It's Always Sunny plays out nightmares

This week, FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which recently began its eighth season, celebrates Halloween with "The Maureen Ponderosa Wedding Massacre." Maureen (Catherine Reitman) is getting married, and Dennis (Glenn Howerton) crashes the ceremony to make sure that she goes through with it, so that he won't have to continue paying her alimony. The rest of the gang comes, too, some to support Dennis, others who want to ruin things so that he will stay miserable. But what they don't count on is encountering the McPoyle clan, who soon begin acting like a hoarde of zombies.

I am not a fan of the McPoyles. I love It's Always Sunny greatly, but sometimes it ventures into a territory a little too gross for me. This includes pretty much every instance in which the incestuous clan shows up. Thankfully, they've done only a few episodes in the past eight seasons, but as I believe I am in a minority opinion here, it's inevitable that they return.

This time, however, I feel like the McPoyles are used correctly. It's hard to watch them being sweaty and gross, but considering the point of "The Maureen Ponderosa Wedding Massacre" is to be creeppy and scary, it works well. Who wouldn't be terrified trapped at a wedding in the woods with a bunch of inbred hillbillies? No one would want to be eaten, or have sex with, any of this group.

And the fake-out blowjob bit between Liam (Jimmi Simpson) and Ryan (Nate Mooney) is funny.

As things go from bad to worse, told in a series of flashbacks at the police station, Dennis not only ends up fleeing after ill-advised sexual relations, but Dee (Kaitlin Olson) attacks Charlie (Charlie Day) and Mac (Rob McElhenney), and Frank (Danny DeVito) is sort of behind all the trouble. They all get away with their terrible actions, consequence free, as always, because they don't do anything illegal. But one has to admit that, even when they stay within the confines of the law, what they're doing isn't right. This will surely catch up with them some day, a la the Seinfeld finale, only hopefully better executed.

The Mac / Charlie / Dee sequence is my favorite part of the episode, especially when the truth behind Dee's attack is revealed. Mac and Charlie are pure bozos, and it's hard to believe how believable it is that they would wreck her car and think they could lie their way out of it. Priceless comedy gold!

The only thing that really rings hollow in "The Maureen Ponderosa Wedding Massacre" is why Liam is marrying Maureen in the first place. She has fixed the dead tooth and gotten new, big boobs, so she's way too attractive for the very gross Liam. Liam is definitely still in love with Ryan, so it makes little sense that he would want to marry her. And while I won't say that Maureen can do better, as she is still as weird as ever, and improving her look can't fix that, why would she want Liam? There is no chemistry and no reasonable explanation for the union. This would have been an easy fix if only Maureen had invited Dennis to the wedding, going through with the whole thing just to make him jealous, which he does become on his own, temporarily.

Overall, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia remains a great series. This is a serviceable episode with some fantastic moments, though perhaps overall falls a little short of some other installments. But week in and week out, It's Always Sunny makes me laugh, and any series that can do that is worth watching.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

It's Always Sunny attends "The High School Reunion Part 2: The Gang's Revenge"

     FX ends It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's latest season with "The High School Reunion Part 2: The Gang's Revenge." Dee (Kaitlin Olson) has been ejected from the popular group after Cricket's (David Hornsby, Fanboy and Chum Chum) stunt, and looks for the others to help her seek revenge. She finds Frank (Danny DeVito), Charlie (Charlie Day), and Mac (Rob McElhenney) hanging by their underwear. They decide to track down a psycho, but that falls through. Luckily, Dennis (Glenn Howerton) has turned psycho after failing to close the deal with rival Tim Murphy's (Ian Reed Kesler, (500) Days of Summer) wife, Christie (Frances Turner). But then Mac is exposed as having done what Dennis hates Tim for, turning the group in on itself. Frank redirects them to Plan B, a big dance number, which goes about as well as one would expect it to.

     It's Always Sunny may not always be sunny, but it is pretty consistently funny. "The High School Reunion" allows for the return of many great recurring characters, including Cricket, the Waitress (Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Perfect Couples), Maureen (Catherine Reitman, Knocked Up), and Schmitty (Jason Sudeikis, Satirday Night Live), the former two of whom's lives continue to tank because of their involvement with the central gang, who bring misery wherever they go. Also introduced are some new classmates, like cool dude Adriano (Sasha Roiz, Caprica, Grimm) and a former fat girl (Judy Greer, Archer, Arrested Development), who hopefully will be seen again. It's interesting to see the disdain others have for the main characters, whose self-absorbed black hole pulls people in and destroys them, no matter how much those victims resist.

     "The High School Reunion" also gives fans one of the best moments of It's Always Sunny yet: the dance number at the end. When it begins, people immediately start applauding and cheering the gang's awesome moves, which plays a little false. However, that is forgotten as the perfect execution and light cues draw one in to something unexpected and awesome. When it is exposed that things are only that cheery in their heads, and they are pathetic, indeed, it not only makes sense, but makes the earlier vision more humorous, exposing once more their narcissistic streak. These people are so self-absorbed, they ignore everything else, which does not help them in society. Thank goodness they have a bar to hide out in!

     The main characters of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia will never change. "The High School Reunion" proves this, telling how each of the four younger people were in high school, and in spite of the fact that they try to come off different, or deny their essential traits, they are still those same people. Dee continues to be insecure, and her back brace's return is simply a physical manifestation of internal feelings. Dennis thinks he is way cooler than he is, and so does Mac, in completely different ways. Charlie is easy going and easy to manipulate. They are mean townies who have little regard for others, and refuse to grow. Everyone knows someone like them, though rarely does anyone, let alone four such friends, go to the extremes of the gang. It's good to see them fail, because they deserve to fail. And yet, it's impossible not to tune in week after week to see just how they fall flat on their faces next. It's part hilarious comedy, part schadenfreude.

     Now, admittedly, Frank's presence and involvement in the events in the finale is a bit of a stretch. But no matter how hard certain other characters fight Frank worming his way into all of their activities, he does. He is part of the group, and he is there to stay. Which kind of explains why he might force his way into the reunion, considering that's what he does every day of his life. Though one does wonder, if bumbling Frank can get past security, how much protection would the guards really have afforded if Psycho Pete showed up to burn down the school?

     There is no end in sight to It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's brilliance. The series will return next year to FX.

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