Never change, gang
FX/Hulu
A part of what makes watching the consistently dumb antics of the gang worthwhile is the show’s commitment to never evolve them (at least, not significantly). Sure, their specific problems may change as they grow older, but they don’t learn from their mistakes in ways that prevent the gang from making them again. Speaking to E! News, series star Kaitlin Olson commented on how “Sweet” Dee and the rest of the crew never “learn their lesson and grow and be better people.” She elaborated, using her own character as an example:
“It’s kind of one of the things that’s funniest to me about my character in particular, because why would this person continue to try and impress these guys and be friends with them and want their approval after all this time? She’s just trying to prove herself to them and has been for 15 years. That’s completely ridiculous.”
It’s nothing short of a miracle that, as a fan, I never get tired of seeing the never-changing group commit error after error. Although most sitcoms don’t provide drastic changes for their characters, they also don’t feature the groundbreaking humor that permeates “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” The fact Dee is always trying to one-up her misogynistic group of co-workers to no avail would probably not work outside of “Always Sunny,” but that is a part of what makes this show so special and daring.
As long as they keep that strong foundation intact, I expect that Dee and the entire gang will continue to find fun new ways to sabotage themselves.
FX/Hulu
By Marcos Melendez/Aug. 19, 2022 2:58 pm EST
During the first few seasons, there is a sense that the show realizes that in order to get even funnier, it needs to accentuate just how dumb its protagonists are. “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” not only accomplishes that, but has since worked overtime to create the most obscene (and hilarious) situations imaginable for its crew. In an interview with Vice, actor and co-showrunner Glenn Howerton reveals insight into the creative braintrust’s headspace when crafting the ins and outs of the series, admitting that are few limits to what they are willing to have their characters do in their most heinous moments.
‘F*** it, let’s see how far we can go’
It’s also important to them that the desires of its idiotic characters are rooted in reality, despite their often-ridiculous plans to fulfill them. Howerton continued, saying that “if the character did something crazy then you as an audience member—even though you would never do this—you have to understand that the character would do it.” For example, I may cringe at the way Charlie attempts to win the Waitress’ heart in the fan-favorite “The Nightman Cometh” episode, but I fully buy into the fact he would orchestrate the embarrassing stage play to make his dreams a reality.
Never change, gang
A part of what makes watching the consistently dumb antics of the gang worthwhile is the show’s commitment to never evolve them (at least, not significantly). Sure, their specific problems may change as they grow older, but they don’t learn from their mistakes in ways that prevent the gang from making them again. Speaking to E! News, series star Kaitlin Olson commented on how “Sweet” Dee and the rest of the crew never “learn their lesson and grow and be better people.” She elaborated, using her own character as an example:
“It’s kind of one of the things that’s funniest to me about my character in particular, because why would this person continue to try and impress these guys and be friends with them and want their approval after all this time? She’s just trying to prove herself to them and has been for 15 years. That’s completely ridiculous.”
It’s nothing short of a miracle that, as a fan, I never get tired of seeing the never-changing group commit error after error. Although most sitcoms don’t provide drastic changes for their characters, they also don’t feature the groundbreaking humor that permeates “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” The fact Dee is always trying to one-up her misogynistic group of co-workers to no avail would probably not work outside of “Always Sunny,” but that is a part of what makes this show so special and daring.
As long as they keep that strong foundation intact, I expect that Dee and the entire gang will continue to find fun new ways to sabotage themselves.
It’s nothing short of a miracle that, as a fan, I never get tired of seeing the never-changing group commit error after error. Although most sitcoms don’t provide drastic changes for their characters, they also don’t feature the groundbreaking humor that permeates “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” The fact Dee is always trying to one-up her misogynistic group of co-workers to no avail would probably not work outside of “Always Sunny,” but that is a part of what makes this show so special and daring.
“It’s kind of one of the things that’s funniest to me about my character in particular, because why would this person continue to try and impress these guys and be friends with them and want their approval after all this time? She’s just trying to prove herself to them and has been for 15 years. That’s completely ridiculous.”
As long as they keep that strong foundation intact, I expect that Dee and the entire gang will continue to find fun new ways to sabotage themselves.
