It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Even MORE Favorites

As of this writing, there are 144 episodes of Always Sunny. We've only looked at just about 30 together in the last 4 posts. Before we part ways, let's look at 10 or 11 more, shall we? Honorable mentions aka Another Level of the McTower's Favorite Episodes.

11.

Season 2, episode 5. (2006)

Frank trains Dee to fight the daughter of his onetime boxing rival, Bobby Thunderson. Mac and Dennis train Charlie to take part in an underground fighting tournament. Dee and Charlie experience severe side effects of steroids.

I tried to make this an even Top Ten Episodes, but I couldn't leave this one off. It's a great episode for many reasons, but it's probably best remembered for its "You're the Best Around" montage. That link disappears and re-appears again from YouTube; here's hoping it's still there when you click it. Delightful.

It would be interesting to ask people a hundred years from now - when Million Dollar Baby (homage'd at episode's end) and The Karate Kid will likely be much more off the cultural radar - what they think of the sequences that reference them. Do the jokes land? I bet they do. Blog-reading time travelers from the future, please let me know in the comments.

10.

Season 6, episode 11. (2010)

Taking an ill-advised shortcut through the woods, The Gang crashes their car on the way to Atlantic City for a charity benefit. Mac, Dee, and Frank have to survive on their own while Dennis and Charlie hitch a ride to the city with a smashed pumpkin of a trucker (Tom Sizemore). When they eventually arrive, they pretend to be Frank and Mac and have the night of their lives with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard of the Philadlephia Phillies.

"This is why I don't leave Philly. 
I mean TREES? Everywhere TREES?!"

Why I Love It: (a) Frank as live-action R-rated Homer Simpson. Or maybe that's Peter Griffin. I don't know. Frank's better than Peter, maybe not quite vintage-Homer, though. (And no redeeming side to speak of.) (b) The insanity of Tom Sizemore's guest character, and Charlie and Dennis's handling of it all. And (c) The whole "Glory Days" montage is just fantastic. Prelude for "Gang Beats Boggs". Speaking of: hey!

9.

Season 10, episode 1. (2015)

Dennis, Dee, Charlie, and Frank attempt to honor Wade Boggs by breaking his record of drinking 50 to 70 cans of beer on a cross-country flight to Los Angeles. Mac is the non-drinking commissioner, due to losing the chugging contest qualifier.

Why I Love It: Besides the irresistible plot device, I mean. (a) Charlie's continual confusion re: Wade Boggs's mortality ("May he rest in peace." "Wade Boggs would roll in his grave..." etc.) is matched well by Dee's continual mistaking him for Boss Hog. Both of these things come together well in the alcohol-inspired hallucinations above, scored to "In the Hall of the Mountain King." (Also used for Dennis's serial-killer-esque imaginings earlier in the episode about the girl in seat 44G.) And (b) That ending. ("That's baseball, baby!")

The idea that Frank has never heard of the Mile High Club is a bit far-fetched. It's funny that that's what stands out to me, not the rest of it (sneaking back and forth to the cargo hold for beers and what not). It reminds me of what Stephen King once said through the mouth of Paul Sheldon: "Realism isn't necessary, but fairness is."

8.

Season 1, episode 3. (2005)

When Mac decides to make Paddy's Pub a safe haven for underage drinkers, it becomes high school all over again as Dee, Dennis and Charlie get asked to the prom.

"Where were you when I was in high school?" 

"I was 8." 

"...Right."

Why I Love It: (a) It captures pretty well that window in your 20s where it becomes a little weird to party with U-21s. I don't mean hooking up, I mean more the house party / Mac side of it. That in particular (Mac making an ass of himself at the house party) is worth it alone. Of course instead of learning from it, they all bumble over the edge. Except Charlie.

"For-EV-er young!"

(b) It's fun to contrast Charlie here (season 1) with what we learn about his high school experience in "The High School Reunion." This bit at the end is weirdly redemptive for him. Of course, it's doubtful they'd filled in all the paint-huffing and other blanks of Charlie's past back in season 1.
 

7.

Season 5, episode 1 (2009)

While Frank, Mac, and Dennis try their hand at real estate, Dee arranges to be a surrogate mother to a wealthy couple with a sweet pool. Meanwhile, Charlie faces off with The Lawyer on bird law and other intricacies of the judicial system.

Why I Love It: (a) Mac and Dennis's "Honey and Vinegar" real estate team (partners in real estate, partners in life) is a bit much, but all of Dee's surrogate stuff with the sweet-pool couple is great. The whole conceptual-womb scam (or attempt at one) is an interesting tie-in to the gang's understanding of the whole mortgage crisis of the late aughts. 

But mainly (b) this is the introduction of one of the show's weirdest and most adorable elements, Charlie's strange ideas about "bird law." ("A hummingbird is legal tender," "I'm not saying I agree with it, but bird law in this country is not governed by reason," etc.) This all comes more or less out of nowhere, of course.

Laying the foundation for Charlie's improbable (and often one-sided and imaginary) legal dueling over many seasons with The Lawyer (Brian Unger, again).

"Where did you go to law school again?" 

"Uh, well, I could ask you that very same question."

"I went to Harvard. How about you?" 

"Where? Hmm. I'm pleading the Fifth, sir."
"I'd advise that you do that."
"And I'll take that advice into cooperation, all right? Let's say you and I go toe-to-toe on bird law and see who comes out the victor."
"You know, I don't think I'm gonna do anything close to that, and I can see clearly you know nothing about the law. It seems like you have a tenuous grasp on the English language in general."
"Okay. Well- Filibuster."

The way Charlie delivers that last line - punctuating a point that has suddenly confused him - is just fantastic. 

6.

Season 6, episode 10. (2010)

Dennis, Dee, and Mac begin to worry about Charlie's mental condition after years of doing Charlie Work (particularly killing rats - "It's like whole generations of these things have died at my hands..." "Well, you know, keep up the good work.") and decide to throw a party for Charlie on his birthday. ("For one day let's make this lowly rat killer feel like a king.")

"Excuse me, what is your spaghetti policy here?"

When Frank's ideas for the party prove too complicated, the gang grabs Charlie's strange dream journal to come up with ideas to make him feel valued and celebrated.

...

"What is that?"
"That's a bird with teeth."
"It sure is."

That's pretty much it. Although I love that what the gang assumes is "Worm Hat" turns out to be something else entirely. ("Oh, that's a German guy. His name's Hans Wermhat. He appears in my dreams. He drives a biplane and he shoots it at me, and I run through a field.")

5.

Season 4, episodes 5 and 6. (2008)

Mac and Charlie fake their deaths to avoid the wrath of Mac's father who was released from prison and is out for vengeance. Meanwhile, Frank and Dennis go inside the world of anonymous sex when they discover a glory hole in one of the bathroom stalls.

Why I Love It: (a) Who doesn't love a fake-their-deaths story? Worked for Mark Twain, works for Charlie, Mac, and Dennis. (b) I was going to post some of Frank's remarks re: the glory hole, but they're a tad over the line. Why I'm suddenly getting squeamish after all the other over-the-line remarks I've posted I don't know. The discovery of the glory hole leads them first to "one of those Eyes Wide Shut orgies," which turns out to be anything but, ("Why is there a buffet at an orgy?") then to Dennis getting this sleazy Euro roommate.

Jan (Keir O'Donnell), one of the show's more memorable one-and-done guest stars. You'd never know this guy was an Aussie from his "crazy Euro" accent here.

(c) Mac and Charlie's dying requests. ("We have to name our first born child Murphy because that was Robocop's name," etc.) and (d) "New Charlie," the surrogate doll Frank creates to cope with his almost-touching-until-he-ruins-it grief over Charlie's death.

"I like you too, New Charlie!"
"...Did I see you bang that thing?"

4.

Season 5, episode 11. (2009)

When Dee gets a job as an extra in the new M. Night Shyamalan film, Mac and Charlie seize a chance to write a movie so they can crash the set and pitch it to him. Frank (reinventing himself suddenly as a talent agent) gets Dennis a job on the same movie, but he spends the whole time typing on his new phone.

Why I Love It: (a) "Oh yeah like in The Sixth Sense. You find out that the dude in the hairpiece was Bruce Willis the whole movie." "Charlie, that is not the twist to that movie." (b) The script that Mac and Charlie put together (Crime Stinks: The Smell of Penetration. "He nose the truth!") is funny enough:

"Imagine a super smart, ripped scientist played by Dolph Lundgren, who, after a terrible accident in his lab, blows off his nose. After reconstructive surgery, he soon realizes that he smells something that stinks: cri-i-ime..."

but its development and (especially) Dennis's insane contributions make it all even funnier. (c) Mac and Charlie keep referring to M Night as "the slumdog!" because they think he's a "real-life slumdog millionaire." They think this because he's Indian-American and made it big, that's it. As with so many jokes on the show, the humor arises from their bottomless, enthusiastic confusion. And (d) the whole thing with Dennis with his cellphone captures an interesting moment in time when most of the viewing audience was wary of people like this on their phones. There was actually a time when this sort of behavior was considered so ridiculous as to be annoying/ rude. No one would even notice now. 

This guy in the library is fun.

3.

Season 5, episode 4. (2009)

Dennis, Charlie, and Dee attempt to stage an intervention on Frank because they feel it's no longer fun to drink with him. Frank attempts to seduce his former sister-in-law (Nora Dunn), who Mac is also interested in seducing. The Gang also has to deal with Dennis and Dee's bizarre cousin "Gail the Snail" (Mary Lynn Rajskub).

Ah, Gail the Snail, the garbage pail cousin. The scene where Charlie "salts the snail" is hilarious, though alas it didn't screencap very well.

"Mom, I'm sexually active now - get over it!"
"Gail, you're 33 years old. You're supposed to be sexually active. You're not supposed to be fondling your uncle under the table!"
(Frank) "This is true."

DeVito's willinness to make such a piggish spectacle of himself is something else. This episode gives his credo:

"I'm not sure how many years on this earth I got left; I'm gonna get real weird with it."

Still with me? Only 2 left to go! And sheesh, I'm thinking of like 10 other favorite episodes now. I'd better wrap this up before I end up expanding this

2.

Season 9, episode 3. (2013)

The gang tries to make their bar worthy of a Philly Best Bar Award.

Why I Love It: (a) The meta-ness is all good. How is it possible this show has never won an Emmy? Like the gang, I think the conclusion is "who the hell cares?" but it just seems insane that no awards were given for (at the very least) the musical epidoes. I mean, has Glee won for any song while "The Nightman Cometh" and "The Gang Turns Black" won for nothing? That... is incredible. Not especially surprising; the emmys, like any award out of Hollywood these days, are preoccupied not with awarding or even acknowledging quality, originality, performance, or excellence, but with narrative.

"Is it us?"

(b) the presence of the "right" number of black people in "safe space" shows, etc. is skewered brilliantly, particularly when they go to one of the popular, PG bars (modeled after Cheers, somewhat.)

And (c) Charlie's whole arc. He writes a legitimately great jingle for the bar, but he's locked in the storage closet for his troubles, where he huffs a bunch of paint and other inhalants, crawls back into the proceedings via the vents, and improvises a new song: "Go Fuck Yourselves." (aka "The Spider Song.")

Start to finish awesome. And finally:

1.

Season 3, episode 5. (2007)

The gang gets involved in the world of fashion design after Dee gets jealous of her former high-school best friend (Judy Greer), aka "Fatty Magoo," now slim and a successful boutique owner.  Meanwhile, Frank starts up his old sweatshop business and coaches Mac on how to run one.

"Doesn't matter, Dee, because WINNERS... always win."

Why I Love It: (a) How awesome is Judy Greer? Pretty awesome.

I hope she never goes insane. That seems to be a real occupational hazard among actors these days. (Maybe always has been? Either way, fingers crossed.)

(b) The sweatshop stuff is amazing. I love how easily (and totally) Charlie falls into serfdom. It's probably not much of a step down for him, actually. 

Once Frank and Mac add Nazi speeches to the "motivational workshop," as well as a steam whistle, it gets even crazier. Who is doing those speeches by the way? It sounds like someone from the cast rather than anything real. I bet it was Charlie.

(c) Directed by Fred Savage! He directs a bunch of episodes, I think I've failed to mention him until now. Easily the best thing he's ever been involved with, and God bless him. And (d) This is probably the first true glimpse we get of Dennis-as-true-sociopath in the series. It's an early investment that has paid great dividends over the years. I love that his pump-up music is Rick Astley. 

Because of course it is.

~
NEXT: One last post to go! 
(Leftover screencaps)