Posted in: FX, Hulu, Review, TV | Tagged: always sunny, episode 5, episode 6, fx on hulu, FXX, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Review, Season 15

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Gang Has Their S15 Emmy Reel: Review

Luther Vandross. Luther Vandross. So if Mac's Dad (Gregory Scott Cummins) had the original last name of "Vandross" before changing it to "McDonald," then is Mac technically "Ronald Vandross"? Even better, should The Gang be calling him "Van" instead of "Mac" from now on? Sorry to go in hot with my review of this week's two episodes of FXX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but that's an example of the impact the hour is still having on my brain. "The Gang Goes To Ireland" and "The Gang's Still In Ireland" (written by Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day & Glenn Howerton, and directed by Megan Ganz) find Dee (Kaitlin Olson) looking to hit the big time with the role of "Obnoxious American MILF" (it never happens), Dennis (Howerton) ends up helping Frank (Danny DeVito) take care of some "business" involving Jeffrey Epstein's island before attempting to cosplay "COVID Jack Torrance" on Dee.

And then there was Mac's (McElhenney) attempt to get closer to his Irish heritage… only to learn that he's not only Dutch but also there's that matter of his name we mentioned earlier. Finally, Charlie (Day) had probably the biggest moment of his life, reconnecting with a pen pal who turned out to be his dad, Shelley Kelly (Colm Meaney)- unfortunately, leaving Frank feeling like a third wheel. Are everyone's scorecards up to date? Good, because I want your full attention when I tell you that this week's episodes are not only the best of an already impressive season but could be one of the best two-ep hours in the show's near-15 season run.

First, just look at the creative forces behind this week's rounds: McElhenney, Day, Howerton, and Ganz. We're talking about a creative team that brings their intimate knowledge of these characters and still finds ways to present them in new ways and offer (yes, I'm about to say it) layers to their characters. And just like the long-running & record-setting series has always done, it took what has become cliche among other sitcoms over the years (the characters travel abroad/vacation and "wacky shenanigans" pursue that are easily disposable) and instead used it to further expand the show's canon. From Mac's name & nationality revelation, Charlie's Mom (Lynne Marie Stewart) being "really popular" on a global scale, and Frank's previously-described "Epstein issue," there was more than enough for fans to have to spend a little time updating The Gang's collective backstory (especially this season). We even got a small bite of backstory on what Mary Elizabeth Ellis's The Waitress has been up to. But then they apparently (unless we get a twist during the final two episodes) didn't think that was enough, dropping a bomb on all of that "Is Frank really Charlie's dad?" speculation by revealing Charlie's real dad, Shelley.

But even the best writing and the most stylized direction can only do so much if they don't have the performances in front of the camera to make it work. And that's why I say without hesitation that these two hours are all the Emmy Awards nomination reel they need to submit because The Gang's real-life alter-egos proved why Always Sunny has not only earned its 15 seasons but also shows no signs of slowing down or going soft. Think of all the shows that have run longer than five seasons that you can say had a cast that felt just as creatively hungry in the fifth season as they did the first. Now imagine it's the fifteenth season and not the fifth. Impressive, right?

I'm not sure what adjectives are left to use to describe Olson so how about this? From a physical comedy and facial expression standpoint alone, Kaitlin Olson might be the funniest person working on television today. McElhenney has found a way of taking Mac's journey of self-discovery and making it meaningful while still allowing us to want to slap him upside the head for the shit that he says and does. It's like how it was described by The Gang in a previous season. Mac's not an a-hole because he's gay. Mac's an a-hole who also happens to be gay. And McElhenney presents us with that duality wonderfully. Mac's the dude we hope finds a sense of personal happiness, but we don't mind it if he walks into a glass door & breaks his nose.

And speaking of duality, major props to DeVito for offering a Frank who had us feeling for him as he dealt with Charlie pushing him away to spend more time with his real father. But then again, we wanted to drag him outside by his neck every time he interrupted Charlie and Shelley (and it's tough to shake that "Epstein thing"). As for Howerton? If there's anyone out there looking to invest in a live-theater production of Stephen King's The Shining, you have the perfect Jack Torrance in Howerton. I don't mean that as a joke because the character as written by King is much more layered and complex than Jack Nicholson's "Here's Johnny!" Stanley Kubrick adaptation.

But damn if a large chunk of the applause shouldn't go to the dramatic and touching dynamic between Day and Meaney. Did I tear up during the song they sang together? Oh yeah. Big time. And that's what worked for me. They knew when to let the emotions stay emotional. I'm so accustomed to shows always needing to go for the laugh, and that's what sets Always Sunny apart from them. They let the viewers stay in the moment. And while Meaney was his usual amazing self, it was Day who got us wide-eyed and paying extra attention as his Charlie went from paint-swilling rat-killer to a boy trying to make up for lost time with a father he never knew he would meet and never knew how much he truly missed in his life.

So where do things go from here? Is it possible that an "M. Night Shyamalan" twist might change everything we think we knew about Shelley? Definitely. And having looked ahead at the overview for the Always Sunny season's final two episodes ("Dee Gets Stuck in a Bog" & "The Gang Carries a Corpse Up a Mountain"), we're not getting a ton of positive vibes about what the future holds. In fact, they have us wondering if the show would ever dare take the characters over a line so far that it would challenge if and how long it would take for viewers to forgive them. After a season like this one and after episodes like "The Gang Goes To Ireland" & "The Gang's Still In Ireland" in particular, The Gang's more than earned the right to challenge our expectations. They haven't done any wrong by us so far. In Paddy's, we trust.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 15 E05 "The Gang Goes To Ireland" & E06 "The Gang's Still In Ireland"

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Review by Ray Flook

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9.5/10

FXX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia "The Gang Goes To Ireland" & "The Gang's Still In Ireland" (written by Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day & Glenn Howerton, and directed by Megan Ganz) find Dee (Kaitlin Olson) looking to hit the big time with the role of "Obnoxious American MILF" (it never happens), Dennis (Howerton) ends up helping Frank (Danny DeVito) take care of some "business" involving Jeffrey Epstein's island before attempting to cosplay "COVID Jack Torrance" on Dee. And then there was Mac's (McElhenney) attempt to get closer to his Irish heritage... only to learn he's not only not Irish but he's also not a "McDonald." Finally, Charlie (Day) reconnects with a pen pal who's actually his dad, Shelley Kelly (Colm Meaney)- leaving Frank feeling like a third wheel. Scorecards up to date? Good, because I want your full attention when I tell you this week's episodes are not only the best of an already impressive season but could be the best two-ep hours in the show's near-15 season run.

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