‘Rick and Morty’ Season 8 Feels Like a Complete New Starting

The world could also be darkish and complicated, however at the least Rick and Morty is lastly again. Season eight comes nearly a year and a half after season seven wrapped up in late 2023, marking the top of the primary outing for brand spanking new stars Ian Cardoni (Rick) and Harry Belden (Morty). Followers couldn’t assist however spend a lot of season seven listening very carefully, looking for clues that the voices behind the present’s fundamental characters had modified. However the transition was surprisingly seamless, and season eight continues that feeling—with the extra pleasure of listening to all of the methods Cardoni and Belden at the moment are stretching out of their roles.

io9 was capable of view episodes one (“Summer season of All Fears”), three (“The Rick, the Mort & the Ugly”), 4 (“The Final Temptation of Jerry”), and 5 (“Cryo Mort a Rickver”)—no, we do not know why Grownup Swim omitted episode two (“Valkyrick”), however both manner, we gained’t be spoiling something on this assessment.

Many of the episodes we watched hew to the trademark Rick and Morty method of “petty or abnormal factor spirals into ridiculously messy ordeal with life-or-death penalties.” That features the season premiere, which sees Morty and Summer season enduring existential agony for the crime of not returning Rick’s cellphone charger; episode 4, during which Jerry’s enthusiasm for celebrating Easter first irritates his household, then finally ends up inflicting an intergalactic disaster; and episode 5, the place Rick’s dedication to commit deep-space theft brings forth a calamity that (naturally) doesn’t deter him within the slightest.

These tales could comply with the basic Rick and Morty escalation plot construction, however they’re additionally stuffed stuffed with what makes the present so reliably satisfying: vivid animation, intelligent writing (by no means have so many cellphone charger-related puns been gathered in a single place than the season premiere), weird tangents, and outrageous physique horror. There’s additionally the constant sense that the scripts are dedicated to character growth whilst they poke enjoyable on the characters themselves—and an curiosity in exploring how the present’s relationships assist drive the choices and plot twists that occur alongside the best way.

This latter factor is especially obvious in Beth and Summer season’s scenes in episode one; Beth, at all times torn between being the “cool mother” and commanding authority, unwittingly will get a completely new perspective on her teenage daughter. “Summer season of All Fears” additionally digs into the continuing sibling rivalry between Summer season and Morty—a battle that at all times appears to fix primarily based on the truth that no one else will ever perceive how wild it’s being part of Grandpa Rick’s schemes and adventures.

However the present known as Rick and Morty for a motive, and as a lot because the sample between the 2 can really feel acquainted in any case this time, season eight finds new methods to problem them. It additionally acknowledges the unlikely however plain character progress Rick went via in season seven. “You’re actually altering!” Morty enthuses at one level when Rick declares he has no drawback admitting that Morty was really proper about one thing—proof there’s some continuity to his evolution.

Although they’re not a novelty this time round, the adjustments behind the scenes are additionally price stating, particularly with regards to the standout episode among the many 4 offered: “The Rick, the Mort & the Ugly.” Followers who thought we’d seen the final of the present’s Citadel arc—particularly after season seven sealed the destiny of Rick Prime—are in for a deal with, and Cardoni and Belden appear to be having an absolute blast attempting on completely different Rick and Morty variants of their performances.

Rick and Morty stars Ian Cardoni (Rick), Harry Belden (Morty), Sarah Chalke (Beth), Chris Parnell (Jerry), and Spencer Grammer (Summer season). The chief producers are Dan Harmon and Scott Marder, who additionally serves as showrunner.

Rick and Morty season eight runs for 10 weekly episodes; it kicks off Might 25 on Grownup Swim. Within the U.S., you should buy new episodes from digital retailers the day after they premiere; the season will hit streaming within the U.S. September 1.

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