rick and Morty currently renewed through season 12, there’s plenty of room for Rick’s emotional growth (or whatever the opposite of “growth” is—decay, perhaps) to get further exploration. In the meantime, we get Rick at his most inebriated and reckless, torturing Morty and neglecting any and all responsibilities while flailing through a series of revenge schemes. “Everybody’s running from something,” Rick remarks in an early episode, and that sentiment propels much of the action, particularly as it pertains to our boozy protagonist.
