Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland has commented on the show's infamous fifth season, calling it a "weird one".
Whether you love it or hate it, the first four seasons of Rick and Morty were incredibly well-received by critics, with many citing it as one of the best adult cartoons out there. The fifth season was much less consistent with its positive ratings, with many of its episodes being considered some of the show's weakest, including the episode about the giant incest baby. You read that right.
Justin Roiland, co-creator of the show and the voices of both Rick and Morty, has commented on the quality of the show's fifth season in an interview with IGN at San Diego Comic-Con while talking about what's next for the pair, calling the last season a "weird one" and attributing some of the problems to the loss of line producer J. Michael Mendel.
Roiland said, "Season 5 was a weird one. We lost Mendel. It was tough. We were thrown for a loop. That was... yeah. If I talk anymore, I'll start crying." Roiland shared this message on social media when Mendel passed away, "My friend, partner, and line producer Mike Mendel passed away. I am devastated. My heart breaks for his family. I don't know what I’m going to do without you by my side Mike. I'm destroyed."
Roiland spoke a bit more about the reception to Season 5 when talking about Season 6, which was recently confirmed to be debuting in September, "I will say that it's a bit more canonical. It really rewards fans of the show that have been watching up to this point...So it's like, I think we're kind of finally back into the rhythm of Rick and Morty, and I think Season 6 is... I didn't particularly think Season 5 was bad, but Season 6 is fucking amazing. It really is a fucking quality season."
Beyond talking about Rick and Morty seasons past and future, Roiland also spoke a little about his relationship with co-creator Dan Harmon, who he has previously compared to Rick, "It's good. I mean, look, we work very differently and I don't like to work. His philosophy is perfection".