It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 7 Premiere

I have long been amongst the cult following of the little show that could:It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I was there when the Gang tried to get a loan to sell gasoline (a good idea in hindsight), I laughed out loud when they found a baby in the dumpster, and I smiled when they went on welfare. Looking back on the misadventures of the proprietors of Paddy’s reminds me why the show has achieved cult and not mainstream success. It always shows life sans varnish but lacquered with extra hilarity.

The new season is no different.

In order to push the envelope and make a point, while taking advantage of the ensemble cast, is a real challenge for a writer. But leveraging a tried and true formula established over six seasons, It’s Always Sunny continued to push the envelope in its Season 7 Premiere. The plot focused on Frank’s (Danny DeVito) desire to propose to a professional hooker whose services he is currently using. But this plot isn’t enough for the entire cast, so therefore the gang is broken up into three different subplots – a staple of ensemble comedies.

Storyline A: Mac and Dennis debate their respective health.

Attempting to prove that people never look better as they age, Mac (Rob McElhenney) has put on 50 pounds of self-described “mass.” This leads to a rather self-contained story about Mac and Dennis (Glenn Howerton) as they visit a doctor, eat a bag full of Chimichangas, and try to score some crack. This thread led to the funniest moment of the night as Mac repeatedly mispronounced Diabetes. But overall, this subplot was a bit flat, relying on the oversized belly of McElhenney for laughs.

Storyline B: Frank and Charlie get into more shenanigans.

The usual pairing of biological father and son led to expected shenanigans. Charlie (Charlie Day) attempts to get Frank to find a non-professional girlfriend by setting up a date as a fake millionaire with Frank as the cab driver. Charlie and Frank often lead to off the wall situations and their tale did not fail to disappoint. It also included the much beloved southern accent Charlie has leveraged before, a discussion on eggs found under the bridge, and a lot of blood regurgitating from Charlie’s mouth.

Storyline C: Dee derides and then wants to be Roxy.

Frequently Dee (Kaitlin Olson) is paired up with a guest star or added to a recurring two-some as was the case with her storyline the Season 7 Premiere. Dee’s attempt to “pretty woman” Frank’s hooker friend Roxy and help lead her into a better life is a failure. Instead of making Roxy a better person, Dee devolves into engaging in foot fetishes for a quick five hundred dollars. Dee’s thread helps to move the plot along, but fails to offer a laugh out loud moment that the other story lines did so well.

Bringing the gang back together is a must and the storyline wraps up rather abruptly as Frank prepares to propose to Roxy. But this isn’t Friends, and instead of a loving embrace, the impromptu proposal turns into an impromptu funeral when Roxy’s heart explodes. The gang realizes that people don’t ever change for the better – even if they can afford a dick skin jacket. The second act of their lives will only be worse than the first – and they’re ok with that.