Season 4's only real missed opportunity on the storytelling front is its lack of focus on Beth and Jerry. We have dozens of new episodes to look forward to in the years to come. Ultimately, though, that doesn't really matter. Those hoping for a more story-driven season (especially in light of some of the big developments from Season 3) may feel a bit let down by the relative lack of continuity in Season 4. At the same time, several episodes illustrate how characters like Morty and Beth are the architects of their own misery rather than innocent victims of Grandpa Rick's ego. There's not really a strong narrative thread tying Season 4 together, but there is that greater emphasis on Rick as the self-defeating malcontent who loses many of the fights he picks. Having been forced to abandon his feud with the president and failed to prevent Jerry from returning home, Rick is faced with a major shift in the balance of power and a family generally less willing to tolerate his toxic behavior.
The series picks up in the aftermath of Rick's resounding defeat in the Season 3 finale. Season 4 is a little different in that regard. If hardly the most consistent Rick and Morty season to date, Season 4 often showcases the series at its very best.Įvery new season starts off with a mission statement of sorts, usually delivered by Rick himself in the form of a drunken, fourth wall-shattering monologue.
But if we've learned anything over the years, it's that the quality of the series tends to make those long gaps worth suffering through in the end. Season 4 premiered over two years after Season 3 wrapped up its run, and fans had to deal with another six-month gap in between the first and second halves. Rick and Morty is a series notorious for keeping its fans waiting.