Rick and Morty's weirdest storylines are often its best. Justin Roiland and Dan Harmond nailed the show's formula — unconventional adult humor liberated completely by its animated format, enabling the dark, the sexual, the grotesque, and the sci-fi. Throughout this winning formula, the show switched tactics a few times, choosing to tell its story in different ways, in line with the changing demands and interests of the showrunners. This was very noticeable in one season 1 episode.

From Rick and Morty's most powerful villains to its dysfunctional heroes, the show demonstrates its capacity to write a truly diverse range of characters. What may be most interesting about this achievement on the show's part is that perhaps the most diverse characters can all be attributed to just one character, ultimately. Of course, it is the multiverse element of Rick and Morty that enables this. And, of course, the character in question is Rick Sanchez. Viewers were introduced to many Ricks in “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind,” setting the show on a different course.

“Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind” Was The Start Of Rick And Morty’s Canonical Episodes

Rick And Morty Spiraled Into A Different Beast After “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind”

Rick and Morty was never the same again after “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind.” This penultimate episode of season 1 marked the end of a truly episodic show and the start of a more serialized TV series. With a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes, season 1 of Rick and Morty is its highest-scoring and is widely held as its best by fans. The show got better after season 1 in many ways, of course. But the change that marked the show beginning to diverge from its original premise transpired in “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind.”

This penultimate episode of season 1 marked the end of a truly episodic show and the start of a more serialized TV series.

Some fans and critics, therefore, consider the show worse from this episode onwards. This is not actually true, with much of Roiland and Harmon's best work airing in Rick and Morty seasons 3, 4, and 6. But it is true that part of the effortless joy of the show came with the standalone nature of season 1's episodes, as the show laid the groundwork for its future storylines. As many of the best versions of Rick Sanchez were introduced in “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind,” Rick and Morty began its canonical plot, to be developed across its many seasons.

Rick And Morty Was No Longer Just An Episodic Show After “Close Rick-Counters Of The Rick Kind”

Rick And Morty Started Getting Conspirational From Season 2

Rick and Morty started getting real from season 2, with its key setup having been completed in season 1. Although the lighthearted charm of season 1 would never quite return in the same way, many of Rick and Morty's best episodes were still ahead of it. Saving a life or putting a fire out per episode worked well in season 1, and it would make a comeback during the show's many seasons. However, the show finally dropped viewers in at the deep end of its multiverse at the end of season 1, opening up multi-galactic adventures pitting Rick against Rick.

Rick and Morty season 7 aired on October 15, 2023.

Viewers couldn't miss “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind” if they really wanted to stay on top of proceedings in season 2, proving that it was now a show one had to commit to rather than dip in and out of. This was the first episode of the show's evil Morty plotlines, a thread that would prove to dominate Rick and Morty for years. Rick and Morty season 7 is the most divisive season yet, having strayed further from the style of season 1 than any other season, relying heavily on threads introduced in “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind.”

Rick And Morty May Have Become Too Dependent On Its Overarching Storylines

Rick And Morty Would Be Wise To Retain Standalone Episodes

Rick and Morty may have become too embedded in its canon for its own good. Season 6 and season 7 were some of the show's most confusing, a situation which was not helped by having to so many former episodes and plot points in order to grasp ongoing events. Despite the genius of the multiverse exposed by “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind,” Rick and Morty would be wise to retain standalone episodes as a facet of each season. They enable new fans easy entry to the show, which will be key to its growth.

Rick and Morty season 7's ending defines season 8 in many ways, indicating that it may not be able to go back to the normal previously established. However, season 8 can still retract a certain amount of reliance on the show's overarching storylines and insert some standalone episodes that are easy to watch and target big laughs. This will maximize opportunities for die-hard fans to enjoy the show, even if they're too tired to recall previous episodes. As Morty becomes more independent in season 8, evil Morty can remain a key plot but should work without knowledge of former seasons.

Rick and Morty would be wise to retain standalone episodes as a facet of each season.

Regardless of being the lowest-rated season of Rick and Morty yet, with just 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, season 7's controversial nature proves why the show remains one of the best cartoons of its era. The show became more serialized, more self-aware, more meta, and more self-referential, all changes that polarized its fan base. But it never stagnated, determined to evolve in a changing environment made chaotic by a global pandemic, war, and Hollywood strikes. Rick and Morty became less episodic as it changed with the times, but it can stay most relevant by balancing episodic and serialized elements.