Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the FXX show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Frank Reynolds is the unofficial funder for the gang’s shenanigans on FXX’s long-running sitcom, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Thanks to his wild ideas and several alter egos, the wacky character has inspired countless memes within the fandom, with some perfectly capturing his zany personality and unique brand of humor.
From his time as Dr. Mantis Toboggan to his feeling of becoming unzipped, there’s no shortage of moments that have been parodied and used for inspiration for gut-busting memes on platforms like Reddit. As fans eagerly wait for the highly anticipated 16th season of the series, it’s the best time to look back at some of the best memes that sum up Frank.
Frank’s Alignment Chart
Frank has been depicted in a wild range of ways in the sitcom, which includes his numerous alter egos and just generally wacky misadventures. Frank is always coming up with creative solutions that never actually resolve the gang’s problems, but all that matters is he has a fun time and entertains audiences in the process.
The “alignment chart” a fan makes using some of his iconic scenes underscores the variety of ridiculous characters and situations Frank has shown over the course of the series. These include his role as the troll in Charlie’s play and his recurring alter ego, Dr. Mantis Toboggan.
Doing His Job
Frank’s time as “the Warthog” shows audiences a completely different (and perhaps even competent) side to the character, who throws himself back into his life as a successful businessman. One thing that it brings out is Frank’s ability to put down others for not doing their tasks correctly, which results in a humorous scene with an employee.
The meme-worthy moment shows an irritated Frank asking the employee if he just did his job for him, even though Frank was being uncharacteristically nice to him just a few seconds before that. The exchange highlights how serious Frank can be about this part of his life, even if he has abandoned it for Paddy’s Pub.
What About Trashman
Dee’s characters are nothing compared to Frank’s comedic ones, which he busts out when the situation calls for it. Some of his most popular alter egos include the Trashman, Dr. Mantis Toboggan, and the Warthog, which all represent different parts of his personality.
A meme pits two of his well-known alter egos against each other. The Warthog was Frank’s nickname from his days as a businessman, as he was known as a small but terrible professional who always burrows his way to success. Dr. Mantis Toboggan was born out of necessity when Frank was competing with Dennis and Mac for a woman’s attention.
The Gruesome Twosome
Without a doubt, Frank’s most important relationship on the show is the one he has with Charlie. Whether he admits it or not, Charlie has become both his closest friend and a son for him, which is why he feels terrible when he believes Charlie actually died.
As a gut-busting gaming meme shows, they are the “gruesome twosome,” which truly reflects what they’re like on the show. They live in terrible conditions, but the setting is perfect for both of them because they can be unhygienic and uncaring together.
Get Real Weird
Some insight behind Frank’s questionable decision-making skills is underscored by a surprisingly profound quote from the show. When the gang expresses concern about his disgusting behavior at a funeral, Frank reminds them that his goal is to “get real weird with it” while he still can.
The philosophical statement is quickly followed up by a comedic request for his drugs, of course, but for a moment, audiences see that there’s reason behind Frank’s outrageous actions. He just wants to have fun after all his years of hard work, as he knows his time will eventually run out.
Week By Week
There are a lot of cringe-worthy scenes in It’s Always Sunny and several of them predictably feature Frank and his antics. The character will go to great lengths to have fun, and he’ll often get himself hurt along the way like he does when he and Charlie make it their goal to try every water slide in the amusement park.
More of these moments are highlighted in a sidesplitting meme showing Frank’s wackiest moments. The most recognizable among them is Frank’s time as a snail, which shows him covered in hand sanitizer and declaring he just wants “to be pure.”
He’s Unzipped
There were several shocking revelations in the episode where the gang sees a therapist, with Frank’s session being particularly revealing. Without doing much, the therapist manages to uncover some of the darkest secrets about Frank’s past before he hilariously blames her for having “unzipped” him.
The comical moment is used as a reaction meme for the show’s emotional storyline set in Ireland. It also happens to be the story arc that underscores Frank’s love for Charlie, which is something he needs especially considering his tumultuous past.
Offer A Dragon Egg
Fans get the House of the Dragon and It’s Always Sunny mash-up they didn’t know they needed in a humorous meme showing “Frank Targaryen.” He’s holding a dragon egg and wearing his Ongo Gablogian wig in the creative image, which references an iconic moment in the sitcom.
Even those who are not fans of the show may recognize Frank’s offer of an egg for “trying times,” which highlights how random, funny, and inappropriate he can be. He offers the gift after Charlie vomits fake blood all over a terrified woman, who really doesn’t need an egg at that moment.
Derivative
Despite how obviously fake his alter egos can often be, Frank can sometimes be effective when faking a personality if he really gets into it. This is exactly what happens during his stint as Ongo Gablogian, an art collector who makes a funny mistake in IASIP by pointing to an air conditioner and calling it a great work of art.
The entire sequence is a memorable one that’s often used as a meme, and in one case, it serves as a meta-commentary for Frank’s relationship with Mac. The meme recounts the moment Frank accepts and understands Mac for who he is, which underscores the character’s more sensitive and caring side.
He Started Stabbing
Of course, the most popular meme format featuring Frank involves variations of his line about how he “started shooting” in an interview about gun control. The entire scene displays some important parts of Frank’s personality, including his tendency to cram sandwiches in his mouth during the most inconvenient times.
The meme-worthy moment is even applied to history on Reddit, which shows how useful the format can be. It also underscores the absurd humor that often comes with Frank’s actions and decisions, which is a huge part of why fans love him so much.