The third season of Adult Swim’s sci-fi comedy phenomenon that reached peak cultural saturation in 2017, driven by viral moments including Pickle Rick, the Szechuan sauce controversy, and the “to be fair, you have to have a very high IQ” copypasta.
Szechuan Sauce Fiasco
The April Fools’ surprise premiere cold open featured Rick’s obsession with discontinued McDonald’s Szechuan McNugget sauce (a 1998 Mulan promotion). When McDonald’s brought it back in October 2017 with extremely limited quantities, riots broke out at locations. Videos of fans screaming at employees went viral, crystallizing the show’s toxic fandom reputation. The incident became a case study in marketing hype gone wrong.
Pickle Rick Phenomenon
“Pickle Rick” (S3E3) became the show’s most memetic episode. Rick turning himself into a pickle to avoid family therapy spawned endless memes, merchandise, and the “Funniest Shit I’ve Ever Seen” format. The episode’s action sequence and therapist monologue (Susan Sarandon) showcased the show’s tonal range. The phrase became shorthand for the show’s absurdist humor.
Critical Acclaim & Fandom Backlash
Season 3 featured some of the series’ best episodes (“The Ricklantis Mixup,” “The Rickshank Rickdemption”) but coincided with peak toxic fandom behavior. The “high IQ” copypasta mocking pretentious fans became more famous than actual fan discourse. Female writers joining the room sparked misogynistic backlash, despite producing acclaimed episodes.
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