by Saffron Derr

When I first heard of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, I always thought it was one of those mindless comedies that have a few vulgar jokes, and that was it. After being recommended to watch it so many times, I finally did over Christmas break in 2015. It’s about a group of friends from Philadelphia, who own a bar together. They get into quarrels but in the end, they’re still friends (sort of). Sounds pretty boring, right? That’s what kept me from watching it for so long.  Well, it’s actually one of the most hilariously dark shows on television. This show is often called “The Modern Seinfeld,” but Always Sunny goes way further than Seinfeld in terms of subject matter and just overall vulgarity. It’s a show that doesn’t require you to view it in order. Sure, it helps starting at the beginning, but the humor is so insane that context doesn’t always matter. The gist goes the same for almost every episode: the characters start out arguing and one of them has an idea, and the end result is usually chaos. The characters find themselves constantly in the middle of broader situations that cause them to really think about what they’re doing. But just when they start to get to the point, they lose it and do another stupid act. It’s the concept of many successful sitcoms, but Always Sunny has mastered it. The show goes from accidentally selling minors alcohol to finding a baby in a dumpster and trying to sell it on the black market when they realize they can’t take care of it. The recurring characters aren’t annoying, they’re more memorable than the main cast at times. The main cast is great and consistent; it’s hard to choose a favorite. In the end, Always Sunny is an instant classic, and while the premise seems a bit off, it will always be one of my favorite “go-to” shows, it never

stops being entertaining.