Mac and Dennis Become EMTs

I'm an It's Always Sunny lover. I rewatch every season constantly, but especially the old seasons. Felt it had gone a bit away from its outrageous non "PC" chaotic roots in the last few seasons, but this was that. I've already watched it multiple times and found so many funny moments I didn't see before. Pure chaos? Yes. Pure chaos, I wanted to see? Yes. Cultural references were elite with The Bear, and as before, Is it cake? We get incredible angles from all the characters (especially Dennis and Mac) which we've needed. Just so great overall and the chaos we want from It's Always Sunny even though we know they're great blokes in reality.

I'm always skeptical going into new Sunny seasons, but this is one of the funniest episodes they've put out in years. Although it would be impossible to capture the essence of the early seasons, I think this is as close as you can hope to get. It feels very natural and fun without feeling forced or too self-referential, which I felt weighed down the last few seasons.

You have almost four episodes worth of funny premises packed into one, brought together by the tenuous connection of getting off on spicy peppers. This definitely could have been multiple standalone episodes, but it feels like the writers really went all out on this one.

I love the running Bamboleo and pepper dosing gags, the callback to Frank suspecting everything is cake, Dee's road rage, and the jabs at pompous food shows like The Bear. Hopefully the rest of the season will live up this standard. Looking forward to Frank's dating show episode.

I just hope this show goes on forever. I've never stopped enjoying this show, I think every season is good, but this is just such an absolute standout episode. With laughs literally from start to finish, this episode has achieved something that few others have in that it is the perfect blend of classic and modern Sunny. 20 years, 17 seasons in and we're still getting episodes at the peak of their powers. Every member of the gang absolutely shines in this episode. Charlie's maniacal chef character is something that I'm surprised hasn't been done before, but it works perfectly for Charlie and serves as a biting parody of The Bear. Dennis and Mac are together once again, and their dynamic was one of the most classic parts of the episode. Both Glenn and Rob are on fire here (ha) fully committed to the bit in every shot. Kaitlyn gets to showcase some of the best physical comedy she's done on the show in YEARS and then pulls off what might be the funniest moment in the episode to me, her expression when Charlie offers her a pepper. The peppers were the perfect addition to this, it doesn't, at any point, make the least bit of sense; but it is just hilarious that in addition to all of the nonsense games they're playing (literally for their own amusement as the judge says) that they're getting buzzed on hot peppers. And they can't stop. Perfect Sunny. Frank's plot reminds us of the show's roots too. It's dark, seriously messed up on paper. There literally isn't another television comedy that could have pulled that story off while remaining as funny as it does. While this episode reflects on the classic era of the show (the og gang even get a major scene together) it also displays the absolute best of new Sunny; with some of the biggest budget moments and stunts we've ever seen them try. And it all fits together perfectly. Everything about this episode was perfect Sunny. There wasn't a moment wasted. A top ten episode, and a television landmark.

This is new heights of crazy. The absurdity, the pace, the performances, the energy. It's not witty, it's not a social comment over anything, it's not even necessarily smart but it is more out there than anything produced recently that's not adult swim sketch comedy. And it's really original, nothing like the Southpark transpositions they did in the past, where they clearly mutated premises, punchlines or themes. They stay bold and loud and they're undefeated. Cake episode was great, this is madness. I'm watching this show since season one but this level of insanity was really unexpected. Keep pushing.

Rarely has a recent Sunny episode felt this fresh, yet so authentically reminiscent of the show's early days.

The early Gang was defined by its inspired, chaotic madness. That specific brand of delightful unpredictability slowly faded in the later seasons with the characters and stories hitting the same predictable beats.

This episode brought it back. It starts slow and unremarkable, but things start getting spicier around the midway point. From there, it builds like a manic crescendo, each member of the Gang spiralling to new heights of deranged energy before exploding into a memorable finale.

This is the most sheer joy I have felt watching a new Sunny episode in a long time. If that is not convincing enough, let me add that the Gang's old foe--the Lawyer--shows up as an antagonist.