Finally, I've done it. After years, and years, I have finally started watching "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," a cult comedy that has been on the air for over 10 years. I'm a born and raised Philadelphian (hey there, Northeast Philly!), and it was strange that I never watched a show that takes place in my hometown, and that was created by a fellow Philadelphian, Rob McElhenney. I started "Sunny" a few weeks ago, and I've exhausted every season available on Netflix. To cure myself of my post-Sunny depression, I'm going to write about my favorite episodes.
1. "The Nightman Cometh"
"The Nightman Cometh" was the first episode of "Sunny" that I ever watched, the gateway drug, if you may. I first watched it a few months ago when some friends told me I had to. It's brilliant, iconic, and downright hilarious. In this episode Charlie (Charlie Day) writes an original musical, "The Nightman Cometh," and the gang puts it on for the neighborhood, but it doesn't go as planned. This episode is truly iconic, and I watch it when I need a quick pick-me-up.
2. "Who Pooped the Bed?"
This episode is both gross and funny, but funny definitely outweighs the gross. Frank (Danny DeVito) and Charlie are roommates, who also sleep in the same bed, and someone keeps pooping in it. Charlie and Frank, along with the rest of the gang, go through extreme lengths to answer the ultimate question: who pooped the bed?
3. "The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore"
This episode holds a sentimental value for me. As a kid, I went to the Jersey Shore a lot during my summers off, so seeing it on "Sunny" brought back a lot of nice memories. I loved how the gang gets involved in all sorts of crazy schemes in a sentimental place.
4. "CharDeeMacDennis: The Game of Games"
The gang teaches Frank how to play their homemade game "CharDeeMacDennis," and of course hilarity ensues. The game itself is a gem with rounds like "The Pre-game Wine and Cheese ceremony", the smashing of glasses, and emotional battery. Anyone wanna play?
5. "The High School Reunion" Pts 1 & 2
Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Mac (Rob McElhenney), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), and Charlie attend their high school reunion with Frank in tow. Like the Jersey Shore episode, "High School Reunion" brought back some memories for me because it was set at St. Joe's Prep, an all-boys Catholic high school that I often frequented for dances when I was in high school. It's also funny to see the gang realize that they weren't as cool in high school as they thought.
6. "The Gang Reignites the Rivalry"
After 10 years, the gang is finally allowed to compete in "Flipadelphia," the city-wide flip cup tournament. Wanting to enact revenge on their old rivals, another bar called Molly's, the gang is disappointed to find that Molly's is now an upscale restaurant with no interest in flip cup. So, the gang creates a new rivalry, with a fraternity at Penn.
7. "The Gang Dances Their Asses Off"
After Charlie accidentally puts Paddy's Pub as the grand prize in a Q102 dance contest, the gang goes through extreme lengths to get it back. What really makes this episode great are the number of recurring characters that show up to win the bar, like The Waitress and Rickety Cricket.
8. "The Gang Finds a Dumpster Baby"
After a baby is found in the dumpster behind Paddy's, Dee and Mac try to use it for their own financial gain. Obviously, everything goes awry, and the episode ends with a giant sword, a baby, and Child Services.
9. "The Gang Gets Extreme Makeover: Hoe Edition"
The gang expresses their love for Ty Pennington and the ABC home makeover show by attempting to do it on their own. They essentially attack and kidnap an unsuspecting neighborhood family in the middle of the night, and their makeover doesn't go as planned. I laughed so much I cried.
10. "Frank Reynolds' Little Beauties"
After Frank accidentally buys in to a child beauty pageant, the gang feels that they need to put it on. Charlie, Mac, and Dennis mentor the only boy in the pageant, while Dee uses a contestant to enact some last-minute revenge on her dead mother. Bonus: Frank hires a mortician to do his makeup and he ends up looking like Humpty Dumpty.
What are your favorite "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" episodes?
