Let’s be real. If you’ve spent any time on the weird side of the internet, you know that the rating for rick and morty isn't just a number. It's basically a battlefield. One minute, fans are crowning an episode as the greatest piece of sci-fi ever written, and the next, they’re review-bombing a season because the "vibes" shifted.
The show has been through the wringer. We've seen creator exits, voice actor swaps, and a transition from a cult cable hit to a global streaming behemoth. But what do the actual numbers say? Are we looking at a masterpiece in decline or just a show that’s growing up in a very loud room?
The Highs, the Lows, and the Szechuan Sauce
Back in 2013, nobody knew what a "Plumbus" was.
The first season of Rick and Morty landed with a nearly perfect 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. It was fresh. It was dark. Most importantly, it felt like nothing else on television. By the time Season 3 rolled around in 2017—the era of the infamous Szechuan Sauce riots—the show hit its peak critical and audience overlap. Season 3 holds a staggering 96% critic score and a 95% audience rating. That is almost impossible to maintain for a comedy.
Then things got complicated.
By Season 5, we saw the first real "dip." While critics still stayed fairly high (86%), the audience score tumbled to 65%. Why? Honestly, it was a mix of "brand exhaustion" and some truly bizarre narrative choices. Remember the giant incest baby? Yeah. A lot of people didn't.
Understanding the Rating for Rick and Morty in the Streaming Era
If you look at the Nielsen numbers, you’d think the show was dying. You'd be wrong.
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Traditional cable viewership for Season 7 and Season 8 has hovered around 0.3 to 0.5 million live viewers per episode. Compare that to the 2 million+ people who used to tune in during the Season 4 days. It looks like a disaster on paper. But here is the thing: nobody watches cable.
The rating for rick and morty today is largely driven by streaming platforms like Max and Hulu. In June 2025, for example, Season 8 was the most-streamed show on Max in multiple international territories. Nielsen’s "The Gauge" consistently shows that while linear TV is shrinking, adult animation is one of the few genres that actually thrives in the digital "Live + 7" window.
Breaking Down the IMDb Data
If you want the "true" fan pulse, you go to IMDb. It's more granular. It's also more brutal.
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- Season 1-3: These are the "Golden Age" seasons. Average episode ratings consistently sit between 8.5 and 9.1.
- Season 4-6: The "Experimental Phase." This is where you see the "hit or miss" pattern. Episodes like "The Vat of Acid Episode" (S4E8) still pull a massive 9.0+, but the averages start sliding toward the high 7s.
- Season 7-8: The "Post-Roiland Era." This has been a rollercoaster. Season 7 actually holds the series low for audience scores (51% on Rotten Tomatoes), largely due to the backlash over Justin Roiland's departure and the recasting.
However, Season 8 has shown a weird resilience. Even with the internal drama, the opening episodes of Season 8 briefly reclaimed a 100% critic score. Fans are slowly coming around to the new voices, Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden, but the "unfunny" allegations still haunt certain filler episodes.
Why the Critics and Fans Disagree
It’s a classic divide. Critics love the "meta" commentary. They eat up the episodes that deconstruct the nature of storytelling itself.
Fans? They usually just want to laugh.
When the show gets too "up its own ass" (to use a Rick-ism), the audience ratings tank. Season 7's finale, "Fear No Mort," was a massive hit because it felt grounded and emotional. It proved the show could still land a punch without its original creator. But when the writers spend twenty minutes making fun of heist movie tropes for the third time? People tune out.
What This Means for Season 9 and Beyond
Adult Swim isn't worried. They signed a massive 70-episode deal years ago, ensuring the show will reach at least 10 seasons. The rating for rick and morty might fluctuate, but the brand is too big to fail right now.
The "core" audience has definitely changed. The "Gen Z" influence, as some older fans complain on Reddit, has led to a more inclusive, less "edgy" humor. Some call it "mid." Others call it growth.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you're a fan trying to make sense of the noise, or if you're just curious why your favorite show feels different, here is the takeaway:
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- Ignore the "Review Bombs": The 33% or 51% audience scores usually reflect behind-the-scenes drama, not the actual quality of the animation or writing.
- Watch the "Canon" Episodes: If you're feeling exhausted, skip the episodic "adventure of the week" and focus on the Prime Rick or Citadel lore. These almost always have the highest IMDb ratings.
- Check the Credits: Notice which writers are handling your favorite episodes. Names like Heather Anne Campbell or Albro Lundy often signal a "prestige" episode.
- Streaming is King: If you want to support the show, watch it on official platforms within the first 7 days of release. That is the metric the network actually cares about in 2026.
The show isn't what it was in 2013, but nothing is. It’s a different beast now—one that’s more interested in character growth for Jerry and Summer than just "wubba lubba dub dub." Whether that's a good thing is up to you, but the data says Rick and Morty isn't going anywhere.