Television It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Olly Gunnar Solskjær

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Can someone give me a few stand out episodes to watch? The girl I'm seeing on Friday might be under the impression for some crazy reason that I'm a great fan of the show, so I reckon I need to see at least some of it, and I don't think I can binge all 145 episodes in time.
 

Solius

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Can someone give me a few stand out episodes to watch? The girl I'm seeing on Friday might be under the impression for some crazy reason that I'm a great fan of the show, so I reckon I need to see at least some of it, and I don't think I can binge all 145 episodes in time.
Mac and Charlie Die, The Nightman Cometh, The Gang Hits The Road, The Gang Dines Out, ChardeeMacDennis, The Gang Buys A Boat, Sweet Dee Has A Heart Attack, The D.E.N.N.I.S System, Reynolds Vs Reynolds: The Cereal Defence, Mac and Dennis Move To The Suburbs.
 

Olly Gunnar Solskjær

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Mac and Charlie Die, The Nightman Cometh, The Gang Hits The Road, The Gang Dines Out, ChardeeMacDennis, The Gang Buys A Boat, Sweet Dee Has A Heart Attack, The D.E.N.N.I.S System, Reynolds Vs Reynolds: The Cereal Defence, Mac and Dennis Move To The Suburbs.
Nice thanks! I'll have a watch.
 

Eriku

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Mac and Charlie Die, The Nightman Cometh, The Gang Hits The Road, The Gang Dines Out, ChardeeMacDennis, The Gang Buys A Boat, Sweet Dee Has A Heart Attack, The D.E.N.N.I.S System, Reynolds Vs Reynolds: The Cereal Defence, Mac and Dennis Move To The Suburbs.
Good list. I’d also add The Gang Goes On Welfare, and The Gang Fixes the Gas Crisis.
 

do.ob

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I'd add the trial of the century and Charlie got molested.
And watch a Dennis compilation or two on youtube, he has the most memorable moments on the show imho.
A first date might be the perfect moment to bring up 'the implication' for example and discuss the truth behind this idea.
 

Eriku

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I'd add the trial of the century and Charlie got molested.
And watch a Dennis compilation or two on youtube, he has the most memorable moments on the show imho.
A first date might be the perfect moment to bring up 'the implication' for example and discuss the truth behind this idea.
The implication :lol: definitely sure to woo her.
 

robinamicrowave

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Can someone give me a few stand out episodes to watch? The girl I'm seeing on Friday might be under the impression for some crazy reason that I'm a great fan of the show, so I reckon I need to see at least some of it, and I don't think I can binge all 145 episodes in time.
There are a lot of episodes here, so I'd watch @Solius' list first for your date tomorrow. Then try to squeeze all these in before your next date with her:
Season 1
The Gang Gets Racist
Charlie Has Cancer
Charlie Gets Molested

Season 2
Charlie Gets Crippled
Dennis and Dee Go on Welfare
The Gang Runs for Office

Season 3
The Gang Gets Invincible
Sweet Dee's Dating a Retarded Person
The Gang Dances Their Asses Off

Season 4
The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis
Sweet Dee Has a Heart Attack
The Nightman Cometh

Season 5
The Gang Gives Frank an Intervention
The Gang Wrestles for the Troops
The DENNIS System

Season 6
The Gang Buys a Boat
Who Got Dee Pregnant?
A Very Sunny Christmas

Season 7
The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore
CharDee MacDennis: The Game of Games
The High School Reunion (Parts 1 & 2)

Season 8
The Gang Recycles Their Trash
The Maureen Ponderosa Wedding Massacre
The Gang Gets Analyzed

Season 9
The Gang Tries Desperately to Win an Award
The Gang Gets Quarantined
Flowers for Charlie

Season 10
The Gang Beats Boggs
The Gang Group Dates
Charlie Work

Season 11
Mac & Dennis Move to the Suburbs
McPoyle vs. Ponderosa: The Trial of the Century
The Gang Goes to Hell (Parts 1 & 2)

Season 12
The Gang Goes to a Water Park
Hero or Hate Crime?
Dennis' Double Life

Season 13
The Gang Makes Paddy's Great Again
Time's Up for the Gang
Mac Finds His Pride
I will say, though, that the episodes I've picked for seasons 11, 12, and 13 aren't necessarily my three favourites, but they're essential to understanding some pretty major plot developments. In fact they're the only "plot developments" the show has. The Gang Goes to Hell (Parts 1 & 2), Hero or Hate Crime?, and Mac Finds His Pride can all be viewed as something of a trilogy. You'll work out why when you see them.
 

robinamicrowave

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Fantastic episode. Wonder how many fans of the show are going to watch it and not realise it's about them.
 

robinamicrowave

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This season has been excellent so far. Dee Day is another great one.
 

Solius

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Texting episode was awful.

Think they’re doing too many episodes just contained with the gang. The best ones are when they’re fecking with other people.
 

robinamicrowave

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Thought the texting episode was the weakest of the season so far but it was still pretty good.
 

Raw

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Main thing I've noticed this season is that they're shooting a lot of it away from the bar. A gripe with the previous season was that it was nearly all just set in Paddy's Pub, which felt cheap.
 

Solius

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Thought the texting episode was the weakest of the season so far but it was still pretty good.
Thought it was one of the worst they’ve ever done. Wish they’d stop going so over the top with Mac being so subservient to Dennis.
 

Snowjoe

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Easily one of their worst episodes, none of them feel very natural this season either, it looks like they’re trying to act and it feels bizarre.
 

robinamicrowave

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There's definitely a creeping sincerity entering the show now, but I don't think that's a problem.

The revelations about Mac's sexuality and his pathetic deference to Dennis are probably the most stark examples of the show undergoing another shift in how it approaches these characters, but I don't really have a problem with that. Mac has been psychologically and physically abused by Dennis since at least season 7 (in fact, Dennis has pretty much DENNIS'd Mac this entire time), so that element of the show jumping from a background joke to a central conflict feels right because it's not the sort of thing that can be ignored forever.

Not only that, but these people have all spent 14 seasons hating each other while continuing to hang out because they don't know any better - even Dennis failed to get away because he's addicted to the control he has over them. They've all done absolutely horrible things to each other, so after spending so much time in this horrendous dynamic there has to be room to analyse the negative effects. Classic Sunny episodes are often built around the innocent civilians whose lives are destroyed by the gang - it was only so long before the show started to turn that back on the gang and watch them eat themselves.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that the gang have spent years torturing each other, and those years they spent torturing each other were always the elephant in the room. The only difference in the show now is that it's starting to acknowledge and analyse that elephant instead of simply allowing it to sit there and quietly affect things. One of Sunny's best attributes has been its ability to slightly tweak itself and update itself to stay fresh for so long. Essentially, it's grown up on several occasions, and I see them ramping up the sincerity and dramatic aspects of the show as another instance of them doing that.
 

robinamicrowave

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Outrageously good episode this week. Think it might be the best episode of the double-figure seasons. Up there with some of Community's best high-concept episodes, too, which is no surprise considering Megan Ganz was behind this one. Who was it again that was moaning about her before this new season started? :lol:
 

Solius

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Outrageously good episode this week. Think it might be the best episode of the double-figure seasons. Up there with some of Community's best high-concept episodes, too, which is no surprise considering Megan Ganz was behind this one. Who was it again that was moaning about her before this new season started? :lol:
Me. This show isn’t Community. They’re trying hard to take it down that route though.
 

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I didn't like last season at all, but I think this season has been much better. Seems like they have gone back to the basics. Not super well done or anything, some of the acting is a bit forced at times but it still works great in moments. Their timing in their banter has stepped up from last season, which plays a huge part, imo. That is all you can ask for really at this point, keep the integrity, try to have the feel of older episodes, and just make it funny enough for another watch.
 

robinamicrowave

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This season has been fantastic. The best season for years.
 

Snow

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Everytime Dennis has his easel out and is explaining to the group something the episode is good.
 

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I'm surprised there's no discussion about the season finale. It actually felt a lot like a series finale, if I'm being honest. Reminded me a lot of the final episode of Workaholics.

The most meta storyline they've ever done, and a brutal self-analysis of the show writing process. If it is the end, I think it'll be a great way to go out.
 

Snow

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It might have been written that way in order to take the pressure off for the 15th season. The actual episode did end with "lol nevermind" kind of feel which could suggest that everything keeps going as normal.

Overall a very good season.