Critic’s Rating: 3.8 / 5.0
3.8
If there’s one thing It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia does well, it’s executing a hilarious take on a niche concept.
A renaissance faire is the last place anybody would expect to find the Gang.
The episode capitalizes on this by dropping each character into a situation where they are way out of their depth.
Every main character gets a chance to shine without the story feeling overstuffed.
Plus, some iconic guest stars and recurring characters make appearances and serve as the glue that helps all the different storylines come together seamlessly at the end.
Full of incredible individual moments and shocking twists, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 18 Episode 5, “The Gang Goes to Ren Faire,” has become an instant classic for me.
A Tragic Turn of Events
It’s about time that Dennis gets humbled.
The recurring bit of Dennis being creepy to women has been overplayed on many It’s Always Sunny episodes, but this time the episode made it abundantly clear that Dennis needs to change his ways.
The episode starts with Dennis pursuing a “maiden,” only to get stopped by a character named Kevin, played by none other than comedian Nick Kroll.
At first, the interaction is a bit strange, on account of Kevin forcing Dennis to answer a riddle before he can sleep with the maiden. Then, the storyline quickly takes a dark turn.
When Dennis tries to claim that he had a wonderful time with the maiden, the rest of the Gang rightfully don’t believe him, especially Charlie, who suddenly has a newfound love for playing the lute.
I adore when the writers capitalize on Charlie Day’s musical talents, like when he sang a hilariously morbid song about his dead mother on Season 18 Episode 1.
For me, the best part of the episode is when Charlie shows up with the lute and starts singing songs about horses and Dennis’ conquests.
Charlie’s musical commentary and justified disbelief at Dennis’ stories bring a lighter tone to contrast the disturbing reality that becomes evident when Kevin reveals that he’s a pimp and demands Dennis pay for what he did with the maiden.
While Dennis pays in cold, hard cash (or rather, through Zelle), the true payback for his creepy behavior comes later when the new maiden who sleeps with Dennis reveals that she’s only sleeping with him because her husband’s crotch got injured in a car crash.
The moment plays for laughs but also invites viewers to see just how evil Dennis treats women.
Even though Dennis’ bad behavior is widely accepted, the episode gives the women characters slightly more agency than in the past and casts them in a more empathetic light.
Again, Charlie brings much-needed comic relief as he emerges from the dark once the girl leaves, revealing that Dennis forced him to watch.
It’s impossible to watch Charlie’s horrified expression as he clutches the lute and begs Dennis to never do this again, and not burst out laughing.
Maybe it’s for the best that we’re left to our imagination to piece together what Dennis could do that would drain the spirit from Charlie’s eyes.
Honor, Glory, and Horses
Dennis’ storyline about mistreating women sharply contrasts with Dee’s storyline this episode, in which she tries to prove that women can drive a story.
Throughout the episode, the Gang continues to brush off her efforts to prove that she’s not just a passive character in the grand scheme of things, even going so far as to laugh off Dee’s claim that she got kicked by a horse.
But unbeknownst to the egotistical men, Dee gets the last laugh.
Mac and Frank form an unlikely but hilariously unbalanced alliance, as Mac agrees to get Frank some food while he goes off to talk to “the king.”
As teased by the episode description, I had a feeling that the McPoyle brothers would show up, but I certainly didn’t expect Guillermo Del Toro to make a return as Pappy, as he hasn’t been on the show since Season 12.
The family feud gets territorial, as Pappy and Frank engage in an intense staring contest over ownership of the ren faire land.
While they argue that their rivalry is about “honor,” it’s really about their fragile masculinity, which becomes evident when the staring contest fails and they decide to have Liam and Mac joust on horses for the land.
The McPoyle brothers are always fun to watch, but Nate Mooney and Jimmi Simpson deliver such standout performances, as they really commit to embodying Ryan and Liam’s bloodthirsty desire for revenge.
The reveal that Liam accidentally takes out his brother’s eye instead of Mac’s perfectly captures the absurd, morbid nature that It’s Always Sunny has been playing up this season.
What makes that plot twist so great is that Dee has been masterminding the entire feud.
The flashbacks of Dee interfering without anybody else knowing are a welcome reminder that, as she claims, women can drive the plot on this show.
Of course, she’s still deranged for treating the McPoyles and her friends like pawns in a game of chess, but the show finally gives her the spotlight.
Despite how eventful the episode is, the story neatly wraps up in a satisfying way that has me excited for the next time the McPoyles cross paths with the Reynolds.
Paddy’s Pub Bulletin Board
- I can’t get over how good the Gang’s outfits are. Their outfits suit their individual personalities so well! Props to the costumes.
- The recurring loud flying plane didn’t make me laugh, but maybe that’s because I’ve lived near an airport and learned to filter out plane noise intuitively.
- The gerbil falling out of Mac’s behind at the end felt like a forced callback to the quilt, but I’ve never been one to enjoy animal humor either.
- The loud horn interrupting Frank and Pappy is such a juvenile bit, but it worked. I laughed every time.
- Dee getting excited about her parking ticket validation really resonated with me. Oh, the joys of adulthood!
That’s all from me! What were your top moments from the latest episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia?
Don’t forget to vote in the poll below, and come back next week for our continued coverage of the Gang’s antics!
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia airs on Mondays at 9/8c on FXX, FX, and Hulu.
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It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 18 Episode 5 sees the Gang embark on side quests that culminate in an epic tale.
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