Rick and Morty Season 9 Premiere Guide: Episode 1, Schedule, and Where to Watch

Rick and Morty is back. Season 9 premiered on Adult Swim on May 24, 2026, with the first episode titled There's Something About Morty. The new season is a ten episode run, scheduled weekly through July, and the United States streaming arrival has its own separate timeline that is worth being clear about.

Here is the full guide. What episode 1 sets up, the week by week release plan, the streaming options in the United States and internationally, and where the show stands creatively this far in.

Season 9 premiere: There's Something About Morty

The opening episode aired on Adult Swim at 11pm Eastern on Saturday, May 24, 2026. Without spoiling specifics, the premiere is character first rather than concept first. The episode centres on Rick navigating a stretch of loneliness while Morty is increasingly distracted by the complications of his own personal relationships. The title is a clear reference to the 1998 Farrelly brothers comedy There's Something About Mary, and the episode plays with that frame in the way the show usually plays with its references, as a structural skeleton for something entirely its own.

Rick and Morty has been steady in the back half of its run. Season 8 closed out a long arc and reset some of the show's emotional stakes. Season 9 opens in a slightly quieter register, which suggests the writers' room is interested in character work alongside the high concept episodes the show is known for.

How many episodes are in Season 9

Ten. The full run is scheduled to air weekly on Adult Swim through to July 26, 2026, with one episode per week and no announced breaks. That is the longest uninterrupted Rick and Morty release schedule in years, and a deliberate move by Adult Swim to give the season a sustained run rather than splitting it into halves.

The week by week release schedule

Episodes air at 11pm Eastern on Sundays on Adult Swim. The expected schedule, with episode titles to be confirmed by Adult Swim as the season progresses:

• Episode 1, There's Something About Morty, premiered May 24, 2026.
• Episode 2 airs the following Sunday, May 31, 2026.
• Episodes 3 through 9 follow weekly through June and July.
• Episode 10, the season finale, airs on or around July 26, 2026.

Treat those dates as the working calendar. Adult Swim has not previously moved episode dates within a season, so absent a schedule shake up the weekly rhythm should hold.

Where to watch Rick and Morty Season 9 in the United States

This is where the picture gets specific. New episodes are exclusive to Adult Swim's linear cable channel when they first air. The streaming arrival on subscription services in the United States is delayed by about three weeks.

• Adult Swim, linear cable: new episodes Sundays at 11pm Eastern starting May 24, 2026.
• HBO Max: weekly streaming starts on or around June 15, 2026, then catches up to the linear schedule.
• Hulu: the show has a same window streaming presence on Hulu in the United States, following the HBO Max pattern.

If you want to watch live, you need an Adult Swim cable feed or a virtual MVPD that carries it, such as Sling, YouTube TV, or DirecTV Stream. If you are happy to wait three weeks, the subscription streaming options are the cleaner way to go.

Where to watch internationally

Internationally the picture is faster. HBO Max in Europe began carrying the new season the day after the United States linear premiere, with weekly episodes from May 25, 2026. Other territories follow the local Warner Bros Discovery distribution arrangement, which in most markets is HBO Max and in some others is a licensing deal with a local platform. Check the show's official channels in your country for the most accurate availability.

What to expect from Season 9 creatively

Without spoilers, a few honest observations from the premiere and the season's marketing:

• The opening episode is more grounded than the show's recent multiverse heavy hours, which is a deliberate signal about pace.
• The voice cast is unchanged from Season 8, which is the post Justin Roiland configuration. Ian Cardoni voices Rick and Harry Belden voices Morty.
• The episode count and weekly schedule suggest a less serialised season than some recent runs, with more standalone episode formats likely.

None of that should be read as the show losing its appetite for big swings. Past seasons have used a quieter premiere to set up larger conceptual episodes later. Treat the opening as a baseline rather than a ceiling.

How to catch up before Season 9

If you have fallen off, the most important episodes to revisit are the Season 7 finale and the full Season 8 arc, which together reset the show's status quo more decisively than any previous season jump. Season 8 in particular has lasting consequences for Rick's relationships with Morty and with his own past, and those threads are still load bearing in Season 9.

The whole back catalogue, seasons 1 through 8, is on HBO Max and Hulu in the United States. A rewatch is not required, but a check in with the most recent season is a reasonable investment before episode 2.

Frequently asked questions about Rick and Morty Season 9

When does Rick and Morty Season 9 premiere?

It premiered on May 24, 2026, on Adult Swim, at 11pm Eastern.

How many episodes are in Season 9?

Ten episodes, airing weekly on Adult Swim through to roughly July 26, 2026.

When can I stream Season 9 on HBO Max?

In the United States, weekly streaming on HBO Max begins on or around June 15, 2026, about three weeks behind the Adult Swim linear premiere.

What is the first episode called?

There's Something About Morty. A character first opener that focuses on Rick's loneliness and Morty's personal life.

Is Rick and Morty on Hulu?

Yes, Hulu carries the show in the United States alongside HBO Max, with new episodes appearing on the same delayed weekly window.

For more on what is on Adult Swim and the broader animated lineup, browse our streaming guides, or use The Movies Finder to find your next watch.