It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Faces a Chance of Showers

by Seth Nigrosh and Erik Lafrance

Charlie: “We’d be two cool, straight dudes married together.”

Frank: “Oooh. Well, I never thought of it that way. Two dudes getting married, that doesn’t seem very gay.”

It’s offensive, moronic and downright enjoyable. The new season of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia premiered Thursday, September 18.

Before we continue, it is important to remember what we’ve loved about the show in the past. Right off the bat, it has always been pretty damn funny. The characters are blatantly ridiculous. The show never pulls any punches and instead addresses delicate topics with a sledgehammer of comedy. Mac, Dee, Dennis, Charlie and Frank partake in total debauchery, and we eat it right up. Guilty pleasure? Perhaps. Do we care? Not at all.

The newest episode is called “Mac Fights Gay Marriage.” Mac sees a post-op transsexual that he used to date before her operation, and he learns that she is now married. Mac, infuriated that she never called him after her surgery, decides to fight her marriage on the basis that it is unnatural and immoral. All of the talk about marriage gets Dennis thinking about his old flame Maureen Ponderosa, who he meets again and hastily marries. Within hours he regrets this decision. Charlie and Frank begin the process of getting a domestic partnership so that Charlie can get health benefits and Dee sleeps with Maureen’s brother, who is now far from the attractive high school student he once was.

This episode, like many others, deals with an issue that is deeply important to many people. Regardless of which side of the marriage debate you find yourself on, most people are pretty passionate about it. Instead of dealing with gay marriage in contemplative seriousness, however, It’s Always Sunny… gives us a nonpolitical and completely self-centered view and doesn’t add substantively to any sort of rational debate. But that’s the point, isn’t it? This show is not about moralizing or human rights. This show is pure escapist humor. In this comedic universe, it’s perfectly okay to be a fool, to ignore social norms, to laugh at serious subjects.

However, in all fairness, this is not our favorite episode. It comes off a bit formulaic. An issue surrounded by controversy is taken and the gang exploits each side. Though the individual gags are hilarious, as always, the main plot seems fairly trite. It is still our favorite show and is better than most trash on television, but this episode is somewhat mechanical. It is not the worst episode, but for a season premiere for such a veteran show, many were expecting more. We are absolutely not deterred from this series and this season should be great as always, but as this program ages, it needs to employ some new tricks.

So whenever life gets too serious or makes too much sense, come on down to Paddy’s Pub, where the atmosphere is chaotic and absurd and the good times are endless. The bathroom may include a glory hole and a urinal that sprays in one’s face. The service is…nonexistent. If you want to get involved in crazy arguments, schemes and get rich quick plans, this is the place. If decency, manors, logic, intelligence and avoiding offensive issues and are important features for a bar, turn the other way. While it may not always be perfect, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia never fails to deliver some laughs.