The creators behind It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia the series would still be going strong in 2020 with over 150 episodes completed when it premiered in 2005. It’s natural for TV shows that run for more than a decade to exhibit serious growing pains, but there’s a shocking level of consistency throughout It’s Always Sunny that makes it one of the strongest sitcoms to come out of the 2000s.
It’s Always Sunny excels when it comes to absurdist storytelling and unbelievable characters, but there are some episodes that have firmly established themselves as evergreen classics. It’s hard not to get a laugh out when watching the most memorable episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
10 “Dennis And Dee Go On Welfare” Marks A Turning Point In Always Sunny’s Craziness
It’s Always Sunny has prided itself in its ability to push boundaries since the beginning. “Dennis and Dee Go On Welfare” is a second season episode, but it’s an extreme entry that establishes Always Sunny’s new status quo as it moves forward. The episode focuses on the elaborate and ridiculous lengths that characters will go to in order to avoid work. Dennis and Dee while under the throes of narcotics leads to some harrowing performances in particular.
9 “The Gang Dines Out” Is A Testament To Character Work In A Boiled Down Setting
“The Gang Dines Out” is an entry from It’s Always Sunny’s eighth season, which is typically around the point that long-running series start struggling with storytelling inspiration. “The Gang Dines Out” is a testament to the series’ willingness to experiment with structure and how such well defined characters can turn any simplistic storyline into gold. “The Gang Dines Out” is a bottle episode that’s set entirely at the fancy restaurant, Guigino’s, during Mac and Dennis’ dinner tradition. It’s so satisfying to see the chaos that’s still possible in this stripped down setting.
8 “The D.E.N.N.I.S. System” Lays The Groundwork For Dennis’ Serial Killer Foundation
The evolution of Dennis’ character into a sociopathic serial killer is a stroke of genius on the part of It’s Always Sunny. The series has been able to effectively seed Dennis’ disturbing habits, with “The D.E.N.N.I.S. System” being a breakthrough entry in that department.
Granted, “The Gang Buys A Boat” features Dennis’ infamous “Implication” speech, but it’s “The D.E.N.N.I.S. System” that contributes more to the ridiculous serial killer running joke It’s Always Sunny has embraced with Dennis.
7 “Chardee MacDennis: The Game Of Games” Starts An Important Always Sunny Tradition
Dedicated fans love when a series has some sort of activity or game for the characters to play – whether it’s New Girl’s “True American” game or Parks and Recreation’s “The Cones of Dunshire.” The seventh season of It’s Always Sunny introduces the delirious, exhausting, and alcohol-fueled Paddy’s Pub custom, “Chardee MacDennis.” The circumstances behind this chaotic competition allows all of the characters to be at their most manic and unleashed. "Chardee MacDennis" proved to be such a popular episode that it even got a sequel.
6 “The Gang Tries Desperately To Win An Award” Is The Series’ Meta Take On Emmy Pandering
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has proven itself as a true comedy institution, but the series has never received any major awards attention from the Emmys over the course of their 14 seasons. It’s Always Sunny delivers a rather brilliant and self-aware takedown of commercial television and awards season pandering with “The Gang Tries Desperately To Win An Award,” from their ninth season. Structured around a “Best Bar” competition, the episode cleverly sees Paddy’s Pub resort to “mainstream” tactics in a bid to come across as more palatable to general audiences.
5 “Charlie Work” Is A Technical Marvel That Shines A Spotlight On Charlie
It’s Always Sunny often embraces its cruder impulses, which makes it seem like a show that wouldn’t experiment with ambitious cinematography and structure, which in turn makes these risks make an even greater impact. “Charlie Work,” from season ten, provides an extended focus on the routine shenanigans that Charlie deals with in an effort to prove that he’s actually the glue that holds Paddy’s Pub together.
The premise is strong, but “Charlie Work” plays out with an uninterrupted seven minute take that pushes for technical excellence at a level that’s never been previously seen on the show.
4 “The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 6” Is A Masterpiece In Parody
Any series that’s been on for as long as It’s Always Sunny benefits from the luxury of indulging in follow-ups to previous hits. A glimpse of the Gang’s pitch perfect attempt at creating a “Lethal Weapon 5” is an early highlight from the series, but “The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 6” goes even further with a full episode that functions as a loving installment in Lethal Weapon’s bombastic buddy cop action franchise. This is such a departure from the rest of the series that it’s impossible for “The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 6” to go forgotten.
3 “The Janitor Always Mops Twice” Is A Full-On Film Noir Pastiche
Megan Ganz first started writing for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia in season 12, but she’s quickly become one of the most important creative members of the series. Ganz’s scripts often push structural innovation and bold concepts, which is very much present in season 14’s “The Janitor Always Mops Twice.” The episode is a passionate pastiche to the film noir genre, complete with black-and-white photography and spot coloring to hammer in the homage. Visually, it’s easily one of the series’ most striking episodes, but the film noir filter is such an entertaining way to filter Charlie’s madness.
2 “Mac And Dennis Move to The Suburbs” Is The Apex Of Their Dysfunctional Friendship
Many of these episodes of It’s Always Sunny that qualify as the most memorable are due to some huge stylistic or visual deviation that takes place. However, “Mac and Dennis Move to the Suburbs” stands out purely because it’s such an accomplishment in writing, character work, and acting. A very simple plot forces Mac and Dennis to live together in the suburbs for a month, but what begins as an innocent bet transforms into a grueling exercise for everyone involved. The two are pushed to seriously dark places, which only accentuates the episode’s unpredictable trajectory and Dennis’ unbridled rage.
1 “The Nightman Cometh” Is Absurdist Theater With A Beating Heart And Great Twist
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s fourth season feels like forever ago, but it’s impressive to see that even that earlier on the series had found its voice and was capable of true classics. “The Nightman Cometh” is Always Sunny at its best and it offers up a little bit of everything. Charlie ropes the Gang into a wild piece of theater, which in turn fills in the tragic and disturbing details of his childhood. Charlie’s frustration over the play’s direction is fantastic, but the turn that it takes and Charlie’s reasoning for all of this pageantry is just perfect.