Rick is a genius. Based on his knowledge, inventions, mastery of numerous technical skills and improvisational brilliance under pressure, it's hard to deny. The audience doesn't always get a scientific explanation for everything, but in the show's universe(s) Rick is demonstrably super-intelligent and has to create his own universe before he runs into someone smarter than himself.
But even within the show's context, there have been several occasions where Rick has thought or acted irrationally. It could be down to his alcoholism getting the better of him, or maybe what looks like silly mistakes are the seeds of some master plan that will be unveiled in season 9. Whatever the cause, here are 10 times Rick's genius failed him:
Jerry Folds
In "The Rickshank Redemption", Rick is being held in a series 9000 Brainalyzer, meaning he's supposed to think that he's living in reality when he's hooked up to a machine feeding him a simulation and scanning his brain. While sitting in a simulated Shoney's with the family, Rick asks Jerry to get naked and fold himself 12 times. Jerry follows these instructions as far as 6 folds. Rick then accurately deduces he's experiencing a 2nd rate Brainalyzer, based on the number of folds?
A more convincing Jerry wouldn't be better at folding himself. The issue that gave it away was Jerry acting unusually docile (even for Jerry) and in ways that weren't physically possible. An improved Brainalyzer would simulate a Jerry that could barely fold himself at all - like a... what's th..? Human! - and would respond to such demands with"What are you talking about?" If a series 10,000 does 'improve' the human folding, how did Rick lose a war to these idiots?
Rick's Potion
Rick is pompous and cynical about nearly everything, and when it comes to science, he rolls his eyes at every inferior. When Rick first whips out his crystallized xanthenite to get his interdimensional cable on, Morty explains to his family "It conducts electrons across dimensions." to which Rick snaps "20%" accurate as usual Morty".
Yet in "Rick Potion #9" we see Rick being completely unscientific. He begins by begrudgingly giving Morty a love potion that does the job but latches on to the flu with disastrous results. Rick then proposes an unscientific solution. Morty questions Rick's logic but Rick just shuts him down, then goes on to mess up so bad he and Morty have to switch dimensions. Great episode, but it doesn't jive with Rick's character. At least Morty was 20% accurate.
The Button that... Closes the Door?
Another one from "The Rickshank Redemption", in which beast-mode Rick effortlessly jukes out both the Galactic Federation and the Citadel of Ricks, then pits them against each other before completely dismantling the entire galactic government and ending their occupation of Earth, rescuing Morty and Summer in the process.
He almost doesn't though. When Rick enters the room where they're being held by the Council of Ricks, disguised as one of them, he both dramatically reveals his presence in the building, causing the Council to put a gun to Summer's head, then reveals himself to be himself in a game of Rick, Laser, Scissors by presenting a remote with an ominous red button on it. "What's that?" says one. "Payback" says Rick, before.... closing the door. Maybe a gun? As soon as you enter the room? No? Sure, have a needlessly convoluted standoff and risk everyone's life. It sure was lucky none of the other genius Rick's had their guns out, in a crisis...
Honourary mention for non-protagonist Ricks generally not being smart enough. It makes sense to keep the story moving but it would be nice to see this retconned with a proper Rick Sanchez vs Rick Sanchez episode. A parody of The 6th Day perhaps...
Rick Can't Fool the School he's Too Cool for
Rick gets busted for pulling Morty out of school half an episode into the show. Instead of making a Morty clone/robot/disguise, or buying a Morty understudy from the Citadel and giving him mega-seeds before every exam, or any of the many things Rick has since shown he could easily throw together to avoid this very situation, his plan was... He didn't seem to have gone beyond screening the calls to the house and answering on behalf of Beth and Jerry. Any idiot teenager would know that's unsustainable. School does teach some things.
Security Issues
So in the latest episode, "Rattlestar Ricklactica", Morty stole Rick's keys while he slept, then stole his ship and flew to snake planet and back then replaced the keys without Rick noticing. Let me run that by you again: Morty, who is Morty, stole Rick's - Rick, who boasts class C or above cybernetic augmentations - keys, and then fully accessed his ship without facing any security issues? Rick has no clue it happened until time-traveling terminator snakes are apparating into the garage. He dropped the ball there. Get your Rick together!
Mysterious Spacecar
While Rick and Morty were trapped in a teenieverse within a miniverse within a microverse within the actual(?) universe trying to fix a car battery, Summer got to know Rick's ship, which showcased several features including sophisticated A.I. and defense mechanisms. Maybe Morty isn't aware, which explains the time he got out of the ship cause some Amish bitch was pointing a space-pistol at it, but Rick should be well aware, yet he rarely makes use of it. It's like Nick Fury's car in Winter Solider. Sure Hawkeye's got moves but just let him drive THAT into battle...
The Time Travel Paradox
Dude can time travel. As well as crystallized xanthenite Rick also used his portal gun to travel through time in the pilot, spending years in a "future dimension" that lasted 30 seconds to Morty, though it probably did feel like longer. The problem with safe-to-use time travel devices is they can be used to solve any problem your characters might come across. As they pointed out in Cracked's After Hours, the ability to stop time is the best superpower to have because you can control everything that happens around you without making any enemies. Rick is yet to figure this out.
White House Policy
After "Get Schwifty", Grandpa and Government were on good terms. But when the president calls Rick up to help him with an alien, Rick not only blows him off to play Minecraft but proceeds to needlessly antagonize him, with violent and messy results.
Rick could've have played nice and seen plenty of rewards and recognition as well as a better reputation, and gone on to fix world politics (the spacecar can handle that one), but instead, he wasted time and energy just to go back to square one, where his choices co-exist with the government or start conquering.
Alienception
While Summer is suffering the protection of Rick's ship, Rick visits the microverse he created and the alien race that's been unknowingly fuelling his car battery. He puts on some antennae and makes Morty do the same before they leave the ship. He reasons that they have to think they're aliens from another world. But Rick, you are aliens from another world, another universe altogether sure but they don't know that.
It would make sense if Rick had populated the planet with humans, or if he'd disguised their humanoid nature, something the 2 races share. He later mocks Zeep Xanflorp for having the same idea, but using an over-elaborate disguise, stating "You could achieve the same thing with a pair of... never mind". You could achieve the same thing with no disguise at all!
That was Close! Except that it wasn't, at all...
In "A Rickle In Time", Rick does stop time, to clean up after a house party and bond with the grandkids. At some point, they put Jerry's shirt on backward and forget to right it. Later, once they unfreeze time and Jerry and Beth walk into a spotless house they could've sworn was trashed when they pulled up, Beth notices the t-shirt and questions Jerry, causing Rick, Morty, and Summer to gasp. Then when Jerry - being Jerry - claims he did it deliberately, they exhale and relax, like they thought they'd get busted. "Hey, my t-shirts on backwa... Did you guys freeze time?"