Any show that reaches season 14 and doesn’t feel like it’s past its prime is something special. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has continued to evolve its formula and surprise its fans over the years with its pitch-black comic sensibility, ironic self-awareness, and ever-growing roster of sociopathic characters.
In the age of streaming, it’s never been easier to watch your favorite TV comedies over and over and over again. It’s Always Sunny is a popular choice for binge-watching, as its half-hour episodes are easily digestible and mostly rewatchable. So, here are 10 episodes of It’s Always Sunny that’ll never get old.
The Gang Buys A Boat (Season 6, Episode 3)
Some of the best Always Sunny episodes take a simple premise – like the Gang coming into some extra cash and buying a party boat – and find the humor in letting the characters run loose with that premise.
“The Gang Buys a Boat” gets a lot of comic mileage out of its central idea, and it also introduced Always Sunny fans to “the implication.”
The Gang Goes To The Jersey Shore (Season 7, Episode 2)
The Gang’s trip down to the Jersey Shore brings a hysterical storyline for everyone. Dennis and Dee encourage the trip, expecting a magical vacation like they had when they were kids, while Mac, Frank, and Charlie expect it to suck.
As it turns out, Dennis and Dee have a terrible time, as they’re spiked with angel dust and forced to take part in an armed robbery, while Mac and Frank get stranded at sea with their rum ham and Charlie spends the night with the Waitress.
The Gang Wrestles For The Troops (Season 5, Episode 7)
When a soldier that Dee has been chatting with online comes home from the war, the guys decide to put on a wrestling match to support the troops.
Roddy Piper gives a hilarious guest performance as an unhinged wrestler, while the Gang’s wrestling personas get plenty of laughs.
The Gang Goes To A Water Park (Season 12, Episode 2)
In “The Gang Goes to a Water Park,” every character has something hilarious going on, from Mac and Dee getting stuck in a slide to Charlie and Frank using an AIDS-based gambit to skip the lines to Dennis training a young apprentice in the art of the con.
The Gang Tries Desperately To Win An Award (Season 9, Episode 3)
Season 9’s “The Gang Tries Desperately to Win an Award” is one of It’s Always Sunny’s most self-aware episodes. It’s the writers’ satirical response to the fact that the show has never won an Emmy, despite years of critical acclaim.
As the Gang tries to win an award for the bar, the episode examines what the point of awards are in the first place, and questions why anyone would put any stock in what a random committee of people thinks and who they give pieces of metal to.
Mac And Charlie Die (Season 4, Episodes 5/6)
In the two-parter “Mac and Charlie Die,” Mac and Charlie fake their own deaths after trying to keep Mac’s dad in prison by making up false threats and failing miserably.
Meanwhile, Frank and Dee find a glory hole in the bathroom, leading Dennis into a world of anonymous sex with Europeans. This is a prime example of a great A-plot dovetailing with a great B-plot.
The Gang Hits The Road (Season 5, Episode 2)
After tackling the mortgage crisis in the season 5 premiere, “The Gang Hits the Road” saw the Gang embarking on a road trip to the Grand Canyon. Frank wants to check it off his bucket list and Dee tags along.
In true Sunny fashion, the trip is marred by so many setbacks that they don’t even make it out of Philly. From Dennis and Charlie smoking themselves out by burning a wicker basket in the trailer to Dee throwing a jar of pee in Mac’s face, “The Gang Hits the Road” is filled with classic moments.
Mac And Dennis Move To The Suburbs (Season 11, Episode 5)
When they finally decide to move out of Dee’s apartment after burning down their own in a Thanksgiving hatchet-burying that went terribly awry and rent a house in the suburbs, Dennis and Mac expect a nice, peaceful existence away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
However, they find that suburban life is even more nightmarish than city life. They’re slowly driven mad by pool filters and nosy neighbors and grow to despise each other within a few short days.
Charlie Work (Season 10, Episode 4)
Often mistaken for a Birdman homage when it’s actually a True Detective homage, the second half of the season 10 episode “Charlie Work” is edited to look like one long tracking shot, as Charlie tries to get Paddy’s in shape for a health inspection amid one of the Gang’s wacky schemes.
The hectic non-stop action, the jazz drum score, and the satisfaction of a plan coming together (quickly dashed when the Gang takes credit for Charlie’s hard work) make this an episode to remember.
The Nightman Cometh (Season 4, Episode 13)
It’s Always Sunny fans will never get tired of watching the season 4 finale, “The Nightman Cometh,” arguably the most perfect example of what the show can do at its best. The premise is simple, as Charlie mounts a musical with an ulterior motive and casts the Gang in various roles, but it’s executed brilliantly.
Every character in the show’s ensemble has something hilarious to do – particularly Charlie, as the director of the musical and mastermind of the scheme – and almost every scene has laugh-out-loud moments that stand among the show’s funniest.