December 2, 2013, Adult Swim (AS) introduced an adult animation series that would grow to become a smash hit: “Rick and Morty.” Over the past 12 years, the series averaged 1 million views per season, with season eight reeling in 300,000 viewers on the day of its premiere. The show took over YouTube Shorts and continued gaining traction for its relatable characters and quotable script. Yet, the latest addition does not live up to its full potential, and viewers appear bored and neutral to the new episodes.
After the jaw-dropping season seven finale, “Fear No Mort,” fans sat idly, wondering how eight may live up to the momentum. With its release, that question found its answer: lacklusterly. The newest season does not actively reduce the quality of the show as a whole, though critics butt heads with dedicated fans over their enjoyment of the latest installation. Despite its lack of relevance to the main plot of the show and the numerous unnecessary filler episodes, ratings only dropped minimally.
“I guess I was just expecting more from [season eight.] Don’t get me wrong, the season was still… fine, but I was prepared for something amazing after the way they left season seven. I kind of don’t know what I expected, though, now that Justin Roiland isn’t part of the team anymore, and I’m glad he isn’t; the show’s writers clearly don’t know what to do. So yeah, season eight was fine, but I was disappointed it wasn’t great,” junior Jasmine Joy Kihara said.
Justin Roiland, co-creator and voice actor for both Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith, faced serious allegations of grooming minors and domestic abuse during the production of season seven in 2023. The severity of the claims against him led the production team for AS to terminate his contract and revoke his right to participate in the show. Now, while Roiland remains credited as the co-creator, he does not actively participate in production. Fans claim that his absence became glaringly obvious during the latest run of episodes, arguing that the writing style fell through. However, this claim meets its match in the face of ratings. Season eight sports a 7.4 star rating, scraping into the lead against its preceding counterpart, which holds a 7.2.
Years prior, AS allowed the producers of “Rick and Morty” to begin writing through to season twelve as a plan to eventually wrap up the series. Still, the eighth slew of episodes showed no growth in plot or shock factor, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of dedicated fans who remained anxious for the release of the newest part of the show. Fans claim the installment caused “Rick and Morty’s” fall from grace as their comfort show and into background chatter with the likes of monotonous shows that ran far too long, such as “How I Met Your Mother” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” Surprisingly, “Rick and Morty” still holds relevance on AS after the mediocrity of the latest season.
“I liked it. Season eight, I mean. No, it wasn’t some big hit or anything really crazy, but it was fun, and that’s what it’s always been about. Just Rick and Morty going on some fun adventures, sure there’s some underlying plot points. But why not just enjoy it? Personally, I’m glad this season wasn’t as heavy as the last one. I don’t think I could handle another episode like ‘Fear No Mort’, but maybe that’s just me,” senior Jessica Johnson said.
Ultimately, the latest season revealed mediocrity in writing, plot relevance and entertainment. Nothing from eight stood out as starkly as “Fear No Mort,” for example, but the run did not flop either. Awaiting the next installment proves increasingly difficult after the underwhelming finale of eight, yet the fans of “Rick and Morty” stand as a dedicated bunch and refuse to abandon all hope for their favorite show.
