It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 8
I have no problem
saying “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is my favorite TV show.
No, it doesn’t have
the butt-puckerin’ qualities of “Homeland,” the perpetual unspoken power
struggles of “Mad Men,” or the fantastic medieval groomed nudity of “Game of
Thrones,” nor do I watch it for the same reasons I watch those shows.
I watch Always Sunny
to laugh. Not just to laugh here and there, but to constantly fluctuate between
a sustained giggle and a hearty laugh from deep in the gut.
I love comedy, and without
it, most shows just don’t hit home with me. “Mad Men” sprinkles it in quite
often. Think of Don tossing a beer can into the wilderness as Betty whips trash
off the picnic blanket, or Pete Campbell dragging a dead secretary across the
office during an important meeting with clients. It helps lighten things up,
which is needed to give viewers a break from Jon Hamm’s threatening scowls and
stunning half smiles. The same holds true for “Game of Thrones.” Tyrion quips “Why are all the gods such viscous cunts? Where’s
the God of tits and wine?” and after voraciously motivating his men to fight to
the death against impossible odds, Theon Greyjoy is thunked on the head by one
of said men who is ready to go home.
But those shows don’t serve the same purpose as
Always Sunny. The gang’s nonstop one-upping, machine-gun pitch-changing dialogue
and extreme narcissism (without merit, I might add), combined with harebrained
get-rich-quick schemes hastily executed, makes my stomach and cheeks hurt from laughing
pains. The false sense of entitlement and achievement, and the attempts to fit
in where they don’t belong makes Dennis, Dee, Mac, Charlie and Frank the
funniest people on TV. And when you’re like me, and like to laugh (Who doesn’t?
Cynical assholes, I guess.), there’s no better place than Paddy’s Pub – not
Westeros, not Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, and not Abu Nazr’s palace.
It’s not enough for me to just let something be
entertaining, though. I never stop stacking things up against one another or
considering the highs and lows of a show or episode. That’s how I’m wired. And
because of this, I feel the need to give my opinion on the best of Always Sunny
Season 8. Below, I will rank the 10 episodes from worst to best, with #1 being
the best. (I die a little bit each time I have to explain something as obvious
as this. It’s disheartening.) There will be a brief explanation as to why I
ranked each episode where I did. After that, I will rank who I felt were the
strongest (funniest) characters in season 8. When I say characters, I mean the
five central characters – the gang.
Enjoy.
10. Charlie and Dee Find Love (8-4): Dee tries to
woo a rich guy who is slumming it, and Charlie begins a relationship with an
upper-class hottie, which ends when he hilariously publicly dumps and
humiliates her. The Waitress is reeled into the shenanigans, as she is
recruited to bring Charlie back to his senses. But really, The Waitress, I
felt, was just included to give old fans like me a chance to say “Hey, look!
The Waitress!” Not a horrible episode, but not memorable.
9. The Maureen Ponderosa Wedding Massacre (8-3): I
could’ve easily ranked this one 10th, but slid it up to ninth because it gives
us some unfamiliar territory, which is where the gang shines (think of their
attempts to gain entry in a country club pool, sneak into a Phillies game or their
jaunt to the Jersey Shore). This was the Halloween episode, and while it was
nice to see someone incorporate the Miami bath-salts all-you-can-eat face
buffet into a Halloween zombie scenario, it just didn’t do much for me beyond
that. Yes, it featured the McPoyles and Ponderosas. However, like a few
episodes this season, it almost put them on screen just for the sake of having
them on screen (see The Waitress above). I loved a lot of the new places and
new ideas this season, but not in this episode. It was fun to see them try
something different, though.
8. Charlie’s Mom has cancer (8-6): The highlight in
this one was Frank manipulating his children into thinking their mother is
still alive, culminating in Charlie digging up her corpse at the end in front
of the twins. There are also some good laughs when Charlie, Mac and Dennis go
to church, which leads to them hosting a Beef and Beer and Jesus fundraiser. Diddy
(yes, Diddy) was also a pleasant surprise in this episode – kudos to him for
holding his own. Good stuff.
7. Charlie Rules the World (8-8): Early in the
episode, Dennis states that if Charlie ever ruled the world, he would blow
himself, which he kind of does (it’s hard to explain). Basically, the premise
of this episode is that everyone besides Dennis is swept up into a role-playing
game, and Charlie eventually becomes obsessed with it, practically enslaving
Sweet Dee (who was the catalyst for getting the others hooked). This episode
once again features Charlie blowing it with a beautiful woman; this time
because he’s threatened it’s a coup to overthrow what he has built in the game.
6. Pop-pop: The Final Solution (8-1): As far as
season premieres go, this one was pretty good. I’ve noticed something about my
favorite comedies – Always Sunny, Workaholics and Wilfred. The seasons usually
start out pretty mellow. Sure there’s some good laughs, but it takes a few
episodes to really get rolling, and for the big laughs to start flowing. In the
third paragraph, I alluded that Sunny usually keeps me on the laugh-o-meter
between “giggling like a schoolgirl” and “laughing like Liotta in
‘Goodfellas.’” This episode mostly sustained a level slightly above giggling,
mostly in the area of “gently chortling with the occasional guffaw,” but never
hit the Liotta level. Charlie and Mac devouring rotten assisted-living soup,
and Mac discovering the key to Hitler’s rage got me close, though. The only
gripe was that at one point, the episode basically says “Hey! Remember Cricket?
He works in an animal shelter! Laugh at that!”
5. The Gang Recycles Their Trash (8-2): With all of
my griping about episodes blatantly trying to appease old fans by bringing back
characters just for the sake of doing so, it should make perfect sense that
this one, which alters old stories, schemes and settings slightly around a new
plot, is ranked this high on the list. I guess you could say I’m a “Wild card
bitches!!!” (That’s how you foreshadow. Yay Yay!)
4. Reynolds vs. Reynolds: The Cereal Defense (8-10):
The finale was pretty good. Frank, due to his poor eyesight, smashes into the
back of Dennis’ car, spilling Dennis’ cereal all over the place. Yes, Dennis
was eating cereal while driving. I’m thinking of trying it. Anyhow, to settle
the matter, the gang sets up a mock courtroom in the bar, with Dennis being
represented by Sweet Dee, Charlie representing Frank (you know Charlie had to
get in lawyer mode, which is always a good time), and Mac serving as
bailiff/judge. Mac, in an attempt to prove he is a credible witness, uses signs
reading “bitch” to draw a parallel between evolution and creationism, which is
probably the best part of the episode. Though I enjoy the episodes outside of
the bar more (not counting Chardee MacDennis), ending the season back at
Paddy’s was not a bad thing.
3. The Gang Gets Analyzed (8-5): This was the point
where the season really kicked it into high gear. Dee brings in the rest of the
gang to speak with her therapist to prove they are responsible for her issues. On
the couch, Mac is manic. Frank breaks down and lets the audience in on his time
spent living with a “Frog Kid.” Dennis, with his ever-growing egomaniacal
personality, obviously refuses to be analyzed, instead opting to perform his
own psychological evaluations and assist the doctor. While there were good
episodes before this one, this is where the season went from “Meh, that’s
funny,” to “HOLY SHIT! HAHAHAHAHA.” Did I mention the whole episode is in a
therapist’s office? Did I mention that therapist was Trudy fuckin’ Weigel?! It
couldn’t have been easy topping this one.
2. The Gang Dines Out (8-9): Gugino’s Italian
Restaurant was supposed to be the place Mac and Dennis went for their monthly
dinner… alone. Then, separately, Frank and Charlie show up (Frank wearing a
ridiculous hairpiece, I should add). Later, we learn Dee has been there all
along, and all alone, cashing in on a groupon coupon (or is it just groupon? Who
cares?). Dennis doesn’t like his chair, or their table, or the fact that
Charlie and Frank are there. Frank isn’t very happy Mac and Dennis are at the
restaurant, either. This episode has tons of laughs, my favorite being when
Charlie and Mac, both who believe the two parties should pay tribute to one
another with a bow directed at the other table, happen to lock eyes. Neither
one tries to hide it, much to the chagrin of their respective dining partners.
There’s a hilarious musical confession by Dennis, blatant boob-grabbing and a
shoelace-related prank by Dee, to boot. Loved it from start to finish.
1. Frank’s Back in Business (8-7): We get to see
Frank, or as he’s known in the corporate world, the Warthog, in action as a
businessman. Charlie, of course, serves as his assistant and protégé.
(Interesting, as he’s illiterate, as Dennis points out.) Speaking of Dennis, he
decides to “wear another man’s skin,” meaning he assume the identity of Brian
LeFeve, a Canadian businessman. With Dee and Mac (as Vic Vinegar – bodyguard
and driver) alongside him, Dennis carries out a ruse on some corporate fat cats
looking to broker a deal with LeFeve. Not to mention he almost goes through
with a very… risqué, to say the least, sexual act. For much of the season, we
could see Dennis’ inflated sense of self bubbling to the surface, but it finally
boils over in this episode when he “gets off.” I’m not going to lie. During
this episode, I was getting off right alongside of him.
Ranking the gang
Who was the funniest person this season?
5. Charlie: Humiliated two beautiful girls who were
out of his class; admonished a priest for not helping his mom pay for cancer
treatments; did his lawyer shtick.
4. Sweet Dee: Flipped out on her therapist,
destroying her office; reprised her sassy Latina field reporter persona; neglects
hygiene while she’s consumed by online gaming.
3. Mac: Gets sprayed by pesticide to heal a rash;
makes a video for investors pushing an alcoholic protein shake; labels
Aristotle, Galileo and Isaac Newton as little bitches; hilariously breaks down
on the therapy couch.
2. Frank: Lies about Dennis’ and Dee’s mother still
being alive; wears a hairpiece and grabs a hostess’ boobs; sells his old
company to the Chinese; gets cut to the core on the therapist’s couch; shows a
certificate proving he does not have donkey brains.
1. Dennis: Drives while easting cereal; has sex with
Maureen Ponderosa on her wedding day; shows a sex tape to Mac and Frank; nearly
has a “nontraditional” sexual encounter, which I don’t want to spoil if you
haven’t seen the LeFeve episode; sees himself performing oral sex on himself…
with a British accent; makes a hilarious confession set to music in Gugino’s.
Keep in mind this is all just my humble opinion. I
love all of these characters, but anyone who would claim Dennis didn’t go
completely over the edge this season is making crazy talk.
That’s a wrap. If you haven’t watched this season
yet, don’t worry, I didn’t spoil too much for you. I could’ve written another
2,000 words easily, but was afraid this would become one big
“season-in-review.” So there you have it – my favorite episodes and characters
from Season 8.
Bring on Season 9.Humiliated Hu
Tim Barnum is a co-host of the #WorstFriends Podcast, a writer and a journalist.
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