‘The Last Temptation of Jerry’ Turns Easter Into an Intergalactic Fertility Nightmare

June 15, 2025

Season 8’s fourth episode shines a bizarre spotlight on Jerry, combining holiday parody, body horror, and cosmic sex cults into one grotesquely heartfelt story.

After three strong episodes, “The Last Temptation of Jerry” takes a detour into holiday parody, giving Jerry his first lead role this season. While it offers a few laughs and classic Rick and Morty absurdity, this Easter special feels more like a chaotic filler than a must-watch.

The episode kicks off with Jerry trying to revive the family’s Easter traditions, only to accidentally kill a humanoid rabbit. Things escalate fast: Rick discovers the rabbit is a fertility alien from Andromeda, and Jerry begins mutating into a pheromone-fueled sex god (“There is no Jerry. Only Bonnie.”). Meanwhile, Rick and Morty investigate the creature’s origin in the Alps and get tangled up with abstinent space Christians wielding cross-shaped weapons.

The highlights come from isolated jokes — “You’ve been Easter-clawed,” “It’s fuck-based terraforming,” and some truly grotesque Jerry moments — but the story doesn’t quite land emotionally or thematically. Even Beth’s brief attraction to mutant Jerry feels more like a gag than a meaningful beat.

Fan reactions so far have been mixed. Some appreciate the commitment to chaos, while others call it the weakest episode of the season, citing a lack of structure and low stakes. A popular theory suggests the episode is less about Easter and more a jab at over-commercialized holidays and abstinence culture, but it never digs deep enough to resonate.

One insight that might explain the episode’s disjointedness is its place within Rick and Morty's growing trend of "holiday surrealism." Just as past episodes warped Anatomy Park into a Christmas deathtrap or Valentine’s Day into a Cronenberg apocalypse, this entry uses Easter as a launchpad for absurdist world-building. The difference this time? The satire takes center stage, but the stakes feel too light for the transformation to carry emotional weight — even with Jerry's best attempts at sincerity.

Written by Heather Anne Campbell and directed by Douglas Einar Olsen, the episode is imaginative — but doesn’t match the momentum or layered storytelling of earlier entries like “The Rick, The Mort & The Ugly.” Still, for fans of Jerry-centric chaos, it might scratch the itch.

Source: Story Train Blog

‘The Rick, the Mort & the Ugly’ Delivers a Wild, Citadel-Fueled Return to Chaos

June 8, 2025

Season 8’s third episode kicks into high gear with nonstop action, biting satire, and the long-awaited return to Citadel-style storytelling.

After two focused entries, “The Rick, the Mort & the Ugly” delivers the first true tangent episode of the season—and fans hungry for a Citadel of Ricks fix finally get their feast. This chaos-packed installment starts with Rick C-137 and Morty scavenging wreckage, only to stumble into a brutal bounty hunt and a twisted clone-farming conspiracy on a forgotten asteroid.

Within minutes, we’re thrown into a gritty underworld of outcast clones, moral grey zones, and a deeply dysfunctional new Citadel—led by a portly, Southern Railroad Baron Rick who’s trying to rebuild a twisted version of the old regime. In this hierarchy, Mortys are at the bottom—used as furniture or currency—while cloned Ricks hold power, and natural-born Ricks are begrudgingly tolerated. It’s a sharp satire on systemic class structures, where even genetic identity becomes a tool of oppression.

Crystal Farmer Rick emerges as an unlikely anti-hero in a grim vengeance arc that pulls no punches. There’s espionage, betrayal, a mutated Morty clone gone berserk, and enough shootouts to make even Action Movie Rick proud. The pace never slows, but the episode still sneaks in moments of dry humor, emotional grit, and scathing digs at Citadel-era complacency.

Why It Works:

• The episode hits that perfect Rick and Morty sweet spot between violence and absurdism.
• References to prior Citadel arcs and clone lore give longtime fans plenty to chew on.
• Crystal Farmer Rick (or "Rick Shaw") makes a strong impression, even with limited screen time, delivering a complete and tragic arc in a single episode.

With action, satire, and lore all firing at full throttle, “The Rick, the Mort & the Ugly” proves that even eight seasons in, Rick and Morty can still surprise—and explode—a few Citadels along the way.

Source: Story Train Blog

Rick and Morty’s 'Valkyrick' Delivers a Brutal, Brilliant Space Thriller

June 1, 2025

Episode 2 turns up the stakes as Space Beth joins Rick to stop a violent Gromflomite uprising—while taking aim at viral tropes and government dysfunction.

Rick and Morty continues its strong start to Season 8 with “Valkyrick”, an episode that blends intergalactic politics, biotech horror, and dark family bonds into a compact and satisfying 22 minutes.

The story kicks off with a sharp jab at bureaucracy: the Galactic Defiance is still in committee meetings about whether to assassinate the Gromflomite Queen, while Space Beth—clearly fed up—has already defied protocol and is halfway through the mission. When she arrives, she finds the Queen already dead. As the council debates whether to evacuate her, Beth calls Rick in frustration. He portals in, eviscerates the Defiance for endangering his daughter, and she’s summarily fired.

From there, the episode charges forward. Rick and Beth interrogate an arms dealer—Rick casually lets him fall off a building after getting the intel—and learn that a disgraced eugenics specialist is behind the Queen's death. The specialist has engineered a virus that mutates Gromflomites into monstrous, ultra-muscular berserkers. The virus is planned to spread via a queen decoy, and Rick’s plan to stop it involves a sketchy contact named Cisco who—despite being seemingly as trusted as Birdperson—is wildly unreliable.

The mission fails to stop the decoy, and Beth becomes infected. Rick, driven by guilt and desperation, reluctantly partners with the Gromflomites. He synthesizes a cure, tests it on himself, and saves Beth.

The crew—including Rick, Beth, Birdperson, and Bird Daughter—mount an attack on the virus hive. Bird Daughter’s late arrival is brief but notable, reinforcing the show's continued interest in its deeper character lore.

The eugenics doctor, obsessed with the phrase “rent-free in your mind,” inadvertently kills himself mid-monologue, offering a cathartic end to an enemy whose entire presence was built around toxic enhancement and cliché internet-speak.

Why It Works:

• The Rick/Space Beth dynamic remains one of the most emotionally grounded relationships in the series, and “Valkyrick” gives it space to evolve.
• The satire lands without overreaching—from mocking space bureaucracy to shredding modern meme culture.
• Even minor characters like Cisco and Bird Daughter get meaningful beats that tie into long-standing show lore.

If Episode 1 was a psychological deep dive, Episode 2 is a full-on sci-fi assault. It’s thrilling, grotesque, emotionally sincere, and darkly funny—everything that Rick and Morty does best. With two stellar episodes back-to-back, Season 8 is shaping up to be one of the series’ most consistent and ambitious runs yet.

Source: Story Train Blog

Spoiler Alert: Rick and Morty Season 8 Premiere Explores Trauma, Power, and Rebellion in "Summer of All Fears"

May 25, 2025

Rick and Morty is back—and Season 8 doesn’t hold back. Episode 1, "Summer of All Fears", opens with a heavy dose of emotional intensity, putting Summer in the spotlight and throwing Rick and Morty into deeply personal conflicts.

There’s no warm-up here. Summer steps up with confidence and control—not because she’s been wounded, but because she’s ready to take charge. Whether she’s challenging Beth or outsmarting Rick’s systems, she’s clearly done being a background player. Morty, meanwhile, is forced into a digital death loop that gradually strips away his vulnerability. And Rick? He’s stuck in a loop of his own making, trying to rationalize the chaos he’s caused.

Dan Harmon and Scott Marder hinted that this season would explore how the characters move forward now that Rick Prime is out of the picture. This premiere proves they meant it. Each family member is pushing forward in their own volatile, sometimes heartbreaking ways.

Summer’s arc is especially striking. Her ability to break free from Rick’s simulation—and thrive inside of it—shows a ruthless ingenuity that mirrors Rick himself. She’s not just reacting; she’s evolving. It’s a subtle but significant character shift that speaks volumes about where the show might be headed.

Morty’s journey is just as intense. Transformed into a death-proof soldier, he becomes sharper, colder, and more capable. The similarities to Evil Morty are hard to ignore. That emotional detachment, the strategic mind, the readiness to fight—it's all there. But just as we start to absorb the implications, Rick erases it all with the “Mind Blower” device.

Still, the episode leaves a lasting impression. There are standout sequences everywhere—Morty’s disturbing death loop on public display, Rick trapped in a simulation that critiques his overuse of simulations, and Beth suddenly reimagined as a vampire hunter.

And of course, the background details are as sharp as ever. A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it gag in Summer’s office features parody magazine titles like “Charging Stone”—a classic example of the show’s layered humor for diehard fans.

Fan Theories Emerging from the Episode:

• Morty’s simulated trauma could hint at Evil Morty’s origin—suggesting that prolonged exposure to digital loops might be what hardened him in the first place.
• Summer’s strategic thinking and emotional detachment are starting to mirror Rick’s, possibly setting her up to take over his role—or challenge it.

Some fans felt the episode leaned a little too far into its darker themes, especially after Season 7 ended on a more balanced note. GamesRadar even called it a “wasted opportunity” for not fully landing the tone. But others praised its bold direction and willingness to break formula.

Source: GamesRadar

Season 8 Teaser Suggests Return of Interdimensional Cable in 'Ricker Than Fiction'

April 17, 2025

With Rick and Morty Season 8 set to premiere in late May, Adult Swim has stirred up fan speculation by dropping an official animatic featuring a scene from an upcoming episode titled 'Ricker Than Fiction.' In the teaser, Rick and Morty are shown watching chaotic footage of bizarre alien creatures — a setup that immediately triggered comparisons to the series’ iconic Interdimensional Cable episodes.

The scene's framing mirrors past installments like 'Rixty Minutes' and 'Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate', leading many to believe this could be the long-awaited third entry in the fan-favorite anthology format. While Adult Swim hasn’t confirmed the return officially, the visual cues — combined with the episode title — have fueled anticipation.

“The moment I saw the screen-within-a-screen, I knew we were back in cable territory,” said one Reddit user. Others noted that the episode titles revealed in the animatic may hint at further meta-commentary on the show’s recasting and legacy.

Source: https://www.cinemablend.com/interdimensional-cable-season-8-teaser-ricker-than-fiction

Rick and Morty Season 8 Episode Titles Revealed Ahead of Premiere

April 12, 2025

As anticipation builds for the May 25, 2025 premiere of 'Rick and Morty' Season 8, Adult Swim has released the titles of the upcoming episodes, offering fans a glimpse into the adventures that await. The ten episodes are titled: 'Summer of All Fears,' 'Valkyrick,' 'The Rick, The Mort & The Ugly,' 'The Last Temptation of Jerry,' 'Cryo Mort a Ricker,' 'The Curicksous Case of Bethjamin Button,' 'Ricker Than Fiction,' 'Nomortland,' 'Morty Daddy,' and 'Hot Rick.'

The season will air weekly on Adult Swim and will be available for streaming on Max and Hulu starting September 1, 2025.

Source: https://comicbook.com/anime/news/rick-and-morty-season-8-episode-titles/

Rick and Morty Season 8 Premiere Date Announced Amid April Fools' Special

April 01, 2025

Adult Swim has officially announced that "Rick and Morty" will return for its eighth season on May 25, 2025, at 11 p.m. ET/PT. The announcement was made during the network's April Fools' Day broadcast, which featured a 22-minute anthology special with live-action interpretations of fan-favorite moments from the series.

Despite the unconventional timing, the premiere date is genuine. Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim, commented on the special, stating, "We hope you enjoyed our theater interpretations of ‘Rick and Morty,’ especially if you are well-off/impulsive and now want to back a Broadway version of the show." He added, "For the rest of you, we’re glad you now know when Season Eight is starting so you have time to stretch and get loose because the team has yet again made a totally great season of television."

Source: Animation Magazine

New Sneak Peek of Rick and Morty Season 8 Released Ahead of Easter

March 30, 2025

In anticipation of the upcoming Easter holiday, Adult Swim has released a new sneak peek of "Rick and Morty" Season 8. The clip features Jerry Smith expressing excitement for Easter, hinting at a possible holiday-themed episode in the new season.

This preview follows the first look revealed during the April Fools' Day special and suggests that the season may include episodes centered around various holidays. The upcoming season promises more adventures with the Smith family, including Summer, Jerry, Beth, and Space Beth. The series is set to premiere on May 25, 2025, with episodes airing Sundays at 11 p.m. ET/PT.

Source: ComicBook.com

‘Rick and Morty’ Renewed Through Season 12 at Adult Swim

October 17, 2024

During the New York Comic Con panel on October 17, 2024, Adult Swim confirmed that 'Rick and Morty' has been renewed for two additional seasons, ensuring the show's continuation through Season 12. This extension means fans can expect new episodes annually until at least 2029.

The announcement was made by executive producers Dan Harmon and Scott Marder, who expressed their enthusiasm for the show's future. Harmon stated, "Nobody wants a universe without Rick and Morty. Fortunately, the list of places to go remains infinite." Marder added, "Getting to go beyond [Season 10] now is such a gift I can’t wait to give our fans. Rick and Morty – a hundred years – forever!" Adult Swim president Michael Ouweleen also praised the creative team, noting the show's impact on adult animation and its continued success.

Source: The Wrap

Rick and Morty: The Anime Premieres to Mixed Reviews

August 17, 2024

"Rick and Morty: The Anime" premiered on August 16, 2024, as a bold attempt to reimagine the sci-fi comedy through the lens of Japanese animation. The 10-episode series blends Toonami-style action with Adult Swim’s philosophical edge, but critics and fans agree the execution missed the mark.

Despite intriguing multiverse elements and new characters like Elle — Morty’s overpowered love interest — the series was criticized for incoherent storytelling and repetitive dialogue. Episodes jump through timelines without context, and plot threads involving characters like Frank and Mullet Rick fade without resolution. The lack of emotional nuance in the English dub, produced by Sentai Filmworks, drew particular ire from long-time viewers.

One Jerry-focused episode teased action potential but was dragged down by choppy animation, first previewed in a much-criticized promo clip. The animation quality, jagged character designs, and loss of the original show's humor left many disappointed.

Currently holding a 2.9 on IMDb, the anime has become one of Adult Swim’s lowest-rated originals. While its experimental style was ambitious, many fans now hope future anime adaptations will better balance style, tone, and storytelling.

Source: AnimeSuperhero

Rick and Morty Celebrates 10 Years with Oversized Comic Special

July 10, 2024

In July 2024, Oni Press teamed up with Warner Bros. to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Rick and Morty by releasing the Rick and Morty: 10th Anniversary Special, an oversized one-shot comic that dives deep into the series' chaotic multiverse.

Written by Alex Firer and illustrated by Fred C. Stresing, the story begins with Rick simply cleaning his garage — which quickly spirals into a chain of dimension-hopping disasters.
Image Source: Adult Swim

The comic features callbacks to iconic episodes and reintroduces characters from across the show’s timeline, offering longtime fans a heavy dose of nostalgia with new surprises.

The special is both a celebration and a self-aware critique of the series' decade-long legacy, with sharp humor and meta references woven into the story. Fans praised the comic for its faithful tone, dynamic art, and clever nods to the show's most absurd and beloved moments.

This one-shot marks a milestone for the franchise, hinting at more anniversary content on the horizon as Rick and Morty heads into its eighth season on Adult Swim.

Source: Flickering Myth

Dan Harmon Says Rick and Morty Fans Have Accepted New Voices

June 24, 2024

In a June 2024 interview, Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon shared his thoughts on the show's current momentum as it enters the final stretch of its original 70-episode deal with Adult Swim. Reflecting on the transition after replacing longtime voice actor Justin Roiland, Harmon said that fans have largely embraced the change.

"We’ve moved forward. People still laugh, still quote the show, and that’s the goal," Harmon said. "The show isn’t about the voices — it’s about the characters. And those characters are intact."

Season 7, which aired in late 2023, intentionally leaned into more standalone episodes, a creative choice Harmon said was meant to ease fans into the new era. “We wanted to prove the show could survive without leaning on serialized arcs. This season was about rebuilding trust with the audience.”

Looking ahead, Harmon confirmed there are roughly ten scripts left to finish under the current production deal. He also hinted at ongoing talks about the series' future. “We’re two seasons ahead in the writers’ room. Once this batch wraps, we’ll see what’s next — but the appetite for more Rick and Morty hasn’t gone anywhere.”

Harmon also addressed ongoing interest in his other projects, including a long-awaited movie spin-off for his cult comedy series Community. While timelines remain uncertain, he emphasized that “no single person is to blame” for delays. “These things take time — that’s the nature of the industry.”

Source: Variety