Always Sunny Review

Last night's episode: "Who Got Dee Pregnant?"

Holy shit! This episode was amazing, on so many levels. I watched it twice and it was funnier the second time.

This was an instant classic Always Sunny episode. Lots of sitcoms have done the perspective-flashback episode, where different characters have varying memories of the same event. This was done Always Sunny style. And even though once Dennis and and Charlie alluded to some sort of costume switching, I had an idea where the story was going to end up, it was well-executed, and this isn't Lost either. You don't watch this show for cliffhangers or to solve mysteries.

There were some nice callbacks to previous episodes and seasons. The term "ocular patdown" was used. The McPoyles brought all their creepiness to the table. They just make me uncomfortable. The furniture in the McPoyle apartment, the music, the stuffed squirrel, the yellow lighting, all that stuff just generates a feeling of discomfort and awkwardness. There's a term I learned in film school: mis-en-scene, which essentially means everything that's in a shot. And the weird stuff in the McPoyle place was a great example of excellent mis-en-scene.

Speaking of weird stuff in a scene, did you notice the bowl of candy corn in the men's room? Would you eat candy from a bowl in the men's room?

The fact that the phrase "love making" was used so often was simply hilarious. At first, they do say "bang Dee," but eventually EVERY character refers to sex as "making love."

How Dee went from an angel, to an angel with feathers, to a chicken with angelic wings, to an ostrich, was an example of the subtle genius that this show is capable of.

When Dennis thinks it's him, the overly serious music was perfect.

And once we found out none of the guys were the father, I didn't care who was either.

And for the sake of the show, it really couldn't have been any of them. That'd violate the rules established by shows like Seinfeld, that everything should be the same at the end of the episode/season/series, as it was at the start.

Funniest Charlie moment:
When he's crying about how sexy his costume is

Funniest Mac moment:
The look on his face when Charlie makes out with the waitress.

Funniest Dee moments (there's two):
Her voicing the ostrich.

AND

Her pecking like a chicken.

Funniest Dennis moment:
The look on his face when he says "There's a good reason for that, I think Mac just made it up on the spot."

Funniest Frank moments (there's two):
"She wears it well."

AND

"I admit, I do too."

Overall Rating (scale of 1 to 10):
9.8

I'll never look at hamburger buns the same way again.

Always Sunny Review

Last night's episode: "Mac's Mom Burns Her House Down."

This was a good episode. I kept telling myself that as I watched it, as if I were trying to convince myself that it was true. And it was a "good" episode. But just good. Not great. And I'd even say, it was borderline acceptable. It was funny, but not laugh out loud funny. Except when Frank said "Magoo never made that mistake."

Oh, and the Charles Grodin scene was great.



But that scene really summed up my feelings about the episode as a whole. It was funny, and I felt like I was about to laugh, then it never came.

It was a good concept for an episode, and it was decently executed. I like how a seemingly basic idea, like Mac and Charlie's mothers moving in together or Frank taking care of Dee, were both twisted by the interferences of other characters. That's a good recipe for the humor Always Sunny generally produces.

But again, watch this episode after a 6 pack. Don't watch it if you're having a shitty day.

Funniest Charlie moment:
"I feel if you and I were in a room together, and there was perfectly good cheesecake, conversations would be happening all over the place."

Funniest Mac moment:
"I know that grunt. She's open to it."

Funniest Dee moment:
"Josh Groban likes his ladies to pop."

Funniest Dennis moment:
"She has an earth fragrance..."

And next week, we'll finally see Dee pregnant. They've hid it well these last few episodes.

Overall Rating (scale of 1-10):
6.99

-The Commodore

Always Sunny Review

Last night's episode: "Mac and Charlie: White Trash"

This was a good rebound episode from last week's boring and somewhat predictable episode. Although the internet podcast was a hilarious B plot, and I wish they did an entire episode of that.

Back to last night. The concept was simple, which I like. And it was trashy. Which I love. Charlie is purebred white trash. But he just doesn't hide it like the rest of the gang.

The jokes were funny, and non-stop, and like the best Always Sunny jokes, they rarely had anything to do with the plot. Right off the bat, you get Mac and Charlie repeatedly yelling "heat wave" at the pool attendant that isn't there. Felon class, fringe class, rock throwing, greased watermelon, Jamie Nelson, Mac and Charlie praying, "dancing monkeys," et cetera.

Funniest Charlie moment (he had a lot):
"Fish sounds good, see if they have fish there."

Funniest Mac moment:
"Stride, stride, stride, stride, execute."

Funniest Dennis moment:
"Hi family. Hi little ones."

Funniest Dee moment:
"In the mood for sweets?"

And I was surprised at how good Dee's tits looked in a bikini.

Overall Rating (scale of 1-10):
8.2

-The Commodore

Always Sunny Review

Last night's episode: "The Gang Buys a Boat."

It was going to be hard to top last week's episode. But even considering that, I was disappointed with last night's show. There were a few moderately funny parts, a few funny lines, but I rarely laughed out loud.

It's a concept with potential, but that potential was wasted. They never went out to the open ocean. And there was hardly any drinking at all. And in the end, Charlie burned the boat down, Gilligan style. Who didn't see that brand of catastrophe coming?

Charlie diving and finding a "horse massacre" was hilarious, but after that, the humor in him diving and retrieving junk was fairly bland. The time used up doing that could have been used doing something on the ocean, or heavy drinking.

Maybe my expectations were high. It wasn't a bad episode, just not great. And you can't go wrong with random sketchy guys having a party with ridiculously hot girls.

Funniest Charlie moment:
"Let's talk shrimp."

Funniest Mac moment:
His reaction to the diabetes guy

Funniest Dennis moment:
"Because of the implication."

Funniest Dee moment:
Dancing with the inflatable man

Overall rating (scale of 1-10):
6.8

-The Commodore

Always Sunny Review

So new season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has started recently. And I've recently become a fan of it. It took me long enough, but I've finally converted, and I have to say it's now my favorite current TV show.

Last night's episode: "Dennis Gets Divorced"

I liked this one a lot more than last week's. Last week's had some funny parts, but last night was non-stop joke after joke. The "Miss you too" vs. "Miss you 2" dilemma, drawings of elephants, the child kidnapping, Uncle Jack's hands, it was relentlessly hilarious. And I'm glad Dennis got divorced and things went back to normal after only 2 episodes. TV shows tend to go crazy with story arcs (see The Office) that last for 4 or 5 episodes, or even longer. And for a comedy, that's just irritating. And one of the things I love about Always Sunny is that you can start watching at any episode and not need a guidebook to help you figure out what's going on.

I actually would have liked if Charlie and Frank stayed married for a few episodes, even if it was never mentioned. They live together anyway, and are co-dependent, so they could have maintained their marriage without much change to the status quo.

But hey, maybe they are still married. All we did was see them sign a paper that Uncle Jack handed to them.

Speaking of Uncle Jack and hands, did you notice how they gave him suit coats with extra wide sleeves, which made his hands look even smaller? These are the things film school has trained me to notice. I'm glad I'm putting those observational skills to good use.

And how hot was Bill Ponderosa's wife? Played by Cheryl Texiera.



Funniest Charlie moment:
When he pulls out his and Frank's marriage license hanging around his neck in a lanyard, as if it were a credential.

Funniest Mac moment:
N/A, Mac really didn't do much in this episode

Funniest Dennis moment:
"DIVORCE!"

Funniest Dee moment:
"Shit's starting to get real for ya, huh?"

Overall Rating (scale of 1-10):
9

-The Commodore

Is That You Green Man?

For all of you who don't know what Green Man is watch Always Sunny In Philadelphia.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Kitten Mittens

Can't wait for the new season...

Why Not?

Why not be Day Man, Fighter of the Night Man?