Most critics like Rick and Morty, and they like it for the same reasons. The reviews settle on the premise, a warped version of the Doc Brown and Marty McFly pairing, and on how far the writers push it into dark, sick territory played for manic fun. The praise clusters on the writing: scripts that root gags in the characters’ psychology, a keen sense of timing, and a willingness to tell actual stories rather than string together pop-culture references. The animation gets credit for inventiveness, and critics note that the show gives its characters depth without rubbing the twisted elements in the viewer’s face.
The spread is fairly wide for a series this well liked. One or two reviews find the pace merely manic. The clearest dissent is Collider, which finds the central pair unengaging and the repetition of their names wearing, and argues the supporting family members get the better material. Elsewhere the reservations are small.