The gang is back with their special brand of drunken depravity as the third episode of season 13 of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” aired this past Wednesday, Sept. 19.
This season has been highly anticipated for several reasons. The first was the cliffhanger at the end of last season and the other was the extended wait for this season’s premiere. With that extra year or so to sit and wait, fans were left to wonder whether or not Dennis (played by Glenn Howerton) would return, or if Sunny would ever be the same again.
What I appreciated about the first episode of this season was how they pivoted off of the cliffhanger from last season. The show opens with Cindy (played by Mindy Kaling) filling Dennis’ role as the brains of the operation. She helps the gang come up with a plan to steal customers away from their rival bar, but they get sidetracked when Mac (played by Rob McElhenney) purchases a life-sized sex doll designed to look exactly like Dennis.
“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is such a successful show because the characters are so well defined. Their personalities and group dynamic are so distinct that it can be placed into any situation and will always play out in an interesting way.
When a show goes on for too long, they lose their sense of rhythm and fall out of sync with what made it work for so many years. I’m not sure what the appropriate time is for a show to end. There’s no rule book for that sort of thing because it’s different for every show.
But, I think that some people are keenly aware of when a show falls out of rhythm. Right now, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” still feels like it’s retaining what made it work in the past. It doesn’t feel like they’ve overstayed their welcome yet. However, I’m starting to sense that they might be headed towards the end of their run.
In fairness, it’s a gut impulse that I seem to have once a show has been around for longer than 10 seasons. Also, when a show is on for this long, and someone like me has been watching for years, they tend to grow up as the show does.
I’m definitely not the same person I was when I first started watching “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” and that might be the reason why certain shows feel like they lose their rhythm further down the road. There’s something so particular about watching a show you love at a pivotal time in your life. Then when things change, it becomes hard not to compare them to how great they were in the past.
It’s very difficult to keep nostalgia and who you were apart from how you feel about things in the present.
It makes sense that projects need to evolve and change overtime. And, there’s no set rule for how long a show should last. But, I think that if we had to make a decision on whether or not we should aim to end a show too early or too late, I would vote for too early every time.
I’m willing to sacrifice an extra good season of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” if it means that they won’t end up doing a season that feels subpar.
As much as the audience may want more, the creators of shows like this one need to make a judgement call about when to lay the project to rest and move on to the next one.
With that in mind, the first three episodes of this season have been satisfying. I’ve found myself wanting to go back and re-watch them already, which means they are still doing the right things. That, to me, is the main indicator that a show still has its rhythm.
I suppose I am afraid of the day when I put on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and I don’t care anymore. It has happened with other shows in the past. There is nothing worse than becoming apathetic about something I used to love with a passion.
I am going to move forward with cautious optimism and continue to watch as the season unfolds. I have confidence and faith in the team behind “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” that they will continue to put out quality stuff for as long as they can. My fears about their decline might just be a product of my own paranoia towards change anyway.
