Rick And Morty: 5 Things That Changed After The Pilot (& 5 That Stayed The Same)

Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon’s Rick & Morty is easily one of the freshest and funniest shows on television right now. Currently, in the middle of its fourth season, the show has consistently remained one of the better-animated offerings that one can watch, and a large part that plays in this is the brilliant direction in which Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon have taken the show. The ideas that the show exhibited in its first episode have still held tight for the most part, leading to a consistent viewing experience.

However, sticking too close to the original idea of the show for this long would imply that the series will become stale in a while — something that any person who’s watching the show can easily deny. This is because, along with the five core aspects of the show that have held firm, there are five ways in which the show has evolved to stay relevant in a world that’s constantly developing. Let’s delve into these aspects in greater detail.

10 CHANGED AFTER THE PILOT: Less Emphasis On Overt Improvisation

Justin Roiland’s voice work on Rick & Morty clearly establishes him as one of the most versatile voice actors in the industry, if not the very best of the lot. The fact that he voices both the main characters is still quite mind-blowing and goes to show just how talented he actually is.

This provided him with some leeway to make up funny dialogues on the fly — something that was on full display in the previous episodes (especially Rixty Minutes) — where you could ever hear Roiland cracking up at times.

However, this changed later on in the series with the writing becoming slightly tighter. While Roiland definitely has his moments of creative freedom, they pale in comparison to his previous work.

9 STAYED THE SAME: The Trademark Brand Of Crass Humor

If there’s one thing that Rick & Morty is popular for, it’s constantly pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable as comedy in a show. This is nothing new — shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, and South Park have accomplished the same to some extent. However, these shows have been running for ages, to the point where the motif of them pushing the boundaries has, ironically enough, become a comfort zone for them.

Rick & Morty doesn’t suffer from any of these problems. The show is still in its fourth season, and the style of humor on display is one that makes viewers gasp and laugh at the same time.

8 CHANGED AFTER THE PILOT: The Universe That Rick & Morty Resided In

This is perhaps the most literal change in the entire series. During their adventures, Rick & Morty have changed their universes several times.

The frequency at which this has happened is unknown — mainly because of the implications of Morty’s Mind Blowers — but one can surmise that it’s happened three times at the very least.

7 STAYED THE SAME: The Insanity Of The Narrative

With the gargantuan implications of the plot that are seemingly swept under the rug as nothing more than your run-of-the-mill adventures, it’s nice to see that Rick & Morty hasn’t lost its appetite to craft mind-bending narratives.

Each episode has its moments that leave viewers in a state of shock… before a brilliantly-timed joke brings them back to crying tears of laughter.

6 CHANGED AFTER THE PILOT: Beth And Summer Coming Into Their Own

The Smith family is entertaining in every sense of the word, with each member having multiple highlights throughout the series.

The women of this family have especially shown just how badass they can actually be if given the opportunity, with both Beth and Summer shining in the episodes that put them in the limelight.

5 STAYED THE SAME: Jerry Being The Loser Of The Family

Unfortunately, not everyone in the Smith family is a hidden gem. Sometimes, they turn out to be nothing more than a dried-up piece of turd — a perfect way to describe Jerry.

The father of this family is a man you love to hate and hate to love, with his beta personality constantly ridiculed by the others… especially Rick.

4 CHANGED AFTER THE PILOT: Morty’s Inclination Towards Nihilism

While Rick & Morty showed traces of the former being mentally disturbed from the get-go, it isn’t until half of Season 1 is over before Morty gets his first taste of psychological horror as he abandons his universe and takes over the places of a Rick and a Morty from another universe, who — conveniently enough — pass away in a freak accident.

By the time episode 8 of this season rolls out, it seems that Morty’s acceptance of nihilism becomes painfully apparent.

3 STAYED THE SAME: Rick’s Inclination Towards Nihilism

Since we’re on the topic of nihilism, it’s impossible to not mention the man who’s adopted this belief from the moment the series starts — Rick himself.

Being a genius who’s seen everything there is to see in the multiverse, it’s very much possible that Rick has gone through so many traumatic experiences that the concept of nihilism is what he leans on to retain a semblance of sanity.

2 CHANGED AFTER THE PILOT: The Quality Of The Animation

This one is pretty obvious since most animated shows experience a certain level of growth when it comes to their visual fidelity as the series progresses.

The rampant success of Rick & Morty — which obviously must’ve contributed to them receiving a higher budget — coupled with the progress of technology in general means that the show looks way better from a quality standpoint as compared to the pilot episode.

1 STAYED THE SAME: A Focus On Galactic Adventures

From the very first episode, the dynamic of the series was established — Rick, a mad scientist forces his grandson Morty to go on intergalactic adventures with him.

It’s a formula that has been honed and perfected to the point where every episode of Rick & Morty has become an absolute treat to watch.