It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

[the division of joy]

Supposedly Rob McEhlhenney (Mac) has put on 50lb for the show.

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/07/27/3038483/rob-mcelhenney-lives-large-for.html

 

Confirmed.

[TulipO]

I...I think I'm in love with Rob McElhenny.

[the division of joy]

Word to that. I love his beard he's grown for this season. Reminds me of my own

[the division of joy]

Well god damn, that was awesome.

[TulipO]

:( I missed it....Maybe they will repeat it soon...

[the division of joy]

Its quite easily downloaded...

[Jables]

It's pretty much how i have to view it. And yeah, pretty goddamned great

[Reverend Jax]

Pretty good episode. Fat Mac is hilarious.

[Keth]

 

Just started season 2 of this and fucking love it. I can't believe it's taken me this long to get around to it.

[Visitant]

I was late to this too, just enjoy the ride.

[Keth]

I totally keep expecting this to suddenly get bad, but it's only getting better. I especially love Danny DeVito's feral regression. He's a national treasure.

[The NZA]

how far are you? i was clearly all about this show, but at some point when i was watching it with LL (i forget what season, 5 or so maybe?) i recall it getting a little less funny and more mean for a few eps, and kinda fell off. i hear it picked back up though

[Keth]

I'm on season 7, and if you haven't experienced Lethal Weapon 5 or the Christmas Episode then you are missing out!

[The NZA]

Film School Rejects: "The Creeping Progressiveness of It's Always Sunny"

 

But even in these early days, the attitude of the creators is obviously at odds with that of the characters. (The episode is in fact written by Rob McElhenney, who plays Mac). Because even in that first episode, Carmen is practical and extremely comfortable with herself. She might be the most well-adjusted person in a whole season of misfits.

So while the gang treats her horribly — Mac is ashamed and his friends are disgusted — Carmen actually holds her own. And when she returns in the third season for “Mac is a Serial Killer,” she seems to have earned even more of the show’s respect. In a happy but secret relationship with Mac, she finally puts her foot down and kicks him out when he admits that he’s ashamed of himself for sleeping with her. Mac, meanwhile, is soashamed that his friends mistake his sneaky actions for those of a murderer. They’re still disgusted when the truth comes out, but the stance behind the writing seems crystal clear — the gang are the ones at fault here.

The fact remains, however, that the episode culminates in four people berating their friend for sleeping with a pre-op trans woman, and it’s played for laughs. Three years later, in the season 6 premiere “Mac Fights Gay Marriage,” the show is no longer joking around. Carmen has had her surgery and is happily married to a man, launching Mac on a blind crusade against both homosexuality and introspection. If there were any doubt, it’s very obvious by this point that Carmen is the normal one, and that Mac has some serious religion-induced repression.

Most notable in season 6 is the rest of the gang’s obvious attitude shift. They use Carmen’s correct pronouns, and they congratulate her on her wedding. They’re all in favor of marriage equality (still five years before the Supreme Court ruling). The only one who takes some catching up is Frank, ever the convenient voice of outmoded thinking. But even he eventually comes around, so much so that he enters a domestic partnership with Charlie. His rationale is about as good as he’s going to get: “Two dudes gettin’ married — that doesn’t seem very gay.”

In other words, by 2010 transphobia and homophobia are no longer funny, even coming from people as horrible as the gang.

Instead, all of their negative attitudes are funneled into Mac, who himself becomes more and more overtly gay. From a general interest in “beefcakes” all the way to coming back from a gay bar covered in glitter and “not answering any questions,” Mac spends the better part of a decade in a closet with no door. He even comes out during a brief crisis of faith in season 11, only to take it all back when he decides God is real after all

 

I've not seen the show in years, but had often heard later seasons stared blurring ignorance with maliciousness more - recently though, I'd seen the take that this put the gang in a more modern seinfeld approach 

[Keth]

If folks aren't watching this season they really should. Lots of hilarious moments, and the finale is one of the most interesting and creative things the show has ever done. 

[The NZA]

I'm gonna revisit it - both on your say-so and feedback that it'd got interesting

 

again I'd loved this show and only dropped it when it got mean/less interesting 

[Visitant]

I think this is one of the best, if not the best season (not done with it yet)