'Rick and Morty's Darkest Season Was Its Most Popular Yet

Love or hate the fans, Rick and Morty is one of the most compelling shows on television, and now Adult Swim has the numbers to prove it. Hot off of a conspiracy-filled season three finale, the network announced Wednesday that Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland's sci-fi parody is now the most popular comedy among 18- to 34-year-olds in the US.

After the season three premiere racked up a whopping 11.7 million combined online views across Adult Swim's website and Facebook, the season finale became the most-watched cable telecast last Sunday across all age groups, according to the network. Although the season-wide ratings haven't dropped yet, Rick and Morty is on track to become more popular with young viewers than primetime comedies like The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family, Fortune reports.

And it's easy to see why. After an 18-month hiatus following season two, Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland brought fans Rick and Morty's darkest season yet, filled with mind-bending adventures and hidden pop-culture nods. The show's antics have even bled into reality, from the Rick-shaped van that trekked across the country to the time Roiland prank called Houston evangelist Joel Osteen's prayer line as Rick after Hurricane Harvey. Hell, the show even did the unimaginable, drumming up enough fandom to convince McDonald's to bring back its Szechuan sauce from 1998.

With viewership up 81 percent following its previous season, Rick and Morty has become the most popular show in Adult Swim history. And that's the waaaay the news goes.