It’s Still Sunny in Philadelphia: 13 Seasons Later

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WRITTEN BY: Chad Gelfand

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT

Thirteen seasons is an amazing accomplishment for any show to achieve. In an era where
it seems like networks go through shows like someone goes through toilet paper after an
overzealous night at Taco Bell, for a show in this age to last this long speaks to the quality and
fan following that It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has achieved.

Before season 13 there was some speculation about just how much Glenn Howerton
would appear on the season in his role as Dennis, if he would even appear at all. Howerton was
filming his new show for NBC “A.P. Bio” at the time, so his status was up in the air, plus
Always Sunny had already given his character an out, having Dennis leave the gang to be with
his son in North Dakota. So, one episode into season 13 it was a pleasant surprise to see that Dennis not only appeared, but was here to stay.

One of the more impressive aspects of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is the consistent
character development. Each season the Always Sunny characters have delved deeper and deeper
into their various deviant behaviors and this season is no exception to that. From Dennis
devolving deeper into his sociopath tendencies in “Times Up for the Gang,” to Dee taking her
pettiness and vengefulness to a whole new level in “The Gang Gets New Wheels,” Charlie
further exploring his idiot (emphasis on idiot) savant-like behavior in “Charlies Home Alone.”

Two characters though, experienced more growth this season then all of the others and
that was Mac and Frank. At the beginning of the season Mac showed up jacked to the gills with
little explanation as to why he had such a drastic body transformation, the season finale finally
revealed why Mac beefed up for this season.

In the season finale “Mac Finds His Pride,” Frank tries to help Mac figure out a way to
reveal that he’s gay to his convict father. Earlier in the episode Frank quipped that he never
really “got” Mac as a person, but he’d help him come out because he needed him for some sort
of scheme that the gang had concocted. So of course, Mac’s plan of coming out to his father
would consist of him doing some type of elaborate dance in front of inmates that inevitably
would go horribly wrong, right?

Except it didn’t go horribly wrong, in fact the dance was beautiful and well-
choreographed. It demonstrated the turmoil that comes with struggling with your sexuality. The
scene was a complete departure from what fans have come to expect out Always Sunny. A type
of emotion and vulnerability that has never been explored with any of the characters before.
It was a definite risk that would reject such a powerful, serious moment in a show that
has strictly been a comedy for 13 seasons, but as Frank said at the end of the dance “I finally get
it now.”