▁of ▁In verse ▁said ▁that ▁Rick ▁and ▁Mort y ▁managed ▁to ▁be ▁both ▁dark ▁and ▁fun ny ▁in ▁its ▁third ▁season . ▁ ▁Z ack ▁Hand len ▁of ▁The ▁A . V . ▁Club ▁agreed ▁that ▁this ▁was ▁the ▁dark est ▁season ▁of ▁Rick ▁and ▁Mort y , ▁though ▁he ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁view ers ▁have ▁become ▁des ens it ized ▁to ▁the ▁show ' s ▁violence . ▁He ▁said : ▁" In ▁previous ▁seasons , ▁the ▁show ▁managed ▁a ▁balance ▁between ▁self - mock ery ▁and ▁honest ▁joy ▁in ▁abs urd ▁scenarios . ▁That ▁joy ▁is ▁still ▁there , ▁more ▁or ▁less , ▁but ▁there ’ s ▁a ▁bit tern ess ▁to ▁it ▁that ’ s ▁harder ▁and ▁harder ▁to ▁ignore ." ▁Mike ▁Cos im ano ▁of ▁Comics ▁G aming ▁Magazine ▁did ▁not ▁think ▁that ▁the ▁third ▁season ▁was ▁dark ; ▁he ▁said ▁that ▁it ▁used ▁" che ap ▁gut ▁p unch es ▁to ▁el ic it ▁that ▁very ▁reaction ". ▁He ▁added ▁that ▁too ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁season ' s ▁episodes ▁were ▁weak , ▁since ▁the ▁show ▁focus es ▁on ▁character ▁development ▁only ▁in ▁its ▁first ▁half , ▁resulting ▁in ▁an ▁une ven ▁season . ▁He ▁considered ▁the ▁season ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁disappoint ment , ▁rating ▁it ▁ 6 . 5 ▁out ▁of ▁ 1 0 . ▁ ▁Kay la ▁C obb ▁of ▁Dec ider ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁dynam ism ▁displayed ▁by ▁Beth ▁and ▁Summer , ▁as ▁the ▁characters ▁broke ▁the ▁s tere ot yp ical ▁convent ions ▁of ▁the ▁first