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By: Dylan Frazier
Email: frazierd@findlay.edu
Coming into season 13, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia still continues to deliver the goods. I’ll admit, when I read Dennis Reynolds, played by Glenn Howerton, was not going to be in the season that much I was pretty worried about this season. Dennis is the glue that hold all the characters together and he single-handedly carries the show in my opinion but this season was still pretty great. Sure, the episodes were hit or miss but most of them were pretty great.
As most shows currently on TV, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia tackled some social issues in our society but did them in such a satirical and twisted way that made it so easy to enjoy.
They tackled some pretty controversial topics this season from sexual harassment to the issues with transgender bathrooms. But they do it in a way to shed light on topics that need to be talked about more. That’s the point of this show, is to talk about issues that normally don’t get discussed. But the show is so messed-up and hilarious that you forget that this show has a deeper meaning sometimes.
Some of this season’s episodes were not very good but still the good episodes more than made up for them. The episode “The Gang Gets New Wheels” was one of my favorite episodes the show ever made.
The episode mainly focuses on Dennis wanting to get his old car back because Mac blew it up. The episode also focused on Mac and Charlie getting new bikes. Eventually, there are kids getting beaten up and car crashes, just pure chaos for 30 minutes and it was so well done that I couldn’t help but laugh the entire time.
But even though this show is a comedy and a satire, the episode that I loved the most was the season finale, “Mac Finds His Pride.” This is episode was funny, but it conveyed a much more serious tone that up to this point, the show never really did.
For those who do not watch the show, Mac, played by Rob McElhenney, was a closeted gay man for most of the show but was a very devout Christian at the same time. He really struggled with his sexuality for the entire show up to this point. Finally, he was ready to come out to his dad. Mac’s father is the person he most admired and cared about during the running of the show.
The episode was leading up to him coming out to his dad but things kept getting in the way. Mac decides to do it his way and it was one of the most beautiful things I have even seen on TV. Without spoiling it, Mac comes out to his dad but in a way that I had never expected. I know that this is a TV show, but I knew how hard it was for Mac to come out to his dad.
Overall, I really did like this season, it took some risks that paid off and others that didn’t. I really did miss Dennis Reynolds but this did give the other characters a chance to develop more and they did a great job.
