It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FXX) TV Show • Page 37

I definitely agree. And to the show's credit, the writing in the early seasons is why the later seasons work so well, IMO. Even though Season 3-5 is my favorite stretch, I always tell people to start from the beginning because you have to know how they started out and see what they turned into. haha.

They started as bad people, got slightly worse and went in their own directions, then went off the deep end of being the worst versions of themselves. It's only been within the past few seasons that they've actually been self-aware and kind of accepted that they really are terrible and abnormal.

 

Yeah I mean it's funny how Rob, Glenn, and Charlie are always saying that the show works due to the characters not developing. In reality they have developed since the beginning. They've just, you know, become worse people.

 

First episode I ever saw was the Jersey Shore one. Hook, line, and sinker from then on haha.

 

Haha exactly. Maybe not "developed" in the traditional sense... I guess they have never really learned a lesson or changed who they are or anything... They're just pushing how terrible they can be and how aware they are of it.

 

I don't see that much distinction between 2 and 3-5... perhaps a little, yeah. But S1 was definitely a different beast - all 3 of the guys in those eps feel like super generic "bros" with little to differentiate them from one another, relative to what they became later on. I still find S1 pretty hilarious in spite of that, though.

 

DENNIS system was the first one I ever saw and I have loved it since.

 

As for the change in writing and characters, I love how they sort of address it in the gang misses the boat.

 

It's a gradient, for sure. But yeah, that's kind of what I was alluding to before. The guys were way too similar at the very beginning.

 

I think they were distinctive enough. Then again, I think Season 1 has some of the best episodes of the entire series: Charlie Wants An Abortion, Charlie Has Cancer, Gun Fever, The Gang Gets Racist.

 

I don't notice it anymore, but I've definitely heard that complaint numerous times from people who really only watched a handful of the first episodes on Netflix. Otherwise it wouldn't have crossed my mind.

 

They came out swinging in S1 and it would've been a really great show as it was, but I def feel like it developed into something more sophisticated with better characters shortly afterwards.

One thing that stands out to me is Mac's "why didn't I get blown?" speech/plotline in the molestation ep... in a way, they were even more willing to cross lines right at the beginning (not that they've ever really scaled that back much).

 

Mac's part in that episode is absolutely outrageous haha.

 

Yeah, I mean Charlie even dropped the N-word in the very first episode lol

 

It's odd to go back to those episodes and watch what the show was without Frank. The first season is really great but the show didn't become something next-level until DeVito showed up. One rare instance where a network's interference actually worked out for the better.

 

It didn't even work right away. The ratings remained the same until it miraculously gained this cult following, haha. But they were honored to have him on the show, obviously.

 

I meant it worked for me, like that's when it really went next-level to me.

 

I think after he was there for a season or so, they figured out how to use him and what his role would be...then it got reallll good haha.

 

Also very rare that a show starts out with a bunch of unknown actors and then recruits a huge actor and it just works seamlessly.

 

Off topic, but I can't wait for the new Amazon Danny DeVito/ Jeff Goldblum sitcom.

 

Frank is my second favorite out of the gang... can't imagine where they'd be without him.

 

What's everyone's favorite Frank moment?



Mine has to be when Frank is stuck in the coil. I love how there's never any explanation or even resolution to it.

 

Def Scraps

Edit: and being ready to plow with his wad of hundreds and magnum condoms

 

Slithering around on the floor, completely shaven, covered in hand sanitizer.

 

How about when he has the whip in the Gang Gets Trapped?