It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "Frank's Pretty Woman"

Season 7, Episode 1

Introducing Mac’s funny, funny fat

I started this review with one purpose: to discuss the noticeable and intentional weight gain that Rob McElhenny undertook for the new season. When the news first broke about this extreme example of method acting, I couldn’t help but be skeptical. For starters, I’ve grown way past the stage in my life where I find fat jokes to be funny; in fact, I just tend to find them mean. Now, Sunny has always been a show that can make base things funny, but that the show’s success level for these kind of jokes is fairly erratic. As season one proved, the show was never that funny when it was just shocking for the sake of shock-induced laughs. It’s best laughs have always come from playing these shocking taboo things off of the characters, not to mention the big laughs that the show get from the characters through non-shock humor.

So I was pleasantly surprised when A) the fat jokes were played off of Mac and Dennis and B) this episode wasn’t centered on the fat jokes. For the first point, there was something about the fat playing into Mac’s general sense of denial (“I’m building up mass”) and Dennis’ vain attitude (“I skip lunch”) that I immediately forgave the show for going to such a easy place, and McElhenny for risking his health for a joke that might not have panned out. Seeing them in the Doctor’s office alone was worth a pass, but then the show kept getting better have having them pig out on chimichangas, talk about buying crack, and buying Tommy Bahama shirts.

As to the second point: Sunny has always bounced around between telling one all-encompassing storyline, storylines that converge together by episode’s end, and separate storylines that never come together. The latter has never really worked for the show as much as the other two, because it usually means that at least one character gets sidelined into a story that isn’t as funny. Tonight however, each of the three storylines contained a pair of characters – Mac & Dennis worried about their health, Dee trying to teach Roxy class, and Charlie trying to find Frank a new girl – that each one felt equally funny and had enough momentum to last until the end.

And that ending? Dead hooker jokes are yet another strain of passé shock gags, but that ending was so dark, and the conversation amongst the group about what to do with body went on so long, that I couldn’t help but love it. It’s a brilliant return for Sunny, and I hope the show keeps it up.

Quotes, Etc:

Tiger Woods jokes are passé, but Fake Tiger Woods jokes? Fantastic.

“Because last time we tried getting a junkyard dog, we got a junkyard cat.”

“You’re dating a prostitute?” “Not for long. I’m gonna make that whore my wife.”

“What are you cocks looking at?”

Charlie thinks Franks has good qualities because he split half a box of denim with him.

“You’re turning into a chimichanga.”

“Shut up, baby dick.”

“Right now, I am doing leg lifts that are imperceptible to the human eye. I call them hummingbirds.”

“We’re in a class place with classy clothes for classy people. Don’t talk about dickskin.”

“Oh, boom Jerry, in your face. Sorry about the gay stuff, that did cross the line.”

“Yeah, now helps me dig these crack rocks outta my ass.”

“Made a pretty penny in boiled denim, and bridges mostly.”

“I have a touch of consumption.”

“I’m into foot shit.” “Interesting…”

“I’ve never had crack cocaine.” “Dude, you are going to love it.”

“Roxy, you are good shit, and I want to make you legit.”

“It’s not good to have a dead hooker, right?”