Solar Opposites Is The Show Rick & Morty Wants To Be (But Can't)

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While Solar Opposites and Rick and Morty are superficially similar, closer analysis reveals that Solar Opposites is the show that Rick and Morty wants to be, but can’t. Over the years, Rick and Morty has constantly tried to stay specifically rooted in simple sci-fi, but various factors have caused its attempts to fail. Solar Opposites, however, is structured in a way that has allowed it to succeed at that from day one, and the show is all the better for it.

While Rick and Morty originally started as a goofy, episodic sci-fi cartoon, over the years, it’s employed more serialized and continuity-driven storytelling. The degree to which Rick and Morty has focused on continuity has varied with each season, but it always tries to snap back to episodic nonsense by the beginning of the next season. This has had mixed results from fans and critics alike, with Rick and Morty often being criticized for the often conflicting ways it tries to prioritize episodic storytelling over serialized storytelling, especially when it's detrimental to the show itself.

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Rick and Morty has continually tried and failed to stay a goofy sci-fi show with little in the way of continuity, but surprisingly enough, Solar Opposites has succeeded at doing exactly that. While Solar Opposites has its own share of continuity, including a storyline that’s been developing since season 1, the execution is done in a way that allows for Solar Opposites to remain largely episodic. Thanks to that, Hulu's Solar Opposites never falls into the same pitfalls as Rick and Morty, where its insistence on episodic storytelling is done in a way that’s detrimental to the show. This arguably