It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Gang Sells Out

(S03E07) "Of course we sing! We're a gang!" - Frank

Wow. Brilliant. I'm honestly not sure where to begin because this episode was fantastic. Joel and myself have both talked about how It's Always Sunny... is trying some new things season and that trend continued in this episode with winning results.

Jumping on a theme that's just ripe for laughter, the episode tackled Corporate America. Throw in some Oldies music theme restaurants, a 1950s Doo-Wop biker group, helipads, and secret tunnels and you've got a bunch of things that don't have appear to have anything in common. Leave it to this show to tie that list together.

So what happens when a giant conglomerate known for its chain restaurants makes an offer to buy Paddy's Bar? Just look at the title: The Gang Sells Out. Lots of stuff to like about this episode though. First off, I love that despite the individuality of each episode, that there are still some running gags and stories that span multiple episodes. Charlie's illiteracy and complete misunderstanding of the English language struck again when he thought the word "wooed" was just Dennis and Frank mispronouncing the word "wood." He seemed genuinely confused when he looked at Dennis and asked how he was going to become wood... or something like that. As if Dennis would just turn into a 2x4.

And speaking of Charlie, the love triangle between him, Dennis, and Coffee Shop Girl popped up again too at the Oldies Rock Café. I think it's hilarious that she got angry because Dennis didn't know her name when we've never actually heard her name.

The scenes with the corporate executive were definitely some of the best ones we've had all season. Every time they went to negotiate with the guy, they just got into a fight about something else and ignored him. First it was helicopters and secret tunnels, then Iwo Jima and Hiroshima, and then about slang terminology for gay sex. It was priceless the first time around when you realized the guy had been sitting there the whole time.

And then there's Frank. He was in a gang back in the 50s called The Yellowjackets. They play jacks and sing a capella. Intimidating, huh? During that first song, I lost it when Frank was hopping around, singing "sting sting buzz buzz." Hilarious. Then one of the gang members (Hawky) died. I love how he got cremated and then what'd they do? Burned his ashes! I loved his "In Memoriam" at the end of the episode too. Hawky: 1927-2007.

Other stuff:

• Dee calling Dennis "cocktail" was funny. I was hoping he'd try a few moves and toss some spinning bottles.
• Dee's explanation of her "double drop" scheme was funny enough but it was better when Dennis said he and Mac knew about it and they just took the difference out of her purse.
• What was all the talk about "shares" in the bar? Did they make them out of napkins? I think the fact that they had imaginary shares that they still traded amongst each other is great. How did they dictate share price or value? Apparently it hinged on whether or not Charlie felt like cleaning the toilets.

Now I know I've read it elsewhere, so this isn't anything new, but this show is definitely the new Seinfeld. Not since that show has there been a group of people that were so oblivious, selfish, and self-absorbed. Hopefully FX doesn't adopt Dennis' "Enron cut-n-run plan." We're three seasons in. Let's keep it going and give us at least three more.

Gallery: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Season Three