WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Rick & Morty season 8, episode 1.

The season 8 premiere of Rick and Morty season 7 received the worst reviews of the series by far, resulting in a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 77% paired with a poor audience score of 51%.

Fortunately, the first episode of Rick and Morty season 8, titled "Summer of All Fears," proves that the show can actually succeed without Roiland's involvement. Early reviews for Rick and Morty season 8 also show promise for the future of the Emmy-winning Adult Swim series as well, resulting in a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 100% at the time of writing. The Ricky and Morty season 8 premiere was released on May 25, 2025, with new weekly episodes coming out every Sunday throughout June and July 2025. Despite season 7's divisiveness, Rick and Morty is already renewed for another four seasons, which should all be released before 2030.

Rick & Morty Season 8 Feels Like A Proper New Start For The Show After Just Roiland Left

It's Already Off To A Great Start After A Divisive Season 7

Rick and Morty season 8 is off to a great start with "Summer of All Fears," placing Morty and Summer in a matrix of Rick's creation for 17 years. While Summer and Morty take up most of the spotlight in the Rick and Morty season 8 premiere, Rick still plays a key role after trying to teach Morty and Summer a lesson about stealing phone chargers and not giving them back. Because Rick fell asleep for hours while Summer and Morty were trapped in a world where stealing chargers is an unimaginable crime, Morty and Summer come back scarred and matured, only to be zapped back to normal by the end of the episode.

Some of the Rick and Morty season 8 producers have said that it's not required to have seen all the past seasons of Rick and Morty to enjoy the latest season, which is a big plus to those who have yet to dive into the show. Additionally, the Rick and Morty season 8 premiere makes it feel like all the characters, particularly Rick and Morty, are more unencumbered by Roiland's previous roles than in season 7. It's a great benefit to Rick and Morty season 8 that additional time has ed since season 7's hit-and-miss episodes, which last aired in December 2023.

Rick & Morty Season 8 Proves The Show Doesn't Need Justin Roiland To Succeed

Season 7 Had A Few Standouts, But Season 8 Needs To Bring The Show Back To Glory

There were valid concerns about how the show would fare after Roiland's exit, considering season 7 had the show's lowest Rotten Tomatoes score and was not as well-received as previous outings. This, combined with plenty of internet discourse from disappointed Rick and Morty fans, made Rick and Morty season 8 feel like a truly make-or-break season. The show could have either picked itself up, found sharper stories, and captured that classic, mind-blowing Rick and Morty feel, or continued to struggle with finding its footing after Roiland's departure.

So far, Rick and Morty season 8 is fantastic and proves that the creative team just needed a bit more time to figure out their show in a post-Roiland landscape. Now, it appears that Rick and Morty season 8 will be launching into a fantastic new era of the show. In fairness, Rick and Morty season 7 wasn't entirely bad, with the episodes "That's Amorte," "Unmorticken," and the season 7 finale, "Fear No Mort," all considered to be strong offerings. In fact, "Fear No Mort," may just be one of the all-time best episodes of the series. That said, Rick and Morty season 8 has started out much better than season 7 and will hopefully continue to take the show to great places.