Rick and Morty Season 6 Takes the Series to a Whole New Level
Rick and Morty was notably renewed for 70 more episodes back before the fourth season had hit, so there was an immediate question as to whether or not the series would utilize that for a more comprehensive story. The first three seasons of the series included some serialized elements that had expanded on the series' lore or character backstories, but was largely (and openly) against the idea of telling a fully serialized narrative. This all changed with the end of the fifth season bringing the most intriguing story to the spotlight yet, and Season 6 of the series really takes it to a whole new level.
Rick and Morty Season 5 ended with some of the most dramatic story beats in the series' run to date, and the finale quite literally opened up the series to a whole new multiverse of potential threads to follow. Thankfully, Season 6 didn't throw out any of these efforts and continues to build on what has come before. Without sacrificing any of the episodic, laissez-faire approach to the way situations unfold, Rick and Morty Season 6 is elevating all of that material with the small bits of serialization that have been such a draw in recent years. It's a compelling evolution for this next era of the show.
Without getting too much into the why and how of things, Season 6 opens by directly continuing from the events of the fifth season finale. That right there is the immediate promise of the season that it won't just be completely throwing out the work that had come before. There was a problem in the earlier seasons in which character development wouldn't really stick around from episode to episode, but there's an overall air of no longer fighting back against the tide. The series is allowing the characters to shift and change while still being able to play with them in various situations.
There was an initial worry over whether introducing more serialized beats than seen previously would weigh down the freedom that has been at the core of Rick and Morty for so long, but they really just add the extra layer of spice that long-time fans will appreciate. It's hard to discuss any of these particular story beats in detail without ruining the fun of seeing them play out, and that's honestly something I'm still trying to wrap my head around. It's surprising that there are things to spoil at all, and that's what makes Season 6 just a much different kind of viewing experience than before.
Rick and Morty has had plenty of experience balancing more intense moments with the high-energy comedy fans have come to know the series for, and that's on full display with Season 6 of the series. For example, the first two episodes of the series are so dramatically different from one another in terms of tone, structure, and humorous core premises that prove there is no sacrifice of the lighter and freer episodes in favor of that added attention to serialization. So those who don't want to worry about Rick's origins, how Morty feels, or otherwise can freely watch along as well.
Like the previous seasons before, there are a few jokes that don't necessarily land and some fans might like particular episodes more than others. At the same time, Rick and Morty Season 6 still feels like the payoff of years of build-up towards a much bigger picture. It's an evolved season in many ways, and still just as hilarious as fans have come to expect. There are rewards for those who have been enjoying the long-term storytelling so far, and much like the Season 5 finale had promised, Season 6 has opened up a whole new multiverse to explore.
Are you ready for Rick and Morty Season 6? What are you hoping to see in the new episodes? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animated and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!