🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 193 (from laksa047)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa193.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.thegamer.com/rick-morty-season-5-bad/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.thegamer.com/rick-morty-season-5-bad/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/rick-morty-season-5-bad\/","crawl_time":1775258266,"first_indexed_time":1628131430,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,thegamer!www,\/rick-morty-season-5-bad\/ s443","src_root_hash":"2432873695537376993","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Rick & Morty Season 5 Has Gone So Wrong","meta_descriptions":["It all started so well..."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Published\nAug 4, 2021, 2:00 PM EDT\nStacey Henley is the Newcastle born-and-based Editor-in-Chief at TheGamer, and an award winning features writer with experience across written and video content. She won the GGW Award for her feature on the parasocial marketing of Cyberpunk 2077, and has been twice nominated for the GameHers award for Journalism.\nStacey has been at TheGamer since February 2021 and has been Editor-in-Chief since September 2021. She previously wrote in a freelance capacity for, among others, The Washington Post, IGN, The Huffington Post, Polygon, Eurogamer, and The Guardian. She specialises in analysis of triple-A trends, video game fandoms\/communities, and television\/cinema.\nHindsight is a wonderful thing. Back when\nRick & Morty\nseason five first premiered, I described the opener as being like a whole season in a single episode, and despite the disappointment of season four, my hopes remained sky high. The\nfirst episode had all the interconnected storytelling,\nmix of wacky adventures, and meaningful heart the previous season had lacked, and set the table brilliantly for what was to come. Unfortunately, all future episodes decided to Get Schwifty, by which I mean they took a shit on the floor.\nOkay, so that’s a little harsh. The second episode, Mortyplicity, was fantastic too, and even prompted me to write a - now clearly premature - article on how\nseason five was the show back to its best.\nPut simply, I jinxed it. Episodes three and five were decent without being all that interesting or funny, six was solid but probably needed another rewrite or two, and seven - the most recent - finally gets the show back to form in the parody department, but falls down everywhere else.\nEpisode four meanwhile is the worst in the show’s history, with it repeatedly giving into its worst impulses.\nI’m not sure where this season stands amongst the rest of them. Clearly, it and season four are fighting for last place, but season four’s lows aren’t as bad as Rickdependence Spray, while season five lacks a\nRattlestar Ricklactica-level episode\nto haul it out of last place. However, I don’t want to consign it to the bottom of the pile while it still has three episodes to run, so for now let’s say its official - well, my official - ranking is TBC, but that the first three places are closed off.\nThe problem with discussing this, as is the problem with every discussion about Rick & Morty, is the fanbase. If you thought they were obnoxious when they liked the show, wait until you see them when they hate it. For a lot of people, Rick & Morty was not just a show they ‘liked’ either. There were riots over a limited edition Mulan sauce because Rick mentioned it in a bit - a lot of people cared about this show more than is probably healthy. When it’s doing well, that relationship is unhealthy. When it starts to tank, though, it becomes downright toxic.\nThis is why I’m reluctant to jump in with both feet on ‘\nRick & Morty\nsucks!’. Firstly, it doesn’t - it’s still funny and watchable television even if The Ricklantis Mixup seems beyond it. But also, yelling about Rick & Morty being awful is basically just throwing your voice in with the worst of the fanbase. The common criticism is that the writers have gotten lazy, which ironically is a lazy criticism in itself. It’s something we see in game development too; any fault with any piece of media lies with the schmucks who made it not working hard enough.\nHowever, there are some details behind the scenes that could point to a downturn in the show’s quality. After season three, it was handed a huge 70-episode renewal. This number wasn’t random, it was the number of episodes it needed to make to qualify for syndication. But at that stage, the show had put out 31 episodes. How many shows do you know that get renewed three seasons in for more than double their current output? Especially animated shows, which typically take longer to produce than live-action ones.\nAdded to that, Rick & Morty co-creator Justin Roiland - who also voices both Rick and Morty - has been busy on his other show, Solar Opposites, which has produced 20 episodes in the last two years and is due for another ten in both 2022 and 2023. It’s not so much laziness as it might be being overworked - if that’s the case, there’s another parallel with games development.\nBeing renewed up to the point of eventual syndication when you’re only 31 episodes in also brings huge pressure. Rick & Morty has always been touted as a show that can do anything - it exists in multiple dimensions with infinite possibilities, and can explore those possibilities freely, even when it mainly stays with our C-137 universe leads. But being told to prove these infinite possibilities over and over again for 70 episodes without the freedom to wrap it up and move on brings restrictions of its own.\nThese infinite possibilities also introduce a unique problem. Whenever somebody acts out of character, or an episode goes off the rails, fans are quick to suggest the episode we just saw wasn’t a C-137 episode. In layman's terms, it’s non-canon. It doesn’t count.\nSeason five has struggled with this idea. Episode one is obviously C-137, since it references past C-137 occurrences and both the Morty-Jessica and Beth-Jerry relationship are part of the C-137 dimension. Episode two, meanwhile, begins in C-137, then hops dimensions. After that, it’s anybody’s guess. The episodes don’t feel connected, nor do they have any consequences or growth. The get out of jail card is that this isn’t C-137, or is multiple different dimensions, or is the origin of Evil Morty. Most recently, however, episode seven brings back episode four’s Giant Incest Baby and specifically references C-137, so that theory is out.\nTurns out, there’s no hidden mystery. Season five just isn’t as good. A combination of syndication pressure plus the show struggling under its own tropes - possibly mixed with Solar Opposites - means Rick & Morty just isn’t what it used to be. I look forward to the false dawn of the season six premiere in a couple of years.\nNext:\nWhat's Going On With Snorlax's Teeth In New Pokemon Snap?","attrs_markdown":"Menu\n\n[![TheGamer logo](https:\/\/static0.thegamerimages.com\/assets\/images\/tg-logo-full-colored-light.svg?v=3.6)](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/)\n\nSign in now\n\nClose\n\n- - [Reviews & Previews](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/reviews-previews\/)\n  - [Guides](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/category\/game-guides\/)\n    Submenu\n    - [Trending](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/trending-guides\/)\n    - [All Guides](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/category\/game-guides\/)\n  - [News](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/category\/game-news\/)\n    Submenu\n    - [Trending](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/trending-news\/)\n    - [Latest](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/archive\/)\n  - [Features](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/category\/tg-originals\/)\n    Submenu\n    - [Interviews](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/tag\/interviews\/)\n    - [Exclusives](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/exclusives\/)\n    - [Lists](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/category\/lists\/)\n    - [New Release Calendar](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/video-game-release-dates-2026\/)\n    - [All Features](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/category\/tg-originals\/)\n- [Videos](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/videos\/)\n\n- [Sign in](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/rick-morty-season-5-bad\/)\n- [Newsletter](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/page\/newsletter\/)\n\nMenu\n\n[![TheGamer logo](https:\/\/static0.thegamerimages.com\/assets\/images\/tg-logo-icon-colored-light.svg?v=3.6)](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/)\n\nFollow\n\nFollowed\n\nLike\n\nMore Action\n\nSign in now\n\n[Crimson Desert](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/tag\/crimson-desert\/)\n\n[Pokemon Pokopia](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/tag\/pokemon-pokopia\/)\n\n[Monster Hunter Stories 3](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/tag\/monster-hunter-stories-3-twisted-reflection\/)\n\n[Resident Evil Requiem](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/tag\/resident-evil-requiem\/)\n\n[Events](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/gaming-events-conventions-2025\/)\n\n[Release Dates](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/video-game-release-dates-2026\/)\n\nClose\n\n# Rick & Morty Season 5 Has Gone So Wrong\n![rick-and-morty-season-5](https:\/\/static0.thegamerimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rick-and-morty-season-5.jpg?&fit=crop&w=1600&h=900)\n\n[![4](https:\/\/static0.thegamerimages.com\/wordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fauthors%2F69bc7202c4309-Stacey%20Henley.jpg?fit=crop&w=90&h=90)](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/author\/stacey-henley\/)\n\nBy  [Stacey Henley](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/author\/stacey-henley\/)\n\nPublished Aug 4, 2021, 2:00 PM EDT\n\nStacey Henley is the Newcastle born-and-based Editor-in-Chief at TheGamer, and an award winning features writer with experience across written and video content. She won the GGW Award for her feature on the parasocial marketing of Cyberpunk 2077, and has been twice nominated for the GameHers award for Journalism.  \n   \n Stacey has been at TheGamer since February 2021 and has been Editor-in-Chief since September 2021. She previously wrote in a freelance capacity for, among others, The Washington Post, IGN, The Huffington Post, Polygon, Eurogamer, and The Guardian. She specialises in analysis of triple-A trends, video game fandoms\/communities, and television\/cinema.\n\n[Sign in to your TheGamer account]()\n\n[Add Us On](https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=thegamer.com \"Add Us On\")\n\nfollow\n\nFollow\n\nfollowed\n\nFollowed\n\nLike\n\nLike\n\nLog in\n\nHere is a fact-based summary of the story contents:\n\nTry something different:\n\nShow me the facts\n\nExplain it like I’m 5\n\nGive me a lighthearted recap\n\nHindsight is a wonderful thing. Back when [Rick & Morty](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/tag\/rick-and-morty\/) season five first premiered, I described the opener as being like a whole season in a single episode, and despite the disappointment of season four, my hopes remained sky high. The [first episode had all the interconnected storytelling,](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/rick-and-morty-season-five-premiere\/) mix of wacky adventures, and meaningful heart the previous season had lacked, and set the table brilliantly for what was to come. Unfortunately, all future episodes decided to Get Schwifty, by which I mean they took a shit on the floor.\n\nOkay, so that’s a little harsh. The second episode, Mortyplicity, was fantastic too, and even prompted me to write a - now clearly premature - article on how [season five was the show back to its best.](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/rick-morty-season-5-back-best\/) Put simply, I jinxed it. Episodes three and five were decent without being all that interesting or funny, six was solid but probably needed another rewrite or two, and seven - the most recent - finally gets the show back to form in the parody department, but falls down everywhere else. [Episode four meanwhile is the worst in the show’s history, with it repeatedly giving into its worst impulses.](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/rick-morty-worst-episode-season-5-episode-4-rickdependence-spray\/)\n\nRelated: [Scarlett Johansson Is Not Your Girl Boss](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/scarlett-johansson-disney-black-widow-lawsuit-girl-boss\/)\n\nI’m not sure where this season stands amongst the rest of them. Clearly, it and season four are fighting for last place, but season four’s lows aren’t as bad as Rickdependence Spray, while season five lacks a [Rattlestar Ricklactica-level episode](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/rick-morty-season-4-rattlestar-ricklactica\/) to haul it out of last place. However, I don’t want to consign it to the bottom of the pile while it still has three episodes to run, so for now let’s say its official - well, my official - ranking is TBC, but that the first three places are closed off.\n\n![rick-and-morty-s5](https:\/\/static0.thegamerimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rick-and-morty-s5.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5)\n\nThe problem with discussing this, as is the problem with every discussion about Rick & Morty, is the fanbase. If you thought they were obnoxious when they liked the show, wait until you see them when they hate it. For a lot of people, Rick & Morty was not just a show they ‘liked’ either. There were riots over a limited edition Mulan sauce because Rick mentioned it in a bit - a lot of people cared about this show more than is probably healthy. When it’s doing well, that relationship is unhealthy. When it starts to tank, though, it becomes downright toxic.\n\nThis is why I’m reluctant to jump in with both feet on ‘[Rick & Morty](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/tag\/rick-morty\/) sucks!’. Firstly, it doesn’t - it’s still funny and watchable television even if The Ricklantis Mixup seems beyond it. But also, yelling about Rick & Morty being awful is basically just throwing your voice in with the worst of the fanbase. The common criticism is that the writers have gotten lazy, which ironically is a lazy criticism in itself. It’s something we see in game development too; any fault with any piece of media lies with the schmucks who made it not working hard enough.\n\n![Rick Morty Season 5 Episode 4 Rickdependence Spray](https:\/\/static0.thegamerimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Rick-and-Morty-Season-5-Episode-4-Recap-Rickdependence-Spray.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5)\n\nHowever, there are some details behind the scenes that could point to a downturn in the show’s quality. After season three, it was handed a huge 70-episode renewal. This number wasn’t random, it was the number of episodes it needed to make to qualify for syndication. But at that stage, the show had put out 31 episodes. How many shows do you know that get renewed three seasons in for more than double their current output? Especially animated shows, which typically take longer to produce than live-action ones.\n\nAdded to that, Rick & Morty co-creator Justin Roiland - who also voices both Rick and Morty - has been busy on his other show, Solar Opposites, which has produced 20 episodes in the last two years and is due for another ten in both 2022 and 2023. It’s not so much laziness as it might be being overworked - if that’s the case, there’s another parallel with games development.\n\nBeing renewed up to the point of eventual syndication when you’re only 31 episodes in also brings huge pressure. Rick & Morty has always been touted as a show that can do anything - it exists in multiple dimensions with infinite possibilities, and can explore those possibilities freely, even when it mainly stays with our C-137 universe leads. But being told to prove these infinite possibilities over and over again for 70 episodes without the freedom to wrap it up and move on brings restrictions of its own.\n\n![morty in rick and morty](https:\/\/static0.thegamerimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/morty-episode-1-rick-morty.png?q=50&fit=crop&w=789&dpr=1.5)\n\nThese infinite possibilities also introduce a unique problem. Whenever somebody acts out of character, or an episode goes off the rails, fans are quick to suggest the episode we just saw wasn’t a C-137 episode. In layman's terms, it’s non-canon. It doesn’t count.\n\nSeason five has struggled with this idea. Episode one is obviously C-137, since it references past C-137 occurrences and both the Morty-Jessica and Beth-Jerry relationship are part of the C-137 dimension. Episode two, meanwhile, begins in C-137, then hops dimensions. After that, it’s anybody’s guess. The episodes don’t feel connected, nor do they have any consequences or growth. The get out of jail card is that this isn’t C-137, or is multiple different dimensions, or is the origin of Evil Morty. Most recently, however, episode seven brings back episode four’s Giant Incest Baby and specifically references C-137, so that theory is out.\n\nTurns out, there’s no hidden mystery. Season five just isn’t as good. A combination of syndication pressure plus the show struggling under its own tropes - possibly mixed with Solar Opposites - means Rick & Morty just isn’t what it used to be. I look forward to the false dawn of the season six premiere in a couple of years.\n\nNext: [What's Going On With Snorlax's Teeth In New Pokemon Snap?](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/new-pokemon-snap-trailer-update-snorlax\/)\n\n- [TheGamer Originals](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/category\/tg-originals\/ \"TheGamer Originals\")\n- [Rick & Morty](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/tag\/rick-morty\/ \"Rick & Morty\")\n- [Rick And Morty](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/tag\/rick-and-morty\/ \"Rick And Morty\")\n\nFollow\n\nFollowed\n\nLike\n\nShare\n\n[Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegamer.com%2Frick-morty-season-5-bad%2F%2F&src=sdkpreparse)   [X](https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=How%20Has%20Rick%20%26%20Morty%20Fluffed%20Season%20Five%27s%20Landing%20This%20Badly%3F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegamer.com%2Frick-morty-season-5-bad%2F)   [WhatsApp](https:\/\/web.whatsapp.com\/send?text=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegamer.com%2Frick-morty-season-5-bad%2F)   [Threads](https:\/\/www.threads.net\/intent\/post?text=How%20Has%20Rick%20%26%20Morty%20Fluffed%20Season%20Five%27s%20Landing%20This%20Badly%3F%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegamer.com%2Frick-morty-season-5-bad%2F)   [Bluesky](https:\/\/bsky.app\/intent\/compose?text=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegamer.com%2Frick-morty-season-5-bad%2F)   [LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegamer.com%2Frick-morty-season-5-bad%2F&title=How%20Has%20Rick%20%26%20Morty%20Fluffed%20Season%20Five%27s%20Landing%20This%20Badly%3F&source=www.thegamer.com&summary=It%20all%20started%20so%20well...)   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Inc.","attrs_readable_markdown":"[![4](https:\/\/static0.thegamerimages.com\/wordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fauthors%2F69bc7202c4309-Stacey%20Henley.jpg?fit=crop&w=90&h=90)](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/author\/stacey-henley\/)\n\nPublished Aug 4, 2021, 2:00 PM EDT\n\nStacey Henley is the Newcastle born-and-based Editor-in-Chief at TheGamer, and an award winning features writer with experience across written and video content. She won the GGW Award for her feature on the parasocial marketing of Cyberpunk 2077, and has been twice nominated for the GameHers award for Journalism.\n\nStacey has been at TheGamer since February 2021 and has been Editor-in-Chief since September 2021. She previously wrote in a freelance capacity for, among others, The Washington Post, IGN, The Huffington Post, Polygon, Eurogamer, and The Guardian. She specialises in analysis of triple-A trends, video game fandoms\/communities, and television\/cinema.\n\nHindsight is a wonderful thing. Back when [Rick & Morty](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/tag\/rick-and-morty\/) season five first premiered, I described the opener as being like a whole season in a single episode, and despite the disappointment of season four, my hopes remained sky high. The [first episode had all the interconnected storytelling,](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/rick-and-morty-season-five-premiere\/) mix of wacky adventures, and meaningful heart the previous season had lacked, and set the table brilliantly for what was to come. Unfortunately, all future episodes decided to Get Schwifty, by which I mean they took a shit on the floor.\n\nOkay, so that’s a little harsh. The second episode, Mortyplicity, was fantastic too, and even prompted me to write a - now clearly premature - article on how [season five was the show back to its best.](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/rick-morty-season-5-back-best\/) Put simply, I jinxed it. Episodes three and five were decent without being all that interesting or funny, six was solid but probably needed another rewrite or two, and seven - the most recent - finally gets the show back to form in the parody department, but falls down everywhere else. [Episode four meanwhile is the worst in the show’s history, with it repeatedly giving into its worst impulses.](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/rick-morty-worst-episode-season-5-episode-4-rickdependence-spray\/)\n\nI’m not sure where this season stands amongst the rest of them. Clearly, it and season four are fighting for last place, but season four’s lows aren’t as bad as Rickdependence Spray, while season five lacks a [Rattlestar Ricklactica-level episode](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/rick-morty-season-4-rattlestar-ricklactica\/) to haul it out of last place. However, I don’t want to consign it to the bottom of the pile while it still has three episodes to run, so for now let’s say its official - well, my official - ranking is TBC, but that the first three places are closed off.\n\n![rick-and-morty-s5](https:\/\/static0.thegamerimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rick-and-morty-s5.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5)\n\nThe problem with discussing this, as is the problem with every discussion about Rick & Morty, is the fanbase. If you thought they were obnoxious when they liked the show, wait until you see them when they hate it. For a lot of people, Rick & Morty was not just a show they ‘liked’ either. There were riots over a limited edition Mulan sauce because Rick mentioned it in a bit - a lot of people cared about this show more than is probably healthy. When it’s doing well, that relationship is unhealthy. When it starts to tank, though, it becomes downright toxic.\n\nThis is why I’m reluctant to jump in with both feet on ‘[Rick & Morty](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/tag\/rick-morty\/) sucks!’. Firstly, it doesn’t - it’s still funny and watchable television even if The Ricklantis Mixup seems beyond it. But also, yelling about Rick & Morty being awful is basically just throwing your voice in with the worst of the fanbase. The common criticism is that the writers have gotten lazy, which ironically is a lazy criticism in itself. It’s something we see in game development too; any fault with any piece of media lies with the schmucks who made it not working hard enough.\n\n![Rick Morty Season 5 Episode 4 Rickdependence Spray](https:\/\/static0.thegamerimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Rick-and-Morty-Season-5-Episode-4-Recap-Rickdependence-Spray.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5)\n\nHowever, there are some details behind the scenes that could point to a downturn in the show’s quality. After season three, it was handed a huge 70-episode renewal. This number wasn’t random, it was the number of episodes it needed to make to qualify for syndication. But at that stage, the show had put out 31 episodes. How many shows do you know that get renewed three seasons in for more than double their current output? Especially animated shows, which typically take longer to produce than live-action ones.\n\nAdded to that, Rick & Morty co-creator Justin Roiland - who also voices both Rick and Morty - has been busy on his other show, Solar Opposites, which has produced 20 episodes in the last two years and is due for another ten in both 2022 and 2023. It’s not so much laziness as it might be being overworked - if that’s the case, there’s another parallel with games development.\n\nBeing renewed up to the point of eventual syndication when you’re only 31 episodes in also brings huge pressure. Rick & Morty has always been touted as a show that can do anything - it exists in multiple dimensions with infinite possibilities, and can explore those possibilities freely, even when it mainly stays with our C-137 universe leads. But being told to prove these infinite possibilities over and over again for 70 episodes without the freedom to wrap it up and move on brings restrictions of its own.\n\n![morty in rick and morty](https:\/\/static0.thegamerimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/morty-episode-1-rick-morty.png?q=50&fit=crop&w=789&dpr=1.5)\n\nThese infinite possibilities also introduce a unique problem. Whenever somebody acts out of character, or an episode goes off the rails, fans are quick to suggest the episode we just saw wasn’t a C-137 episode. In layman's terms, it’s non-canon. It doesn’t count.\n\nSeason five has struggled with this idea. Episode one is obviously C-137, since it references past C-137 occurrences and both the Morty-Jessica and Beth-Jerry relationship are part of the C-137 dimension. Episode two, meanwhile, begins in C-137, then hops dimensions. After that, it’s anybody’s guess. The episodes don’t feel connected, nor do they have any consequences or growth. The get out of jail card is that this isn’t C-137, or is multiple different dimensions, or is the origin of Evil Morty. Most recently, however, episode seven brings back episode four’s Giant Incest Baby and specifically references C-137, so that theory is out.\n\nTurns out, there’s no hidden mystery. Season five just isn’t as good. A combination of syndication pressure plus the show struggling under its own tropes - possibly mixed with Solar Opposites - means Rick & Morty just isn’t what it used to be. I look forward to the false dawn of the season six premiere in a couple of years.\n\nNext: [What's Going On With Snorlax's Teeth In New Pokemon Snap?](https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/new-pokemon-snap-trailer-update-snorlax\/)","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	Published Aug 4, 2021, 2:00 PM EDT Stacey Henley is the Newcastle born-and-based Editor-in-Chief at TheGamer, and an award winning features writer with experience across written and video content. She won the GGW Award for her feature on the parasocial marketing of Cyberpunk 2077, and has been twice nominated for the GameHers award for Journalism. Stacey has been at TheGamer since February 2021 and has been Editor-in-Chief since September 2021. She previously wrote in a freelance capacity for, among others, The Washington Post, IGN, The Huffington Post, Polygon, Eurogamer, and The Guardian. She specialises in analysis of triple-A trends, video game fandoms/communities, and television/cinema. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Back when Rick & Morty season five first premiered, I described the opener as being like a whole season in a single episode, and despite the disappointment of season four, my hopes remained sky high. The first episode had all the interconnected storytelling, mix of wacky adventures, and meaningful heart the previous season had lacked, and set the table brilliantly for what was to come. Unfortunately, all future episodes decided to Get Schwifty, by which I mean they took a shit on the floor. Okay, so that’s a little harsh. The second episode, Mortyplicity, was fantastic too, and even prompted me to write a - now clearly premature - article on how season five was the show back to its best. Put simply, I jinxed it. Episodes three and five were decent without being all that interesting or funny, six was solid but probably needed another rewrite or two, and seven - the most recent - finally gets the show back to form in the parody department, but falls down everywhere else. Episode four meanwhile is the worst in the show’s history, with it repeatedly giving into its worst impulses. I’m not sure where this season stands amongst the rest of them. Clearly, it and season four are fighting for last place, but season four’s lows aren’t as bad as Rickdependence Spray, while season five lacks a Rattlestar Ricklactica-level episode to haul it out of last place. However, I don’t want to consign it to the bottom of the pile while it still has three episodes to run, so for now let’s say its official - well, my official - ranking is TBC, but that the first three places are closed off. The problem with discussing this, as is the problem with every discussion about Rick & Morty, is the fanbase. If you thought they were obnoxious when they liked the show, wait until you see them when they hate it. For a lot of people, Rick & Morty was not just a show they ‘liked’ either. There were riots over a limited edition Mulan sauce because Rick mentioned it in a bit - a lot of people cared about this show more than is probably healthy. When it’s doing well, that relationship is unhealthy. When it starts to tank, though, it becomes downright toxic. This is why I’m reluctant to jump in with both feet on ‘ Rick & Morty sucks!’. Firstly, it doesn’t - it’s still funny and watchable television even if The Ricklantis Mixup seems beyond it. But also, yelling about Rick & Morty being awful is basically just throwing your voice in with the worst of the fanbase. The common criticism is that the writers have gotten lazy, which ironically is a lazy criticism in itself. It’s something we see in game development too; any fault with any piece of media lies with the schmucks who made it not working hard enough. However, there are some details behind the scenes that could point to a downturn in the show’s quality. After season three, it was handed a huge 70-episode renewal. This number wasn’t random, it was the number of episodes it needed to make to qualify for syndication. But at that stage, the show had put out 31 episodes. How many shows do you know that get renewed three seasons in for more than double their current output? Especially animated shows, which typically take longer to produce than live-action ones. Added to that, Rick & Morty co-creator Justin Roiland - who also voices both Rick and Morty - has been busy on his other show, Solar Opposites, which has produced 20 episodes in the last two years and is due for another ten in both 2022 and 2023. It’s not so much laziness as it might be being overworked - if that’s the case, there’s another parallel with games development. Being renewed up to the point of eventual syndication when you’re only 31 episodes in also brings huge pressure. Rick & Morty has always been touted as a show that can do anything - it exists in multiple dimensions with infinite possibilities, and can explore those possibilities freely, even when it mainly stays with our C-137 universe leads. But being told to prove these infinite possibilities over and over again for 70 episodes without the freedom to wrap it up and move on brings restrictions of its own. These infinite possibilities also introduce a unique problem. Whenever somebody acts out of character, or an episode goes off the rails, fans are quick to suggest the episode we just saw wasn’t a C-137 episode. In layman's terms, it’s non-canon. It doesn’t count. Season five has struggled with this idea. Episode one is obviously C-137, since it references past C-137 occurrences and both the Morty-Jessica and Beth-Jerry relationship are part of the C-137 dimension. Episode two, meanwhile, begins in C-137, then hops dimensions. After that, it’s anybody’s guess. The episodes don’t feel connected, nor do they have any consequences or growth. The get out of jail card is that this isn’t C-137, or is multiple different dimensions, or is the origin of Evil Morty. Most recently, however, episode seven brings back episode four’s Giant Incest Baby and specifically references C-137, so that theory is out. Turns out, there’s no hidden mystery. Season five just isn’t as good. A combination of syndication pressure plus the show struggling under its own tropes - possibly mixed with Solar Opposites - means Rick & Morty just isn’t what it used to be. I look forward to the false dawn of the season six premiere in a couple of years. Next: What's Going On With Snorlax's Teeth In New Pokemon Snap?
Markdown	Menu [![TheGamer logo](https://static0.thegamerimages.com/assets/images/tg-logo-full-colored-light.svg?v=3.6)](https://www.thegamer.com/) Sign in now Close - - [Reviews & Previews](https://www.thegamer.com/reviews-previews/) - [Guides](https://www.thegamer.com/category/game-guides/) Submenu - [Trending](https://www.thegamer.com/trending-guides/) - [All Guides](https://www.thegamer.com/category/game-guides/) - [News](https://www.thegamer.com/category/game-news/) Submenu - [Trending](https://www.thegamer.com/trending-news/) - [Latest](https://www.thegamer.com/archive/) - [Features](https://www.thegamer.com/category/tg-originals/) Submenu - [Interviews](https://www.thegamer.com/tag/interviews/) - [Exclusives](https://www.thegamer.com/exclusives/) - [Lists](https://www.thegamer.com/category/lists/) - [New Release Calendar](https://www.thegamer.com/video-game-release-dates-2026/) - [All Features](https://www.thegamer.com/category/tg-originals/) - [Videos](https://www.thegamer.com/videos/) - [Sign in](https://www.thegamer.com/rick-morty-season-5-bad/) - [Newsletter](https://www.thegamer.com/page/newsletter/) Menu [![TheGamer logo](https://static0.thegamerimages.com/assets/images/tg-logo-icon-colored-light.svg?v=3.6)](https://www.thegamer.com/) Follow Followed Like More Action Sign in now [Crimson Desert](https://www.thegamer.com/tag/crimson-desert/) [Pokemon Pokopia](https://www.thegamer.com/tag/pokemon-pokopia/) [Monster Hunter Stories 3](https://www.thegamer.com/tag/monster-hunter-stories-3-twisted-reflection/) [Resident Evil Requiem](https://www.thegamer.com/tag/resident-evil-requiem/) [Events](https://www.thegamer.com/gaming-events-conventions-2025/) [Release Dates](https://www.thegamer.com/video-game-release-dates-2026/) Close # Rick & Morty Season 5 Has Gone So Wrong ![rick-and-morty-season-5](https://static0.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/rick-and-morty-season-5.jpg?&fit=crop&w=1600&h=900) [![4](https://static0.thegamerimages.com/wordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fauthors%2F69bc7202c4309-Stacey%20Henley.jpg?fit=crop&w=90&h=90)](https://www.thegamer.com/author/stacey-henley/) By [Stacey Henley](https://www.thegamer.com/author/stacey-henley/) Published Aug 4, 2021, 2:00 PM EDT Stacey Henley is the Newcastle born-and-based Editor-in-Chief at TheGamer, and an award winning features writer with experience across written and video content. She won the GGW Award for her feature on the parasocial marketing of Cyberpunk 2077, and has been twice nominated for the GameHers award for Journalism. Stacey has been at TheGamer since February 2021 and has been Editor-in-Chief since September 2021. She previously wrote in a freelance capacity for, among others, The Washington Post, IGN, The Huffington Post, Polygon, Eurogamer, and The Guardian. She specialises in analysis of triple-A trends, video game fandoms/communities, and television/cinema. [Sign in to your TheGamer account]() [Add Us On](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=thegamer.com "Add Us On") follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Back when [Rick & Morty](https://www.thegamer.com/tag/rick-and-morty/) season five first premiered, I described the opener as being like a whole season in a single episode, and despite the disappointment of season four, my hopes remained sky high. The [first episode had all the interconnected storytelling,](https://www.thegamer.com/rick-and-morty-season-five-premiere/) mix of wacky adventures, and meaningful heart the previous season had lacked, and set the table brilliantly for what was to come. Unfortunately, all future episodes decided to Get Schwifty, by which I mean they took a shit on the floor. Okay, so that’s a little harsh. The second episode, Mortyplicity, was fantastic too, and even prompted me to write a - now clearly premature - article on how [season five was the show back to its best.](https://www.thegamer.com/rick-morty-season-5-back-best/) Put simply, I jinxed it. Episodes three and five were decent without being all that interesting or funny, six was solid but probably needed another rewrite or two, and seven - the most recent - finally gets the show back to form in the parody department, but falls down everywhere else. [Episode four meanwhile is the worst in the show’s history, with it repeatedly giving into its worst impulses.](https://www.thegamer.com/rick-morty-worst-episode-season-5-episode-4-rickdependence-spray/) Related: [Scarlett Johansson Is Not Your Girl Boss](https://www.thegamer.com/scarlett-johansson-disney-black-widow-lawsuit-girl-boss/) I’m not sure where this season stands amongst the rest of them. Clearly, it and season four are fighting for last place, but season four’s lows aren’t as bad as Rickdependence Spray, while season five lacks a [Rattlestar Ricklactica-level episode](https://www.thegamer.com/rick-morty-season-4-rattlestar-ricklactica/) to haul it out of last place. However, I don’t want to consign it to the bottom of the pile while it still has three episodes to run, so for now let’s say its official - well, my official - ranking is TBC, but that the first three places are closed off. ![rick-and-morty-s5](https://static0.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/rick-and-morty-s5.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5) The problem with discussing this, as is the problem with every discussion about Rick & Morty, is the fanbase. If you thought they were obnoxious when they liked the show, wait until you see them when they hate it. For a lot of people, Rick & Morty was not just a show they ‘liked’ either. There were riots over a limited edition Mulan sauce because Rick mentioned it in a bit - a lot of people cared about this show more than is probably healthy. When it’s doing well, that relationship is unhealthy. When it starts to tank, though, it becomes downright toxic. This is why I’m reluctant to jump in with both feet on ‘[Rick & Morty](https://www.thegamer.com/tag/rick-morty/) sucks!’. Firstly, it doesn’t - it’s still funny and watchable television even if The Ricklantis Mixup seems beyond it. But also, yelling about Rick & Morty being awful is basically just throwing your voice in with the worst of the fanbase. The common criticism is that the writers have gotten lazy, which ironically is a lazy criticism in itself. It’s something we see in game development too; any fault with any piece of media lies with the schmucks who made it not working hard enough. ![Rick Morty Season 5 Episode 4 Rickdependence Spray](https://static0.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Rick-and-Morty-Season-5-Episode-4-Recap-Rickdependence-Spray.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5) However, there are some details behind the scenes that could point to a downturn in the show’s quality. After season three, it was handed a huge 70-episode renewal. This number wasn’t random, it was the number of episodes it needed to make to qualify for syndication. But at that stage, the show had put out 31 episodes. How many shows do you know that get renewed three seasons in for more than double their current output? Especially animated shows, which typically take longer to produce than live-action ones. Added to that, Rick & Morty co-creator Justin Roiland - who also voices both Rick and Morty - has been busy on his other show, Solar Opposites, which has produced 20 episodes in the last two years and is due for another ten in both 2022 and 2023. It’s not so much laziness as it might be being overworked - if that’s the case, there’s another parallel with games development. Being renewed up to the point of eventual syndication when you’re only 31 episodes in also brings huge pressure. Rick & Morty has always been touted as a show that can do anything - it exists in multiple dimensions with infinite possibilities, and can explore those possibilities freely, even when it mainly stays with our C-137 universe leads. But being told to prove these infinite possibilities over and over again for 70 episodes without the freedom to wrap it up and move on brings restrictions of its own. ![morty in rick and morty](https://static0.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/morty-episode-1-rick-morty.png?q=50&fit=crop&w=789&dpr=1.5) These infinite possibilities also introduce a unique problem. Whenever somebody acts out of character, or an episode goes off the rails, fans are quick to suggest the episode we just saw wasn’t a C-137 episode. In layman's terms, it’s non-canon. It doesn’t count. Season five has struggled with this idea. Episode one is obviously C-137, since it references past C-137 occurrences and both the Morty-Jessica and Beth-Jerry relationship are part of the C-137 dimension. Episode two, meanwhile, begins in C-137, then hops dimensions. After that, it’s anybody’s guess. The episodes don’t feel connected, nor do they have any consequences or growth. The get out of jail card is that this isn’t C-137, or is multiple different dimensions, or is the origin of Evil Morty. Most recently, however, episode seven brings back episode four’s Giant Incest Baby and specifically references C-137, so that theory is out. Turns out, there’s no hidden mystery. Season five just isn’t as good. A combination of syndication pressure plus the show struggling under its own tropes - possibly mixed with Solar Opposites - means Rick & Morty just isn’t what it used to be. I look forward to the false dawn of the season six premiere in a couple of years. Next: [What's Going On With Snorlax's Teeth In New Pokemon Snap?](https://www.thegamer.com/new-pokemon-snap-trailer-update-snorlax/) - [TheGamer Originals](https://www.thegamer.com/category/tg-originals/ "TheGamer Originals") - [Rick & Morty](https://www.thegamer.com/tag/rick-morty/ "Rick & Morty") - [Rick And Morty](https://www.thegamer.com/tag/rick-and-morty/ "Rick And Morty") Follow Followed Like Share [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegamer.com%2Frick-morty-season-5-bad%2F%2F&src=sdkpreparse) [X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=How%20Has%20Rick%20%26%20Morty%20Fluffed%20Season%20Five%27s%20Landing%20This%20Badly%3F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegamer.com%2Frick-morty-season-5-bad%2F) [WhatsApp](https://web.whatsapp.com/send?text=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegamer.com%2Frick-morty-season-5-bad%2F) [Threads](https://www.threads.net/intent/post?text=How%20Has%20Rick%20%26%20Morty%20Fluffed%20Season%20Five%27s%20Landing%20This%20Badly%3F%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegamer.com%2Frick-morty-season-5-bad%2F) [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegamer.com%2Frick-morty-season-5-bad%2F) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegamer.com%2Frick-morty-season-5-bad%2F&title=How%20Has%20Rick%20%26%20Morty%20Fluffed%20Season%20Five%27s%20Landing%20This%20Badly%3F&source=www.thegamer.com&summary=It%20all%20started%20so%20well...) 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Readable Markdown	[![4](https://static0.thegamerimages.com/wordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fauthors%2F69bc7202c4309-Stacey%20Henley.jpg?fit=crop&w=90&h=90)](https://www.thegamer.com/author/stacey-henley/) Published Aug 4, 2021, 2:00 PM EDT Stacey Henley is the Newcastle born-and-based Editor-in-Chief at TheGamer, and an award winning features writer with experience across written and video content. She won the GGW Award for her feature on the parasocial marketing of Cyberpunk 2077, and has been twice nominated for the GameHers award for Journalism. Stacey has been at TheGamer since February 2021 and has been Editor-in-Chief since September 2021. She previously wrote in a freelance capacity for, among others, The Washington Post, IGN, The Huffington Post, Polygon, Eurogamer, and The Guardian. She specialises in analysis of triple-A trends, video game fandoms/communities, and television/cinema. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Back when [Rick & Morty](https://www.thegamer.com/tag/rick-and-morty/) season five first premiered, I described the opener as being like a whole season in a single episode, and despite the disappointment of season four, my hopes remained sky high. The [first episode had all the interconnected storytelling,](https://www.thegamer.com/rick-and-morty-season-five-premiere/) mix of wacky adventures, and meaningful heart the previous season had lacked, and set the table brilliantly for what was to come. Unfortunately, all future episodes decided to Get Schwifty, by which I mean they took a shit on the floor. Okay, so that’s a little harsh. The second episode, Mortyplicity, was fantastic too, and even prompted me to write a - now clearly premature - article on how [season five was the show back to its best.](https://www.thegamer.com/rick-morty-season-5-back-best/) Put simply, I jinxed it. Episodes three and five were decent without being all that interesting or funny, six was solid but probably needed another rewrite or two, and seven - the most recent - finally gets the show back to form in the parody department, but falls down everywhere else. [Episode four meanwhile is the worst in the show’s history, with it repeatedly giving into its worst impulses.](https://www.thegamer.com/rick-morty-worst-episode-season-5-episode-4-rickdependence-spray/) I’m not sure where this season stands amongst the rest of them. Clearly, it and season four are fighting for last place, but season four’s lows aren’t as bad as Rickdependence Spray, while season five lacks a [Rattlestar Ricklactica-level episode](https://www.thegamer.com/rick-morty-season-4-rattlestar-ricklactica/) to haul it out of last place. However, I don’t want to consign it to the bottom of the pile while it still has three episodes to run, so for now let’s say its official - well, my official - ranking is TBC, but that the first three places are closed off. ![rick-and-morty-s5](https://static0.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/rick-and-morty-s5.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5) The problem with discussing this, as is the problem with every discussion about Rick & Morty, is the fanbase. If you thought they were obnoxious when they liked the show, wait until you see them when they hate it. For a lot of people, Rick & Morty was not just a show they ‘liked’ either. There were riots over a limited edition Mulan sauce because Rick mentioned it in a bit - a lot of people cared about this show more than is probably healthy. When it’s doing well, that relationship is unhealthy. When it starts to tank, though, it becomes downright toxic. This is why I’m reluctant to jump in with both feet on ‘[Rick & Morty](https://www.thegamer.com/tag/rick-morty/) sucks!’. Firstly, it doesn’t - it’s still funny and watchable television even if The Ricklantis Mixup seems beyond it. But also, yelling about Rick & Morty being awful is basically just throwing your voice in with the worst of the fanbase. The common criticism is that the writers have gotten lazy, which ironically is a lazy criticism in itself. It’s something we see in game development too; any fault with any piece of media lies with the schmucks who made it not working hard enough. ![Rick Morty Season 5 Episode 4 Rickdependence Spray](https://static0.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Rick-and-Morty-Season-5-Episode-4-Recap-Rickdependence-Spray.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5) However, there are some details behind the scenes that could point to a downturn in the show’s quality. After season three, it was handed a huge 70-episode renewal. This number wasn’t random, it was the number of episodes it needed to make to qualify for syndication. But at that stage, the show had put out 31 episodes. How many shows do you know that get renewed three seasons in for more than double their current output? Especially animated shows, which typically take longer to produce than live-action ones. Added to that, Rick & Morty co-creator Justin Roiland - who also voices both Rick and Morty - has been busy on his other show, Solar Opposites, which has produced 20 episodes in the last two years and is due for another ten in both 2022 and 2023. It’s not so much laziness as it might be being overworked - if that’s the case, there’s another parallel with games development. Being renewed up to the point of eventual syndication when you’re only 31 episodes in also brings huge pressure. Rick & Morty has always been touted as a show that can do anything - it exists in multiple dimensions with infinite possibilities, and can explore those possibilities freely, even when it mainly stays with our C-137 universe leads. But being told to prove these infinite possibilities over and over again for 70 episodes without the freedom to wrap it up and move on brings restrictions of its own. ![morty in rick and morty](https://static0.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/morty-episode-1-rick-morty.png?q=50&fit=crop&w=789&dpr=1.5) These infinite possibilities also introduce a unique problem. Whenever somebody acts out of character, or an episode goes off the rails, fans are quick to suggest the episode we just saw wasn’t a C-137 episode. In layman's terms, it’s non-canon. It doesn’t count. Season five has struggled with this idea. Episode one is obviously C-137, since it references past C-137 occurrences and both the Morty-Jessica and Beth-Jerry relationship are part of the C-137 dimension. Episode two, meanwhile, begins in C-137, then hops dimensions. After that, it’s anybody’s guess. The episodes don’t feel connected, nor do they have any consequences or growth. The get out of jail card is that this isn’t C-137, or is multiple different dimensions, or is the origin of Evil Morty. Most recently, however, episode seven brings back episode four’s Giant Incest Baby and specifically references C-137, so that theory is out. Turns out, there’s no hidden mystery. Season five just isn’t as good. A combination of syndication pressure plus the show struggling under its own tropes - possibly mixed with Solar Opposites - means Rick & Morty just isn’t what it used to be. I look forward to the false dawn of the season six premiere in a couple of years. Next: [What's Going On With Snorlax's Teeth In New Pokemon Snap?](https://www.thegamer.com/new-pokemon-snap-trailer-update-snorlax/)
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