10:00 PM, Eastern Time. On a Wed, namely Dec 1st, 2021. That was the twenty-four hour period FX'south satirical one-act It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia made history as the longest running live action one-act serial on goggle box. The show has been on air since August 2005, now with 15 seasons and 154 episodes thus far. Creator and star Rob McElhenney showed no signs of slowing down. The fifteenth flavor brought the gang – Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Mac (McElhenney), Charlie (Charlie Day), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), and Frank (Danny Devito) – out of Paddy'southward Pub to Ireland, a alter of setting and stride that paid off. Albeit the shortest flavor of the series nevertheless, information technology received positive reception, and actually stood out in comparison from more than contempo seasons.

While these viii episodes revisited old tropes and answered major questions, its schadenfreude comedy and sleazebag shenanigans remained the same. All the episodes were enjoyable, although non every episode was a striking. Here are the episodes ranked from worst to best:

viii. "The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 7 " (Episode ii)

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A recurring theme is the revisitation of previous plots, such equally the gang obtaining a gun in "Gun Fever" (Season i, Episode five) and "Gun Fever: Yet Too Hot" (Season 9, Episode 2) and playing a chaotic homebrewed lath game in "Chardee MacDennis: The Game of Games" (Season 7, Episode 7) and "CharDee MacDennis two: Electric Boogaloo" (Season 11, Episode 1). From a creative standpoint, information technology makes sense to circle back to successful concepts, and by now, the audience probably expects at least one rehash per season.

Echoing the tones of "The Gang Solves the Bathroom Problem" (Flavor xiii, Episode 6), this episode comments on the insensitivity of their bootleg films Lethal Weapon five and Lethal Weapon 6. However, knowing the gang never learned their lesson, this episode imbues the metaphor of performativity and white saviorism. But when stacked up against the other episodes, peculiarly the Republic of ireland arc, this 2d episode seemed to be the clear weak link. The pacing wasn't up to par, and the catastrophe of Mac wanting to play Murtaugh once again doesn't justify the means. Information technology'south almost as if doing this 2d off-shoot served no purpose.

7. "Dee Sinks In A Bog" (Episode 7)

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Much similar thick limes are the cornerstones of Paddy's Pub, explanatory titles are the cornerstones of Sunny. Equally shortly as Dee agrees to the date with the Irish medico, the audience knows she won't make it, because she'll sink in a bog. This is where the funny part of the predictability ends.

When Mr. Shelley Kelly – portrayed past guest star Colm Meaney – started explaining Irish burial traditions, information technology was like shooting fish in a barrel to judge the chain of events. Judging from the side by side episode's title, "The Gang Carries A Corpse Up the Mountain," the audition can reason that Shelley will somehow die, and the gang volition behave him upwards the mountain. He then talks well-nigh the curse of banshees, described every bit tall, spindly, and covered with filth, which when described in conjunction with this episode's title, leads to the decision that Dee volition stumble out of the bog and scare Shelley to decease – which actually wasn't too far off.

Relying on one singled-out moment (and the classic Waitress proper noun joke), plus sandwiched in the eye of the two best episodes, this episode was probably the nigh feeble in the Ireland arc. In addition, at that place could have been a smoother transition from this episode to the finale.

half dozen. "The Gang Buys a Roller Rink" (Episode 3)

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Ever wondered how the gang came to buy the pub? Or how "Sweet Dee" turned sour? Lace up your roller skates – simply don't mess with the screws – and travel back to the nineties, where this episode provides some context. The retro aesthetic, complete with Mac in a "phat" (a joke referencing his weight gain from Flavor 7) NBA Charlotte Hornets jacket, infused some fun into this backstory. Some jokes did state, including Dennis' naivete about his father'south "business organization" and Mac and Charlie's failed drug dealing.

Although in comparing to other episodes, information technology barbarous kind of flat. A flashback is a neat device to explain things, but information technology seems this episode was mostly to make full space. Compared to the later reveals that contributed to more overarching questions, such as the significance of Republic of ireland and Charlie's male parent, this one felt meh, similar to Lethal Weapon seven. Perhaps it could take worked in another season, where the second one-half wasn't as paramount.

v. "2020: A Twelvemonth In Review" (Episode ane)

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When our favorite dirtbags return for a new season, they come in with a bang. Such hit openers include "The Gang Beats Boggs" (Flavor x, Episode 1) and "The Gang Turns Blackness" (Season 12, Episode ane). Given the current situation of the public health crisis and the presidential election, 2020 has been a tumultuous twelvemonth for the gang also.

Equally illustrated in prior episodes, McElhenney scores by keeping the show up with modern times and nods to actual events. It's ever funny when an outsider stumbles into the deranged globe of the five barowners. The best parts were Frank's underground pilus dye business organisation, reminding united states that Devito'south addition to the cast was a godsend, and the hilarious reveal of the gang voting for Kanye West. Although, Mac and Dennis could've had a more improvident hand in meddling with the ballot, and their antics fell short of Charlie/Dee and Frank. It was a solid introduction, but this middle ranking mainly boils downwardly to just not being the principal storyline.

iv. "The Gang Replaces Dee with a Monkey" (Episode four)

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Finally, the seasons starts to pick up with its fourth episode, where the boys replace an assumedly menopausal Dee with a monkey. Because of course they practise. Meanwhile, Dee opens an acting school and uses her acting communication to manipulate her students. This scam highlights her need for validation in her acting career, as well as how depraved Dee can really be. She gets a callback regarding a taped audition for a filming in Republic of ireland, thus setting the goad for the 2d half of the season.

This episode illustrates Sunny's classic absurdity. A monkey serves them beer, and and then gain to trash the identify. Charlie lacks whatever cognition near geography, confusing colors with locations, hence the bright revelation of Republic of ireland every bit "monkey beer (whiskey) island of green and fight." This is probably the funniest episode of the entire flavour, and the phrase "thank y'all monkey" is now a secret code my dad and I share.

three. "The Gang Goes To Ireland" (Episode five)

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Then long Philly, hello Dublin! Packed in a tiny European car, the gang has reached Ireland. All the same, instead of a mannerly and authentic experience overseas, Dennis and Dee end up helping Frank get rid of the evidence of working with Jeffrey Epstien. But don't worry, he was only on the beach snorkeling. Mac and Charlie wait into their Irish gaelic heritage. Charlie realizes he tin can read Gaelic, thus explaining his illiteracy in English, and via a brusk telephone call from his mother, Mac discovers he'south not Irish gaelic at all.

Taking the motley crew to Ireland was a risk that paid off. This episode attests to a successful test of Sunny's ventures and boundary breaking, proving the testify can work outside of Philly's borders to an international degree. Each graphic symbol gets their moment to shine, 2 of which pb to cocky-discovery.

ii. "The Gang's Still In Ireland" (Episode 6)

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Everything comes together: Shelley Kelly, fittingly a cheesemaker for a son who adores cheese, converses with Charlie in perfect Gaelic, as he confesses his fathership. Dennis and Dee rent a decaying castle, and in the spirit of Poe'southward house of Usher, reflects Dennis' deteriorating health due to COVID, and toys with his ongoing psychotic tendencies. Mac grapples with the facets of his identities (gay and Christian) by entering the priesthood.

Although the follow-upward of a two-parter, this episode ranks college. While the erstwhile introduced new opportunities for each character, the latter goes into more depth in exploring these dynamics. After xv seasons, Charlie gets to meet his real father and feel he'due south making a real connection. In turn, Frank feels betrayed, and his jealousy proves that he very much thought of himself as not only Charlie'south all-time friend, but father effigy.

ane. "The Gang Carries a Corpse Up the Mountain" (Episode 8)

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Sunny knows how to exercise season finales and do them well. Contempo finales have taken a shift from extravagance, such equally one of the all-time, most memorable episodes in the show's history, "The Nightman Cometh" (Season 4, Episode thirteen) to more serious and wistful. For instance, the Season 12 finale, "Dennis' Double Life," brings in the possibility of Dennis actually settling down and condign a father, which resulted in the cliffhanger of his return. Adjacent, the season thirteen finale, "Mac Finds His Pride," evokes bravery and serenity, as Mac finally accepts his sexuality, demonstrated by a beautiful choreographed number. Now it's Charlie's plow.

Charlie never outwardly expressed his feelings towards the mystery of his father, and pretty quickly accustomed Frank equally his surrogate father. But when he'south the only one left to bear Shelley up the mountain, he breaks down. He laments on how his father should have been at that place for him, culminating in a damning equivalent of "you lot were supposed to carry me." Out of anybody, Charlie is the nigh ridiculed, only at this moment, he is the virtually raw. In what he lacks in literacy skills he makes up for in emotional depth. The pouring pelting emphasizes his desperation and despair, and "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes may be a reference to Tommy Male child , when Tommy's dad died. His grief-stricken monologue displayed some amazing acting from Charlie Day.

This episode serves every bit a microcosm for the Ireland arc, as information technology transposes the gang into an unfamiliar environs. Dissimilar the lower rankings on this list, it provided substance, and gave importance to this foreign adventure. And in spite of their inflated egos, the rest of the gang comes back to help Charlie fulfill the burial rite, realizing that if yous love someone, you don't leave them backside.

According to FX Networks, It's Ever Sunny in Philadelphia has been renewed through Season 18, meaning viewers tin await three more seasons. However, that may not end our fourth dimension with the gang either. McElhenney quoted FX'due south tweet saying that the bear witness was "originally pitched as a 36 season arc" and is "so happy to be halfway washed." In the meantime, viewers tin can watch every season, from one to fifteen, on Hulu.

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