For its second season, Rick and Morty chose to redefine itself as genuinely great sci-fi. The imagination on display this year was truly jaw-dropping, as seen in bits like the hilarious, melancholy video game “Roy: A Life Well-Lived.” Bizarre digressions like that are Rick and Morty’s bread and butter, and do an amazing job of expanding the show’s already massive universe. Part of great science fiction is the philosophical implications of the genre, which Rick and Morty never shied away from. The show became truly existential with its exploration of multiple universes – and the multiple versions of its characters that inhabit them.
It’s a daunting task, which the show was more than up to. But all that notwithstanding, Rick and Morty was never less than hilarious, as phrases like “Get schwifty” entered the cult nerd lexicon. Bonus points for what might be the funniest line of the year: “Fuck you, God! Not today, bitch!”
Best episodes: “A Rickle in Time,” “Mortynight Run”
Rick and Morty