Rick and Morty Season 9 Officially Changes The Show’s Genre

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Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Rick & Morty season 9, episode 1, “There’s Something About Morty.”

The first episode of Rick and Morty season 9 is a strong return for the show, but it also features a surprising shift in genre that’s quickly resolved. The season begins with a major reveal: Evil Morty has been secretly manipulating Rick. Rick describes their arrangement as something like being held hostage, but Morty gets uneasy when he sees they actually seem to enjoy working together.

The brief moment of peace doesn’t last long, as Rick happily explains he used Morty to get away from Evil Morty, building a complex hidden world – the “Bunker Realm” – to stay safe. The episode then features an incredible fight between Rick and Evil Morty within this realm. They repeatedly tear apart this reality and each other’s bodies as they battle for dominance, but their efforts to prove who’s stronger are unexpectedly and humorously stopped by a surprising twist.

The biggest shift for Rick and Morty actually happens with the earlier reveal that Rick has been secretly working with Evil Morty for an unknown amount of time after season 7. When the show started, it was a simple buddy comedy. Rick, the unpredictable and chaotic one, and Morty, the more reasonable voice, would find themselves in trouble each week. Rick would usually make things worse, while Morty tried to fix them.

Rick and Morty Season 9 Reinvents The Show’s Buddy Comedy Setup

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While Rick and Morty occasionally broke the mold – like in episodes such as season 1’s “Rick Potion #9” or the controversial season 5 episode “Rickdependence Spray,” where Morty initially caused the problem – the show generally stuck to a classic buddy comedy formula. Morty usually tried to minimize the damage from his mistakes, while Rick always made things worse, but overall, the show followed a predictable pattern.

Around the end of season 5, Rick and Morty began to directly address the unhealthy patterns in Rick and Morty’s relationship, acknowledging how unbalanced, toxic, and overly dependent they had become. This felt like a commentary on the show’s own writing, as their conflict with Evil Morty – and the destruction of the Central Finite Curve – led both characters to admit Rick had consistently been manipulative and used others. As a result, the show presented a more balanced and healthier dynamic between them in seasons 6 through 8.

Evil Morty’s Season 9 Episode 1 Ending Resets Rick and Morty’s Status Quo

Okay, so season 8 of Rick and Morty did this thing where they started making Rick… surprisingly relatable. But then, right at the start of season 9, they flipped the script again. It was so unexpected! They positioned Evil Morty as the chaotic one, and Rick, of all people, became the voice of reason in their adventures. I mean, Rick being the sensible one? That was a huge surprise. But honestly, it got even crazier because the show then completely reversed that change all over again! It felt like they couldn’t decide which direction they wanted to go with these characters.

After Evil Morty is captured by the Time Cops, Rick and Morty are free from his plans, and the show returns to its usual setup. The episode briefly flipped their roles, showing how difficult it is for Rick to play the calmer, more reasonable one. With Evil Morty now imprisoned, the season ends with the show resetting, leaving fans wondering where Rick and Morty’s unpredictable adventures will go next.

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2026-05-26 21:38