The 10 Most Underrated 'Rick and Morty' Episodes, Ranked (2024)

What makes the beloved series Rick and Morty so fun to watch, beyond its hilarious, half-improvisational dialogue, compelling characters, and absurd but complex comedy, is the structure of its episodes. While the series does have an over-arching plot that develops throughout the seasons, not all of its episodes contribute directly to the advancement of that plot, and are self-contained stories of their own. This allows for the show to tackle a lot of different topics, with many episodes satirizing a single element of popular culture, for example, or following the journey of one or two characters at a time. The show also uses the time constraints of a twenty-two-minute episode to write a concise and entertaining story that is packed full of jokes and impactful storytelling.

Another consequence of Rick and Morty's half-anthological structure is that it has allowed certain episodes to rise to an iconic status among fans. Everyone has heard of "Pickle Rick" or "Total Rickall," with these episodes representing the essence of what fans love about the show. These are not the only good episodes, however, and throughout the seven seasons of the show that have been released so far, there have been many hidden gems that, despite their excellent writing, voice performances, and animation, have not received nearly as much recognition. These are the 10 most underrated episodes in Rick and Morty.

Rick and Morty

TV-14

Animation

Comedy

See Also

Rick and Morty Season 6: Where To Watch Every EpisodeRick and Morty: Season 6 | Rotten Tomatoes

Sci-Fi

Where to Watch

*Availability in US

• stream
• rent
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Not available

Release Date

December 2, 2013

Cast

Chris Parnell , Spencer Grammer , Sarah Chalke , Justin Roiland , Dan Harmon

Seasons

6

Main Genre

Animation

Studio

Cartoon Network

10 “The Jerrick Trap”

Season 7, Episode 2

This episode is one of the most fun and light-hearted of Season 7, and it effectively adapts and subverts a common media trope to fit with the unique characters of Rick and Morty. The media trope in question is the body swap, a laFreaky Friday, with the characters involved being Rick and Jerry. These two characters are the only acceptable choice, as the comparison between Rick, the smartest man in the universe, and Jerry, the simple, naive, everyman, has been the source of much of the show's comedy over the years. By directly addressing this dynamic, and putting it to the test, this episode sets the stage for some wacky adventures.

The show takes this open-ended setup in a direction that is both unexpected and hilarious. The 'body swap' trope typically ends with the characters learning to understand each other a little better, but this episode takes that to the extreme, with body-swapped Rick and Jerry each becoming a composite of Rick's jaded genius and Jerry's blissful ignorance. Watching them team up as "Burger and Fries" to fight crime is a wild ride, and poses the question whether the two would be happier if they didn't reside at such extreme ends of the spectrum of intelligence, and could find some common ground.

9 “Rickmancing the Stone”

Season 3, Episode 2

Rick and Morty excel at using sci-fi stakes to deal with real-world issues. This episode follows Rick, Morty and Summer in a post-apocalyptic alternate universe inspired by Mad Max, and although it first appears to be a classic Rick and Morty adventure, it eventually becomes clear that the kids' actions stem from Beth and Jerry's recent divorce. Morty and Summer's anger and disillusionment are relatable to many of us who would, if given an extra-strong arm, use it to redirect our anger towards our parents, or would embrace the Death Stalkers' nihilistic lifestyle rather than deal with our own messy lives.

This episode uses setting skillfully, as enduring a monumental life change can feel like living in a post-apocalyptic world, where you have to reframe your understanding of your life. This metaphor works throughout the episode. When Rick develops the Death Stalkers into modern suburbia, Summer learns that mindless nihilism is neither fulfilling nor sustainable. When Morty satisfies his warrior arm's quest for revenge and his own anger remains, he realizes that true vengeance only comes from succeeding in his own life. Through this alternate universe, Morty and Summer learn to make peace with their situation at home. While this episode is just as fun as a typical Rick and Morty installment, it relies on its characters to drive the action, thereby imbuing it with deeper meaning.

8 “Rick: A Mort Well Lived”

Season 6, Episode 2

This episode criticizes a much-beloved media trope, and focuses on a character who rarely sees the solo spotlight: Summer. By choosing to play out its Die Hard-inspired episode through a teenager who has never even seen the movie, Rick and Morty makes the case that its plot is so predictable and overdone that a teenager with just a smidge of media literacy can effortlessly "do a Die Hard." The 'Hans Gruber' of the episode is a Die Hard mega-fan, and seeing him mythologize the movie's plot while being so easily defeated, only further proves this point. Watching Summer take down bad guys with ease while still maintaining her teenage indifference is endlessly entertaining.

This episode is not only about Die Hard, however, and contains a mind-bending subplot that tells an emotional story about being an individual within a collective. Morty's struggle to convince the millions of fragments of himself that they are, indeed, all parts of himself, and get them to agree on a course of action, not only tells us a lot about Morty's splintered sense of self, but also makes a larger comment about the divisive nature of our society. This episode does a great job of balancing a light, satirical action plot with one of more epic and introspective proportions.

7 “Mort Dinner Rick Andre”

Season 5, Episode 1

This episode is packed full of silly characters, action-packed sequences, and the exaggeration of relatable scenarios to ridiculous extents that is so typical of Rick and Morty. Having Rick feel threatened by the over-the-top one-off character, Mr. Nimbus, who controls sea creatures, and, for some reason, the police, is deliciously absurd and shows a side of Rick we don't usually see: one that wants to behave. Beth and Jerry both being seduced by the speedo-clad King of the Ocean only adds another layer of strangeness to the situation.

The episode also follows Morty in his attempt to have a romantic night with Jessica. He is interrupted by Rick forcing him to go get him some wine from an alien portal, a task that is not nearly as simple as it seems. Morty ends up getting wrapped up in a battle with the aliens that feels like minutes for him and generations for them, with them eventually managing to kidnap Jessica. Morty's romantic pursuits never seem to work out, unfortunately, as even when he rescues Jessica, she has gained an elevated understanding of time in the alien world and no longer wants to deal with trivial diversions like a relationship with Morty. Don't you just hate it when that happens?

6 “A Rickle in Time”

Season 2, Episode 1

This episode is a great example of a simple premise that spirals out of control. Of course, with how Rick, Morty and Summer shrewdly evade Beth and Jerry's retribution for their wild party at the end of Season 1, they have to encounter some consequences, and being yelled at by a testicl*-headed Time Cop feels quite fitting. Also, watching the various timelines branch out and multiply as Summer and Morty struggle to act with confidence is purposefully overwhelming and will keep you on your toes. Characteristic of Rick and Morty, this episode's plot is intricate, hilarious, and driven by its characters' insecurities.

This episode also, contains one of the most heartfelt bonding moments between Rick and Morty in the entire series, as Rick selflessly dives after Morty as he plummets through the void without his time-stabilizing collar. The fact that we know that Rick could, at any time, go to an alternate universe and find another Morty, highlighted by the fact that we see multiple Ricks and Mortys in this very episode, makes this rescue even more astonishing, as it demonstrates that Rick, as much as he denies it, loves his Morty, and doesn't just view him as a replaceable tool.

5 “One Crew over the Crewcoo’s Morty”

Season 4, Episode 3

This episode makes fun of the heist genre by distilling it to its most basic components, and overproducing it to the point that it becomes tiring and convoluted, all to prove the point that heist movies are stupid. Each time the episode features a crew being assembled, a reveal that the heist had already been completed the whole time, and the phrase "You son of a b****h, I'm in," these conventions feel more pretentious and overdone. The episode's climax is virtually nonsensical, with Rick and his Heist-O-Tron double-crossing each other back and forth to the point that Heist-O-Tron self-destructs because "the only perfect heist is one that was never written."

The episode's final twist reveals an additional layer of meta-commentary, as just as many heist fans might be disillusioned with the genre after this episode, Rick had orchestrated the whole thing just to disillusion Morty with heists so that he wouldn't sell his script to Netflix. This works on many levels, as it parodies the heist genre, by having one final twist, fits into Rick and Morty's typical dynamic, with Rick manipulating Morty into staying with him, criticizes the film industry, by showing how quickly Netflix eats up a tropey heist script, and comments on us as viewers, for being just as easily manipulated as Morty.

4 “Something Ricked This Way Comes”

Season 1, Episode 9

Familial relationships and bonding are the focus of this episode, with both of its plots surrounding ideas of father figures and identity. One follows Summer, who loves her new job selling cursed items, because her boss, Mr. Needful, "treats me nice and values me."Compared to Rick, who starts a rival company that de-curses their items out of spite and ego, Needful is a superior grandfather-figure. Because Summer is desperate for a father figure who respects her, she ignores Needful's (devilish) red flags and is blindsided when he betrays her. This plot ends with an after-credits scene of Rick and Summer getting super jacked to beat up Needful together, though, so clearly their relationship recovers.

Conversely, Jerry is insecure about his ability to be respected as a father figure due to his inferior intelligence to Rick. In his crisis of identity, he takes over Morty's science fair project, something that, understandably, Morty had planned to ask Rick for help with, because "traditionally, science fairs are a father-son thing." He can't admit his own shortcomings, insisting that Pluto is a planet to the detriment of everyone else, including his son, just to prove that he's smart enough to be right about science. Both of this episode's plots explore the complicated nature of having and being a father.

3 “Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender”

Season 3, Episode 4

This episode proves that the Rick and Morty writers are ahead of their time. The genre it makes fun of, superhero team-ups like The Avengers, were still widely beloved in 2017, when the episode was released, but is now receiving more criticism for its formulaic structure and hollow values. The Vindicators are not only really fun characters to watch, but are also ridiculous caricatures of popular superheroes, such as Million Ants, an "Ant-Man" spoof that is literally made of ants. The puzzles that Drunk Rick puts them through expose the genre's failures, such as a matching game that reveals how all the Vindicators basically share the same personality, and a trick question which demonstrates how The Vindicators avoid addressing controversial political issues.

Beyond its poignant commentary, the best part about this episode is Drunk Rick himself. While Rick's problem with alcohol is obviously not funny, his essentially defeating Worldender in his sleep, is. So are the ways Rick chooses to make fun of the Vindicators, trapping them in a Saw-like maze and forcing them to shoot three-pointers, of all things. At the end of his scheme, Drunk Rick reveals that Noob-Noob, not Morty, is the only one he truly cares about and that he has planned a banger party for him. Yes, Drunk Rick is objectively problematic, but he is the life force of this episode.

2 “M. Night Shaym-Aliens!”

Season 1, Episode 4

This early episode demonstrates the classic comedy and charm that has made Rick and Morty one of the best animated TV shows of all time. The confusing structure of virtual worlds inside virtual worlds is just the kind of mind-bending sci-fi tech that the show loves, and the alien Zigerions who created the simulation are stereotypical UFO-types, who want Rick to tell them the recipe for concentrated dark matter, a decidedly sci-fi pursuit. This is the epitome of a classic Rick and Morty adventure.

This episode also establishes some of the most iconic traits of its characters. Rick is so Rick-like in this episode, outsmarting the Zigerions' simulation at every turn, his suspicion and paranoia working in his favor to prevent him from falling into their trap. Always with a trick up his sleeve, this is the Rick we know and love. Jerry, too, is at his most "Jerry," bumbling around happily, completely oblivious to the fact that he's in a simulation that is operating at very low capacity. Jerry thrives in the simulation, becoming the champion of his advertising company with the ingenious slogan, "Hungry for Apples?" If you've been a fan of Rick and Morty since the beginning, this episode will make you feel all warm and nostalgic.

1 "Rattlestar Ricklacktica"

Season 4, Episode 5

Despite being the same length as any other episode, this one feels epic. What begins as a simple coincidence, Rick and Morty running into a snake astronaut in space, spirals into the epic saga of snake society, its development from cave snakes into space travel, and its subsequent technological development into time-travelling cyborg snakes. You've probably heard of snake jazz, but this episode will prove that the history and culture of snakes expands far beyond some rattle-y blues.

When it takes a break from showing us 1980s snakes inventing time travel, or 1930s snakes doing...less fun things, the episode follows Jerry's misadventures in levitation, which, of course, are so pathetic that you start to feel bad for him. This episode also includes an awesome fight scene with the Smiths squaring off against the ever-multiplying army of snakes, which will always be fun to watch. On top of this, the end of this episode reveals itself to have been a Christmas episode all along, infusing some holiday spirit into its already action-packed story. Having this tale that spans species, wars, and centuries end with the grounded, small-scale annoyance of having to do a chore you forgot about (sewing snake costumes) when you're already exhausted, is an unexpected cherry on top of this masterpiece of an episode.

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