Rick and Morty Season 4 was split into two parts, much to the fan’s chagrin, and was a mixed barrel to say the least. Sure, we got some great episodes like the Vat of Acid episode and Rattlestar Ricklactica. But, there were also a few slower ones like Never Ricking Morty and Claw & Hoarder: Special Ricktim’s Morty to contend with. Showrunners Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon announced that Rick and Morty Season 5 will air sooner than we think. However, with the average gap between seasons being 1.5 years, sooner might just mean 9 months!
So, if you’re dying to get your Rick and Morty fix, keep reading. We’ve ranked every episode of Rick and Morty Season 4 from best to worst so that you know what to watch!
Rick and Morty Season 4: The Hits and Misses!
1. The Vat of Acid Episode
Episode 8 of Rick and Morty Season 4 was undoubtedly one of the best episodes the series has given us. With that classic nihilism we love so much, and a twist that makes you question Rick’s sanity, this is surely one of the first episodes you should watch.
The writers prove once again over the course of Rick and Morty Season 4 that they don’t need dialogue to tell a story. We see Morty falling in love, living a great life, going to tragedy and emerging unscathed, with his love life intact. Then, we learn a major truth about Morty’s reality through Rick. That’s all we can tell you without revealing the plot points!
2. Rattlestar Ricklactica
Here’s what you learn from this episode of Rick and Morty Season 4 – time travel is stupid. As is the case with the Vat of Acid Episode, this one also has a silent montage that tells a story beautifully. In an effort to send a regular snake to an alien snake planet, in lieu of a snake he killed, Morty ends up altering the course of the species’ evolution. Rick steps in, teaches them how to travel through time, and lets them self-destruct.
3. The Old Man and the Seat
One of the most disappointing things about Rick and Morty Season 4 is that it didn’t touch upon Rick’s depression or self-hatred enough. The previous seasons gave us a few great moments of the same. In this episode, we see a short scene with holograms of Rick calling him the King of Shit. This is the only time we experience Rick’s self-loathing.
Similar moments across the previous seasons were definitely more impactful. This one almost felt like a formality. However, it still gets the number 3 spot on the list for this scene, and for giving “shy poopers” a name.
4. Promortyus
Promortyus questions the purpose of life. By altering the way that a species of parasites live, Summer accidentally ends up helping them build a civilization. It’s definitely one of those Rick and Morty episodes that hint towards nihilism. However, the episode itself was a little choppy and that’s why it hasn’t received a ranking higher than 4.
There’s a really funny 9/11 joke that polarized viewers, so watch out for that one if you get triggered by the same.
5. Childrick of Mort
Childrick of Mort takes us to a planet that’s been impregnated by Rick. Beth and Rick proceed to assign a ‘purpose’ to each child the planet pushes out, while also creating a few ‘bums’. Of course, Jerry bonds with the bums and ends up taking them camping.
Rick learns that the planet may have been impregnated by a God, and proceeds to fight him. With Morty and Summer’s help, he eventually beats the God. He also clarifies that this was a lesser God and not The God, which is why he was easier to kill. It does seem like this line was added to not offend people.
6. One Crew over the Crewcoo’s Morty
In all honesty, this episode toed the line between being decent and annoying. Rick wants to prove to Morty that heist movies are dumb. So, he orchestrates an entire heist scenario, complete with double-twists, a wacky crew, and a hard mission. There’s a final twist delivered in the end to show why Rick even did this in the first place.
If there’s one word to describe this one, it’s “meh”.
7. Edge Of Tomorty: Rick Die Rickpeat
In this episode, Morty gets his hands on a death crystal and lets it guide his life. He only makes decisions that seem to end with him having lived a satisfying life with Jessica. The better parts of the episode come in the form of Rick trying to come back to life by inhabiting clones. Rick gaining consciousness in different parallel universes only to learn that Nazi culture prevails is quite funny.
8. Star Mort: Rickturn Of The Jerri
After season 3 ended, one of the biggest questions that fans had regarding Rick and Morty Season 4 was whether Beth was a clone. We finally meet one of the Beths – a gung-ho warrior type fighting against the Federation. She’s hell-bent on killing Rick once she discovers the bomb implanted in her neck. By the end of the episode, it’s revealed that even Rick does not know which Beth is a clone, as he tore off the labels on the cloning containers and shuffled the two before proceeding.
While it sheds light on Rick’s apathy and selfishness, it does still feel a little underwhelming. This isn’t because there was no concrete answer. It’s just that the story itself felt incomplete.
9. Claw & Hoarder: Special Ricktim’s Morty
Rick and a dragon have sex. The end.
Honestly, that’s all you need to know. This episode definitely felt like a filler episode, rather than one with a purpose. But, with Rick and Morty Season 4 pointedly taking a non-serialised approach to storytelling, perhaps we should expect more fillers, and fewer stories that focus on character development.
10. Never Ricking Morty
Finally, this one was certainly the worst episode to come out of Rick and Morty Season 4. It just felt like the writers justifying to the audience the reason why they don’t want to follow a serialized approach for the series. We don’t need meta moments like these! Other meta moments that make us feel the dread of existence, however, are more than welcome.
So, these were our rankings for every episode in Rick and Morty Season 4! What do you think?
