Rick & Morty’s 2024 failure confirms a worrying fact about the show’s future

While Rick and MortyThe second spinoff is not unvotable, the new show has proved that the series struggles to add more titles to its franchise. Rick and Morty is incredibly successful. Since the anarchic sci-fi comedy debuted in 2013, Rick and Morty turned a small series about adult swimming into a legitimate pop culture juggernaut. Rick and Morty Gained a massive fan base and enjoyed considerable critical acclaim, with even the show’s lesser outings earning largely stellar reviews. Rick and MortyThe season 7 finale was its highest-rated episode in years, proving that the show remains on top.

But, before that Rick and Morty Come season 8, the show has one recurring problem it needs to iron out. NamelyRick and Morty Can’t seem to differentiate beyond the original flagship series of the franchise. Every time the titular duo appears in another project, the responses range from disinterested to actively hostile. Rick and Mortys Space Jam 2 Cameo was so ill-advised that the heroes were going to kill the versions of themselves that made the appearance. Rick and Mortys first spinoff, 2022 The VindicatorsHardly earned any attention from reviewers and fans when it arrived online.

Rick and Morty: The Anime’s Failure Proves Rick and Morty Spinoffs Don’t Work

2022 Vindicators spinoff also failed to wow fans

However, it is 2024s Rick and Morty: The Anime That proves this is a real problem and not just a coincidence. Rick and Morty: The Animes disastrous reception proves Rick and Morty Spinoffs don’t work Two years later The Vindicators Arrived to little fanfare. The Vindicators was largely ignored upon release, whereas Rick and Morty: The Anime was met with critical rejection. However, both projects failed in their attempts to expand the world of the series and get viewers excited about more additions to the series. Rick and Morty Universe. The show’s only spinoffs to date both flopped badly.

Although Rick and MortyThe disappointment of 2024 confirmed that the main characters of the show do not work in a new medium, The Vindicators proved that Rick and MortyHis unique sense of humor does not translate to other characters. Rick and Morty: The Anime Shared the original main characters of the show, but brought them to life in a bold new style that failed to win the existing viewers. Meanwhile, The Vindicators is animated in the same style as the original show but focused on a team of troubled superheroes who only make a few minor appearances in the series. Both shows are nothing more than spinoffs.

Rick & Morty’s two spinoffs tried opposite approaches — and both still failed

Vindicators and Rick and Morty: The anime can’t beat the original formula

The Vindicators was a radical departure from the tone of Rick and Morty Despite sharing the show’s trademark visual style. The characters looked like they belonged in the world of Rick and MortyBut their stories were funny, low, and self-absorbed. Despite each episode lasting only a minute or two, The Vindicators Still dragged due to his lack of wit. The series may have parodied self-serious superhero media, but the joke isn’t strong enough to sustain a series of shorts that ultimately went nowhere. The biggest issue is that, visuals aside, The Vindicators felt nothing Rick and Morty.

in contrast, Rick and Morty: The Anime Take the opposite approach. The series could be set in an alternate version of the original show’s reality, but it could also be the same. Rick and Morty‘s spinoff broke the rules of the original show by focusing on time travel in its first episode, but even that was something Rick and Morty Tried years before. Not similar The Vindicators, Rick and Morty: The Anime Has not diverged far enough from its inspiration. instead, Rick and MortyThe second spinoff was far too similar to its predecessor.

Rick and Mortys two spinoffs took opposite approaches to expanding the world of the showBut both are still different. The Vindicators Proved that the letters of Rick and Morty They are not particularly appealing unless their stories involve the Smith family, as it turned out that the crew of troubled superheroes is not that interesting. Meanwhile, Rick and Morty: The Anime Showed that giving the show a fresh new visual style isn’t enough to sustain a whole spinoff. Instead, the series ends up being an inexplicable knock-off of the original show, with flashes of Rick and MortyIt’s charm between long stretches of me imitation.

Rick and Morty’s failed spinoffs highlight a big issue for the franchise’s future

Rick and Morty did not expand as a franchise

To be fair to the creator of the show, rick and mortys Tie-in comics are inarguably a successful spinoff for the franchise. However, they hardly count since they are in another medium, and they are structured like normal episodes of the show. This means they serve a different market, unlike a spinoff show, and can act as an extension of the existing series. of Young Sheldon to FraserEvery successful spinoff series eventually needs to differentiate itself from its predecessor. Not either The Vindicators Or Rick and Morty: The Anime Can quite manage this, resulting in very unimpressive receptions.

This is not necessarily a problem for Rick and Morty yet. After all, the show hasn’t even aired its eighth season yet Rick and Morty has been renewed until its central conclusion. Rick and Morty It doesn’t even have Halloween episodes, so it’s not like the show itself is going to run out of ideas to explore anytime soon. however, Rick and Mortys failed spinoffs prove that the franchise may struggle to adapt if the series eventually ends. Rick and Morty May end up like The Simpsons, Family guyOr South ParkContinuing indefinitely thanks to fan demand.

However, these shows don’t have as many failed spinoffs as Rick and Morty. Family guys spinoff The Cleveland Show Lasted an impressive four seasons, which is much more than The Vindicators Or Rick and Morty: The Anime Look likely to achieve. The Simpsons And South Park Have no spinoffs to date, so their batting averages remain better than Rick and Mortys troubling display. While The Vindicators And Rick and Morty: The Anime are both intended to make Rick and MortyThe culture reach even bigger, the spinoffs instead highlighted its limits. Rick and Morty Remains beloved, but the show has nowhere to go.