It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 17 Episode 7 is by far my favorite episode of the season.
While Frank isn’t featured in this episode, the Gang plays off each other incredibly well. Even though the premise of the Gang simply hosting a dinner party and testing out their likeability is pretty basic, there’s never a dull moment on the screen.
It’s Always Sunny has excelled at self-contained episodes, where the Gang is in one location for the majority of the episode. Some examples include It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 14 Episode 10, “Waiting for Big Mo,” and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 11 Episode 10, “The Gang Goes to Hell Part 2.”
This episode is certainly no exception to this rule. I thought every scene aligned with the characters and helped bring out the most entertaining and worst parts of them for the audience to see.
As someone who thought the last few episodes of this season were pretty weak, this episode gave me hope that the season will end on a higher note, quality-wise. Finally, the characters we love and know get a chance to shine as their true selves to the fullest.
Dinner and A Show
It’s Always Sunny proves that it’s an ensemble comedy at heart in this episode. Everybody in the cast pulls their weight equally, bringing something unique to the same dinner party scene with each take.
Every character’s personality is cranked up to 110%, and each scene builds upon the last, resulting in the overexaggerated comedy that made fans fall in love with this show.
Charlie had many excellent moments in this episode, particularly when he took a completely unexpected approach to dinner. His extreme changes to his appearance both use shock value and play into physical comedy.
He truly proves that he has earned the “wild card” status, and he receives several scenes where the writing effectively brings out what makes his character so exciting to watch.
Sweet Dee also gets her moments. She tries to get people to laugh at her, but as always, it’s great fun to laugh at her desperate attempts to be a comedian.
Luckily, she seems to thrive on any sort of attention, so she rides the high and offers plenty of entertainment before the inevitable crash and burn.
Mac’s bad boy act was wonderful to watch as well. He offers plenty of (attempted) backflips, each one somehow worse and more hilarious than the last.
Plus, when Artemis and the Waitress enter the photo, the competition for the crowd’s attention gets even more intense and cutthroat. While it makes the characters more tense, the drama adds to the comedy, making the story even more delightfully ridiculous.
This episode truly brought out the most petty side of each character, and it provides a spectacle that’s impossible to look away from.
The Golden God Gets to Shine
Yes, I’m dedicating an entire section to Dennis in this episode. He deserves it!
Glenn Howerton really gets to show off his Juilliard acting skills in every scene. While the episode focuses on the Gang as a group, Dennis, as usual, self-assigns himself as the ring leader of the circus.
His need for control over how others perceive him goes to ridiculous lengths that are impossible not to laugh at.
The exaggeration of his need to appear youthful lends itself to great appearance-based comedy, as he makes himself look increasingly unappealing with excessive face tape and makeup.
This physical transformation is a creative and fun way to visually demonstrate how Dennis’ insecurity manifests itself.
Of course, the stand-out moment in the episode is Dennis’ monologue. Just like his other mad ramblings, this desperate plea comes off as both pitiful and entertaining.
His rant is a combination of the two emotions that It’s Always Sunny is the best at simultaneously capturing.
Dennis’s crash-out makes the reveal that Frank hired actors to be his family even more satisfying. Only the Gang would get so obsessed with themselves that they forget about the real star of the show.
Next Up on the Bachelor
This self-contained episode has definitely been the overall standout of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 17. Plus, Dennis really got his chance in the spotlight for the first time in the season.
It sets up the finale without feeling overly forceful, unlike the previous episode. What a shame that the show only really found its footing with this episode towards the end of the season.
I wish there were more episodes in store that could emulate this episode’s wittiness. Unfortunately, there’s only one more episode left. Guess we’ll just have to tune in to find out who Frank gives the Golden Rose to!
What did you think of this episode? Come back next week to read our review of the season finale!
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Watch It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Online
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