Honestly, if you were around for the "Szechuan Sauce" riots of 2017, you know exactly how much weight the episodes of Rick and Morty season 3 carry. It wasn’t just a cartoon anymore. It became a cultural fever dream. Fans were screaming at McDonald's employees over a defunct nugget dip because a fictional scientist told them to. But beyond the real-world chaos, this specific run of episodes represents the peak of the show’s nihilistic ambition. It was the year Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland decided to see how far they could break their characters before the audience stopped rooting for them.
The season kicked off with a surprise premiere on April Fools' Day, catching everyone off guard. "The Rickshank Rickdemption" didn't just resolve the Season 2 cliffhanger; it incinerated the status quo. We watched Rick C-137 systematically dismantle both the Galactic Federation and the Council of Ricks, all while revealing (or faking) a tragic backstory involving a dead wife and a dropped bomb. It was fast. It was brutal. It set a tone that the rest of the season struggled—and often succeeded—to maintain.
The Divorce Arc and the Death of the Status Quo
Most sitcoms hit a reset button. Not this one. The decision to have Jerry and Beth actually separate influenced every single one of the episodes of Rick and Morty season 3. It turned the Smith household into a war zone of passive-aggression and trauma.
Take "Rickmancing the Stone." On the surface, it’s a Mad Max parody. But underneath? It’s a devastating look at how kids process a broken home. Summer becomes a bloodthirsty wasteland warrior to vent her rage, while Morty grows a giant, sentient muscle-arm named Armothy to punch his way through his feelings. It’s weird. It’s gross. It’s also incredibly grounded in human psychology, despite the glowing green rocks and mohawks.
Critics like Emily VanDerWerff (formerly of Vox) often pointed out that this season was the show's "darkest" year. They weren't kidding. The humor shifted from "wacky sci-fi adventures" to "how do these people survive each other?"
Pickle Rick is More Than a Meme
We have to talk about "Pickle Rick." It’s the episode everyone loves to hate now because of the over-saturated merchandise, but if you actually re-watch it, it’s a masterpiece of tight writing. Written by Jessica Gao—who later went on to run She-Hulk—the episode isn't actually about a pickle fighting rats.
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Well, it is. But the point is the therapy session at the end.
While Rick is out there performing DIY surgery on cockroaches to build an exoskeleton, Dr. Wong (voiced by Susan Sarandon) is delivering the most savage verbal beatdown in the series' history. She calls Rick out for using his genius as an excuse to avoid the "boring work" of being a healthy human. It’s a moment of total vulnerability that Rick immediately ignores, which is the tragedy of his character.
He’d literally rather die in a sewer as a vegetable than talk about his feelings for twenty minutes.
Examining the Deepest Episodes of Rick and Morty Season 3
If "Pickle Rick" is the loudest episode, "The Ricklantis Mixup" (also known as "Tales from the Citadel") is the smartest. It’s widely considered one of the best half-hours of television ever produced.
What makes it work?
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- It abandons our main Rick and Morty entirely.
- It uses a "city of stories" format to explore the class warfare within the Citadel of Ricks.
- It introduces Evil Morty as a legitimate, terrifying political threat.
- The score by Ryan Elder during the final montage still gives people chills.
The episode basically argues that even in a multiverse of infinite possibilities, people—even Ricks—will find a way to create a hierarchy and oppress each other. It’s cynical. It’s brilliant. It’s also the episode that proved the show could survive without its central gimmick if the writing was sharp enough.
Then you have "The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy." This is a rare moment where Jerry and Rick are forced to bond. It highlights the "beta-male" toxicity Jerry uses to manipulate people, which is just as dangerous in its own way as Rick's god complex. Watching them navigate an alien resort where you can’t die is a fun diversion, but the real meat is Rick admitting, even slightly, that he’s the one who ruined Jerry’s marriage.
The Production Struggle Behind the Scenes
It wasn't all smooth sailing. Season 3 took a long time to come out. There were rumors of infighting and "writer's block" that Dan Harmon eventually addressed on Twitter and various podcasts. He admitted to being a perfectionist, often "over-breaking" stories until they lost their joy.
This perfectionism shows. The episodes feel dense. You can pause almost any frame of "Rest and Relaxation" and see a joke in the background or a bit of world-building that most shows wouldn't bother with. This was also the season where the writers' room became more diverse, bringing in voices like Gao and Sarah Carbiener, which arguably led to the more nuanced takes on Beth and Summer.
The Problem with "The Vindicators 3"
Not every episode was a home run. "Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender" is a deconstruction of superhero tropes, specifically the MCU and Justice League. While funny, some fans felt it was a bit too mean-spirited. Rick gets blackout drunk, sets up a "Saw" style game for the heroes, and proves they are all hypocrites. It’s a nihilistic peak. Is it a good episode? Yeah. Is it hard to watch? Also yeah. It’s the show at its most "Rick," which can be exhausting.
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Why the Finale Felt So Different
"The Rickchurian Mortydate" is a strange beast. Originally, the season was supposed to be 14 episodes long, but they cut it back to 10. This left the finale feeling a bit rushed.
It’s essentially a petty fight between Rick and the President of the United States (voiced by Keith David). No multiverse-ending stakes. No Evil Morty. Just two powerful men acting like toddlers because they want to be "cool."
The ending of the season sees the family reunite, Jerry moves back in, and Rick loses his status as the unchallenged patriarch. For a guy who started the season by saying "I'm the lead of this show and I just took over your life," he ends it sitting at the dinner table, frustrated that he's just another member of a dysfunctional family.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
Looking back at the episodes of Rick and Morty season 3, there are a few things you can actually do to appreciate the craft more or apply its lessons to your own creative work:
- Watch the "Inside the Episode" Featurettes: If you have the Blu-ray or access to the Max extras, watch the breakdowns. Harmon’s "Story Circle" is on full display here. It’s a masterclass in how to structure a 22-minute narrative.
- Analyze the Sound Design: Pay attention to the silence in "The Ricklantis Mixup." The show often uses a lack of music to make the emotional beats hit harder.
- Read the Scripts: Some of the Season 3 scripts are available online through various writing resources. Notice how much of the "stuttering" dialogue is actually written versus improvised.
- Re-evaluate the "Toxic" Labels: Re-watch "Rest and Relaxation" and look at what the characters consider their "healthy" vs "toxic" traits. It’s a great psychological exercise to see how we perceive ourselves.
The legacy of these episodes is complicated. They gave us some of the best sci-fi of the decade, but they also birthed a segment of the fanbase that missed the point—thinking Rick is a hero to be emulated rather than a warning to be heeded. Whether you love the "Pickle Rick" memes or prefer the political intrigue of the Citadel, there's no denying that Season 3 was the moment the show went from a cult hit to a global powerhouse.
Go back and watch "The Ricklantis Mixup" one more time. Focus on the Rick who works in the wafer factory. It tells you more about the human condition in ten minutes than most dramas do in an entire season.
Stay away from the Szechuan sauce though. It's really not that good.