Adult Swim's President Curtis proves a fun, self-assured expansion of the Rick and Morty universe in its debut season.
The Rick and Morty universe keeps growing, and its latest Adult Swim spinoff, President Curtis, makes a solid case for itself across a fun first season. Given how sprawling the franchise has become, a new offshoot felt inevitable.
Rick and Morty's track record with spinoffs has been shaky, as the misfire of its official anime showed, but President Curtis steps off on a stronger foot. Tied directly to the main series while centering Keith David's United States president, it earns a rating of 4 out of 5, even as it is still finding its footing.
Set in the same timeline as the flagship show, the series follows Curtis through his first term as he manages public perception while battling very real monsters, from vampires to werewolves. He is joined by Special Agent O'Doyle, a half-leprechaun who cannot lie voiced by Jim Rash, and a machine-brained chief of staff, Banks, voiced by Stephanie Beatriz.
The spinoff works hard to distinguish itself. Though its designs still resemble the parent show, its biggest departure is tone, trading Rick and Morty's multiversal sprawl for something closer to a traditional TV sitcom.
